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Can't say I inherited any audio equipment from my parents. Appreciation skipped a generation. But I've had my AKG K240's for years and they're tireless. Not su

Can't say I inherited any audio equipment from my parents. Appreciation skipped a generation. But I've had my AKG K240's for years and they're tireless. Not suitable so much for running around town, but they've been made since the 70's nearly to the same spec. The cable is removable, so are the ear pads and both replaceable. And they aren't even expensive, relatively speaking. Great for mixing and general listening. Can't say enough good about them, really. https://www.akg.com/Headphones/Professional%20Headphones/K240-Studio.html https://www.akg.com/Headphones/Professional%20Headphones/K24... edit: My opinions are so very different from an article another user posted about the same (which strangely runs counter to the larger, repeated experience and sentiment). They've always been lauded for their very open, lively soundstage and even, clear response.

bluedino 6y ago
>> Can't say I inherited any audio equipment from my parents. My parents old Marantz receiver goes for $800 on eBay these days. I think we pitched it somewhere around 1994 for a setup from one of those Best Buy Sunday flyers.
mywittyname 6y ago
My father had a pretty impressive hi-fi setup that he gave me years ago. It was mostly mid-late 80s-90s Panasonic equipment that he didn't have room for in the new house. I carried it around for a while, but moving it was a pain and in by the late 00s, hi-fi systems were passe, so I sold it for peanuts to my cousin. The speakers were nice when new, but after 20 or so years, the rubber around the cones began to deteriorate and the cloth covers frayed and developed runs. Even these M-Audio studio monitors I picked up in around 2005 are starting to have issues with the plug jacks. I imagine it's worth with headphones ear cushions are usually made from synthetic materials that tend not to wear well. Plus they get moved around a lot and are at risk of getting dropped or crushed. I can't say that I've owned a pair of headphones that received frequent use for more than 15 years.
- dsr_ 6y ago
  Replacing the surrounds on a driver is a thing that an amateur can do with the aid of a YouTube video, on the order of replacing a dishwasher but not as heavy or dangerous. It involves glue and being careful. Replacing ear cushions is even easier than that: you order replacements, pull off the old ones and tug the new ones into position. It takes slightly longer than changing the batteries in a remote control, but much less time. I have a 60W stereo amplifier from the 1970s that works and sounds great. I have an FM tuner from the 1960s of excellent quality. I no longer have cassette tape decks, but I have a reel-to-reel machine from 1962. There are speakers from the 1960s and 70s that are worth owning and using; there are lots from the 80s and 90s that are not.
  - 52-6F-62 6y ago
    > There are speakers from the 1960s and 70s that are worth owning and using; there are lots from the 80s and 90s that are not. There is so much to expand on there, too. Commoditization, while democratizing in some senses, loses the plot often.
    - dsr_ 6y ago
      On the other hand, we now live in a time where, if you know what you are doing, you can have better sound playback than 98% of the systems ever sold for under $200. (Say, a Fiio X3duoo player ($75), a 128GB microSD card ($25), and one of N different Chinese IEMs depending on preference, all under $100 and most under $50. TRN V90 is about $40 and does a respectable job.)
- kingnothing 6y ago
  If you have a nice set of speakers that are fine other than the foam, it's possible to get the foam repaired for pretty cheap or DIY if you're handy. I think I paid $100 / driver five years ago on some 80's JBLs and it was well worth it.
leephillips 6y ago
I spotted a pair of these 40 years ago at a yard sale for $2. The owner said they didn't work, but after a few minutes with a soldering iron, they were good as new. They were my headphones until recently, when I gave them to my son. I suppose some of the materials in the drivers have a finite lifespan, but I hope he enjoys them for a few decades.
barkingcat 6y ago
Shure SM58 / SM57 End of Thread. There are SM58/57 mics being handed down to grandchildren.
- yurishimo 6y ago
  I like to use mine as a hammer and then bring it inside to record guitars with. Dual purpose!
- 52-6F-62 6y ago
  No kidding. I have a 40+ year old 565 my uncle gave to me that he got from god knows where. I’ve taken it all over the place, hell and back and it’s just still great. It even records well. https://www.gearslutz.com/gear/shure/565sd https://www.gearslutz.com/gear/shure/565sd
astrange 6y ago
I have inherited speakers before, but not headphones. Those don't last after years of sweat/travel, the internals can break down, and the quality of headphone design has gone up with things like planar magnetic technology. It's worth getting old headphones if they were the real top of the line like Stax electrostatics, since you can't afford new ones, but those were especially poorly built back in the day. As for open headphones like AKG, people praise them for critical listening but I've found they're not good in realistic situations where there's any background noise at all. I can't get a separate soundproofed listening room in my apartment, so if the fridge decides to turn on, I can't hear the bass in an open headphone anymore.
pvarangot 6y ago
I'm on two years on my K240 mkII and the last pair I gifted it to a friend when moving, it was 5 years old. I just changed the pads which was like 7 bucks.

