Are you a geek, like me?

@TheHorse (206353)
Walnut Creek, California
January 8, 2016 7:35pm CST
On another day, I may do a post called, "Are you cool, like me?" But today, I'm focused on my geekiness. On my way to work, I was listening to a report about the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) as a former haven for geeks. It's getting hipper now that Apple and other trendy companies are involved. But it used to be a haven for geeks. I am one of those geeks. I've been reading summaries of new stereo gear releases at CES in magazines for years. Since my early teen years, in fact. Behold my pride and joy (well, one of them): It's a stereo system based on a tube Fisher X-100B stereo amplifier from the 1960s. The tuner is a Kenwood KR-5150 stereo receiver from 1971. The turntable is a 1980s Acoustic Research AR-ES1 with a Shure cartridge. The CD player is a modern NAD. This system produces some of the best sound I've heard, regardless of which loudspeakers I use. May main speakers are Marantz Imperial 6s from the 1970s and DCM Time Windows from the 1980s. The back up amplifiers shown are from Dynaco and conrad-johnson. Yes, I'm a vintage stereo geek, and proud of it. I love listening to music on a system that sounds good. And I love collecting and restoring old stereo gear. Are there ways in which you are a geek? Are you proud of it?
28 people like this
25 responses
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
9 Jan 16
One thing that we have definitely lost due to the modern technology in sound reproduction is the quality furniture of the 1960s and 1970s. Back in those days they manufactured stereograms from rosewood and other high quality materials, which were absolutely adorable pieces of art.
6 people like this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
Yes! A lot of what I work on is walnut, a lovely wood.
3 people like this
@LadyDuck (458976)
• Switzerland
9 Jan 16
I am not a geek, my husband is. I remember that we visited every year the CES in Las Vegas when he was an Apple Developer. He also loves music, I our stereo speakers are Marantz, the record players is an old Zenith of the end of the 60s.
5 people like this
• Philippines
9 Jan 16
gosh, we had a zenith tv.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (458976)
• Switzerland
9 Jan 16
@hereandthere It was a great brand back in times.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
Zenith can sound really good, especially if it has tubes. My parents had an old Magnavox console in my early childhood that sounded great. It had tubes in it.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
9 Jan 16
I am just a geek, I am a history , genealogy geek for sure.
4 people like this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
That sounds like an interesting hobby.
1 person likes this
@BelleStarr (61047)
• United States
9 Jan 16
@TheHorse genealogy, it is and I am totally addicted.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
@BelleStarr I like to read about my great-great-grandfather, who was a settler in Montana, but that's about it.
1 person likes this
• United States
9 Jan 16
awesome setup! need'n 8-track player to go with it? jest kiddin', wouldn't part with it, though wish i could find some new tapes fer it :D don't reckon i've e'er thought'f myself's a geek. eccentric perhaps...
5 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
9 Jan 16
Eccentric? YOU? No, way!
4 people like this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
I don't think the fidelity of 8-track was that great. Not sure, though.
2 people like this
@Inlemay (17714)
• South Africa
9 Jan 16
I must be a Geek like you then - i love most of the things you mention - I have hundreds of LP's - and have a brilliant collection of Elvis'
4 people like this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
Yep, I still have my old LPs. To me, they sound better than CDs, except for the scratches.
2 people like this
@Inlemay (17714)
• South Africa
10 Jan 16
@TheHorse ahhhh the scratches - they always seem to happen on the best places during the play time
2 people like this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
10 Jan 16
@Inlemay I can still re remember where the scratches are on some of my old LPs.
2 people like this
@Morleyhunt (21736)
• Canada
9 Jan 16
Vintage sewing machines....I rescue them, clean them and give them new life.
5 people like this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
That's a cool one. There's a really nice one at the old house up at Borges Ranch, where I sometimes take the kids I work with. It's black and has that classic look. It may be a Singer.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (159428)
• Boise, Idaho
9 Jan 16
I'm an old movie geek myself. Nothing too frilly.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (159428)
• Boise, Idaho
10 Jan 16
@TheHorse ..He did some good ones but I like lots of others too.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
10 Jan 16
@celticeagle Any '50s and '60s suggestions I might have missed?
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
I could easily become one as well. I love old Hitchcock films.
1 person likes this
• Calgary, Alberta
9 Jan 16
I am more of a Comic Book, Anime, videogames and technology type of geek. I have obsession with science fiction too. I use to do cosplays as a teen but now I am 30 I stopped.
3 people like this
• Calgary, Alberta
10 Jan 16
@TheHorse I now purchase them in digital ebook form because my Apartment is kind of small.
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
That's a good one. Comic books are a good area for geekdom. There's actually a good comic book store near where I live.
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
9 Jan 16
I don't know what the opposite of geek is, but whatever it is that's what I am.
2 people like this
@jaboUK (64361)
• United Kingdom
9 Jan 16
@TheHorse It means I am no good at, have no interest in, don't understand, geeky stuff
2 people like this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
Hmm. I'd have to think about that. Is non-geekdom defined by going with the flow? Not having an unusual hobby? Or just being too cool for words no matter what you do?
2 people like this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
@jaboUK I think anything can be geeky if you're into it enouogh. I'm an acoustic guitar geek too.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (49108)
• United States
9 Jan 16
My son has an old furniture piece stereo from the seventies. It is very pretty.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
It probably has real walnut wood on it. I love the grain.
