Stop wasting your lives! And hello!

[pleb9]

Thought I was a troll huh? :D

Nope, just little ol' friendly me joining the forums with a simple message to start me off. Don't waste your lives, do whatever it is that you enjoy be it listening to music, getting out and exploring or even staying in and playing games all day. Just make sure you enjoy it regardless of what people tell you it is that you should enjoy!

Now, a little about me. I've always had a passion for high quality audio that I got from my father and his B&O setup. We've always had these huge speakers in the living room that he would turn on now and again to listen to his vinyl records when the neighbors had gone away. In my younger years I wasn't a huge fan of his taste in music, nor the huge price tag that came along with his equipment, but with a bit more maturity has come a flood of appreciation. Now I'm on the slippery slope of getting my own system!

I've decided to piece it together bit by bit as I can afford it. Right now I have some KEF R700's and... Well that's it! I'm able to afford the Power Amp that I want, if I can find it second hand, and in the near future will get myself the DAC and cables to put the cherry on top! I do love music but also find myself watching a lot of films so after much auditioning, price comparison and hair pulling I've gone for a 2.0 setup as follows: The KEF's as I've mentioned, a pair of Audiolab 8200MB and possibly something like an Audiolab M-DAC. As for cables... I have no clue about those kinds of things which I will probably be jumping into the forum to find more about.

I thought I'd join here to meet some like minded individuals and possibly even buy some equipment from you fine chaps and chappets!

Thanks for reading and nice to meet you!

Alex.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Hi Alex,
Welcome to AoS - nice introduction, thanks for that. There's plenty of info in the archive here and lots of incredibly helpful and informative people only too willing to help you out.
What sort of music do you like to listen to?

Cheers

[pleb9]

Hi Alex,
Welcome to AoS - nice introduction, thanks for that. There's plenty of info in the archive here and lots of incredibly helpful and informative people only too willing to help you out.
What sort of music do you like to listen to?

Cheers

Hi there Mr Wazoo.

I saw too many hello threads so I thought I would try to mix it up a little!

There is indeed a wealth of knowledge on this site, I will certainly have to dig around to get myself a few answers.

I'm very much into my Jazz and Blues but with that said I like just about any genre. I seem to find very little I like in Rap and R&B however, I guess it's just not my cup of tea! Just chilling to some Miles Davis right now. Also loving Tycho right now.

[struth]

Glad to hear you like the blues Alex...I am well into it myself.....welcome onboard.

lots of free advice here as well,

[pleb9]

Glad to hear you like the blues Alex...I am well into it myself.....welcome onboard.

lots of free advice here as well,

Found any hidden gems that you could suggest? I'm always looking for something new :)

[Marco]

Hi Alex,

A warm welcome to AoS from me... Great introduction, btw! Hope you enjoy the forum :)

Just a quick one, mate - I notice that you're from Derby. Do you know the area well? If so, perhaps you can help... We're going to hold our own hi-fi (and other stuff) show later in the year and had targeted Derby to do it in.

We've been looking at suitable venues, one of which was this: http://www.thederbyconferencecentre.com/

Do you know it at all, and if so, what's it like? Also, if you know of anywhere else, along similar lines (needs to be quite big, with good facilities, large parking area for cars, near to public transport hubs, etc), then feel free to suggest some! Somewhere in or around Nottingham would also be good.

Cheers! :cool:

Marco.

[pleb9]

Hi Alex,

A warm welcome to AoS from me... Great introduction, btw! Hope you enjoy the forum :)

Just a quick one, mate - I notice that you're from Derby. Do you know the area well? If so, perhaps you can help... We're going to hold our own hi-fi (and other stuff) show later in the year and had targeted Derby to do it in.

We've been looking at suitable venues, one of which was this: http://www.thederbyconferencecentre.com/

Do you know it at all, and if so, what's it like? Also, if you know of anywhere else, along similar lines (needs to be quite big, with good facilities, large parking area for cars, near to public transport hubs, etc), then feel free to suggest some! Somewhere in or around Nottingham would also be good.

Cheers! :cool:

Marco.

Hi there Marco, nice to meet you!

