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Thread: 'NEBO 8 -Sat 6th May 2017 - St George Hotel, Durham Tees Valley Airport

  1. #291
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 31,859
    I'm openingabottleofwine.

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    Excellent write up Rich,

    Thanks for taking the trouble. So good in fact, I felt as though I had been there myself!

    Good to see the Radford STA15 doing well.
    Barry

  2. #292
    Join Date: Mar 2008

    Location: Galashiels

    Posts: 13,669
    I'm inthescottishmafia.

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    Nice one Rich, shame I couldn't be there.
    “Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel. I have always needed fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio”

    Hunter S Thompson

  3. #293
    Join Date: Nov 2011

    Location: Newcastle UK

    Posts: 3,745
    I'm Rich.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ali Tait View Post
    Nice one Rich, shame I couldn't be there.
    Aye, you were missed Ali. One of the better sounding venues we've had for NEBO. Those OBs of yours would have done well there mate.
    One of these days... I'm going to cut you into little pieces.

  4. #294
    Join Date: Mar 2008

    Location: Galashiels

    Posts: 13,669
    I'm inthescottishmafia.

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    Next time!
    “Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of fuel. Sentimental people call it inspiration, but what they really mean is fuel. I have always needed fuel. I am a serious consumer. On some nights I still believe that a car with the gas needle on empty can run about fifty more miles if you have the right music very loud on the radio”

    Hunter S Thompson

  5. #295
    Join Date: Dec 2013

    Location: newcastle upon tyne

    Posts: 639
    I'm steven.

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    Here's some pics and a brief summary first up Richs arcam fmj a29 amp and arcam CD player with the nebo stalwarts rega rs5 forgot what was playing but it was a loverly musical sound.Then we had Mick's modded rega planer 3 with modded rb300 arm and I think a vintage model of ortofon cart can't for the life of me think which model.That was a stunning deck considering the outlay.Then we went in the next room to listen to kens setupHe has these diy speakers a work in progress using scanspeak drivers and quad ribbon tweeter in a seperate enclosure.London grammar were played on vinyl using kens superb modded technics with a linear tracking arm I think he was using a vintage ortofon cart vsm30 I think.Forgot to mention Ken is running his speakers active.We then used this setup with petes superb rega Isis valve CD player(stunning bit of kit that is).Then we went back to the other room and had steves technics sl1200pg CD player with steve petchs heco statement speakers Mick's tvc pre and steve petchs proton power amp stunning set up this was too didn't get any photos though here's some of the boys this was before people got lubricated so they still look wired in to the event as the night went on people got a little bit fruity After steves technics CD player my thorens td 160 super and mission 774 tone arm and zyx Yatra r100 cart and primare r32 phono got hooked up with a bit of Little feat waiting for Columbus half speed master on mobile fidelity we put some deep purple on can't remember the album then me and Pete had to go.A special mention must go to rich the organiser a brilliant choice of venue I think this was my best nebo ever it was everything the venue the kit and the brillant guys that turned up it was a stunner rich you need to book this same venue for next year


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  6. #296
    Join Date: Nov 2011

    Location: Newcastle UK

    Posts: 3,745
    I'm Rich.

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    Quote Originally Posted by vinyljunky View Post
    Here's some pics and a brief summary first up Richs arcam fmj a29 amp and arcam CD player with the nebo stalwarts rega rs5 forgot what was playing but it was a loverly musical sound.Then we had Mick's modded rega planer 3 with modded rb300 arm and I think a vintage model of ortofon cart can't for the life of me think which model.That was a stunning deck considering the outlay.Then we went in the next room to listen to kens setupHe has these diy speakers a work in progress using scanspeak drivers and quad ribbon tweeter in a seperate enclosure.London grammar were played on vinyl using kens superb modded technics with a linear tracking arm I think he was using a vintage ortofon cart vsm30 I think.Forgot to mention Ken is running his speakers active.We then used this setup with petes superb rega Isis valve CD player(stunning bit of kit that is).Then we went back to the other room and had steves technics sl1200pg CD player with steve petchs heco statement speakers Mick's tvc pre and steve petchs proton power amp stunning set up this was too didn't get any photos though here's some of the boys this was before people got lubricated so they still look wired in to the event as the night went on people got a little bit fruity After steves technics CD player my thorens td 160 super and mission 774 tone arm and zyx Yatra r100 cart and primare r32 phono got hooked up with a bit of Little feat waiting for Columbus half speed master on mobile fidelity we put some deep purple on can't remember the album then me and Pete had to go.A special mention must go to rich the organiser a brilliant choice of venue I think this was my best nebo ever it was everything the venue the kit and the brillant guys that turned up it was a stunner rich you need to book this same venue for next year


