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View Full Version : Hello from Caron in South Wales.



Grandslamms
04-11-2013, 10:39
My name is Caron – good Welsh name – and married to the long-suffering Fiona who I met whilst attending a documentary film about YES that was doing the cinema circuit in 1976/77. Anybody else remember that?

My Username of ‘Grandslamms’ is named after our Loudspeakers.

Been interested/fanatical about music since my father bought the family a Bush Record Player for Christmas 1961. Listened to Classical music exclusively until the Beatles appeared in our house late 1963! Have lived through the wonderful pop of the ‘60s and ‘Golden Era’ of Progressive Rock in the ‘70s. Still love music and enjoying ever more diverse types and Artists.

Always been fascinated with HiFi and how the extra fidelity allowed greater satisfaction from the music we love. Through the 1970s, had Goldring Lenco GL75 T/Table, Akai Amp and Mordaunt Short Pageants......Turntable replaced by a Rega Planar 2 .
By 1980, got married and created a family ‘issue’ when we spent the money given to us to furnish our new home on a Linn/Ittok/Asak, Meridian 101/105 Amps and iconic Gale 401A (Chrome Ended) Speakers........! This was a major upgrade !!!
By the mid ‘80s we were beyond control and invested in a pair of Krell KMA 100 Monoblocks / Audio Research SP11 and Apogee Scintillas...........within 2 years the Scintillas were replaced by Divas, which on certain material were wonderful.
Throughout the ‘90s we ended with a splendid Basis Debut Gold Standard Turntable, Tri-amping the Divas and their ‘Sub10’ Subwoofers with Krell Reference 200s and eventually succumbing to CD with Theta equipment. In a 26 x 16 room, after much ‘fiddling about’, to our ears, it all sounded rather special.

From the late 1990s we embarked on a major building project of replacing a smallish, semi-derelict house with a large, new property in Carmarthenshire, South Wales that was destined to be a Bed & Breakfast. For over 10 years we had our equipment packed away and we were back with equipment similar to what we had some decades previously! The HiFi, though, was to be the focal point of the B&B........we had realised over the years that sharing the listening experience with others was hugely satisfying and that other Music / HiFi lovers might be interested in staying here and spending some time listening with us.
This became a grand (and long!) project.......during those years we bought a pair of Wilson X1 Grandslamms and later two Wilson XS Subwoofers. These are sat with the remainder of our equipment in a 33 x 20 room with Vaulted Ceiling which we call ‘The Listening Room’. The whole system is a ‘work in progress’ and we don’t have the Subwoofers running yet – hopefully sorted in the next month.

We have an extremely varied taste in music...........all the classic Prog Rock era (still our favourite period!), The Blue Nile, Kate Bush, Craig Armstrong, Yello, Elbow, Jane Siberry, Talk Talk (last 2 Albums!), Joni Mitchell, Kraftwerk, Bjork, Miles Davis, John McLaughlin and so on.....and on!

Now that we have effectively finished building, we can now immerse ourselves in our first love of music and look forward immensely to the informed interaction and humour that we see throughout your Forum. We look forward to becoming part of it.
Caron

Audio Al
04-11-2013, 11:18
Hi Caron

Great introduction

A Hi Fi B&B sounds great

Are you still running it ?

Would be an idyllic weekend away :) ( Wales music good food and drink ) sounds awesome :D

Welcome aboard ;)

jollyfix
04-11-2013, 11:26
Croeso Caron, 'post cyntaf ardderchog, ble yn carmarthen ydych chi?

Grandslamms
04-11-2013, 13:44
Croeso Caron, 'post cyntaf ardderchog, ble yn carmarthen ydych chi?

Hello Dave,
Bendigedig cael croeso yng Nghymraeg!
Mae'n lle ni yn Llanarthne, hanner ffordd rhwng Llandeilo a Caerfyrddin.
O ble wyt ti'n dod o'n wreiddiol?

