How can it sound so good?

[icehockeyboy]

Just unplumbed the Lyngdorf in readiness for its replacement, and rather than have no music until the new amp arrives, I plumbed in an amp over 40 years old....and it sounds stunning!

I have actually used it before when my Classe pre was away at repair, as it has split pre and power, it certainly held its own compared to a pre amp that cost almost £2.5k, and what is it......? it's a humble Nikko TRM 230, which was probably only £50 to £85 when it was new!

Even with the highly slated QED Silver Anniversary, it is sounding excellent, with oodles of bass, and bags of detail.

I'm not saying it's in the same league as the Lyngdorf, but it's certainly not a bad stand in!

The down sides of it are very old fashioned speaker din connections, which I've taped the cable to, and 5 pin din inputs, and no remote.



Still reeling from how bloody great it sounds!

Anyone else ever had this kind of experience?

[Gordon Steadman]

All the time.

I listen quite happily to my old Rogers Ravensbrook or the Rotel 211 and they sound great. Sure, some of the subtleties might be missing but boy, don't we pay for those subtleties:eek:

[walpurgis]

All the time.

I listen quite happily to my old Rogers Ravensbrook or the Rotel 211 and they sound great. Sure, some of the subtleties might be missing but boy, don't we pay for those subtleties:eek:

Good little amp the Ravensbrook.

And I can identify with Graig's Nikko experience. I've used another little Jap amp occasionally, the Trio KA-2000A. Seriously, it sounds like a Sugden A21, it's that clean, detailed and sweet. Super little thing. (I know Andr'e is a fan of the older Trios, can't blame him)

[Audio Al]

I own the Nikko TRM 230 and the TRM 300 , I know what you are referring to ;)

[icehockeyboy]

Glad I'm not imagining it being so good!

Btw, AudioAl, have you adapted the old din plugs?

[Audio Al]

Glad I'm not imagining it being so good!

Btw, AudioAl, have you adapted the old din plugs?
Just use din to RCA lead

[icehockeyboy]

Just use din to RCA lead

I have, but what about the speaker din plugs, I've had to tape cable to some really old din plugs that were salvaged with a tiny bit of the original wire left on them.

[Gordon Steadman]

The Ravensbrook still has DIN sockets. I got some decent screw on DIN plugs for the speakers on eBay which take a reasonable size cable. I got fed up with the joined onto bell wire variety.

[337alant]

All the time.

I listen quite happily to my old Rogers Ravensbrook or the Rotel 211 and they sound great. Sure, some of the subtleties might be missing but boy, don't we pay for those subtleties:eek:

very Nice gordon, I also have a Rogers A100 and T100 in my study and it sound's fantastic
Just shows HIFI hasn't come on that much in the last 35 years

Alan

[Clive197]

very Nice gordon, I also have a Rogers A100 and T100 in my study and it sound's fantastic
Just shows HIFI hasn't come on that much in the last 35 years

Alan

Which is why upgradeitis is a disease without a cure.:drugs:

[Stiffy]

I've got an old Trio that I sometimes switch into my system and I love the 'difference' in sound over my main amp.
The bass perhaps isn't quite as well controlled but it has a lower damping factor to start with.

The only dissapointing thing is the phono stage doesn't work on the right channel which wasn't disclosed when I bought it. (I did get some money back though).
Spookily the weekend I received the amp and tried the phono stage the RCD blew in my house fusebox. We've lived in the house 7 yrs, never had a problem and the sparky told me it was very unusual for it to blow. Never had a problem since either but am scared to try the phono stage again. Soz for going off topic a bit.

[sumday]

my standby is a almost mint NAD 3120 (missing a function button), sometimes i am loath to switch it on as it cost me the huge sum of a tenner from a car boot and always shocks me when i remember just how much it sings.
sure, extremes are a bit soft but after half an hour you forget and just keep reaching for new tracks.

the only reason its not in use all the time is a lack of inputs resulting in much nashing of teeth and cable messing.
if you are one of the few not to have had the pleasure of the 3020 series...seek one out, but not from a robber on ebay...the prices they charge (always seem to be "BUY IT NOW" THESE DAYS) are crazy, even for a basket case!!!

