Hello from Greece

[Bouhtou]

Hi all, I am Michalis (Mike or Michael in English!) and live at a Greek island. I am very happy to join this forum.

I share my free time between music and movies, (hi-fi and home cinema) but I admit free time is less and less available as years past by, hense family, jobs etch.

My system is not that extreme or expensive. Basically I only listen to vinyl and that's why over the years and all changes I finally got myself a Michell Orbe SE with my old-trusted Jelco arm on it. Catridge is a Denon DL-304.
- Phono stage is Phono One, hand-made from a Greek company named Audio Craftworks, as is the passive pre-amplifier.
- Power amp is the Rotel RB 991
- speakers are Audio Spectrum Athena TLS (20-year old transmission line 2-way lovely sounding loudspeakers)
- cables DIY

Favourite music: New Age (especially Kitaro), instrumentals, soundtracks.
Greetings to you all!

[pjdowns]

Hi Michalis and welcome to the forum.

I've always harked after a Michell Orbe, they are such gorgeous beasts :)

Paul

[MikeMusic]

Hi Michalis and welcome

Hope you find everything hifi you need here

I have some very nice interconnects on their way to me right now from top cable man Yannis, in Greece !

Mike

[julesd68]

Kalimera Michali,

Nice to have someone from Greece with us - my wife is originally from Thessaloniki so I get to visit Greece regularly to see her family. Only been to a couple of islands including Samothraki which isn't so far from you; it is a magical island, would like to see some more in the future!

I have just acquired a moving-coil preamp and am hoping to try a Denon 304 on it - would be very interested to know how you get on with yours ...

Welcome to AOS.

[Bouhtou]

Thank you all guys for the warm welcome. I'm sure I will enjoy this forum!

I'm very busy in this weekend so I will reply in detail to you all Monday morning.

Take care of yourself.

[Bouhtou]

Hi Michalis and welcome to the forum.

I've always harked after a Michell Orbe, they are such gorgeous beasts :)

Paul

Thank's Paul, yes, the Orbe is such a great turntable. The turntable case is closed for me, it's my terminal station.

[Bouhtou]

Hi Michalis and welcome

Hope you find everything hifi you need here

I have some very nice interconnects on their way to me right now from top cable man Yannis, in Greece !

Mike

Hi Mike, thank you for the welcome!
I've seen his cables on the UK ebay, I guess he is the same seller. Excellent cables at fairly low prices.

[Bouhtou]

Kalimera Michali,

Nice to have someone from Greece with us - my wife is originally from Thessaloniki so I get to visit Greece regularly to see her family. Only been to a couple of islands including Samothraki which isn't so far from you; it is a magical island, would like to see some more in the future!

I have just acquired a moving-coil preamp and am hoping to try a Denon 304 on it - would be very interested to know how you get on with yours ...

Welcome to AOS.

Kalimera Julian!
Samothraki is a beautiful island indeed, I have never been there but from pictures it looks stunning! It's strange but I have visited very few places in Greece with my family, basically because my job is full time in summer so we can't leave easily. And then again in the rest of the year the kids go to school so vacation was always a problem for us. We have visited just a few islands (Lesvos - VERY beautiful large island - Samos, Rhodes, Zakynthos and I have been myself at Andros and all around Pelloponissos (and Thessaloniki for a few days when I was young - I lovet it!). Hope we can make it next summer...

About the Denon DL-304. It's a very clear and transparent cartridge - I love it - but keep in mind it's a very low output one that needs a good phono stage to give it justice, a quiet one with enough gain. As I stated in my first post I use it with a hand-built phono stage made especially for low output cartridges and combining this with a passive preamplifier the sound is extremelly clear, balanced, transparent and neutral. You don't feel you miss something. I am so much in love with it that I got myself another new one.
Before the 304 I had a wooden Grado Reference Signature (it is the Sonata in the US) that was a nice cartridge, way more expensive than the 304 here in Greece but when I bought my first 304 there was no comparison. A few months back I mounted back the Grado on the Jelco just to hear it again but after a few minutes I took it off, it sounded dull and somehow distorted in comparison. Soon after that test I sold it together with my used Gyro SE.
I think the DL-304 is a great cartridge at a bargain price. I wonder how the top DL-S1 sounds...

