Getting it all back together again...

[Haselsh1]

After many years of having it all very free and easy during the eighties and nineties things became quite hard during 2000 when I was made redundant. I ended up owing a small fortune to various credit card companies as that is how we had become accustomed to living and just about all of my precious Hi-Fi had to go.

At that time I had an Alphason Sonata with an Alphason HR100SMCS tonearm and an Ortofon Kontrapunkt cartridge. The phono stage was an EAR MC type and amplification was an Audion 300B SEL single ended eight Watt jobbie. This went into Audionote speakers but I just cannot remember the model. I do remember that they were floorstanding.

The state of play at the moment is at the following link:
http://www.pickeringphotography.co.uk/Hobbies.htm

There are no ampification images to show because as we speak, I have just secured a pair of Audiolab 8000M monoblocks from some geezer via ebay. They should work just fine with the Creek preamp.
You can see from this that recovery from a situation is very slow but it is happening. All I can do is give it time.

[chris@panteg]

I know where you are coming from M8 ' my self going from an lp12 to a voyd.5 ref ' now back down to earth with my SL1210 but i am happy with my more modest set up. keep at it' i feel its important to have a decent system to play music on , i myself have decided not to go to far with the hardware ' collecting Vinyl and cd's are more important to me now , all the best .

[Haselsh1]

Chris, many thanks for the thoughts.
Those are my feelings exactly. My goal for the rest of my time here is to get together a fabulous collection of new vinyl and an amazing collection of CD's. OK, don't misunderstand, I do still want a fab Hi-Fi especially a fab turntable but these days the priority is with the music. I learnt my lesson about living way beyond my means and had the price to pay but I will get back to a modest system eventually.
For now, I have to be happy with the Audiolab monoblocks when they arrive for use with the Creek pre but eventually I'd like a very nice turntable. A lot of people have tried so hard to put me off the Linn LP12 that they may have succeeded. If what you all say about this deck is true, it probably isn't for me. It will however be a long time coming. I have to save all over again now.

[DSJR]

You can have a ball with great used HiFi, but the weak pound is making once almost affordable UK sourced audio very cheap to far eastern collectors and audio sourced outside the UK is too expensive for many (ME!!).

Old LP12's can be fun if you know what you're doing, but no two LP12's made before the mid eighties were ever the same and some with iffy plinths were an absolute nightmare to set up. Seriously, you can do so much better these days and although I haven't yet heard a fully fettled SL1210, the better examples from the seventies can sound really good and "honest" if set up on a suitable support away from the speakers (their structures were rather "live" compared to the current article). Whether you want "honesty" in LP reproduction is another matter entirely though ;).

Other LP spinners you can still get cheaply are the TD150 and 160 springy belt drives, although, bearing in mind what you've owned before, a Goldring lenco GL75 could well be better - solid pitch stability and the arm ain't quite as bad as you'd think - a DL110 should be fine I reckon.... Tony L from PFM rates the GL70 too, same drive and the more substantial arm seems to work well with many modern cartridges.

A tragedy you had to let the Alphason arm go. This is a great and rare beast and sadly is now being "discovered" by the great unwashed out there and prices are now the same as the more common Ittok (still a classic, but many have been roughly treated)...

Preamps for the 8000M's could be the matching *original issue* 8000Q, or, even better but not very cheap considering their age, any of Glenn Croft's preamps (after he's had them back for fettling at modest cost). Naim's "modular" preamps like the 32.5 and 72 can be easily upgraded and become serious audio products once sorted and supplied (I think I prefer the Avondale route, as this takes the Naiminess out ;))

Speakers? Take your pick! I still feel that AN are having a laugh with their Snell based designs. Even low volume production isn't THAT expensive, for what are really well sub £1000 models with some fancy wiring inside by all accounts....... This may not be a kosher recommendation for this forum (I dunno though), but I'd try to secure some Spendor SP1's while they're still affordable. The bass is much better than the BC1 and the mid isn't far off a reference-grade BC1 either. The mid to top is sublime - very sweet and unforced and better than most modern speakers. The 8000M's will love 'em (tweeters can still be serviced, but not the bass units I think).

Cables? mark Grant is getting much recommendation for reasonable phono leads and I'd add Sound-Stable in Stamford (eBay seller) too, as he uses Van Damme pro-patch cable (same as Audio Origami uses for his excellent tonearm interconnects) and good basic Neutric phonos - all for around £20. If you choose a higher impedance speaker, then 2.5mm Van damme speaker cable is great, along with 16A rated mains cable. Lower impedance speakers (4-6 Ohm) will need something a little chunkier again IMO..

