@lalitk wrote:
The DeVore video starts off well, but it eventually turns into a bit of a Mark Levinson promo. A shame, really as it began with genuine curiosity, then drifted into product placement territory.
As Mr. DeVore concludes towards the end of the video:
"So anyway, a long-winded love letter to vintage gear and to knob feel."
Yes, the second or so half of the video is about the ML-7 preamp, but I saw it mostly as a way to elaborate on his acquisition of a preamp - with a bit of history thrown in and how the ML-7 found its way to his setup - that leads to his raving on about the "creamy and delicious" Penny & Giles volume control of that time. Certainly that and what ML was in the old John Curl days rather than an endorsement more broadly of what ML currently is.
John clearly has a love for vintage gear and has some good insights on the pitfalls of acquiring it, but it's worth noticing that his fondness for such gear comes down to quality and quality feel much more than nostalgia per se. It's also worth noticing his experience with properly serviced vintage gear can see many years of trouble free use and great sound quality along the way.
The term 'vintage' occasionally, indeed frequently brings with it an unfortunate association among audiophiles, I find, that implies vintage gear has "had its time" and which can't hold its own when confronted with current, new designs. Sometimes it can - more than that, even - and often at a favorable price. It's nice to see a shoutout for older designs that can hold great worth and value today.