Confessions of an English Audio Equipment Hoarder

[Barry]

Prompted by a thread posted on another audio forum, it has occurred to me that I have, over the years, amassed far more equipment than I actually need. Although there are other enthusiasts who have far larger collections of gear, I am starting to think that given I only have two systems running, I might be a bit of a ‘hoarder’.

The total amount of gear I have at the moment is as follows:

Turntables
EMT 930 turntable with EMT 929 arm
Thorens TD124/II turntable (x3)

Pickup arms
Breuer Dynamic 5A
SME 3009/II S2
SME 3009/II (improved) DH
SME 3012/II S2
Decca ffss Super arm
Infinity Black Widow II arm
Audio & Design M9BA mercury contact unipivot arm (aka Keith Monks M9BA)

Cartridges
EMT XSD 15 cartridge
EMT TSD 15 cartridge (‘nuded’) and formerly mounted in an ADC headshell
EMT TSD 15 cartridge (x2)
EMT TSD 15 (sfl) cartridge (x2)

Ortofon SL15E cartridge in an SME S2 headshell
Ortofon SL15E Mk. II cartridge in an SME S2 headshell
Ortofon SPU G cartridge

Denon 103 cartridge mounted in an EMT TSG headshell
Denon 103 cartridge mounted in a Fidelity Research S5 headshell

Decca Mk. V (aka Blue) cartridge (x2), one mounted in an EMT TSG headshell
Decca Mk VI (aka Gold) cartridge

ADC 25 (with three styli)
ADC 10E Mk. IV cartridge (x2), both in SME S2 headshells, with spare stylii
AKG P8ES cartridge in an SME S2 headshell
Shure M55E cartridge in an SME/Shure headshell
B&O SP6 cartridge in an SME headshell

Step-up transformers
Ortofon 2-15K SUT
Nakamichi MC100 SUT
Haufe T7883 SUT (x2)
Partridge D3061 SUT (x2)

Tuners
Quad FM2
Quad FM3
Quad FM4
Quad AM1
Quad AM3
Leak Troughline III
Cambridge T55
B&O 1700

Tape recorders
Nagra IV-S portable reel-to-reel tape machine
Ferrograph 632T reel-to-reel machine

Nakamichi BX2 cassette machine
Nakamichi BX125 cassette machine

CD players
Sony CDP XB720ES CD player
Sony CDP XB930ES CD player

Pioneer PDR-609 CD recorder and player

Amplification
Quad 33 preamp
Quad 44 preamp with additional MC pickup cards
Quad 303 power amp (x2)
Quad 405-1 power amp (heavily modified)
Quad 405-2 power amp (lightly modified)
Quad 405-2 power amp (modified with dual mono power supplies)
Quad 50E monoblock power amps (x2)
Quad 520f dual channel power amp

Mark Levinson ML-10A preamp
Mark Levinson ML-25 phonostage
Mark Levinson ML-26 preamp
Mark Levinson ML-2 monoblock power amplifiers (x2)

EMT 155st phonostage (built in to the EMT930 turntable)
Naim (Linn) LINNK phonostage
Radford STA15 Mk. III power amplifier
Cambridge P50 integrated amplifier

Speakers
Quad 57
Bowers & Wilkins DM2a

Ancillary items
Claude-Lyons 1500VA mains conditioner
Belkin P30 mains conditioner


Clearly I could be accused of being a hoarder, but I do have reasons for amassing this amount of gear.
The first is a matter of redundancy. Listening to music is so important to me that I cannot bear being without the means to play it. So if an item of equipment fails (and no equipment is proof against failure (not even Quad!)), I have a replacement item that can be swapped in its place.

Second, I am particularly interested in the technology of vinyl playback; hence the collection of pickup arms and cartridges. But there is another aspect that interests me: all cartridges sound different in the same way that no two clarets taste the same. There is a parallel to this: I also have a large collection of camera gear, and I am interested in the fact that two lenses of identical focal length and aperture, but of different manufacturer can produce slightly different images on film.

The third and less noble reason is one of aspiration. When I started pursuing my interest in music and the means to play it, I could not afford to buy equipment considered to be 'state of the art' at the time. A decade or two on, I could, so these later acquisitions were to find out if they lived up to their reputation – roughly similar to those who ‘in later life’ buy the sports car they always wanted in their youth but could not afford at the time.

Now of course I have sold, or passed on items of gear, mostly arms and cartridges, and an amplifier or two and a tuner, but as a fraction of the amount acquired it is small.


So am I an unrepentant and hopeless ‘hoarder’? You bet, though I doubt I will buy any more amplification, but I definitely covert an SME V or M12-R, a Breuer Mk 8, an Audio Technica AT 1503 Mk III, and the latest Ortofon (Jelco) 12” arm, as well as few more cartridges. And I still lust after a Studer or two (and have in the past come very close to buying one), but I as I have to acknowledge I wouldn’t use them (much in the same way as I don’t use cassettes these days), so none shall be appearing chez moi.

Are there any others out there who collect quantities of audio gear? Go on, I know there are, but why do you do it?

[brian2957]

Yup you do seem to be guilty on all counts Barry :D If you feel like throwing anything out , particularly a turntable or Quad amp , I will give you the address of my bin :lol:
TBH with you if I don't use anything for a year it's gone . Sold , charity shop , or thrown out .

[dantheman91]

Interesting post Bazza :) i suppose we are all hoarders in our own way and not just HI-FI but all thats connected to it including CD's Vinyl & tapes. I personally love British gear but may make and exception for some Japanese stuff i guess i hoard too Here goes:

Amplification
Musical Fidelity E100
Quad 33 & 303
Quad 33 & 405 MK1
Nytech CTA 252 XDII
Nytech CTA 252 2 XDII upgrade MC phono
Yamaha CR 820

Speakers:
Rogers BBC LS7 Speakers
Audio Note ANJ/D Speakers
IAS 1/4 Loaded Horn Speakers
Mission 770'S' Speaker (Fun)

TT
Rega Planar 2 with RB250 tonearm Upgrade van den hul oil bearing roksan Rmat & Ortofon Super 10
Dual 1019 TT with Ortofon OM 5e Cart Original plinth

All Sounds Fing fantastic too me :D
:)

[SPS]

Your stash just makes me feel like im quite normal with all i have,
Enjoy it....

[walpurgis]

I've got loads, but I'm far too lazy to list it all.

[struth]

I'm all right Jack...I'm Scottish:eyebrows:

[Barry]

I'm all right Jack...I'm Scottish :eyebrows:

The title was a play on words of Thomas De Quincy's work Confessions of an English Opium Eater. Adjective applies to the hoarder, not necessarily to the location of the manufacturer. ;)

[Audio Al]

Nope , Not me
.
.
.
.
.
:nono:..............:o

[Andrei]

Ahhhhhhhh

Barry, this post is not for you so please look away.

Guys: this is like, you know, DEEP. Like way deep. Like ... like ... yeah like um

?

?

deep!

We have serious issues here guys. I know this. I know this. Shhhhh ... it is a cry for help! I've seen it before.

Now Barry: it is all good. But you know sometimes you just have got to let go. I used to love my teddy. Then one day I could not find it. Oh the pain! Still echoes in my brain. But then, on my 24th birthday - you know what? I stopped grieving.

And since that day I have been a well-adjusted collector of 37 versions of The Rite of Spring.

[SPS]

The title was a play on words of Thomas De Quincy's work Confessions of an English Opium Eater. Adjective applies to the hoarder, not necessarily to the location of the manufacturer. ;)

And I thought it was related to the confessions of a window cleaner .. I think in that film he managed to 'have' all that he'd seen.....