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!!!
Moving right along ...
I'd welcome back:
Transfiguration Spirit cartridge
Cartridgeman Music Maker cartridge
SME M2-12R arm
Hashimoto SUTs
MFA Mk2 preamp
Any Shindo preamp
Croft 4SA power amp
EAR 859 integrated
Neat MFS speakers
Harbeth P3ESR speakers
No thanks:
ATC SIA2/150 integrated - screechy
Quad II amps - woolly
Project 9.1 turntable - wobbly
Tandy 'Lineaum' speakers - gutless
Nordost Blue Heaven cables - not fit for purpose.
Last edited by petrat; 21-08-2017 at 07:23. Reason: Spelling
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days
Posts: 4,779
I'm Shaun.
I also remember from 1983 with some fondness my pair of original MkI QLN loudspeakers. I would happily live with them all over again as they had a distinct 'whiteness' to their sound that would really suit my current pre/power. Unfortunately, back then, one of the bass/mid drivers developed a fault and during that period QLN ceased trading. Farewell to a gorgeous pair of speakers.
Location: Seaford UK
Posts: 1,861
I'm Dennis.
I am intrigued by the 'chalk and cheese' opinions of equipment on this thread.
Petrat's description of the SIA2/150 is the only negative view I have ever heard of it, so one has to ask, 'What is going on?"
Nordost Blue Heaven were form memory the top of the range, one would at least expect them to be at their price good.
Location: Hartlepool
Posts: 93
I'm John.
Well
Blue Heaven was bottom of Nordost's range ... silver-plated ribbon cable. I actually don't 'believe' in cables making much of a difference, unless they are inherently flawed ... these were.
The dealer I bought the ATC integrated from actually stopped stocking them because of sample variation. Don't believe reviews. I tried to like it, I really did. OK, 'screechy' is an exaggeration, but it wasn't great. Paint came off it, too.
The Project ... was set up properly, insofar as the poor design and shoddy fabrication would allow. I persevered for a couple of years, before moving on.
I could have added quite a few other mistakes back then, invariably stuff highly touted by the reviews ... I've learnt since then.
Last edited by petrat; 21-08-2017 at 14:25. Reason: more commentry
I personally wouldn't have the gift of Nordost cables.... yuck.
Regards Neil
Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days
Posts: 4,779
I'm Shaun.
I think that the only other piece of equipment I have owned that was not really suitable and therefore sounded as though it was, was a Mayware Formula 4 tonearm. This was only really bad because I wanted to team it up with a low output moving coil at which it was completely unsuitable. Given a very low compliance moving magnet and I think it would have been fine but this was back in 1979 when I simply had no experience at such things and had listened to very little gear.