bluedino 6y ago

>> Can't say I inherited any audio equipment from my parents. My parents old Marantz receiver goes for $800 on eBay these days. I think we pitched it somewhere around 1994 for a setup from one of those Best Buy Sunday flyers.

mywittyname 6y ago

My father had a pretty impressive hi-fi setup that he gave me years ago. It was mostly mid-late 80s-90s Panasonic equipment that he didn't have room for in the new house. I carried it around for a while, but moving it was a pain and in by the late 00s, hi-fi systems were passe, so I sold it for peanuts to my cousin. The speakers were nice when new, but after 20 or so years, the rubber around the cones began to deteriorate and the cloth covers frayed and developed runs. Even these M-Audio studio monitors I picked up in around 2005 are starting to have issues with the plug jacks. I imagine it's worth with headphones ear cushions are usually made from synthetic materials that tend not to wear well. Plus they get moved around a lot and are at risk of getting dropped or crushed. I can't say that I've owned a pair of headphones that received frequent use for more than 15 years.

dsr_ 6y ago
Replacing the surrounds on a driver is a thing that an amateur can do with the aid of a YouTube video, on the order of replacing a dishwasher but not as heavy or dangerous. It involves glue and being careful. Replacing ear cushions is even easier than that: you order replacements, pull off the old ones and tug the new ones into position. It takes slightly longer than changing the batteries in a remote control, but much less time. I have a 60W stereo amplifier from the 1970s that works and sounds great. I have an FM tuner from the 1960s of excellent quality. I no longer have cassette tape decks, but I have a reel-to-reel machine from 1962. There are speakers from the 1960s and 70s that are worth owning and using; there are lots from the 80s and 90s that are not.
- 52-6F-62 6y ago
  > There are speakers from the 1960s and 70s that are worth owning and using; there are lots from the 80s and 90s that are not. There is so much to expand on there, too. Commoditization, while democratizing in some senses, loses the plot often.
  - dsr_ 6y ago
    On the other hand, we now live in a time where, if you know what you are doing, you can have better sound playback than 98% of the systems ever sold for under $200. (Say, a Fiio X3duoo player ($75), a 128GB microSD card ($25), and one of N different Chinese IEMs depending on preference, all under $100 and most under $50. TRN V90 is about $40 and does a respectable job.)
kingnothing 6y ago
If you have a nice set of speakers that are fine other than the foam, it's possible to get the foam repaired for pretty cheap or DIY if you're handy. I think I paid $100 / driver five years ago on some 80's JBLs and it was well worth it.

leephillips 6y ago

I spotted a pair of these 40 years ago at a yard sale for $2. The owner said they didn't work, but after a few minutes with a soldering iron, they were good as new. They were my headphones until recently, when I gave them to my son. I suppose some of the materials in the drivers have a finite lifespan, but I hope he enjoys them for a few decades.

barkingcat 6y ago

Shure SM58 / SM57 End of Thread. There are SM58/57 mics being handed down to grandchildren.

yurishimo 6y ago
I like to use mine as a hammer and then bring it inside to record guitars with. Dual purpose!
52-6F-62 6y ago
No kidding. I have a 40+ year old 565 my uncle gave to me that he got from god knows where. I’ve taken it all over the place, hell and back and it’s just still great. It even records well. https://www.gearslutz.com/gear/shure/565sd https://www.gearslutz.com/gear/shure/565sd

astrange 6y ago

I have inherited speakers before, but not headphones. Those don't last after years of sweat/travel, the internals can break down, and the quality of headphone design has gone up with things like planar magnetic technology. It's worth getting old headphones if they were the real top of the line like Stax electrostatics, since you can't afford new ones, but those were especially poorly built back in the day. As for open headphones like AKG, people praise them for critical listening but I've found they're not good in realistic situations where there's any background noise at all. I can't get a separate soundproofed listening room in my apartment, so if the fridge decides to turn on, I can't hear the bass in an open headphone anymore.

pvarangot 6y ago

I'm on two years on my K240 mkII and the last pair I gifted it to a friend when moving, it was 5 years old. I just changed the pads which was like 7 bucks.