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Thread: Bristol Hi-Fi Show 2018

  1. #91
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

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

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    Quote Originally Posted by George47 View Post
    True. He founded Legend Audio but the company changed to his name Von Gaylord Audio. I suspect his name is less of an issue in the US/China than it is here.
    Good point, and as far as China is concerned, you're right. However, how are gay people referred to in America - isn't it by using the word "gay"? If so, the connotations (with a name like 'Von Gaylord') are exactly the same there, as here....

    And yes, I get the Monty Python thing.

    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!!!


  2. #92
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: gone

    Posts: 11,519
    I'm gone.

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    Looks like the Brizzle Show has picked up a bit since I last went a few years ago - back then it was mostly mid-market crapola in badly set up rooms with very little of interest as far as I was concerned. But even then the upper floors were better and I did use the start at the top trick.
    There was a lot of poking my head in a room and not even bothering to go in, it was that bad.
    I recall that after 90 minutes of touring all the rooms I thought "what would I like to hear again?". Nothing, was the answer, so I left having expected to spend the day there.

    But I might well give it another go next year.
    .

  3. #93
    Join Date: Mar 2017

    Location: Seaford UK

    Posts: 1,861
    I'm Dennis.

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    Looking at the array of good pictures I am struck by the seeming emphasis on finishes, and this worries me because it may just be a shift towards bling rather than the audio itself being advanced.

    I loved the rather dry, reserved, and and plain looks of the Quad of old, understated and very good functionally for the time.

  4. #94
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

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

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    Same here, and my thoughts precisely, Dennis. I hate bling with a passion, and even more, paying for it in equipment, when the money could have been better spent instead 'under the hood', where it matters most!

    That high-end hi-fi these days is more about looks than ultimate sonic performance, is the main reason why, aside from the (often unjustified) exorbitant price tags, it turns me off.

    In that respect, long live the concept of achieving the highest 'SPPV', and the quality vintage gear and well-made but functional looking, bespoke equipment from 'one-man band' manufacturers with low overheads, which facilitates that, and who can build sensibly priced equipment, able to compete sonically with any blingy, overpriced 'badge-fi'!



    Marco.

    P.S Only loudspeakers have a valid reason for 'looking pretty'.
    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!!!


  5. #95
    Join Date: Feb 2011

    Location: South Wales

    Posts: 7,487
    I'm the'greatunwashed'.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Pharos View Post
    . . . Quad of old, understated and very good functionally for the time.
    Well from what I saw, they are still doing it - nothing too fancy (or over priced) in their room, apart from a very good sound from affordable Hi-Fi. They impressed me - I would say they have moved from 'rather dry, reserved and plain looks' to understated elegance, but still with an identity of their own.

    For me, considering sound per pound I didn't hear anything on Saturday that bettered them for my musical tastes. There were a few other rooms that I liked, but the gear cost significantly more, often 4/5 times more.

    It was a good day out Jerry, it was surprised having given up about 10 years ago. It was only an afterthought as I was going to Bristol Saturday night for a gig, so thought I'd pop in. More to see a friend who was demonstrating, but I actually enjoyed the day and learnt quite a bit too
    Last edited by Tim; 26-02-2018 at 12:51.
    "People will hear what you tell them to hear" - Thomas Edison

  6. #96
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

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

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    One high-end manufacturer currently bucking the trend for 'bling-fi' is Thoeress:

    http://www.thoeress.com/en/preamplifier/

    Check it out, Dennis...




    Now *that* is how high-end hi-fi equipment should look: purposeful and professional, with rather 'sober' aesthetics, like something out of a 1950s science lab!!

    No crass-looking gold bling there, for tasteless 'key-janglers'....

    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. #97
    Join Date: Jul 2009

    Location: Hampshire, UK

    Posts: 3,662
    I'm Adam.

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    I've been going to Bristol for nigh on 30 years, both as a punter and in a trade capacity. I had worried that it was losing its mojo over the last few years but I felt this one was one of the best for a long time. Lots of enthusiasm, the Friday was packed out with visitors and there were lots of interesting new items to see and hear. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

    As to my favourite thing of the show, obviously it was the new Technics SL-1000R. Does anyone know what the going rate for a moderately alcohol-abused kidney is, these days...?
    Engineers: fixing problems you didn't know you had in ways you don't understand.

  8. #98
    Join Date: May 2012

    Location: London

    Posts: 423
    I'm Spartacus.

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    Quote Originally Posted by George47 View Post
    True. He founded Legend Audio but the company changed to his name Von Gaylord Audio. I suspect his name is less of an issue in the US/China than it is here.
    I don't quite get what the issue is here. Are we saying some people will avoid this brand because they are homophobic? Is the G word a no-no when it comes to marketing?
    Cheers, Jeff

  9. #99
    montesquieu Guest

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    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    One high-end manufacturer currently bucking the trend for 'bling-fi' is Thoeress:

    http://www.thoeress.com/en/preamplifier/

    Check it out, Dennis...




    Now *that* is how high-end hi-fi equipment should look: purposeful and professional, with rather 'sober' aesthetics, like something out of a 1950s science lab!!

    No crass-looking gold bling there, for tasteless 'key-janglers'....

    Marco.
    I had a long chat with Reinhard Thoress at Munich, I had been pondering this kit before I got the EAR 912. I did get to hear it there with his own-design speakers and amp, but I wasn't overly impressed with the speakers and anyway you can only come away from shows with a limited impression - just the big picture, no subtleties.

    Thoress is still an avenue I might pursue at some stage, what I'd really like is the opportunity to do an extended comparison with the EAR, into Radford + Tannoys. I must admit I'm attracted to it at least in part for its 50s-60s lab equipment looks, perhaps retro-chic is just another kind of bling!

    The ideal for me would be his three input phono preamp (with all the equalisation options), with one linestage input for a DAC. He prefers active MC over SUTs though so I'd be tempted to have all inputs set to MM, and run one or more SUTs into the other inputs. I'd miss the Swiss Army Knife flexibility of the EAR though.

  10. #100
    Join Date: Feb 2011

    Location: South Wales

    Posts: 7,487
    I'm the'greatunwashed'.

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    I think you are over thinking it Jeff, or taking it a tad too seriously - it is (on my part) rather tongue in cheek.

    Just a bit of fun with an unusual name - it wouldn't stop me buying it if I liked it, in fact I'd play on it, like Schiit Audio
    "People will hear what you tell them to hear" - Thomas Edison

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