From Issue Six of Gear Patrol Magazine.
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Maybe it was a hand-me-down, maybe it was a spur-of-the-moment eBay grab, or maybe it was just a score from that hipster-approved flea market. Whatever the case, you’ve suddenly found yourself the proud new owner of a sweet vintage stereo — perhaps a natty-looking receiver like the gorgeous one pictured here, a Sansui G-7000, circa 1979.
It may only have half the features of that crap iHome clock you’re still using even though it only charges an iPod Nano, but who cares? You’re better than that — and who can argue with swaths of brushed aluminum or the feel of a proper volume knob? So with that said, welcome to your next Saturday project.
The upside to vintage audio gear is that if it works, well, it works — even when it’s going on 40 years old. With a few simple add-ons, you can modernize many vintage stereos to work wirelessly and easily with your iPhone and favorite music app. It’s a perfect union: audio pedigree, vintage-era modern design and convenience. Boiled down, it’s got style.
To start, let’s presume you’ve scored a receiver. (If you haven’t, look to eBay, local shops and Audiogon.) A receiver is what you see pictured here, and a common find for vintage scouters. Simply explained, a receiver is a stereo amplifier that includes a built-in AM/FM tuner and, usually, a few inputs to add other devices like a turntable, cassette deck or a CD player. The important thing to look for is a spare input, sometimes marked AUX, to ensure you can pipe in another music source. For the purposes of this project, we’ll skip past adding new components and focus on making it work with your phone.
Q Acoustics Bookshelf Speakers