Wedi dechrau'r B&B eleni ar ol dreilio dros 10 mlynedd yn adeiladu'r lle yma gyda'r bwriad o greu 'Guest house for lovers of Music and HiFi'!!!
Wedi cael erthygl yn 'Record Collector', Mis Awst, ar ol i'r Editor wario pen wythnos yma tra ein bod yn chwarae recordiau Miles Davis i gascliad o bobl.

Edrych ymlaen yn arw i gyfrannu i'r Forum yma.

Caron.

Grandslamms
04-11-2013, 13:47
Hi Caron

Great introduction

A Hi Fi B&B sounds great

Are you still running it ?

Would be an idyllic weekend away :) ( Wales music good food and drink ) sounds awesome :D

Welcome aboard ;)

Thanks for the warm welcome.
Our Guest House/B&B is in its first year and we're enjoying enormously having guests......especially those whose interests are Music and HiFi!
Caron.

jollyfix
04-11-2013, 14:47
Dod o Nelson, wedi anghofio llawer or gymraeg. Anodd i fi siarad, a ysgrifennu,. ond gallu deall popeth. Medi othwn i teithio i Abergwaun i weld hen cyfaill, y tro cyntaf i fi siarad cymraeg am tipyn. i dweud y gwir mwy na teg ar hugain blwydd.

Arkless Electronics
04-11-2013, 15:19
Dod o Nelson, wedi anghofio llawer or gymraeg. Anodd i fi siarad, a ysgrifennu,. ond gallu deall popeth. Medi othwn i teithio i Abergwaun i weld hen cyfaill, y tro cyntaf i fi siarad cymraeg am tipyn. i dweud y gwir mwy na teg ar hugain blwydd.

That's easy for you to say :lol:

Grandslamms
04-11-2013, 15:20
Mae dy Gymraeg yn wych, yn enwedig ar ol amser mor hir heb siarad yr iaith.
Rhaid i ti alw draw y tro nesaf ti'n mund i Abergwaun - 'da ni prin pum munud o'r 'Dual Carriageway' A48 i Gaerfyrddin.
Bydd gweddill o'r Forum yn dechrae meddwl/poeni beth sy'n mynd ymlaen gan ysgrifennu yng Nghymraeg!!!

To all you Members, my apologies for replying to jollyfix in Welsh! Hadn't expected a welcome in my Mother Tongue!!!:)

Caron.

jollyfix
04-11-2013, 15:34
Diolch Caron, i will do, my mrs and myself are always on the look out for places to stay down your neck of the woods. My friends from Ammanford have all moved away, but i still visit that area and llansawel way also, so the thought of a HIFI B&B is just fantastic. I popped into Careg Cennen on last visit, not been there for years, great.

jollyfix
04-11-2013, 15:38
That's easy for you to say :lol:

Not as easy, after more than 30 years of not writing in Welsh . Great to speak to you this morning Jez.

Arkless Electronics
04-11-2013, 16:03
Not as easy, after more than 30 years of not writing in Welsh . Great to speak to you this morning Jez.

And you :) We'll soon have that Kraken sounding "wizard"!

I lived in Lampeter for a while... didn't understand the lingo then either!

julesd68
04-11-2013, 16:30
Thanks for the warm welcome.
Our Guest House/B&B is in its first year and we're enjoying enormously having guests......especially those whose interests are Music and HiFi!
Caron.

Sounds great, I'm really keen to explore Wales further with the family sometime.

Do you have a website for the B&B?

Grandslamms
04-11-2013, 17:28
Sounds great, I'm really keen to explore Wales further with the family sometime.

Do you have a website for the B&B?

Our website is www.llwynhelygcountryhouse.co.uk
Would be lovely seeing you.

jollyfix
04-11-2013, 17:38
Wow Caron, what a place, and what a listening room and set up.

Audio Al
04-11-2013, 18:29
Look very tidy

:)