Hello

[m10]

Hi, I am Malcolm and I live in County Durham, North-East England.

My current system is a mixture of old and not-so old. I seem to have found my perfect partners in the B&W CDM9NT which, with the matching centre (CDM CNT) and surrounds (CDM SNT) have been with me since I bought them new in the summer of 2001. They are the heart and soul of my music and movies system.

One of the things that revolutionised the sound of the system was replacing the hulking small screened Sony CRT with a slender but big screened Panasonic Plasma five years ago. The system imaged properly for the first time, which the old TV just didn't allow.

A Yamaha RX-V1067 replaced a Denon AVC-A1D THX amplifier a couple of years ago. It is the centre of a (currently) all-digital system - a Mac Mini is the principal music source (mostly Apple Lossless rips from CD, some MP3). I also use and enjoy Spotify. A Pioneer BDP-450 takes care of my small collection of SACD and DVD-A discs as well as my (rather larger) collection of movies, music and opera on blu-ray and DVD. A Toshiba BDX1200 looks after a small (but growing, hopefully) collection of Zone A blu-rays and the handful of Region 1 DVDs I've got left.

Completing the picture are BT Vision (Freeview and IPTV) and Humax Foxsat (Freesat) set-top boxes (why do we still call them that? Maybe it should be TV tuners.

All connections, except the Mac are by HDMI with Mac using optical S/PDIF.

I get that it's a curious kind of a system (I'll post pics at some point - I'll have to do the dusting first though) - I guess hi fi purists (I feel I still am one in my way) would object to the AV amp and the lack of a luscious, sexy source. The AV purists would puzzle at my 5.0 speaker layout now that everything is 7.1 or 9.2 or whatever! I have flirted with projectors and retreated from the brink... 100" is nice though, but I need the money to do it properly.

The future is likely to include an analogue source, just to fall completely between two stools. This is partly why I'm here - along with good old curiosity.

Content wise -- as I type Rubber Soul is playing. I've been hankering after a bit of Beethoven, so I'll probably pop some piano concertos or sonatas on next. I run the gamut from Abbess Hildegard of Bingen to Nicki Minaj. Enjoying James Blake at the moment after a friend played me "Limit to Your Love" on his Krell-driven Nautilus 801s. (My internal organs haven't quite recovered.) I love movies, of course: Hitchcock, 2001, Star Wars, musicals, silents, sic-fi, Giorigio Moroder's Metropolis, Brief Encounter -- I could go on. And, indeed, looking at my post that's exactly what I have done, so I'll sign off for now.

[mr sneff]

Hi Malcom, welcome to AOS, +1 Hildegard of Bingen! :)

[m10]

Thank you, Mr Sneff. Nice to be here.

[talisman2]

hi malc , 'welcome to the machine' (apologies to 'Floyd'

[m10]

Ne ne ne ne nice one :lol:

[m10]

Looks like I'm rejoining vinyl-land -- I'm getting a Technics 1210… here we go!!!!

[Floyddroid]

Welcome Malcolm

[RichB]

Hello and welcome from Gateshead!

Theres a good North East contingent on here these days!

[m10]

Thanks, nice to be here. I was all but ready to pull the trigger on an RP6 - getting myself back into vinyl after what must be a ten year gap -- when I spotted a rather nice Technics 1210 and came over all romantic. I have just spent my first rather lovely evening with the Tecchie. Firm and solid sounding - feels like something to live with - first job is a nice new cartridge, then maybe the mods can start. I'm going to treat it as a long term proposition though - I'm in no rush.

[walpurgis]

Thanks, nice to be here. I was all but ready to pull the trigger on an RP6 - getting myself back into vinyl after what must be a ten year gap -- when I spotted a rather nice Technics 1210 and came over all romantic. I have just spent my first rather lovely evening with the Tecchie. Firm and solid sounding - feels like something to live with - first job is a nice new cartridge, then maybe the mods can start. I'm going to treat it as a long term proposition though - I'm in no rush.

Cor, that was a close one. Thank goodness you bought the Techie. Not necessarily my favourite TT, but an RP6 would be a disaster in comparison.

First move I'd say would be a rigid headshell. You won't do any cartridge a favour without one.

[m10]

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7331/12197387354_57fb512d0a_z.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7813426@N04/12197387354/)
image (http://www.flickr.com/photos/7813426@N04/12197387354/) by noch_einmal (http://www.flickr.com/people/7813426@N04/), on Flickr

It's got some £30 job in it at the moment, and it's remarkable how well it sounds. The sound is almost architectural in its solidity - with a firm base (bass) as the foundation. Clearly needs the finesse of a true hifi pickup, though. Glad I didn't drop 800 notes on the Rega now, as fine a deck as I'm sure it is. I'm at the start of a long journey, and I'm going to enjoy every side of it...

[RichB]

Cor, that was a close one. Thank goodness you bought the Techie. Not necessarily my favourite TT, but an RP6 would be a disaster in comparison.

First move I'd say would be a rigid headshell. You won't do any cartridge a favour without one.

Go on then Geoff I'll bite....

My mate fetched over his sl1210 a couple of weeks ago, tonearm mods, acromat, new cables, sumiko headshell etc and whilst it certainly didn't make a bad sound my humble p3-24 with the tt-psu stomped all over it. I also have a stock sl1210 with an ortofon cart which now resides in a cupboard having been shown a clear pair of heels by the Rega. Both of us agreed the rega was the more enjoyable sounding deck and just handled everything better.