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    Thanks for that Steve and reminding me of some of the specifics of that kit. The Deep Purple's Machine Head on your deck was properly rocking!
    One of these days... I'm going to cut you into little pieces.

  7. #297
    Join Date: Dec 2013

    Location: newcastle upon tyne

    Posts: 639
    I'm steven.

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    Don't know who the dodgy looking guy was in one of the photos doing the David baily impersonation


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  8. #298
    Join Date: Aug 2012

    Location: North East

    Posts: 3,670
    I'm Steve.

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    Fabulous write up Rich. Lots of highlights for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the day. Some great music played some of it a total revelation. Great to meet some new attendees not least John Jo who travelled all the way from Northern Island. He brought with him a gorgeous Prima Luna power amp which worked very nicely with my Heco's. Smooth and civilised is how i would describe it and beautifully made. Listening to The Rhythm Divine by Yello featuring Shirley Bassey on Ken's system was a joy as was Pete's Rega Isis CDP. Sadly Pete had to leave before we had chance to hook up the Isis to other configurations. I was itching to hear some of my "specialist music" through it The Technics CD player too looked and sounded pretty darned good. Steve (Mr Kipling) actually travelled since 6am via bus to get to Nebo with hid precious cargo so a big up to him. The Roy Orbison live CD was really entertaining. The bake off was fun and for beer money the Schiit Mani really puts the cat amongst the pigeons. As good as it is though Alan Kendal's entry level OTP (Out Of The Park) Firebottle bettered it in most aspects and was given a unanimous thumbs up. Vj's Thorens turntable and Primare phono stage also had me bowled over too. A natural unforced sound i could have listened to all evening. At the end of the evening i hauled into position by old Tascam R2R and played some mix tapes. I put my hands up here and admit to being a very poor second to Alan Towell who to my dismay didn't attend. Alan is Nebo stalwart who is thought of by us all as a legend not only for his R2R's but his knowledge, helpfulness and encyclopaedic knowledge. To say he was missed at Nebo 8 is an understatement.
    The day started well with Rich's Arcam equipment which to my ears sounded highly musical, the Arcam DAC in particular being something i will be checking out. I have to thank Ken Wynn, Rich and John Jo for helping me load and unload the van though i think Rich may well have disturbed some of the elderly National Express clients wheeling an empty sack barrow over an uneven surface at Stupid o'clock in the morning. I must admit to having a chuckle about this. Great venue, great music, great kit, great venue great craic. Well done Rich, blinder!

    Quote Originally Posted by RichB View Post
    NEB0 8 – write up and pics

    Ok, so not long got home and put the bits of my system back system together. With lunch cooking and my head feeling clearer after yesterday’s lubrication here’s my summing up and phone pics. There were plenty photos taken throughout the course of the day with somewhat better equipment so hopefully we’ll see some more of them on here.