NIGE.

[icehockeyboy]

I'm finding the Nik an amazing little old amp, and I tell you what, it's going to take some beating when the big muscular Kavent arrives to take its place! ��

Even thinking of having the old din type plugs replaced at some stage.

[hermit]

Good kit is good kit. 40+ year old kit can sound great. I love my 70's system and have no great desire to modernise:)

[walpurgis]

My speakers are approaching forty years of age and my turntables are older. Everything works just fine and sounds marvellous.

[Gordon Steadman]

All this talk about old amps has made me think of the various amps I've owned over the years. Perhaps the surprising thing is how few have been in the main system. Just four.

My very first proper amp was the Alba UA900, then Yamaha CR600 receiver. I was still listening to the Yamaha when I found a Leak Stereo20 in the loft of a house I bought in Suffolk in 1987. It has been in use ever since and remains the heart of my system with the Quad 57s. Alan's Firebottle OTL was the only thing that bettered it for me but sadly, that had a custom transformer failure - nothing to do with the design which was brilliant.

However, like lots of us, I have been tempted by eBay and boot sales and have played with various secondary (and third, fourth, fifth etc) systems from time to time.
Quad 405, 303, 306, 50Ds, Musical Fidelity A100, Rotel 211/311/611, Arcam Alpha, Pioneer A757, Rogers Ravensbrook, Teac A-R600. Not that many compared with some of the box swappers amongst us but enough to know that the differences are sometimes very small indeed.

The Teac is the surprise. I'm using it to run in various speakers I have built/repaired for other people and its sounds much better than expected. I have no doubt that its all op amps etc., but whatever is in there, it sound very good indeed. A complete surprise.

[jandl100]

I had a Nikko amp - yep, £50 from Laskys back in the day! That would have been 1981, I think, so a few years on from yours Craig.
I was skint having just bought some brand new Quad 63, which had just come out, and needed the alleged 50wpc from the Nikko to drive them. I kept it for a few months and it sounded surprisingly good! I then bought a Quad 405 amp, which got to grips with the stats much better.

I now use the phonostage in my 40 yo Marantz receiver and it sounds abfab. I was really surprised how good it was, I just hooked it up out of curiosity and then left it in and sold on my separate 'stage!
The amp section in the receiver also sounds pretty good, but is just a bit on the warm and cuddly side for me.

[diviy]

I blew my tweeter on my kef's cant find a replacment at the moment so I dug out a set of wharfdales s500 in on my third album this morning result stunning base awsome treble and superb stereo imaging ,
currently listing to iron maidens first album on some of the tracks the switch in lead guitars just sound so good vocals, bass, and rhythms are all so good not bad for a set of speakers that are nearly 20 years old and cost me a tenner .
the only problem is they look shit mrs aint ginna like the look of them

[The Barbarian]

I enjoy the phono stage in Trio 'KA2000' amps i have lurking about & also use my old A&R Cambridge 'A60' a lot, this is another amp i bought new in the early 80's that's been a total delight to own & very very reliable it has been too.

[icehockeyboy]

I blew my tweeter on my kef's cant find a replacment at the moment so I dug out a set of wharfdales s500 in on my third album this morning result stunning base awsome treble and superb stereo imaging ,
currently listing to iron maidens first album on some of the tracks the switch in lead guitars just sound so good vocals, bass, and rhythms are all so good not bad for a set of speakers that are nearly 20 years old and cost me a tenner .
the only problem is they look shit mrs aint ginna like the look of them

Got a pair in my garage!
Pity they only have spring loaded cable things.

[diviy]

Mine are only spring loaded Im wondering what upgraded crossovers would do to them ?