This might of course be down to the mysterious 'synergy' given that both decks were played through a rega amp and speakers. Horses for courses perhaps.

Malcom, if you'd like to make your own mind up then by all means pop by for a cuppa sometime.

[walpurgis]

Go on then Geoff I'll bite....

My mate fetched over his sl1210 a couple of weeks ago, tonearm mods, acromat, new cables, sumiko headshell etc and whilst it certainly didn't make a bad sound my humble p3-24 with the tt-psu stomped all over it. I also have a stock sl1210 with an ortofon cart which now resides in a cupboard having been shown a clear pair of heels by the Rega. Both of us agreed the rega was the more enjoyable sounding deck and just handled everything better.

This might of course be down to the mysterious 'synergy' given that both decks were played through a rega amp and speakers. Horses for courses perhaps.

Malcom, if you'd like to make your own mind up then by all means pop by for a cuppa sometime.

I've heard many Regas and owned a couple and they are musical. I've also owned three Techies, standard and tinkered with. I preferred the Techies by far. Worst combination I had was a Techie with an 'upgraded' Rega arm. Ergonomically horrible and didn't impress with the sound (using a Denon DL-103R).

[Floyddroid]

One man's meat eh?
I've heard many Regas and owned a couple and they are musical. I've also owned three Techies, standard and tinkered with. I preferred the Techies by far. Worst combination I had was a Techie with an 'upgraded' Rega arm. Ergonomically horrible and didn't impress with the sound (using a Denon DL-103R).

[trio leo]

Hello Malclm,
Welcome to the AoS from me, lots for you to follow on this forum.

enjoy your music

regards Al

[RichB]

One man's meat eh?

What about the two veg:lol:

[walpurgis]

What about the two veg:lol:

Oh how crass and tasteless!:ner:

[m10]

crass and tasteless is good…

I wasn't trying to diss the Rega, as I'm sure its a fab deck.. in my head, I couldn't justify £800/1000 right now.. in my heart I did fancy a Rega, but I'd fell for the Technics in a big way.. Even off the shelf it's an entertaining beast.. So the heart won, even though a new deck felt like a very sensible proposition.

As far as which deck is better -.There's probably a million and one things going on - and experience, preference, personal taste, expectation bias, system synergy - all have their role in things like this.. That of course is just my opinion. I'm quite happy to follow my own path. i do fancy modding the Technics, but I've decided to draw the line at plinths and platters, as (again, IMHO) those changes kind of mean its not a Technics any more.. Part of the fun, and part of the reason why i bought it is that its a fun throwback with its strobe light and the like. I don't particularly care that somebody's Rega / Linn / Garrard / Pink Triangle or whatever does X, Y and Z - beyond being happy that people are happy on their journeys, and I'm happy on mine.. as Cheryl says "it's all about the journey". Plenty to chew the fat over, though. :)

If i don't end up modding it at all, and i just end up with a nice cartridge and phono stage (and plenty new vinyl) i'll be more than happy.. I didn't mean to pontificate at such length today. Oh well.

[Floyddroid]

Rich, you naughty boy!
What about the two veg:lol:

[Floyddroid]

Beautiful reply Malcolm.
crass and tasteless is good…

I wasn't trying to diss the Rega, as I'm sure its a fab deck.. in my head, I couldn't justify £800/1000 right now.. in my heart I did fancy a Rega, but I'd fell for the Technics in a big way.. Even off the shelf it's an entertaining beast.. So the heart won, even though a new deck felt like a very sensible proposition.

As far as which deck is better -.There's probably a million and one things going on - and experience, preference, personal taste, expectation bias, system synergy - all have their role in things like this.. That of course is just my opinion. I'm quite happy to follow my own path. i do fancy modding the Technics, but I've decided to draw the line at plinths and platters, as (again, IMHO) those changes kind of mean its not a Technics any more.. Part of the fun, and part of the reason why i bought it is that its a fun throwback with its strobe light and the like. I don't particularly care that somebody's Rega / Linn / Garrard / Pink Triangle or whatever does X, Y and Z - beyond being happy that people are happy on their journeys, and I'm happy on mine.. as Cheryl says "it's all about the journey". Plenty to chew the fat over, though. :)

If i don't end up modding it at all, and i just end up with a nice cartridge and phono stage (and plenty new vinyl) i'll be more than happy.. I didn't mean to pontificate at such length today. Oh well.

[m10]

Thanks. Thought I was about to start a mini-war there. :)

[walpurgis]

Thanks. Thought I was about to start a mini-war there. :)

No, it's just banter. There's a lot of joshing, joking and spouting of (not necessarily accurate) opinion on AOS (quite a bit from me I admit). It's generally taken in good spirit! ;)

[mik_rik]

Welcome from another Co. Durham lad .

[m10]

Don't know whether this is ok, but as this is "my thread" it seems as good a place as any...

Got myself an Ortofon 2M Blue today - air and space and subtlety that the Stanton 500 (that was kind of a freebie) didn't have. I may not rest until I get a 309 on this thing though, but I'm sure gonna enjoy myself in the mean time.