Hello from Ifor

[ifor]

Hi,

I'm Ifor Phillips and live in Faringdon, Oxfordshire. I'm about as close as it's possible to get to being in my mid fifties.

Hi Fi

Source 1: "Inspired" Manticore Mantra c/w RB301 tonearm and Goldring G1042 MM cartridge.
Source 2: Cyrus CD8 SE
Source 3: iMac (iTunes ALAC), Arcam rDAC via Ethernet, Devolo Homeplugs and toslink.

Amplifier: Roksan Kandy LIII
Speaker: Spendor A5

Music

Beatles, Jethro Tull, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Stranglers etc, etc.

[DSJR]

Greetings :)

How did you get to the gear you have?

[Beechwoods]

Hi Ifor and Welcome to the Forum!

[synsei]

Hello Ifor and welcome to AoS. Nice system you have there ;)

[ifor]

Greetings :)

How did you get to the gear you have?

I started out in about 1974 with a Connoisseur BD1 turntable kit, Acos Lustre GST-1 tonearm, Rotel amp and Solavox speakers all purchased from Comet in Oxford where my brother was working.

Later I replaced the Connoisseur with a Technics SL-5 direct drive linear tracking turntable, the Rotel amp with a Technics SUV-303 and the Solavox speakers with a pair of Tannoy Eclipse.

This lot served me well until the early 90s when I purchased the Manticore Mantra, second hand for £250, from Sound Approach in Norwich. I bought it without a tonearm, but I still had (have) the Acos Lustre GST-1.

I don't remember when Queen's Innuendo was released, but I felt cheated that the CD version was longer than the vinyl. This was the trigger for the purchase of my first CD player, a Marantz CD52 Mk2 SE, purchased from Mertin's Hi Fi in Norwich.

Next up I bought a second hand Audiolab 8000A from Basically Sound in Bracon Ash, near Norwich.

I don't remember when, but sometime after 1995 I ditched the Tannoy's in favour of some TDL RTL2s from Richer Sounds in Bristol.

About 4 years ago I switched from the Audiolab 8000A to my current Roksan Kandy LIII, which I bought second hand on eBay.

Next was another second hand eBay purchase; the Cyrus CD8 SE replaced the Marantz CD52 Mk2 SE.

eBay again within the last year for the ex demo Spendor A5.

My daughter now has the Marantz CDP, Technics amp and TDL speakers.

More recently, a couple of months ago, I had the Manticore Mantra refreshed by Inspire HiFi. It's been reveneered to match the Spendors, replaced the glass platter with acrylic, the felt mat with an Acrimat, internal birch bracing and replaced the Acos Lustre GST-1 with a Rega RB301.

The most recent purchase is the Arcam rDAC which has dramatically improved the sound quality of music streamed from the iMac. Wireless doesn't work with these thick walls, hence the Ethernet and Devolo Homplugs.

I hope I haven't bored you too much!

[DSJR]

The GST-1 tonearm is almost SME money now and well worth keeping, although the mantra is one of the best of the mid priced springy belt drives out there.

Which RTL2's were they? The SE ones need drastic crossover surgery to adjust and remove the "AE109" step down into the tweeter. The mk1's with bubbly vinyl wrap boxes were lovely and could still be worthy today with better boxes...

[ifor]

Sorry, I was dreaming there. I was wishing they were RTL2s, but they're actually lowly G20s.

I understood the Acos Lustre GST-1 to be the same as the Rega R200.

[Alex_UK]

Hi Ifor, welcome to AoS. I'd hazard a guess you spent some time in Norwich, then? Was Sound Approach the shop on Unthank Road? Basically Sound have moved to Reymerston (bought my 2nd hand Spendors from there last spring) but Martins are still going strong(?) on Ber Street last time I went. there's a Sevenoaks on St Giles, so Norwich is still doing a lot better than most cities for hifi shops! (Wasn't there a new "high-end" shop on Prince of Wales Rd too, a year or so back?)

Any road up - excuse my wittering, hope you enjoy the forum. :)

[Alex_UK]

PS...


Sorry, I was dreaming there. I was wishing they were RTL2s, but they're actually lowly G20s.

Dream no more - a pair could be yours for less than the price of a round of drinks! :eek:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TDL-RTL2-Floorstanding-Loudspeakers-/251118989498?pt=UK_AudioVideoElectronics_HomeAudio HiFi_HiFiSpeakers&hash=item3a77dbb0ba#ht_500wt_1182


I understood the Acos Lustre GST-1 to be the same as the Rega R200.

Close, but not quite I don't think. Acos made the R200 but not the same design?

[ifor]

Hi Ifor, welcome to AoS. I'd hazard a guess you spent some time in Norwich, then? Was Sound Approach the shop on Unthank Road? Basically Sound have moved to Reymerston (bought my 2nd hand Spendors from there last spring) but Martins are still going strong(?) on Ber Street last time I went. there's a Sevenoaks on St Giles, so Norwich is still doing a lot better than most cities for hifi shops! (Wasn't there a new "high-end" shop on Prince of Wales Rd too, a year or so back?)

Any road up - excuse my wittering, hope you enjoy the forum. :)

Yes, Sound Approach was on Unthank Road. I have visited the new Basically Sound a couple of times. They did a very good service on the Mantra. I lived in Great Ryburgh near Fakenham from '86 to '95 before moving back to Oxfordshire. I go where the pigs take me (not joking).

[ifor]

Close, but not quite I don't think. Acos made the R200 but not the same design?

I'm pretty sure it is the R200. I think there were two versions of the GST-1 one of which was the same as the R200.

[Alex_UK]

I'm pretty sure it is the R200. I think there were two versions of the GST-1 one of which was the same as the R200.

Ah, ok - I'll get my coat! ;) :lol: