Retro Stereo on a Budget

The catalyst for this project is a Realistic CD -1500 Compact Disc Digital Audio Player (love that looong title) that I found at Goodwill last year. 

This unit came out in 1988. I'm sure I would have coveted a model like this at our local Radio Shack. 

Let's zoom in: 

That price tag would equal $601.85 today. I paid $5 for mine, and the CD player sounds great. The original remote control was missing, but I was able to get the Realistic to respond to this Gemini universal remote. (Not as easy as it sounds. You need an older universal remote to do this.)

According to the ad, the original remote didn't have numeral buttons like those on the Gemini, but the Realistic responds to them. If I press 7 and then play, the CD jumps to track 7. Also, the Realistic will play burned CD-R+/- discs - a technology that wasn't allegedly available in 1987. Either this player was ahead of its time, or Radio Shack was hiding something... 🤔 

Anyway, now what? I was already using a CD player that I liked, so I wasn't sure what to do with this one. I didn't want to sell it or give it away. I'd rather put the Realistic to use. Since I had purchased the player for nostalgia's sake, I decided to take another step backwards in time. I was going to try to put together an 80s-era stereo from thrift store items.

Silver-faced stereo equipment from the 1970s and earlier is really cool, but it is also highly sought-after and too expensive to buy just for fun. By the late 80s (and on), the style was that most stereo components were all black and/or dark grey. That style of equipment is much easier to find now (and it's cheaper), but the look doesn't have the vibe I'm going for. 

I wanted a happy medium, so I decided to shop only for brand name equipment that was manufactured between 1980 and 1985. That way I could still get that vintage, silver-look without paying that vintage, sky-high price. I knew it might take years to stumble across these components in brick-and-mortar thrift stores, so online purchases were fine if the shipping costs weren't outrageous.

I needed to find: a receiver, two speakers, an equalizer, a tape deck, and a turntable. I didn't want to pay more than $40 for any one component. Let's say my budget was $200.

Also, patina wouldn't be a problem. I wasn't trying to find pristine items. If a component works but shows its history, that's okay. I can say the same about myself.

From Shopgoodwill.com: The Receiver

No, the auction picture isn't crooked. The Sony STR-AV330 AM/FM Stereo Receiver is missing a front "leg" support. I suppose that is why no one else bid on it. 

Besides feeling pity for the Sony, this receiver met my requirements. It was manufactured in 1984. You can see that Sony was transitioning over to all black, but the silver on the faceplate still stands out. The STR-AV330 has 40 watts per channel, a tape monitor function for an EQ, and will play well with others: turntable, tape deck, CD player, and video audio. 

I flushed/ cleaned the potentiometers (slide controls) and buttons with DeoxIT®. That took care of any scratchy sounds the player made when the controls were moved. Having a clean power button is really important in my experience. A dirty power switch can cause all kinds of audio distortion. Weird, but true.

I moved an original "leg" from the back of the cabinet to the front, and made a leg for the rear with stuff I found in the garage. Now the Sony is on the level. 

Total cost: $25.18

From a Thrift Store: The Speakers

Realistic's Mininus 7 speakers are a favorite of mine. I bought these speakers at the Hope Ministries Thrift store, but I have owned several pairs in the past. I had a pair in my dorm room, and Daphne and I used a pair to play background music at our wedding reception. These speakers are built like tanks and have a big sound despite their small size. Produced from 1979 - 1993, they meet my age requirement, and they each can handle up to 40 watts which is in perfect aligment with the Sony receiver. 

Total cost: $10

From a Thrift Store: The Turntable

Okay this one is a bit of a cheat. I've had the Pioneer Pl-4 at school for years. But, it was manufactured from 1981-1982, has the right color, and was purchased at a Goodwill. I need to Detox the speed adjustment potentiometers, and it probably could use a new stylus. 

Total cost: $5.99 (but I could probably add $40 for the stylus)

From Shopgoodwill.com: The Tape Deck

For my target years of '80-'85, cassette tapes ruled the recording industry. Sure, CDs arrived in the US in 1983, but I didn't know anyone who owned one. CDs didn't outsell casstte tapes until 1991. So, I felt obligated to get add tape deck to this system. 

The problem is that cassette tapes are becoming popular again. You can blame low production costs, nostaliagia, or hipsters, but the lowly tape has been slowly crawling out of its grave for a few years. I used to wade through the tape decks at a thrift store to get to the good stuff, and now I can't find one decent deck. 