Greetings from Greece!

[MikeMusic]

Hi Mike, thank you for the welcome!
I've seen his cables on the UK ebay, I guess he is the same seller. Excellent cables at fairly low prices.

They arrived yesterday and were, as usual very good
Full post on my thread on my new Pre Amp
See you around !

[Bouhtou]

Guys, where do we post about amplifiers and speakers;

[The Grand Wazoo]

Blank Canvas
General hi-fi discussion. Anything not covered specifically in the categories below goes HERE.

Digital Expressions
CD, SACD, HDCD, DVD-A, Computer Audio, DACs, iPods, etc.

Analogue Art
Turntables and all analogue SOURCE equipment and ancillaries. All discussions relating to tape, and to tape decks/RTRs, should also go here. Please note that the main area of this section is also for BELT-DRIVE turntable discussions.

The AV Studio
AV / Audio-Visual and Multi-Channel set-ups, sources, system building and ancillaries.

The Drawing Board
D.I.Y Projects.

Private Exhibitions
Advertise equipment, music and accessories for sale. Private ads only.

Trade Impressions
The latest sale bargains and new products from dealers and manufacturers. Trade ads only.

The Artist's Palette
All cable/equipment support discussion. Also mains accessories or anything which relates to the 'infrastructure' of your audio system. Info on tubes and headphones (inc. headphone amps and systems) should also be discussed here.

Strokes of Genius
Tell us of any fantastic tweaks, free or otherwise, which have transformed your system. Also post reviews of equipment and ancillaries. Reviews

Past Masters
Vintage and classic hi-fi.




.......so, unless it's a review or a topic about something vintage, that stuff goes into Blank Canvas (http://theartofsound.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?16-Blank-Canvas)

[MikeMusic]

Guys, where do we post about amplifiers and speakers;

Blank Canvas seems to be the place (wasn't obvious to me either)

[Bouhtou]

Thank you.

[Rare Bird]

Welcome Michalis

I know Chios it's the 5th or 6th biggest Greek Island.. I'll be in Crete next weekend :eyebrows:

[Barry]

Welcome to AoS Michalis.

I visited Santorini and Crete earlier this year. I went there to see the Minoan antiquities. Found the food and drink excellent (especially 'Fix' beer) and the local Greeks very friendly and helpful.

What are your tastes in music Michalis?

Welcome again

Regards

[The Grand Wazoo]

I did type a welcome message to you at the top of my last post Michalis. However, I seem to have deleted it somehow, before I posted it. Apologies and I'll try again, as my list of the different forum areas looks rather rude without that hello above it.


So.....

Hi Michalis and welcome to The Art of Sound!
Your system sounds interesting, I think we'd like to see some photos of it in The Gallery.

Cheers!

[Bouhtou]

Welcome Michalis

I know Chios it's the 5th or 6th biggest Greek Island.. I'll be in Crete next weekend :eyebrows:

Hi AntiSocial, thank you for the welcome!
Chios island is the 5th biggest Greek island below Crete, Evia, Lesvos and Rhodes. Located at the east side of the Aegean Sea pretty close to Turkey. It's a nice, calm island with almost anything on, mountains, seashores, villages etch.

I have never been to Crete but it's one of the first places on my "visit" list.
Hope you have a great weekend down there!

[Bouhtou]

Welcome to AoS Michalis.

I visited Santorini and Crete earlier this year. I went there to see the Minoan antiquities. Found the food and drink excellent (especially 'Fix' beer) and the local Greeks very friendly and helpful.

What are your tastes in music Michalis?

Welcome again

Regards

Hi Barry, thank you for your kind words.
Crete is great, I have the desire to go down there on vacation with my family if time, job and funds allow. Santorini looks great from pictures especially on sunset. Heard it's a rocky island with a beautiful village but I prefer green places like forests.

