Kia ora!

[jusbe]

My name is Justin. Former resident of Northumberland and Yorkshire, now living in Auckland, New Zealand. Joined here a while back - please excuse my manners for not having said hello before.

Like vintage cinema sound and old tech. But aside from horns, field-coil drivers and single driver designs, I also love good electrostats and, in particular, I've discovered a new love of well-designed transmission lines. Into idler-driver turntables and R2R DACs. Just started nursing a classic vintage UK tube amp fetish too.

Have been known to dabble in gear like this:

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/132/338880648_a1fccae284_n.jpg https://farm1.staticflickr.com/152/338880655_bc9f0aa7ed_n.jpg

and

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/140/338880660_7d487149f5_n.jpg

but now am into this:

https://farm4.staticflickr.com/3941/15428994539_afbd1bc21c.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5615/15426144839_87866502b0.jpg https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5607/15374604689_238208a303_n.jpg https://farm9.staticflickr.com/8596/15504811653_bd77ce108f_n.jpg https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2948/15314217447_c3ace7a54d_n.jpg

I trained as a classical violinist (20 years) but no longer play. Listen to classical (and am most critical of the sound of stringed instruments, obviously) but am heavily into jazz, electronica and classic rock and pop. That said, I will buy a bit of everything, from Mica Levi's new soundtrack, to reissues of DEVO or some Wild Beasts. Starting to learn slowly about NZ music history. I buy about 30 LPs for every CD I try.

Here's what I listen on right now:

Garrard 401 in a heavily modified SME2000, with decoupled slate
Jelco 750L

Thorens 124/2 (in need of a service)
SME 3009 S2

Using variously
Denon 102, 103, 103R, 103Pro
SPU Classic G
ADC XLM II Integra
Shure V15III HE

Audio Innovations P2
Hagerman Bugle 2

Lite Audio LT1 CD transport
Lite Audio DAC83
Cambridge Audio CD3

Audio Innovations L2 (on the side for now as I'm presently listening to vinyl only)

Beam Echo DL7 35

Stacked Quads (57).

[walpurgis]

Hi Justin. Welcome to AOS.

That's an interesting selection of gear there.

Those photos and any others would look excellent in the Gallery section.

Are you planning to use transmission line speakers. I'm rather fond of them too.


Enjoy the forum,
Geoff.

[The Barbarian]

Hi Justin

Very nice

[jusbe]

Hi Justin. Welcome to AOS.

That's an interesting selection of gear there.

Those photos and any others would look excellent in the Gallery section.

Are you planning to use transmission line speakers. I'm rather fond of them too.


Enjoy the forum,
Geoff.

Hi Geoff, I'd like to try some transmission lines, at least some modern ones. I have some B&W DM2s, which are quite good, but itch to hear some better PMCs. Not cheap though!

[jusbe]

Hi Justin

Very nice

Cheers.

[struth]

Hi Justin, welcome aboard. Some nice pics ther; maybe you could start a thread in our gallery section. Also while I am here if you could add your location and name in the boxes please so they show under your posts; it is a site rule so that everyone gets to know each other...thanks.

[The Barbarian]

A Nice pair of Ferrograph 'S1' would look cool in that room.

[jusbe]

Added more bio info, struth. Can't seem to add a profile picture though.

[Eagle owl]

Hello and welcome Justin.

Geoff. :wave:

[Andrei]

Hi from The Bay
We had another skinker today: its 10:40 pm and 24°
Checked out some stores in AK over Xmas - AV World, Avalon, Paul Money, TagNZ in Whenuapai.

[Barry]

Welcome to AoS Justin.

So you like vintage cinema sound and vintage stuff? You will get on well with another of our members who also has a fondness for gear of 1930's and '40's vintage.

Me, I'm impressed (and envious) of your stacked Quad 57s and Beam Echo DL7 35 amplifiers. Get that Thorens 124/II of yours serviced pronto - we would be interested in your comments of its performance against your Garrard 401!

Nice broad taste in music you have as well.

Hope you enjoy the Forum

Regards
Barry

[jusbe]

Welcome to AoS Justin.

So you like vintage cinema sound and vintage stuff? You will get on well with another of our members who also has a fondness for gear of 1930's and '40's vintage.

Me, I'm impressed (and envious) of your stacked Quad 57s and Beam Echo DL7 35 amplifiers. Get that Thorens 124/II of yours serviced pronto - we would be interested in your comments of its performance against your Garrard 401!

Nice broad taste in music you have as well.

Hope you enjoy the Forum

Regards
Barry

Thanks Barry.

The Quads are in desperate need of a refurb (panels and electronics). Output is uneven from the panels, there's buzzing from torn covers and general neglect. But they still blow all my previous speakers out of the water - and they go loud!

The Beam Echos were a complete fluke find as well. I happened to search on eBay for them and a mint set (including the preamp and tuner, which I also have, boxed) had just come off auction. The seller had changed his mind about selling them, but I convinced him to let them go. They sound fantastic, and are seemingly at least as musical as the Fi 300B SET amps I've enjoyed previously.

In NZ, 124 fettlers are hard to come by. I may well have to simply ship it to Schopper for a complete restoration, so am currently saving for that.