Because the receiver was cheaper than expected, I mentally set my bidding limit at $60 (price + shipping) and lost four different tape deck auctions before I "won" the Technics RS-M218. It was produced in '81 and '82. You can see from these auction pictures that the deck was filthy. That didn't bother me. I've changed diapers. I know that most stuff washes off. 

The first thing I did when the deck arrived was to clean the pinch roller, the capstan shaft, the record/play head, and the erase head. If these are dirty, then the player is sure to "eat" whatever you put in its mouth. The deck did not eat my test tape, but it couldn't play it, either. Dang! Fast forward and rewind worked, but pressing "play" did nothing. Oh, and when I plugged in my headpohone jack I was rewarded with earsplitting hiss and static. great. just great.

I removed the case cover and found this broken belt inside. I supposed that was a problem.

Let's be honest. How could I expect a rubber belt to still be good after almost 40 years?

To use cassette tape terminolgy, I am going to fast forward through my description of the repair process. I was able to loosen the motor plate and open an area that allowed access to where the three motor belts go.

The correct sized capstan belt is available to buy online for around $30, but I wasn't even sure if that would solve all of the deck's problems. For testing purposes, I used a rubber band. You can see it wrapped around the black flywheel. 

Getting the belts back on in the right order and in the right place took about two hours. It was deliciously frustrating. Currently, the rubber band is holding its own and the deck even plays at the correct speed. Edit: I became suspicious that deck was playing at a slightly slower speed than it should. Playing the same song on the CD player along with the cassette comfirmed this. Luckily, the motor has a speed adjustment screw. 

The dirty power switch and the long recording switch inside (often a trouble spot) seemed to be the source of the static and hiss. Both were detoxed. 

Total cost: $33.41

From Shopgoodwill.com: The Equalizer

The 80's were all about making an impression, and an equalizer with a spectrum analyzer (dancing lights) put on quite a show. Essentially a row of tiny volume controls, equalizers allowed the owner to custom the sound according to the speaker size and room acoustics. Allegedly.  

I just loved the dancing lights. Finding an affordable equalizer with a silver faceplate made during the target years proved difficult. I had to go a little over budget to get one. The Technics Stereo Graphic Equalizer SH-8044 was produced from 1984-1988, so it made the cut. 

Total cost: $66.68

From Shopgoodwill.com: The Subwoofer

Okay. I broke the rules. I wanted more umph in the bass department, and I bought a Sony (SA-WMS345) Powered Active Subwoofer. My best guess is that the subwoofer is from 2003. I did research how to connect a subwoofer to an old receiver, but I didn't research the size of this subwoofer. I assumed it wouldn't be very big because shipping was only $15, and the auction listed it as being 9 inches tall. In reality, it is almost 16 inches tall. I laughed out loud when I saw the shipping box sitting on our front step with "HEAVY" stickers all over it. I was expecting a lunchbox, and I got a suitcase instead. The sub can create more bass than I need, but there's a volume knob to keep me out of trouble. 

The nice thing about setting your own rules is that no one else cares when you break them. At least the subwoofer is silver. 

Total cost: $30.16

The Stereo

This is a just a tempotary set-up (I left the turntable at work). I have a plan in mind for this equipment, but I don't have the room in the basement right now. I need to sell some stuff. I suppose the stereo will be in the garage for a while. I've been playing it for a couple of nights, and I have been having fun listening to music and watching the light show. 

When CD players were introduced in the 80's most of them were black, so I can't do much about the color of the Realistic. It's authentic. 

Here you can see how big the subwoofer looks when compared to the rest of the stereo system.

I added a simple antenna for $6.41.

Total project cost: $182.83. 

On the surface, this stereo project may seem like a waste of money. Owning a second stereo is unnecessary. Setting rules for myself to follow is silly. You could tell me that and make perfect sense.

I just wouldn't agree with you.

This project took about five months to complete. I had fun searching for the right items to bid on, and then had to fret about winning or losing. Winning an auction meant checking UPS tracking for a week or more. There's the excitement of seeing a delivered box waiting for me at home. There's the apprehension of opening the box to see what kind of trouble I had gotten myself into. Needed repairs meant research and trial and error. Success was exhilarating, failure was frustrating, but both are things to experience. When Covid-19 put our days on repeat, new experiences were something I needed.

This stereo gave me some things to do, some things to look forward to, and some things to think about. The stereo sounds good, and I think it is fun. But the entertainment really came before the music began.

Paying $182.83 for months of enjoyment and distraction during a pandemic is a steal.