guyhayton
29-06-2012, 21:19
Hello everyone... de-lurking here as I have been browsing the site for about a month. it's about time I introduced myself and started joining in.
Years ago I was heavily into hi-fi doing the shows and endlessly upgrading my Linn amps, Rega Planar 3 turntable, arcam Alpha 6 (with vendor fitted 7 daughterboard) etc. Then I met my wife and slowly but surely the vinyl was sold to make room for an armchair, the seperates were turned into a multiroom Bose system and the CDs went into storage.
Well last year we separated and starting in January I decided that I had been missing life without music and a decent hifi (I was stuck with an iPod Nano as the Bose system is in the house I am paying for, but don't live in!)
So job 1 - CD's out of storage and over next four months all ripped into iTunes in lossless format. only a small music collection, but 3,287 discs took me a while, particularly when gracenote didn't auto label the more obscure.
Job 2 started at the Jubillee weekend - something reasonable to play it all on. I am afraid the kit is considerably modest compared to the majority of members, but don't forget I am restarting from scratch and limited Funds.
Dali Zensor 1 bookshelf speakers on stands
Cambridge Audio AM5 amplifier and CA micro cable
---- all bought for £300 quid from Mr.Richer Sounds
Airport Express connected by optical output to an ebay purchased
Beresford Caiman DAC
I still had my Audioquest Ruby and Chord Company interconnects, so they are being reused for my Sky+ box and DAC respectively.
I also got some secondhand Audio-Techna ADH700 headphones also from ebay for late night listening.
Like I said, very modest but sounds very favourably to the system I had 12 years ago (although I maybe kidding myself) and much better than a Airplay speaker jobby I was considering for similar money in John Lewis.
Next steps... enjoy the music. But I have my name down for a Gator board when available. When funds allow I think the first thing to upgrade is the amplifier as the CA AM5 should only be considered a stopgap. After my relative successes with the DAC and phones, I think it will be the secondhand market again.
Anyway, thanks for reading... I hope to hang around for a while if that is okay.
Years ago I was heavily into hi-fi doing the shows and endlessly upgrading my Linn amps, Rega Planar 3 turntable, arcam Alpha 6 (with vendor fitted 7 daughterboard) etc. Then I met my wife and slowly but surely the vinyl was sold to make room for an armchair, the seperates were turned into a multiroom Bose system and the CDs went into storage.
Well last year we separated and starting in January I decided that I had been missing life without music and a decent hifi (I was stuck with an iPod Nano as the Bose system is in the house I am paying for, but don't live in!)
So job 1 - CD's out of storage and over next four months all ripped into iTunes in lossless format. only a small music collection, but 3,287 discs took me a while, particularly when gracenote didn't auto label the more obscure.
Job 2 started at the Jubillee weekend - something reasonable to play it all on. I am afraid the kit is considerably modest compared to the majority of members, but don't forget I am restarting from scratch and limited Funds.
Dali Zensor 1 bookshelf speakers on stands
Cambridge Audio AM5 amplifier and CA micro cable
---- all bought for £300 quid from Mr.Richer Sounds
Airport Express connected by optical output to an ebay purchased
Beresford Caiman DAC
I still had my Audioquest Ruby and Chord Company interconnects, so they are being reused for my Sky+ box and DAC respectively.
I also got some secondhand Audio-Techna ADH700 headphones also from ebay for late night listening.
Like I said, very modest but sounds very favourably to the system I had 12 years ago (although I maybe kidding myself) and much better than a Airplay speaker jobby I was considering for similar money in John Lewis.
Next steps... enjoy the music. But I have my name down for a Gator board when available. When funds allow I think the first thing to upgrade is the amplifier as the CA AM5 should only be considered a stopgap. After my relative successes with the DAC and phones, I think it will be the secondhand market again.
Anyway, thanks for reading... I hope to hang around for a while if that is okay.