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  1. #1
    Join Date: Jun 2009

    Location: S-ex

    Posts: 523
    I'm Steve.

    Default Jump start

    Hellooo new friends!

    Steve and Valerie with a postcard from the seaside here, home being near Southend, Essex.

    We found the forum through Google whilst trawling for the answers to life, the universe and everything, a.k.a. music and it's reproduction.
    Look forward to sharing experiences and opinions with you and a leetle banter on the way.

    We don't do vinyl. Or classical much. It's not that we don't value it, we just don't have it. And we're consumers not techies, couldn't tell an home from a wot, a vault is what you jumped over in PE at school and resistance is the futile attempt to avoid upgraditus.


    I lovingly developed this pride and joy over many years, with a few speaker and solid state amp progressions, mains and room treatments:

    Spinner: Pioneer S703 with Trichord mods, feeding bits to a hot Dacmagic2
    Loudness button: Roksan Caspian
    Megafones: TDL Studio 1.0M transmission lines

    Although the system was impressive when played to it's strengths, I was always fighting the compromise between bass and clarity, weight and speed, control and flow. Each change or upgrade was giving a better version of the same thing but the negatives remained constant. I made changes that should have radically altered something, but never salved that inherent, nagging dissatisfaction. Time for a new direction.
    I wanted to try a sub/sat combination, despite the warnings regarding the difficulties in obtaining a seamless join. Well, I never had that in a single box anyway!
    I wanted to try one of those luverly glowing valve thingies. How much??!!!!
    I wanted the impossible apparently - the convenience of a digital player that actually made music.
    And a new room.

    And so the road to AOS began. I met Valerie on the internet and that seemed to work out pretty fine, contrary to conventional wisdom. So casting around the net I found some interesting reviews and owner reports of 'giant killer' bargain kit from around this shrinking globe - problem was, purchasing was a leap of faith based on the advice and opinion of others. But I've mostly been eating humble pie, disappointed that the equipment I've 'invested' in after agonising comparison demonstrations has once again fallen short of it's promise and system potential. The journey's not over (is it ever, that's part of the hobby) but I'm definately on a path that's working now and that I'm more than encouraged to develop.
    90% of the system has been purchased without hearing it!
    I think the crucial part has been that 1. the sum of consistent comment from many can counter elements of personal taste or system dependency, or expose it and 2. that unbiased reviewers with the experience of repeated comparison and a system context that exposes core character, limitations and strengths, can deliver an informed assessment better than me!

    The result? A domestic stage bursting with life, musicianship and the suspension of disbelief. There's better, I've heard it, but not at a price I can afford. It will get better too, but with more of the same rather than a frustrated chase after some elusive hi-fi butterfly panacea.


    Current status:

    Consonance CD Linear 120 feeding Musical Fidelity DAC21

    Mapletree Audio LS2 preamp controlling AOS Classic Yaqin MC100B dual mono power (all hail Anthony!)

    nOhr 9.0 marble (that's solid marble housing Scanspeak's finest)

    REL Strata2 subwoofer

    Vertex Jaya and Taga mains conditioning

    Anticables IC's, transformer wire speaker cables, homemade/RDC support platforms on target wall racks, an open 'live' room.



    Patience dear fellows, the pics are coming....
    Steve & Valerie

    www.electricbeachaudio.com

    If you think you know the answer already, you're not really searching

    A plastic box, some glass bottles, two metal tins and some lengths of string

  2. #2
    Join Date: Mar 2009

    Location: Hemel Hempstead

    Posts: 1,074
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    Welcome to AOS Steve and Valerie!

    And can I just say, NICE SYSTEM!

    I would like to particularly congratulate you on your choice of speakers, as if you have a rummage in the Drawing Board section, you'll see I'm partial to things carved out of bits of mountain myself.

    Also nice to have someone else in the south east, there are many form 'oop north' and way away in the south west.

    Regards

    Steve.
    Steve aka 'Twelvebears' (it's a long story)
    System: Technics 1210 Mk5, Jelco 750 arm, AT33EV via MF X-LP2 Phono Stage, Oyaide mat and record clamp. SB Touch via Marantz PM-11S1 amp and Wilson Benesch A.C.T. speakers. Mark Grant cables and PS Audio Power Plant Premier mains regenerator.
    (\__/)
    (='.'=)
    (")_(")

  3. #3
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: Dartmouth in beautiful Devon UK

    Posts: 1,243

    Cool The answer is 42

    The answer is 42, simple!

    Regards



    Dave

    BTW, what was the question?

  4. #4
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: A Strangely Isolated Place in Suffolk with Far Away Trains Passing By...

    Posts: 14,535
    I'm David.

    Default

    My son tells me it's actually 44 and he's ALWAYS right - so there!!!!!

    There's one or two of us down here. We're just not always as vocal The only dealer near me is a new-wave Naimie though and I don't like to trouble him as he's running a business...

    Oh, by the way, greetings from the sunny Suffolk Seaside!
    Tear down these walls; Cut the ties that held me
    Crying out at the top of my voice; Tell me now if you can hear me

  5. #5
    Join Date: Apr 2009

    Location: Sheffield

    Posts: 2,026
    I'm Confused.

    Smile

    Welcome Electric Beach, (Steve and Valerie),
    I'm a relative newbie here and know even less than you claim to know about the technical side, (you're too modest), so I can't comment on your kit, BUT I can comment on your sense of humour - it's great!!. You'll fit in well here, many of the 'residents' are weird, barmy, eccentric, off the wall,(many of them suffering from more than one of these afflictions ), but extremely friendly and helpful and generally share a good sense of humour. Any questions, and I do mean ANY, someone will be along shortly with a response - ask away.
    Cheers,
    DaveK.

    My System:
    Power: Belkin PF40, Custom.hifi.cables Hydra and DC PSUs.
    Sources: Self built HTPC with Xonar ST sound card, NAD T585 multi disc player, Sony BDP-S350, Squeezebox Touch, Techncs SL1210 (mod'd) + Nagaoka MP30, Thomson Sky HD box.
    Amps etc.: 2 x Mini-T amps, MF-X10D Valve buffer clone, StanDAC 7520/Caiman (mod'd).
    Speakers: Mission 774s with added super tweeters
    Cables: best I can afford and likely to change except Homar's RF attenuated co-ax's and Mark Grant USB and HDMI cables. I also like silver i/cs and speaker cable.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Hi Steve,

    Great opening post! Welcome to AOS

    I think you'll fit in here very nicely - enjoy!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  7. #7
    Join Date: Nov 2008

    Location: North Down /Northern Ireland/ UK

    Posts: 19,484
    I'm Neil.

    Default

    Hi Steve and Valerie


    Welcome indeed to AOS. I hope you will enjoy the forum and make lots of friends and learn lots too.

    How about a few photos of your system to go in the Gallery (feel like Tony Heart for a moment there). What kind of music do you guys like ?


    Regards D S D L
    Regards Neil

  8. #8
    Join Date: Jun 2008

    Location: N. Ireland

    Posts: 2,475
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    Hi !! Welcome. Lovely system you have there.
    They swim... the mark of Satan is upon them. They must hang.


    FLAC / WDTV Live / Cambridge Audio / Tannoy VX12

  9. #9
    Join Date: Jun 2009

    Location: S-ex

    Posts: 523
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    Thanks for the welcome guys. Camera is borrowed and hopefully some mouth watering pics for the weekend that will do the kit justice - I knew you'd be on my case, Dalek Boy!

    One reason for joining was to post my impressions of the equipment which can't be heard before buying, to add to the scant info available on the net, which I will do in due course. In addition, I had only ever seen comment of individual products in the context of more 'accessible' partners, never in combination. It's been a big leap of faith for me and the experience of which I hope can smooth the path for a few others.

    Daves: happy to make you smile and that my sense of humour travels uphill.

    Steve: glad you're close. I had already clocked your white monsters as I love the look of the Avalon speakers and I'm very impressed with your ambitious project. Turn them up a bit and I'll tell you what I think of the slate version!
    Steve & Valerie

    www.electricbeachaudio.com

    If you think you know the answer already, you're not really searching

    A plastic box, some glass bottles, two metal tins and some lengths of string

  10. #10
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Bristol, UK

    Posts: 9,962
    I'm Nick.

    Default

    Hi Steve, & Valerie Excellent reading about your adventure in hi-fi - I hope you enjoy it here!
    Nick
    My system...


    Follow AOS on Twitter: @AoS_Forum

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