Servicing the classics

摘要

I read the Investigation feature in the July issue on buying vintage and secondhand audio equipment with great interest. Being a lifelong hi-fi enthusiast, now into my 70s, around half of my audiophile system was bought secondhand, some components via ads in Hi-Fi News, others from online auction sites. I have been lucky with most of my buys online, though did learn a few hard and expensive lessons along the way. Never forget the old adage 'buyer beware'. However, I have found the majority of hi-fi enthusiasts who sell their equipment online to be an honest lot, though there certainly are scammers out there. I thought the following information may be useful to like-minded readers and covers my experiences with reel-to- reel recorders, cassette machines and Garrard 301 and 401 record decks.