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
9 Jan 16
I'm honestly not interested in stereo equipment or really, in music in general... I can and do play the piano once in a while, but not to listen to the music, but as an exercise more to keep my hands nimble, than for any other reason. (Yes, I actually CAN play the piano.) I am into building and repairing computer equipment, programming (I more like to reverse engineer programs than anything else.) computers, playing with programming on Android and Microsoft phones. (iPhones are junk, IMHO!) I also like to help people repair their pc problems, phone problems and figuring out how things work.
2 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
11 Jan 16
@TheHorse Okay, sir, I know you are somewhere around my age... to the best I can figure out from all the little clues you drop all over myLot. I ask you two times what your actual age was, but I am not asking any more.... You can just keep that little secret!
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
I reckon you qualify. A lot of the younguns that might have been stereo geeks in my day are computer geeks now.
1 person likes this
@poehere (15126)
• French Polynesia
9 Jan 16
Wow I guess you could call me a computer geek. You don't know how many computers I actually have around here. Plus all the stuff to build and fix up more. I love working on computers and doing this. So in some ways I am sort of a computer geek and you are a stereo geek. I still have the very first color laptop computer ever made and it still runs on DOS and Windows 3.1. The little guy still boots up and runs like a charm. Now if you have all day long to wait on this then you are in luck.
3 people like this
@Drosophila (16573)
• Ireland
11 Jan 16
@poehere HAHAHHA Windows 3.1! You're a gem
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
Tubes take awhile to warm up too.
@poehere (15126)
• French Polynesia
9 Jan 16
@TheHorse I'm sure they do that's what makes them so interesting and fun. I bet if you asked some of the young people here what Windows 3.1 was they would have no idea at all.
2 people like this
@paigea (35717)
• Canada
10 Jan 16
That sounds interesting. I don't think I am a geek at anything.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
10 Jan 16
To me, it just means having a hobby that you're REALLY into.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
17 Jan 16
@paigea Oh, that sounds like fun! I didn't start skiing until I was 21. I think my knees would howl, but I should give it a try. It's been years.
1 person likes this
@paigea (35717)
• Canada
16 Jan 16
@TheHorse Well if I lived closer to skiing then I would be a skiing Geek I guess. I will have my dream for one month this spring.
1 person likes this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
9 Jan 16
I understand nothing about electronics. I don't think I'm a geek about anything really.
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
9 Jan 16
Would you like to be? I give lessons! LOL!
3 people like this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
@DaddyEvil I give lessons too. Just choose an interest, and get into it to the point of absurdity.
3 people like this
@fishtiger58 (29823)
• Momence, Illinois
9 Jan 16
@DaddyEvil haha now there's a thought.
2 people like this
@Drosophila (16573)
• Ireland
10 Jan 16
I am quite the geek on tech stuff, pertaining to cloud computing
1 person likes this
@Drosophila (16573)
• Ireland
11 Jan 16
@TheHorse it's quite interesting and altogether very straightforward. Another thing I geek out on is Jung branch of psychology...not fraudian but Jung
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
11 Jan 16
That's an area I know nothing about! Can you see the cloud when it floats by? Heh.
1 person likes this
@bookbar (1609)
• Sudbury, England
9 Jan 16
If you spoke English I might understand.. but this talk is way beyond my pea-brain, so I can't even pretend....sorry!!
1 person likes this
@bookbar (1609)
• Sudbury, England
9 Jan 16
@TheHorse Now that I call Sensible... you're just an old injun, in stereo clothing...
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
@bookbar I was trying to be American caveman. But OK.
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
OK OK. Is American English OK? Me like music. Me listen music on good stereo. You have silly hobby too? (smiley face emoticon)
1 person likes this
@sallypup (58076)
• Centralia, Washington
9 Jan 16
I must be tone deaf. One system sounds pretty much the same to me.
1 person likes this
@sallypup (58076)
• Centralia, Washington
9 Jan 16
@TheHorse I'm an unholy heathen. At least I have made the first step. I admit it.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
The horror! Blasphemy! Heh.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247191)
• United States
17 Jan 16
Once a geek, always a geek. I come from a family of all kinds of geeks, all with various geek interests. My nephew just returned from Vegas promoting his 3D printer with his geek friends.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
17 Jan 16
Ah, hope they made some contacts. Sounds fun. The CES is HUGE, I gather.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247191)
• United States
17 Jan 16
@TheHorse Yes, he did very well. He is in finance in NYC, but does this as yet another business interest.
@JudyEv (326093)
• Rockingham, Australia
9 Jan 16
I don't think I'm a geek, certainly not in the electronics sense.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
I define geekdom as being way into a certain hobby.
2 people like this
@JudyEv (326093)
• Rockingham, Australia
10 Jan 16
@TheHorse Oh - well - I might have to rethink geekdom.
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
9 Jan 16
You and my other half would get on, though he doesn't look after his mass of old bits
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (206353)
• Walnut Creek, California
9 Jan 16
Is he into old stereo gear?
1 person likes this
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
10 Jan 16
@TheHorse Yes we have loads of old equipment, amassed as he upgrades. It is just sitting around all over the house gathering dust though
1 person likes this
@Auntylou (4264)
• Oxford, England
10 Jan 16
@TheHorse What he is really into though is music. We have thousands of LPs of many types of music.