My Goal

My original goal was to clean out my study closet to make room for a more "professional" environment. I've learned that for me, it is best to keep work and play as separate as possible. Unfortunately due to various constants, this is not totally possible but I did the best I could do. I wanted to make room for a second desk where I could dock my work laptop and have space to work. With this accomplished I discovered old stereo equipment that need repairs, or did work, so I set out putting them to use.

This project is almost never ending. I will always find new equipment I would want to add, upgrade, or change out to create a better sound experience for myself.

This is a fun and relaxing project that helps me at the end of each work day, and relax on the weekends.

The Beginning

When I began working from home full time I discovered my study closet needed a cleaning and organization. During the cleanup I came across two old stereo components: A Sony 5-disc CD changer and Sony Dual Cassette Deck. The CD changer was given to me for my birthday in 1989, and the cassette deck I bought in 1994.

The CD changer worked like new, however the cassette deck did not, after opening it up I discovered the drive belts had all melted. A quick eBay search found a suitable belt and pinch roller kit and after a week I got the parts, disassembled the unit, replaced all the belts, and pinch rollers and got it back working like new.

Down the Rabbit Hole

Now I had two components, the CD and tape deck, but no receiver to play it. While searching through Facebook Marketplace I found someone in Redmond selling a beautiful Sony ES receiver for a steal. After getting the receiver home and plugging it all in and hooking it up to some spare book shelf speakers I had the beginnings of my retro system.

But Wait, There's More..

Two things though I felt I was missing. Any high end stereo in the mid '90s in my mind needed a graphic equalizer. Also there was a lot of buzz in Youtube and online about a possible resurgence of vinyl records. So I went back to Facebook Marketplace and eBay. I found a Sony 7-band EQ, but decided to buy a new Pro-Ject turntable.

It Doesn't End..

Much like computers, cars, or any other hobby, what you collect usually isn't enough, there might be something around the corner that sounds a little better. After further research I purchased a set of Dynaudio bookshelf speakers to replace the reference Klipsch. This opened up the sound and now both vinyl and CDs were sounding amazing.

My brother found a newer model Sony receiver that had a lot more power to drive the Dynaudio speakers and got it for my birthday. This upgrade brought the speakers up several notches, and again I heard new notes in my old music.

Bringing the Retro Stereo Into the Modern Age

During this time I also connected a Raspberry Pi to my stereo so I could stream from Bluetooth or Apple. While looking through my iTunes library I discovered an album I had bought was no longer available. I found the receipt for my purchase in my Email, but the album was no longer available in iTunes. I found the album in my backups, but this set my mind that I needed to buy physical copies of my music. As long as I kept the physical copy in good condition I should not loose the music, and always be able to make a digital copy. I have also expanded my iTunes backup to several locations just in case.

The Upgrades Continue...

Over the past two years, I've upgraded components of the vinyl turntable: new stylus better power supply, replaced all the outlets in my study as one of them was introducing a hum in my sub woofer. I also bought a sub woofer to round out the speakers. An Sony ES DVD player has replaced the 5-disc changer, and I purchased a Sony ES single cassette deck.

What About the Original?

Unfortunately the original equipment is sitting unused again but in a different location. I know though I will get it hooked up again in another room so that I can enjoy music from that setup. But now I can enjoy music like I've never experienced before when I need to unwind.

Future?

This project will never be complete, I want to replace the stylus again, for a much better one. The DVD unit I have doesn't play some CDs, nor any new Super Audio CDs. I have a replacement pickup laser that I need to swap in. In the meantime my audio collection of vinyl and CDs is expanding. I'm discovering new pressings of music I listened to in the '80's, '90's and even new releases.