[Haselsh1]

The system I have together so far is as follows:
Linn Basik/Alphason Xenon SMCS/Denon DL160
Original 2008F HDCD CD player
Sony SACD player
Project Phonobox SE II
Creek OBH-22 preamp
Audiolab 8000M monoblocks
Dali Suite 2.8 floorstanders
Speaker cable is NVA LS5 ultra low capacitance cable and interconnects are Van Den Hul D102 III HB
If I can ever afford to at some point in the future I intend to change the turntable but keep the arm and cartridge. A Nottingham Analogue Interspace Junior would be good for me as it would cost as much new as a secondhand Linn LP12. Again though, it comes complete with an arm so the Alphason would have to go.

[chris@panteg]

I would not want to put you off an LP12 it can be a very enjoyable performer , but i had one for 12 years and it could be very fickle ,often went off or out of tune a high maintenance deck i feel but if you can set it up or tune it yourself then its still worth going for.

As for the NAS deck you mention well i love the spacedeck and have also heard the mentor so the junior should be excellent you may fall in love with it 'hear it 1st of course .

[Alan]

Nice little setup, Shaunie, and nicely presented. I think there is a great deal of satisfaction messing around at the 'lower' end (bet it doesn't sound it!) of the Hi-Fi food chain. Options, options...can always shift it on ebay again. I can quite understand the kit becoming as much a part of the hobby as the music this way.

Jerry (JandI100) is the undisputed king of this realm, and very free with his knowledge & experience if ever advice is needed. :)

[Haselsh1]

I now have the Audiolab 8000M monoblocks up and running and once again I am amazed. OK, I was forced into using a bloody studio amp but there were areas were this was better than the Audiolabs. The Audiolab's treble is incredibly sharply etched and in that respect is almost perfect for me. The midband is a dream with vocal lines coming out that I've never heard before but the bass is a tad disappointing. The Samson's bass was so tight and powerful with the Audiolab sounding more like a 300B amp. The bass is a little loose and woolly by comparison. One thing these amps do have though is shedloads of slam which is great for my electronica.

[Haselsh1]

I now have new images of the Thorens TD160 on my site so if anyone is interested, have a look.
You can find the link in the first post.

[Spectral Morn]

I now have new images of the Thorens TD160 on my site so if anyone is interested, have a look.
You can find the link in the first post.


Looking very nice Shaun



regards D S D L

[Haselsh1]

Thanks Davros, it really is all coming together with the aid of some money I was given in response to helping someone out.

The Thorens is brilliant with the Alphason arm but I'm no longer so sure about the Denon DL160 being so wonderful. I have worked on the deck and have the suspension floating nicely even with the extra weight of the record clamp but I really am in two minds about the cartridge.

So, overall, a really good system that sounds amazing. Most of it was bought secondhand with the speakers and the cartridge being new. Maybe I could do with a much better cart...??? Any suggestions...??

[Spectral Morn]

Thanks Davros, it really is all coming together with the aid of some money I was given in response to helping someone out.

The Thorens is brilliant with the Alphason arm but I'm no longer so sure about the Denon DL160 being so wonderful. I have worked on the deck and have the suspension floating nicely even with the extra weight of the record clamp but I really am in two minds about the cartridge.

So, overall, a really good system that sounds amazing. Most of it was bought secondhand with the speakers and the cartridge being new. Maybe I could do with a much better cart...??? Any suggestions...??

If the Denons are as fussy as Marco and others say (I have no reason to doubt that, but have no actual practical experience)....perhaps the Alphason arm is to light weight to allow a Denon to shine/work properly (Marco, care to comment/help Shaun).

Perhaps a good modern MM like an Ortofon Black might be worth looking at or one of the Sumiko carts. If my memory serves me right...when working back in the trade around about the time when the Alphason arm was selling new....Audio Technica MC carts were the most common thing used( when the arm was on an Alphason TT)....however not to my taste, I always found them, bar the oc9/Art1 to be too bright and forward sounding.

Thank you once again for the Rothwell attenuators...:):) You are very generous.

Regards D S D L

[Haselsh1]

Thank you once again for the Rothwell attenuators...:):) You are very generous.

Regards D S D L


Re: Very generous...

I am a Rotarian and therefore I guess, it comes with the territory.

[DSJR]

The Alphason arms should work well with more modern MC's like the Sumiko's mentioned. I was terrified of the BPS though, as it's a skeletal device. I think HiFi Dave used to order a spare with every one sold, as most came back broken in the first week as customers were too clumsy. Sounded great though!

The DL110 and 160 are still great value and I'd suggest one of these. I haven't heard the new Ortofon mm's though, but dislike the concept of "a quid or two extra on a better diamond means double the retail price!" and this is what seems to happen, the packaging sometimes costing more than the cartridge!

[Haselsh1]

I used to have, many years ago, a Dynavector DV10X and really liked that but I remember it being really heavy and difficult to balance out. My long lasting memory was that it had a fabulous full solid sound that I really liked. Question is of course... Would it really be a step up from the Denon DL160...???