Greets Earthlings!

[JohnM]

Howdy folks!

Just joined this forum so a bit about meself.

Into all kind of music, but favs include the usual suspects like Bowie, The Stones, The Beatles, Zappa, Dylan, Tom Waits, Fleet Foxes, Beck and so on. Also have a growing collection of movie soundtracks, with John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith being my favourites.

My system is pretty modest compared to many here, but it works well for me and I get hours of pleasure from it (ohh-errr!). At present, it consists of:

CD: Peter Daniel 'Shigaclone' CD Transport; Oppo BDP-83 for SACD/DVD-A/HDCD. Rotel RCD-965BX for occasional transport duties when I fancy a change from Shiga. Those CDM4/19 mechs. still do the business!

DAC: The Gigaworks 24/192 DAC with UTC A-20 output transformers, custom PSU transformer, upgraded PSU diodes plus a few extra mods.

Digital Source: Mac mini running Apple Lossless files via Audirvana, through a Lifetec optical cable to the above DAC.

Amp: After going through a Naim 72/140 combo, a Greg Ball 150D DIY amp and a Dynaco ST70 I built from scratch, I've now settled on - and am extremely happy with - a vintage Sony TA-F6B amp. The PSU section has been fully repaired (was received as non-working) and recapped, but I still have to do the rest of the amp. Been putting it off as it sounds so good as it is. As a bonus it also includes a surprisingly capable phono-stage, so good that I sold on my Trichord Dino +.

Speakers: VERY modest indeed, but they're surprisingly capable of showing up any changes/mods to the system - Mission M72s.

Turntable: Garrard 401. Just had a plinth custom made by the genius that is Russ Collinson at Layers of Beauty which I should be receiving this week. Also took delivery today of a Jelco SA-750D tonearm from duo-phonic. Unfortunately it looks as if the 'wand' is slightly scewed to the left compared with the rest of the arm. If looking at the front of the tonearm without the headshell the locating slots are very slightly turned to the left. fitting the headshell shows this clearly. I'm aware one can adjust the headshells azimuth, but I'm not happy with the fact the wand might have been fitted slightly askew when manufactured. Hoping duo-phonic will come through for me and send a replacement.

I think that's it - oh yes based in 'ampshire (ohhh arrrrr!).

Look forward to chatting! :)

- John

[Spectral Morn]

Hi John

Nice intro, Welcome to AOS.

Hope you enjoy your time on the forum.

Could you do me a favour, can you add a basic location and your name to your details so they are displayed in the top right corner of your posts when you make them. Thanks in advance.


Regards D S D L

[JohnM]

Thanks Neil :)

Whoops - task done!

- John

[Spectral Morn]

Thanks Neil :)

Whoops - task done!

- John

Thank you very much :cool:


regards D S D L

[Alex_UK]

Hi John, and welcome to AoS.

Great introductory post, and I'll be very interested in your thoughts on the Russ Collinson plinth for the 401 as I have one myself which needs replinthing (is that a word? is now!) when I can decide what I want... I inherited the 401 25 years ago and it came with a SME 3009 SIIR, but ideally I'd like to try something a bit better, like the Jelco, so will watch your project with interest. PLEASE put some pictures of your system up in the Gallery, and of course a 401 thread with some pics as you work through it. I'll save my questions for then! ;) (Definitely reject that arm, though - you've paid for a perfect example so that's what you should get...)

I hope you enjoy the forum, and find plenty of interest and some new "virtual" friends - we do behave ourselves mostly, spats are a rarity - all in all a great community of like-minded saddos! :lol:

[Jonboy]

Hello John and welcome from just over the border, looks like you will fit in well around here no need to be modest you've got nice gear i've got the same dac as you sitting in a box awaiting my attention, i would be intersted to see a picture of yours up and running as it were, i have read the thread on your Peter Daniel transport a picture of that would be good as well, we like pictures on here, come to think of it (and i do ) why not just put pictures of all your kit on the Gallery and be done with it :doh:

[JohnM]

Thanks for the warm welcome folks :)

Yes I'll get some pics up over the next couple days... just need to find the camera's lead... not to mention the camera is in London at my gf's (arghh!). Might have to use some crummy iPhone pics instead but they'll do the job.

