Hello from Cheshire

[Liberdade]

Hello everyone.

I’ve had a passion for music from a very young age, learning the violin as a main instrument, and playing mainly classical music as a young lad and teenager. I got a bit diverted in my late teens by listening to John Peel most evenings, and saw many of the punk and post-punk bands in their prime. Career and family meant music and hifi took a back seat for quite a long time, particularly as I was working in various parts of Asia and Latin America for several years.

I bought my first decent system about 25 years ago, and still have most of it as a second system - a Marantz CD player, an Aura amp, and Ruark Templar speakers. After a while, I moved on to a system which hasn’t changed much in about 20 years - a Wadia CD player, a Pathos TT amp and Quad ESL63 speakers, and use Mana stands. LPs have become more and more important for me and I tend to browse second-hand shops whenever and wherever I can. I currently use a Lumley Heliosphere turntable, with an Audiomods Series V arm, Grado cartridge and Whest phono stage, and find I can listen to this for many hours. However, I now listen to music - mainly jazz and classical now - principally through the radio. A Naim NAT01 is used for FM, but I’m finding I use the computer more and more to listen to music and to stream through my hifi. My son sings bass, and I've also enjoyed discovering new music from him, while claiming that I have been familiar with that particular piece for years, naturally

I’ve spent the last few years working in Europe and have recently returned to Cheshire. I’m looking forward to refreshing my knowledge on hifi and music reproduction, and what I can do to optimise, update and adapt my current system. I quite like the idea of active speakers, for example, with an Apple iMac as the main source - the simplicity of this seems very attractive!

[Puffin]

Nice intro David. Get stuck in here and have fun.

[Liberdade]

Thanks, Puffin. Here's a couple of quick pics of my system - it's moved since then, and been dusted, and I will try to get some fresh pics shortly;

[jandl100]

Hi David

Welcome to the forum.
What an interesting system!
- I especially like the giraffe and elephant.

Lovely looking turntable. And the amp, too.
Have you tried raising the 63s at all? I used to have a pair and some Arcici stands worked wonders in improving clarity even further, if perhaps looking a bit odd!
Even a couple inches of elevation can have a beneficial effect should you ever fancy an easy sonic 'upgrade'. That way the visuals would be barely changed.

[Liberdade]

Hello Jerry - yes, I have some custom stands for the Quads, which raise the speakers about 6 inches, and do seem to make a positive difference. They're spiked, so I've been reluctant to use them on the wooden floor, but I should be getting some more thin slate tiles which can fit under the stands and solve that problem.

[jandl100]

Well, just unscrew the spikes! (If you can.)

Personally, I think the main sonic thing that spikes do is to raise the speakers off the floor, and if they are under stands anyway then they become superfluous!

[Barry]

Welcome to AoS David,

Nice introduction, and a nice system.

Enjoy the Forum
Barry

[Marco]

Hi David,

Welcome to AoS. Nice system!

Are you aware of the forthcoming hi-fi show at Cranage Hall, on 23rd June, which is just down the road from you, and will you be going?

Marco.

[Liberdade]

I didn't, but I know now - thank you! As tickets are free, I may well go along. I've heard of a lot of the equipment on show, but it would be very interesting to actually hear some of it, particularly any active speakers with DSP.

[FidelityArt]

Hi David,

Welcome to AoS. Nice system!

Are you aware of the forthcoming hi-fi show at Cranage Hall, on 23rd June, which is just down the road from you, and will you be going?

Marco.

Thanks, Marco.