saturnaal
Member
I've got some ancient (1971-1972) Dynaco equipment that I'm sure would earn a headless panther if put to the meter. I got these pieces for no other reason than I thought they were cool. The published specifications are something like...
Dynaco PAT-4 Preamplifier
THD: 0.05%
SNR: 85dB (line)
Dynaco Stereo 120 Amplifier
THD: 0.5%
SNR: 95dB
If I did my math right, this translates to a SINAD of about 66. Certainly nothing to write home about, though still somehow placing it above the bottom of the list of tested equipment. There are very few details about these published specs, and my equipment is going on 50 years old. Some of the internals have been replaced over the years as needed, but there's a good chance it would measure even worse.
Using this equipment, it's easy to identify the shortcomings. The high noise floor produces audible hiss at most listening volumes, and when compared with modern gear with SINAD >100 quite obviously produces audible distortion. Still, it doesn't give me any anxiety to play an album through it now and then. Think of it like an instagram filter for your music. Is it less precise? Of course. Does that automatically make it less enjoyable? Well, no. Especially with source material from the same era or earlier. You don't expect a 50 year old Polaroid to have the same color accuracy and resolution as a modern DSLR portrait.
I find this early transistor equipment has a charm of its own. This is from the era where stereo audio was just starting to become standard in the American household. I'll always choose my modern, precise desktop headphone setup for critical listening. When all you need is some ambience though, the Dynaco does just fine.
Dynaco PAT-4 Preamplifier
THD: 0.05%
SNR: 85dB (line)
Dynaco Stereo 120 Amplifier
THD: 0.5%
SNR: 95dB
If I did my math right, this translates to a SINAD of about 66. Certainly nothing to write home about, though still somehow placing it above the bottom of the list of tested equipment. There are very few details about these published specs, and my equipment is going on 50 years old. Some of the internals have been replaced over the years as needed, but there's a good chance it would measure even worse.
Using this equipment, it's easy to identify the shortcomings. The high noise floor produces audible hiss at most listening volumes, and when compared with modern gear with SINAD >100 quite obviously produces audible distortion. Still, it doesn't give me any anxiety to play an album through it now and then. Think of it like an instagram filter for your music. Is it less precise? Of course. Does that automatically make it less enjoyable? Well, no. Especially with source material from the same era or earlier. You don't expect a 50 year old Polaroid to have the same color accuracy and resolution as a modern DSLR portrait.
I find this early transistor equipment has a charm of its own. This is from the era where stereo audio was just starting to become standard in the American household. I'll always choose my modern, precise desktop headphone setup for critical listening. When all you need is some ambience though, the Dynaco does just fine.