Audiophile Update

Awhile ago I discussed my overwhelming desire to build my stereo system up and acquire as much music as I could. It’s been awhile now, and after today I think it’s time for an update.

Today, for some reason, I had the urge to check out the local “sell-all” pawn shop. When I say “sell-all”, I mean it. There are lines of couches for sale (or sold), aisles of desks and shelves, a book section rivaling used bookstores, and of course, an electronics section. The sad part is, however, that the electronic section is almost always the most rundown, since the store is really a donation store. It’s a community outreach place, meaning that it will hire anybody so they gain experience and sell important things for not much (fridges/bed/clothes washers). They are non-profit. As a result, most people bring their electronics elsewhere, so that they may gain a dollar or two.

Every now and then, however, I’ll stumble across something worthwhile. Plus, their records and tapes sell for a quarter, so it’s always worth a look. Today, however, I found a Pioneer CT-F800, which is a fairly high quality tape deck, selling for only $25. The store also cleans, oils, and tests all the audio equipment, so I knew it was working. Stuff even has warranties. Needless to say, I was pretty excited over the find. I also bought 11 tapes and one record, ranging from Scott Joplin to KISS. Overall, a great day.

This brings my equipment up to a Denon AVR-588 receiver, a Pioneer CT-F800, a Sanyo DVD player for CDs, an Ion USB Turntable, and Panasonic generic speakers (that actually sound remarkably good). You may notice the lack of a reel to reel player, and that is due to the fact that upon further inspection and discussion in audio forums, it’s been discovered that my player is essentially permanently broken. That’s a bummer, since I spent all that money on R2R tapes. Oh well.

So I got some ways to go (new, real speakers, real CD player, working R2R), but I’m well on my way. I’m sure to pick up random equipment here and there as well, such as a Dolby Noise Reduction unit I have. Also, my total musical collection is almost at 300 albums (I have over 800 on the computer- 31 continuous days) which I think is pretty small, but it is steadily growing. Maybe I’ll post the list later.

~ by Josh on March 7, 2008.