Alex: yet to receive the plinth but the picture he sent looks impressive. It's birch ply with cherry veneer. I am very strapped for cash so couldn't afford a full-on heavy weight plinth, so decided to get a 50mm thick one, and use that atop a sound organisation wall shelf. I'd done something similar before when I'd previously owned a 301 and 401 and mounted them on an IKEA chopping board, and just plonked that on top of the rack, using four small rubber rollers (from a photocopier spares kit!) in each corner of the rack for the 'plinth' to lay on. Worked very well indeed so this is just a nicer looking, and somewhat heavier version of that principle. Here's hoping once it arrives everything slots in nicely, and the spindle to tonearm distance is correct etc. Just need to get that damn arm sorted - very disappointing. Duo-phonic asked me to send them a couple of pictures of the slight mis-alignment which I did, but have yet to hear back from them.

Jonboy (I've used that same avatar over at the Home Theatre Forum - scchhpooky lol!): Sure I'll get some pics up shortly and put them all in the gallery. After a bit of work it's a superb DAC which really does play music. I used to own a Naim CDI and - in the days I used to (briefly) write for Hi-Fi World - have also listened to some very upmarket gear, and quite honestly this thing doesn't disgrace itself at all. It was meant to be a stop-gap until I could afford something better, but it's now taken pride of place in my digital setup.

- John

[Puffin]

JohnM. I think I recognise you from Diyaudio? I made a couple of Shigaclones at the time, subsequently killed them! Too much fiddlin ain't good!

Did you mod a PS1 as well or was it Gainclones? I modded one of the early "Cheapo Chinese Dacs" not sure if that is what is now referred to as the Gigaworks boards?

Have fun on here :lol::lol:

[JohnM]

How-do Puffin! Yup that be me haha! Good to see you here as well :)

Yep did the PS1 (only the output mod though, not the PSU) and still using my 2nd Shigaclone (got a proper Peter Daniel chassis made for this - this stopped my urge to keep modding it!). Still rate the PS1 but there's only so many transports one can have on the go so it's sulking in the loft at present :stalks: haha! In some ways I prefer it to the Shigaclone it just has that boogie factor in spades, even if the frequency extremes aren't the greatest.

How does one get the signature to show up below the message area? Have written my system details, saved it, checked it in the options and all seems well but I cannot see it in my posts here. Odds bodkins! :scratch:

Edit: OK it's now there - panic over lol!

[Puffin]

I dug my modded PS1 out recently and made a better linear PSU for it with some nice rectifier boards bought from PinkFish with BHC caps and nice 15A Qspeed diodes. I then feed that into two teddyregs for the 3.6v and 7.6v. I think it is stonking. I suspect that because the highs are a little rolled off, that it is soooo listenable. I hear far more detail as a result (IMO of course). I prefer it to the latest Dacmagic.

[Reid Malenfant]

Hi John, welcome to AoS from me also :) I'm also a member of DIYAudio (different use name) though i haven't visited in a good while, too much to do & i'm always on here :eyebrows:

I hope you enjoy your stay chap, all the very best :cool:

[synsei]

Hello John and welcome to AoS. I'm also an avid collector of film soundtracks, and much of what I have is on vinyl. Like yourself, I rate Jerry and John's stuff very highly. I also like much of Trevor Jones work, as well as that of the late, and very much lamented John Barry.

An interesting system you have there and I'm looking forward to seeing your piccies in the Gallery.

Regards

Dave... :cool:

[JohnM]

Cheers Mark :)

Dave: Oh yes I like Monsieur Jones as well - The Dark Crystal is probably my fav, though I do love what he did for Excalibur also. Got quite a few soundtracks on LP, but most are CD - the one area of music where the mastering seems to be very good generally (other than classical) are the soundtrack releases I find. Glad the loudness wars haven't reached that sector yet!

Yep it's a bit of a hodge-podge but works very well I find. Still trying to sort out this SA-750D Jelco arm. I thought the front of the arm looked a bit askew, and even more so when the headshell is fitted. I need to get a set-square on the headshell alignment slots at the front of the tone-arm to see if it really is slightly off-centre, or if it's just me eyes playing tricks. I would have thought the headshell should be 100% horizontal when fitted - as it is is tilts to the left by quite a bit.

- John