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Classic gear from yesteryear; vintage audio standing the test of time.

Classics and what I look for

In my mind a classic is:
- Something that is highly appreciated and sought after, many years after it was originally produced
- Often but not always widely emulated
- Often but not always regarded as a benchmark
- Often TOTL but not necessarily

A few audio examples would be AR3a, Linn LP 12, NAD 3020, Marantz 10B and Quad ESL 57. Note that the initial cost range includes BOTL & TOTL.

What you or I regard as a classic may be quite different from what other people regard as classics.

Qualities I generally look for in equipment:
- Excellent performance at its task
- Ease of use
- Silence (no noisy transformers, motors or mechanisms)
- Reliability
- Long lifespan
- Appearance that pleases me (I generally prefer simple and understated but there are exceptions)
- Enduring market value to keep the owning cost down if the day comes when I want to replace it

I generally don't care if something is old or new but old classics are generally a lot more affordable than new gear of comparable quality and some of them evoke memories and the illusion that something good can last forever.

If something is outstanding enough in one area, I will accept failings in other areas. (eg Quad ESL 57's are not good looking to my eye or particularly reliable but if I could find a mint pair at a good price, I would love to have them)

David


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