Greek food is great, did you taste stuff tomatoes and peppers with rice or mousaka;
Im not a beer fan but heard from friends FIX beer is the preferable one:beer:

As I stated on my very first post my music tastes mostly go around New Age, electronic, instrumental music and everything in between like Kitaro, Enya, Vangelis, Stamatis Spanoudakis - a great greek composer - Chris Spheeris - another Greek based composer, Jean Michel Jarre and others. Soundtracks as well, almost any kind of soundtracks. And singers or groups of a broad spectrum from "yours" Al Stewart (Year of the Cat is my favourite) to Cock Robin to Chris Rea (I have many albums, love his voice) to Annie Lenox (another crystal-clear voice) to Alan Parsons Project - a wide spectrum. Only classical and heavy rock/heavy metal are out of my taste. Oh, and as strange as it sounds I don't like Greek songs at all.
And all that comes only from black, large discs:violin:

[Bouhtou]

I did type a welcome message to you at the top of my last post Michalis. However, I seem to have deleted it somehow, before I posted it. Apologies and I'll try again, as my list of the different forum areas looks rather rude without that hello above it.


So.....

Hi Michalis and welcome to The Art of Sound!
Your system sounds interesting, I think we'd like to see some photos of it in The Gallery.

Cheers!

Hi Grand Wazoo, don't worry at all for your first post. It's very kind to give a warm welcome and that comes to all forum members, it's the first forum I entered to give me such a warm welcome. Thank you all from heart!

My system is a bit simple as I stated and certainly not extreme or expensive. The best part is the turntable, everything else is average on price but quite enjoyable for me. The best and biggest step forward came with the cartridge/phono/passive attenuator change. Before that I had the Gyro SE/Technoarm/Grado Reference Sonata/Rotel preamp set-up. Then I changed to the GyroSE/Technoarm/Denon DL-304/external mc phono stage/passive preamp. That made a huge different, like night and day. Then came the Orbe SE/black Technoarm. Better balance compared with the Gyro, better low frequencies and balanced highs while the Gyro was a bit thin and glossy. Now the old Jelco arm on the Orbe. Better match for the Denon on it than on the Technoarm, steady image, more balanced sound. Even built quality is way better on the Jelco and keep in mind it's a 20-year old arm with removable headshell and another connection at the wire end while the Technoarm is a new one with a continues wire run from headshell to phono. However the old Jelco outperformed easily the Technoarm, no comparison. In paper the high compliance DL-304 should match better the lighter Technoarm but it worked better on the heavier Jelco.

The power amp, a Rotel RB991THX has stand the test of time, I really like it. Dynamic, transparent, enjoyable at low or high levels and reliable. Have it for more than 10 years as are my transmission line speakers. Modified completelly by me with new cherrywood enclosure as they were black vinyl veneered. I really like the transmission line clear bass, I'm addicted to that and if I would change speakers I would choose either a used bigger model of the same old line or a PMC. The only different kind of speaker technology I heard and was impressed is a friend's QUAD 989 electrostatic speakers, these are exceptionally great sounding speakers but certainly out of my price range and of such size that simply don't fit in the listening area.

I will try to upload a few pictures in the Gallery in the upcoming days.

Greetings from Greece!

[losenotaminute]

Hi all, I am Michalis (Mike or Michael in English!) and live at a Greek island. I am very happy to join this forum.

I share my free time between music and movies, (hi-fi and home cinema) but I admit free time is less and less available as years past by, hense family, jobs etch.

My system is not that extreme or expensive. Basically I only listen to vinyl and that's why over the years and all changes I finally got myself a Michell Orbe SE with my old-trusted Jelco arm on it. Catridge is a Denon DL-304.
- Phono stage is Phono One, hand-made from a Greek company named Audio Craftworks, as is the passive pre-amplifier.
- Power amp is the Rotel RB 991
- speakers are Audio Spectrum Athena TLS (20-year old transmission line 2-way lovely sounding loudspeakers)
- cables DIY

Favourite music: New Age (especially Kitaro), instrumentals, soundtracks.
Greetings to you all!

