A Primer on Vintage HiFi Brands

In vintage HiFi, it's generally safe to avoid decisions on brand alone. Sure, most collectors know McIntosh holds its value – but with the vast majority of HiFi names, recognizable doesn't always mean valuable.  You'll have to dig a little bit deeper with well-known names – especially those that are still in business, like Pioneer, JBL, Harmon Kardon, or Klipsch. The key here becomes not just the brand, but the era, and sometimes just a particular piece of gear. Almost every brand has a particular product line or era that collectors are after. 

That's why we're sharing the brand histories that we've compiled, borrowed, and beaten into the versions we know today - we call it an Aural History. We realize we're missing a few brands, and could never capture every nuance and detail, but we think it's worth a shot. The voices who could speak to these stories are fading, so we hope to offset with a call for comment – if you find something we've missed, gotten wrong, or ought to add, we want to hear from you. 

We believe that sharing our passion, knowledge, and experience is a key part of protecting the vintage equipment that still remains, yet to be rediscovered. It's time to play it forward.