I do know the area fairly well but have never seen that centre before. A quick look at the map shows that it is fairly near the train station so in terms of transport it seems like a great area to be in. As for venues... The only one I can think of is a place called the QUAD which is located in the heart of Derby and probably a 10 minute walk from the station with a host of taxi's and a bus service for transport if that's not ideal. The only reason I suggest it is because it's rather entertainment focused and has various films and exhibits of art going on as well as a place to eat. Seems like it would be a great setting to have such an event and it might even draw more people due to the location (if it's that sort of thing).

I don't know Nottingham that well I'm afraid but as it so happens I will be going this weekend. I'll keep an eye out for any possible areas that might be suitable for you :D

Thanks for the welcome so far!

[Marco]

Thanks for the info, Alex. I've just googled their website and downloaded their space-hiring pdf (http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/sites/derbyquad/files/taxonomy-downloads/Space%20Hire.pdf) and the Derby Quad could be an interesting option :)

Much, however, will come to down to cost and suitability. I'll certainly be making some enquiries. Btw, if you're able to attend, you'd be very welcome. The date is 3/11/13, with of course the venue still to be confirmed. More into here: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?16531-AOS-show-discussion-thread

Enjoy the forum! :cool:

Marco.

[pleb9]

Thanks for the info, Alex. I've just googled their website and downloaded their space-hiring pdf (http://www.derbyquad.co.uk/sites/derbyquad/files/taxonomy-downloads/Space%20Hire.pdf) and the Derby Quad could be an interesting option :)

Much, however, will come to down to cost and suitability. I'll certainly be making some enquiries. Btw, if you're able to attend, you'd be very welcome. The date is 3/11/13, with of course the venue still to be confirmed. More into here: http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?16531-AOS-show-discussion-thread

Enjoy the forum! :cool:

Marco.

No worries Marco.

If you find any other venues in, or around, town and need a spy to have a look you know who to message!

[Marco]

Cheers, Alex. I'll definitely bear that in mind! :)

Marco.

[kenworthy100]

Hi Alex and Welcome to AOS

Kef R700's are a particular favourite of mine and capable of superb results, I use Kef LS50's as I have a relatively small listening room. I shall watch with interest as your system develops.

Cheers

John

[pleb9]

Hi Alex and Welcome to AOS

Kef R700's are a particular favourite of mine and capable of superb results, I use Kef LS50's as I have a relatively small listening room. I shall watch with interest as your system develops.

Cheers

John

Hi John and thanks for the welcome!

They are excellent when you have the correct setup, as of right now they are huge paper weights in my room though. That is until I get the rest of my kit! I have my eye on something in the sales area so it might be sooner than I first thought.

Can I just ask how you feel about the LS50's? I auditioned them with a friend and all I can say is that they sounded terrible with all three AV receivers that they had. Thinking they might be faulty they were switched for another pair resulting in the same issues. When I say terrible I mean sounding similar to a £20 jobby you can get in a petrol station. I read that they are pretty much the R300's in a different box but there was a vast difference with all the same equipment. Would be interested to know what you have and how you feel about them since the reviews seems to be fantastic for them.

[kenworthy100]

That is an interesting one, I had exactly the same experience when I heard them the first time,I came away in shock and couldn't understand the reasons behind the rave reviews. Fortunately the dealer is a friend I have known for some years and he arranged for a loan pair for two weeks with a couple of alternatives. Out of the box they sounded quite a bit better than in the shop but still not great, after 48 hours of gentle running they were becoming a different speaker and started to open up. After a week I compared to the alternatives one of which was a pair of Spendor s3/5r, for me the Kef's just did everything right and were getting better and better. I continued to listen and at the end of the fortnight they were definitely the ones I was going to keep.

I have used them with a variety of equipment with good results, they worked well with the Rega Brio R, Apollo R and Dac, I also use them in a larger system of an Audiolab M-dac, Marantz Pm15s1 and SA15s1. The main system I am currently using is a Naim DAC, Rega Apollo r, Naim Nac 202 Nap 200. For the moment this will remain my main system and I am enjoying the results.