Hi Michalis and welcome to AoS,

I have Silk Road by Kitaro which I like a lot, can you recommend another of their albums for me to keep an eye out for please?

Lawrence

[Bouhtou]

Hi Michalis and welcome to AoS,

I have Silk Road by Kitaro which I like a lot, can you recommend another of their albums for me to keep an eye out for please?

Lawrence

Hi Lawrence, many thanks for the welcome!

Sure thing, I've got many records Kitaro released back then.
The ones I own from memory are:

-Silk Road I think the one I have is a double LP if you own the same but there are different releases, check them out:

[Bouhtou]

Kojiki - my favourite album ever from all the vinyl records I own, I must have played it numerous times. According to the composer the music is about how Japan was created from the gods. I have 3 copies of the old release bought used (first picture) and 2 of the new 180g release, one still sealed:

[Bouhtou]

And the rest:
-Ten Years (great double album with his best composings over a 10-year period)
-Tenku (another favourite of mine)
-Silver Cloud
-The Light of the Spirit
-Towards the West

[losenotaminute]

Yes, I have the middle one:
http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=110978

What would be your favourite album by Kitaro (not Silk Road)?

Lawrence

[Bouhtou]

And the rest I remember I have:
-Tunhuang
-An Introduction
-Live in Asia
-Live in America
-Peace on Earth - new release on heavy 180g vinyl

As far as I can remember I have these but there are some more releases from the old that I am looking for to get.
Hope I helped.

[Bouhtou]

Yes, I have the middle one:
http://www.discogs.com/viewimages?release=110978

What would be your favourite album by Kitaro (not Silk Road)?

Lawrence

From Silk Road I have the first two albums pictured.
About my favourite is KOJIKI, hands down for me. I just love it. My all time favourite album regardless of artist (keep in mind that this is entirely personal...)
Michalis (or Mike)

[losenotaminute]

Kojiki - my favourite album ever from all the vinyl records I own, I must have played it numerous times. According to the composer the music is about how Japan was created from the gods. I have 3 copies of the old release bought used (first picture) and 2 of the new 180g release, one still sealed:

I've found a new remastered LP on eBay for £25 including postage, I'm tempted........

Lawrence

[Bouhtou]

Yes, this is the 180g release.
I bought my first one directly from Kitaro's US web page and the second one from elusivedisc.com. Kitaro's direct sale had cheaper post cost but wasn't protected enough and one side of the cover was bent. Elusive's on the other side had costlier shipping but all 3 heavy 180g albums ordered (Gladiator soundtrack, The Dark Knight soundtrack and Kitaro's Kojiki) came double box bullet-proof protected and of course arrived perfect.

You can search for the original release (like the 3 copies I own, all bought used). I think the album was released somewhere between 1985-86. There's little difference in audio quality between this and the 180g Digitally Remastered new release with the edge going to the 180g but I still enjoy the first one, it's a very good pressing. If you find a good used one it will be a lot cheaper as well.

Keep an eye on the german ebay. Hundreds of Kitaro albums on low prices...

[Bouhtou]

Forgot to mention I like a lot Mike Oldfield's music, have many albums. Tubular Bells II is another favourite of mine, great music!

[julesd68]

Do you have any vinyl by Tomita?

I discovered him last year and have bought six lp's since - quite apart from the amazing music, the recordings are simply wonderful and should bring out the best in any vinyl system ...

[Rare Bird]

i find Isao Tomita's 'Pictures At An Exhibtion' quite entertaining especially the ' Ballet of the Chicks in their Shells' bit :D

er5pVjWSAuY

[Bouhtou]

Do you have any vinyl by Tomita?

I discovered him last year and have bought six lp's since - quite apart from the amazing music, the recordings are simply wonderful and should bring out the best in any vinyl system ...

No, never heard before.
I'll check it out, thank's!