PDA

View Full Version : Huh? I wasn't expecting that...



Jason P
02-02-2009, 21:56
I was visiting my S.O's parents the other day, and he tells me he has a few bits of hifi for me to play with and possibly sell for him. One is a nice old 70's Sansui reciever, in it's original box with all the bits. The others were a NAD 3020i amp, 514 cd player and Pioneer 200 DD turntable.

Anyway, I took the NADs home. Thought I'd give the CD player a spin via my Linn Classik, just using a pair of cheapo (i mean mog standard Woollies 99p jobs) interconnects.... WTF? Sounds good!! No, must just be me. But no! After a lot of listening, this CD player worth maybe £25 on the 'Bay sounds better than my Classik??

Now my interest is piqued. I connect up the 3020, and b****r me if it don't sound better too, even with my single wiring lash-up to bridge the bi-wired funny connectors on the Classik... Now I don't know whether to be happy or sad. I've just upgraded my setup for maybe fifty quid, and lost a monkey. *sigh*

Anyone else experienced something like this? I mean, I know Linn stuff can be overrated, and it ain't night and day better - but to my ears it is an improvement. Even the phono stage (mm) on the 3020 seems as good as the X-LP. AFAIK the Linn is working fine...I am baffled! Wierd synergy? Marketing hype?

Jason

Marco
02-02-2009, 22:02
Hi Jason,

No, your ears aren't deceiving you.

What you've experienced is yet another valid example of how some of today's hi-fi equipment hasn't improved in real terms compared to some classic designs from yesteryear... Sad but true, I'm afraid. Tuners and receivers are highly relevant examples of this. The Sansui receiver you've got harks from an era where no expense was spared in high-end designs and these were made with the absolute best sound quality in mind, not based on cost-cutting exercises and convenience like their digital counterparts are today.

Why do you think some of us are using valve amps, in some instances based on 1930s technology, and T/Ts from the 1960s and 70s? ;)

It's got nothing to do with nostalgia, I can assure you!

Marco.

Beechwoods
02-02-2009, 22:13
That sounds like an excellent day's haul, mate. Which tuner was it you got? Some of the old Sansui tuners are beautiful things, all green glowing VU's, acres of silver and black tinted glass... I'll shut up before I get accused of badge polishing!

Jason P
02-02-2009, 22:18
The Sansui reciever was a 210 AFAIK - my other half forgot to bring it back so it will have to wait on another day.

The NAD really did surprise me - I'm sure it's not anywhere near much of the kit people are used to but for sheer foot-tapping musicality it's good. I'm going to replace the Classik properly, with some proper connectors and interconnects and see how it fares.

More soon...

Jason

Beechwoods
02-02-2009, 22:25
Nice. Make sure it doesn't get away :)

http://homepage.mac.com/beechwoods/AOS/210.jpg

Marco
02-02-2009, 22:42
Jason,


The Sansui reciever was a 210 AFAIK - my other half forgot to bring it back so it will have to wait on another day.


Let me know how much your friend wants (if he's selling it) and I'll buy it from him, providing that it's in full working order :)

Marco.

Jason P
03-02-2009, 12:46
Marco,

He hasn't a clue what its worth, and so I said I'd do some delving to see. AFAIK its all working, with original box, instructions, service manual and the laminated 'quick guide'. If you give me a realistic price I'll let him know and see if he's interested - obviously you'd want a good deal but I'd appreciate a realistic stab at what it's worth...

Jason

Marco
03-02-2009, 13:49
Hi Jason,

Ask him to dig around and come up with a realistic price, PM me with it, and we'll come to a deal :)

I presume that it can be used as a tuner only?

Marco.

Jason P
05-02-2009, 20:38
Marco - AFAIK it has a pre-out on it so I guess it could...

All this changing made me get out my old Ion Obelisk 2 amp and fire it up, and what a little gem it is... a warm and incredibly involving sound, especally at low volumes - and a great phonostage too albeit MM. I was hoping to hook it up to my Hafler 1500 power amp and see what that combo sounded like (the Hafler is a very neutral studio amp with a lot of clout, I use it to drive my PMC TB1s in the edit suite) but alas there are no pre-outs, I got it confused with the Obelisk 3 that had them. Still good enough to make me wonder why the bloody hell I spent a grand on the Classik all those years ago...

So the Classik may well get relegated to the TV room. People are gonna think that we're dead posh (or more money than sense!)

Jason

BTW the NAD CD player is becoming an ex-cd player - I fear the mechanism is dying. Anyone got a good CDP for sale?

aquapiranha
05-02-2009, 20:40
I never expected my "spare" amp, an Arcam Alpha 3 to sound anything but dire on the Sachiko's....it was actually very agreeable, if not the epitome of transparency.