[pleb9]

That is an interesting one, I had exactly the same experience when I heard them the first time,I came away in shock and couldn't understand the reasons behind the rave reviews. Fortunately the dealer is a friend I have known for some years and he arranged for a loan pair for two weeks with a couple of alternatives. Out of the box they sounded quite a bit better than in the shop but still not great, after 48 hours of gentle running they were becoming a different speaker and started to open up. After a week I compared to the alternatives one of which was a pair of Spendor s3/5r, for me the Kef's just did everything right and were getting better and better. I continued to listen and at the end of the fortnight they were definitely the ones I was going to keep.

I have used them with a variety of equipment with good results, they worked well with the Rega Brio R, Apollo R and Dac, I also use them in a larger system of an Audiolab M-dac, Marantz Pm15s1 and SA15s1. The main system I am currently using is a Naim DAC, Rega Apollo r, Naim Nac 202 Nap 200. For the moment this will remain my main system and I am enjoying the results.

It must have been exactly that, the salesman said they had been fully run in (the first pair that he used) so I'm guessing he might have done that to tempt me with the bigger floorstanders which certainly worked!

[struth]

Found any hidden gems that you could suggest? I'm always looking for something new :)

what kind of blues do you prefer Alex? ...I pretty much like it all and much depends on mood....I have a large collection of Albert king(Chicago style)....one of the greatest guitarists ever, and played a flying V upside down being a leftie. also have a lot of Big Bill Broonzie, much more folk blues and one hell of a good guitarist as well.

[pleb9]

what kind of blues do you prefer Alex? ...I pretty much like it all and much depends on mood....I have a large collection of Albert king(Chicago style)....one of the greatest guitarists ever, and played a flying V upside down being a leftie. also have a lot of Big Bill Broonzie, much more folk blues and one hell of a good guitarist as well.

I'f I'm honest I've only just started to get into Blues as I've primarily been a massive fan of Jazz. At my age it's a little hard to find people interested in the genre and to get suggestions on what to have a listen to. I will certainly have a look at those you have mentioned when I get the chance and let you know what I think.


Could anyone tell me how to get notifications via email when I'm sent a message or an update to a thread is made? Also if there a free app for Android users to access AOS on their phone?

Thanks.

[The Grand Wazoo]

There are quite a few blues lovers here Alex.
The Spinning Today thread is the main place for seeing what people are playing but there is a thread about blues (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?2557) buried deep in AoS somewhere.
Apart from that, feel free to start one asking for some recommendations - there's nothing that a group of blokes like to do more than to help to compile a list!

Take a look at your Settings to select the thread tracking options - you'll find it in the dark purple bar at the top of every page (below the AoS banner).

[pleb9]

There are quite a few blues lovers here Alex.
The Spinning Today thread is the main place for seeing what people are playing but there is a thread about blues (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?2557) buried deep in AoS somewhere.
Apart from that, feel free to start one asking for some recommendations - there's nothing that a group of blokes like to do more than to help to compile a list!

Take a look at your Settings to select the thread tracking options - you'll find it in the dark purple bar at the top of every page (below the AoS banner).

Hi Chris and thanks for the suggestion, I'll have a look for that one and maybe raise it from the dead for others to see.

Ah that's a good idea to ask for recommendations, will create one of those for sure.

That did the job, I should be a bit faster at replying now!

You've been a great help Chris, many thanks.

[struth]

I'f I'm honest I've only just started to get into Blues as I've primarily been a massive fan of Jazz. At my age it's a little hard to find people interested in the genre and to get suggestions on what to have a listen to. I will certainly have a look at those you have mentioned when I get the chance and let you know what I think.


Could anyone tell me how to get notifications via email when I'm sent a message or an update to a thread is made? Also if there a free app for Android users to access AOS on their phone?

Thanks.

as jazz lover too, I am into Humphrey Lyttleton, especially his older stuff....sure there are some on utube, or look up some of his stuff on Amazon and listen to the snippets and see if any of hits a nerve.

[struth]

also meant to say that the tapatalk 4 app on Google play is great for browsing and posting to this site, and real easy to use especially with pictures. I use it a lot with my tablet...it is free as well.