    Firstly a HUGE THANK YOU, to all who attended and make NEBO what it is. You never know how these events are going to go and I was a bit concerned that some of the usual suspects and people who had confirmed on here and elsewhere couldn’t make it and having just returned from hols, I wasn’t able to take last minute rain checks from people. Nonetheless, we still had a good turn out and what a fantastic venue the St Georges Hotel proved it be. I think if we were ever considering a full blown show a’la Scalford then this would be the perfect venue for it. Plenty parking, easy load in/out, decent rooms, very helpful staff, good rates etc. Particular mention here to young Jonathan the receptionist/barman/fixer who went out of his way several times during the course of the day to ensure we were looked after in spite of having a National Holidays coach party in the hotel to sort out. At the end of the night my room was comfortable for crashing out in as a busy few days caught up with me.

    So, onto the event itself… Got there around 10.30 to find Steve (Floyddroid) Ken (Qwin) and Steve (Mr Kipling) already there and getting set up. We were joined shortly after by Mike (Jac Hawk) who it was lovely to see again. Mike had been one of the first AoS members I’d ever met shortly after I’d first joined, and we’d visited each other to hear our systems way back and it was nice to catch up again. We had loads of space for gear and could easily have accommodated many more systems. I was a bit worried the massive ballroom would prove a challenge to getting good sound with that massive dancefloor and iffy acoustics but not a bit of it, the partition dividers worked a treat and we were able to create two good spaces for the gear and mostly overcome the challenges the enormity of the venue presented.

    Whilst Ken was setting up his showcase system Mike and I set up an initial system with my Rega RS5, Arcam CD17/A29, Chromecast Audio, DAC and his modified Rega Planar which sounded fab through the Arcam’s own phonostage. We played a variety of stuff on this system as people began to arrive, including some jazz from Curtis Amy, shoegaze rock from Mazzy Star, prog from Pink Floyd/Porcupine Tree, and plenty picks from Mike’s crate of vinyl. Pics below show this early doors system with Mik Rik’s TVC preamp, Steve’s Schit Mani phono stage and the fabulous Proton Power amp in waiting for the next round.









    After a good spell enjoying this system and during which time we were joined by more familiar faces (Clarkey555, Vinyljunky, Halfway Tree) the big guns in the shape of Steve’s monolithic Heco ‘The Statement’ speakers were brought out for more vinyl and CDs. These were stunning and filled the space effortlessly. Plenty of great vinyl being played on this system including Fox, Terence Trent D’arby and Grace Jones and also CDs brought along by the attendees.


    I think it was around this time I became aware of new faces amongst us and it was genuine pleasure to welcome, Peter (Petrat), JohnB, Bruce and JohnJo to NEBO who had both travelled to join us, John in particular making the trip from Northern Ireland, thanks for making the journey!





    Then we moved onto Ken’s system, I won’t attempt to describe what work Ken has done on this system as it is covered in other threads on AoS, except to say that he really played a blinder with his DIY 3 way speakers, fabulous turntable and meticulous attention to detail throughout. Ken has every right to be happy with this system as it sounded wonderful and filled the space he had beautifully. A good chunk of the afternoon was spent with this system, Ken accommodating many vinyl requests and Peter’s Rega valve ISIS proving to sources of the highest quality. It’s well known I’ve soft spot for a bit Rega and hearing the flagship CD player was a real treat. I’d have one in my system anyday, very natural and engaging for digital source.











    With the afternoon seemingly disappearing whilst we enjoyed the music, Mr Kipling brought us an exceedingly good CD player to enjoying in the shape of his Technics. Combined with the TVC preamp, Proton power amp and HECO speakers this was a hugely enjoyable system and his selections of live Roy Orbison, Louis Prima got our toes tapping and my Amazon account took a hammering for these and other CDs we played on this system. We even got to sample some dub from Radical Dance Faction and Mad Professor as well as great acoustic stuff from Morphine.











    Then back to the black stuff (or purple or luminous), Vinyljunky living up to his name with his Thorens deck with Mission arm/ZYX cartridge and Primare phono stage played in the TVC/Proton/Heco system for a bit. A little fettling had this deck really singing with some southern rock and plenty more digs from the various crates around.





