u/neglectedgummy

I found these Dahlquist M903 bookshelf speakers at my local Savers for $30. The rubber surrounds were still in great shape, both drivers work perfectly, and after giving the cabinets and black grille cloth a good cleaning they cleaned up surprisingly well.

I haven't been able to find a ton of information about the M903 specifically, so I'm curious what the community thinks. How do these compare to other bookshelf speakers from the era? Was $30 a good pickup, or would you have passed on them?

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts!

recently picked up a 1985 NAD 3155 Stereo Amplifier from a thrift store for $10. At that price, I went into it expecting that it would probably need some work.

After several hours of testing, the only issue I’ve been able to identify seems to be related to the balance (panning) control. The problem is consistent regardless of which speaker binding posts I use. I initially suspected the RCA cables, but swapping cables and changing input sources made no difference. I also tested the amplifier with headphones and experienced the exact same behavior there.

Working the controls back and forth several times eliminated the crackling that was present when adjusting the volume, but the balance issue remains. If I turn the balance fully to the right, I can hear the right speaker playing normally. However, with only the slightest movement back toward the center, the left channel suddenly becomes much louder and dominates the output.

Has anyone run into a similar issue with a NAD 3155, or have any ideas on what might be causing this? Could it simply be a dirty or failing balance potentiometer, or is there something else I should be looking at?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

I’ve been slowly building a stereo setup almost entirely through thrift stores and wanted to get some opinions from people with more experience than me.

My current setup is:
- 2007 Sony STR-DG710 receiver
- 2003 Sony SS-F5000P floorstanding speakers

I bought both together as a bundle for about $40.

This week I found:
- 1989 USA Made JBL LX500 speakers — $19.99
- 2005 Denon AVR-1906 receiver — $19.99

The JBLs had the common foam surround issue on the 8” woofers, but the cabinets, mids, tweeters, terminals, and grills were all intact. I’ve already purchased a replacement surround kit for the woofers and spent another $25 on that.

Total investment:
JBL LX500s: $45 all-in after refoam kit
Denon AVR-1906: $20
Grand total: $65

My primary source is CDs, and I’m much more interested in music listening than home theater performance.

Before I put time into restoring and integrating everything, I’d love to hear what the community thinks:
Would you consider the JBL LX500 + Denon AVR-1906 an upgrade over the Sony SS-F5000P + STR-DG710, or am I just trading newer entry-level gear for older mid-tier gear?

Specifically interested in thoughts on:
- Sound quality
- Build quality
- Long-term value
- Which setup you’d keep if you could only keep one

A couple months ago, I randomly fell down the physical media rabbit hole after getting tired of listening to music through my phone speaker and cheap Bluetooth audio. I’ve always loved music, but I never really experienced what it felt like to sit down and actually listen to an album front to back until recently.

What started as casually collecting CDs from thrift stores turned into trying to build the best possible budget home audio setup I can through patience, secondhand finds, and a lot of trial and error.
So far, my setup is:

- Sony STR-DG710 receiver: $40 (thrift bundle)
- Sony SS-F5000P tower speakers: - (same bundle)
- Sony DVP-NC615 5-disc CD/DVD changer: $4.99

Total spent so far:
~$45

One thing I want to make clear is that none of this gear is “endgame” to me. If I find something better down the line, I have zero problem upgrading or replacing parts of the setup. Half the fun for me is the hunt itself (digging through thrift stores, Facebook Marketplace, etc). Sure, I could probably buy a perfect setup online right now, but that kind of defeats the purpose for me. I enjoy the process of learning, searching, finding deals, fixing old equipment, and slowly building something piece by piece instead of getting instant gratification.

My questions for the people here:

1. What brands/models should I realistically be hunting for secondhand?
2. What are the best thrift-store sleeper brands?
3. What upgrades would make the biggest difference for CD listening specifically?
4. What should I avoid?

Would love to hear what you guys think of the setup so far and where you’d go next.

Not much of a cook, but I love finding vintage cookware for my mom.

Came across this Griswold skillet and lid set at the thrift and couldn’t pass it up for $9.99. From what I’ve learned recently, it’s a No. 9 skillet with a No. 8 Tite-Top Baster lid, so not a perfect match, but still a really cool find.

No cracks, just needs a good cleaning (that residue in one of the pics).

Note: I’m not a cook by any stretch of the imagination, but I love finding vintage cookware for my mom.

I’ve been thrifting religiously for the past two years, but only started reading up on cookware four months ago. Yesterday, I watched this puppy roll out and immediately jumped on it. The skillet and lid were sold as a pair for $9.99. My mom said I overpaid, but from what I see and hear online, I think I left with a steal.

I’ve done some surface level research after bringing it home, but wanted the opinions from some cast iron enthusiasts. Any information is appreciated!