Over the last couple of days my audio buddies Stephaen, Harry, Kara, Pete, George, and I were talking about J. Gordon Holt's article (Stereophile) Too Good to Be True, published back in January of 1963, where Gordon asked the relevant (and somewhat disturbing question), "Does today's high-fidelity equipment, for all its vastly improved performance, actually sound that much better than the best of the early components?"
I urge you to go read Gordon's article and think about what was said. Over 50 years later from when it was written, it may be an even more relevant question to ask.
My conclusion is that if you value musicality in hi-fi over sound effects, then often the vintage gear plays music better, and gives a stronger emotional connection to the music.
Vintage McIntosh MX110Z tuner-preamplifier with WE16GA.
I had been thinking about this question a lot over the past year, as I've been experiencing listening to music with vintage McIntosh & Marantz electronics, vintage Western Electric WE16GA wire, Garrard 301/401 turntables, and most recently, the astounding custom vintage Altec Lansing Voice of the Loudspeakers that were made for Leopold Stokowski's personal use.
The custom vintage VOTTs that were made for Leopold Stokowski's personal use.
The Maestro's VOTTs are a perfect example of something from the past that is radically musical and satisfying to listen to music with.
Inside the Maestro's custom vintage VOTTs.
Compared to my Harbeth Super HL5 loudspeakers, which shook up my musical world when I reviewed them, the Maestro's VOTTs absolutely destroy the H's both musically and sonically, even when compared directly in the small room where I've got the M-VOTTs sitting. It's no contest!
You'd think the Harbeths would have the edge on performance in my small little coffee nook room, for after all, they were developed with vintage BBC monitor wisdom to excel as a monitor in similarly sized small rooms, and they do.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Harbeths. Except when compared to the M-VOTTs, which rather surprisingly soundly beat them at their own game. I didn't see that one coming.
That's good news for a lot of music lovers I think, as you can buy a pair of restored vintage A7 VOTTs - the most similar comparator to my M-VOTTs - for about half what a pair of new Harbeth SHL 5's sell for.
SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier
I'm not going to say that all vintage gear is more musical than all modern gear, because that's just not the case. As you know, there's been a few notable recent designs that I have come across, like the SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier, which sounds so compellingly musical with my M-VOTTs that it's one of those 'match made in heaven' experiences, and listening to music with it makes me very, very, happy.
However, my experience has been that many of these vintage designs are extraordinarily musical, and I think they are worthy of your attention too. Like the VOTTs, or the Garrards, or the vintage Mac's, or the Western Electric WE16GA, all of which I enjoy and use daily.
While vintage gear is not for everyone, it can be a good way to get the most out of your hard-earned musical dollars, and there's a certain pride of ownership with vintage gear that is very, very, satisfying.
It's also very fun!
Thanks for stopping by!