    As the evening drew on and we became hungry, plans were hatched for a takeaway curry to be ordered in. Whilst we waited for our grub and dined we put the Arcam CD player back into action for some acoustic blues from Mr Mayall. The sound from this system really filled the room whilst we filled our bellies with the grub and soaked up some of the drink. (Hats off to Mike for negotiating the extra poppadums and pickles).





    Fed and watered it was now onto the late session and in normal NEBO fashion that means valves and vinyl. It wouldn’t be NEBO without the Radford making an appearance and it paired up with the HECO monsters beautifully, didn’t struggle one bit, an excellent match. Just a lovely rich and energetic sound from this amp. As spirited as the first time I ever hear it. The keen eyed amongst you will observe the soon to be patented ceramic isolation technique, remember you saw it here first folks!









    With this system sounding good it was time for a little phono stage bake off, in this case the Schit Mani up against a Firebottle entry level offering. Sorry I cant recall the proper name of it, sure someone will clarify. For this we broke out a vintage automatic Pioneer deck from Mick with my Denon DL-110. The deck itself seemed to be prone to a bit of rumble/feedback on certain bass frequencies, very odd, much fettling ensured and we got it under control but all agreed that was a shortcoming of the deck itself rather than any of the matching equipment. Soldering on we used 3 tracks for the bake off, 2 from ZZ Top Tres Hombres and Come Together from the Beatles Abbey Road. Both phono stages availed themselves well and for pocket money the Schit seems a good buy. The Firebottle for me though saw greater separation, more resolved and composed overall. One small criticism I found with it was the cymbal hits on the 2 ZZ Top tracks, they just seemed a little thin and, like an odd decay effect. I dunno, blame the cider but I need to go back and hear this again in my own system to see what is actually going on. I’m not a phono stage affecionado, living mostly with digital sources. Interesting to know others thoughts on this.
    Other than that I know very little about the Firebottle or Schitt as they brought by one of the attendees.



    Other notable mentions, a Primaluna power amp I was really impressed with brought by John. So composed and engaging, lovely thing. Again it paired well with the HECOs and TVC pre.



    Ken’s amazing turntable



    Ken’s DIY speakers (note top secret design ceramic isolation units, rrp £100 each, contact me for a special order!)



    A real treat for a Kraftwerk fan.



    Mick’s Yaqin valve preamp



    Steve’s spinning reels, ‘meet the new boss, same as the old boss’ ;-)





    The Firebottle OTP



    So that’s it for now, I think if we do another we’ll use the same venue. It seems to be a great home for us and, if we’re all behind it NEBO will continue. A personal thanks to everyone who came, contributed and who has supported NEBO over the years. It is the people that make it.

    Rich.
    Last edited by struth; 01-07-2017 at 14:28.

  9. #299
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Chorley, Lancs

    Posts: 2,734
    I'm Mike.

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    Aye an excellent day, well done Rich, the hotel was a stroke of genius and probably the best and most accommodating venue i've been to, all the kit that was brought was top drawer and i got to hear some really good music i hadn't heard before. Also what a great bunch of lads, a pity more didn't stay over but such is life, as was mentioned before the curry all sat round the table was most enjoyable even though I suffered for it this morning with a case of brown rain but that's enough about that.

    To sum up all i can say is if you didn't go, you missed out on one of the best HiFi days i've ever had and you should move heaven and earth to attend NEBO in the future, and finally a little message to Mick, enjoy the Championship next year mate, Newcastle beat Bradford to win the championship for 2016/17, onwards and upwards for the mighty TOON!!!!!


    As the late Colonel Sanders once said
    "I'm too drunk to taste this chicken!!"

  10. #300
    Join Date: Dec 2013

    Location: newcastle upon tyne

    Posts: 639
    I'm steven.

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    I think I missed a few fellas out in my review notably Johnjo all the way from Ireland and Bruce the American from Bradford and Gordon halfway tree he of linkwitz speaker fame top fellas everyone Ali of Scottish mafia fame's open baffle speakers would have been superb at this venue.Also would have liked to hear Colin topps new designs I hope he comes next year.


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