Favourite Products over the years.. [Archive]

View Full Version : Favourite Products over the years..

The Barbarian

22-02-2015, 12:46

You must have had you favourite Companies products over the years that you either lived with over the duration or kept coming back to?

Amplifiers:
1960's: Quad '33'/'303'
1970's: Ferrograph 'F307'
1980's: A&R Cambridge 'A60'

Loudspeakers:
1960's: I can't say i have been overly impressed with speakers from this era
1970's: Castle Acoustics Ltd
1980's: Heybrook 'HB-1'.

Turntables:
1960's: Garrard '401'
1970's: J.A.Michell 'Hydraulic Reference'
1980's: J.A.Michell 'Focus One'/Logic 'DM101'

All the above are in no way high end but then again i never cared for that stuff..Ive tried & owned literally hundreds of different speakers, Amps & Turntables, cheap & very expensive sets but never been overly impressed with a large percentage.

awkwardbydesign

22-02-2015, 14:20

Ted Jordan's metal cone drivers. On and off for about 30 years.

petrat

01-03-2015, 19:03

Thorens TD125 ... lovely, natural presentation.
Large Tannoy speakers ... preferably big and horny.

DSJR

01-03-2015, 19:08

Quite a few but here goes -

NAS Mentor plus Mentor arm and Decca Gold Microscanner
Croft series IV preamp
BC1's
ATC 100A's
Micro Seiki CD players
Supex 900E
Koetsu Black
Quad 33/303
Revox B77 and A700
IMF RSPM's

Loads more when I come to think of them...

Ninanina

01-03-2015, 19:11

Klipsch speakers...

I know that's maybe predictable but I've heard the La Scalas and twice owned the Heresy's... I just love them... If I could fit in a pair of Klipschorns, and could afford a pair, I'd have them in a heartbeat... ;)

Ronksley

01-03-2015, 20:12

Sugden A25 amp

Had mine for 25 years and only recently had to turn it off and disconnect it as the balance had gone so I assume somethings started to give inside going to get it serviced
No other piece of kit has lasted so long and been so good

The Barbarian

01-03-2015, 20:18

I had one of those Dave before i bought an Onix '0A21'. Those Suggie A25 are Mosfets..

southall-1998

01-03-2015, 20:24

In no particular order.

Amps:
Exposure X.
Naim Nait 5i.
Quad 405.
Leak Stereo 20.
Sugden A21a.
NVA AP10PX.

Speakers:
JPW ML-110i.
Neat Petite 1.
Neat Petite 3.
Linn Keilidh.
Mordaunt Short Pageant II.
TDL Studio 0.75m.
Royd A7 II.
Royd Minstrel.
Monitor Audio GR20.

CD Players:
Rotel RCD-1070.
Naim CD5si.
Rega Planet Clamshell.
Meridian 206.
Sony PS1.
Audiolab 8200CD/Q.

Others:
Grado SR80.
Senn HD650.
NVA AP10H.
Rega RP1.
Townshend Elite Rock.

S.

struth

02-03-2015, 01:13

MF A1000 class a amp.....pure classy class A

rdpx

02-03-2015, 02:45

I fear I am small fry in the game here but I still have my ARCAM ALPHA 3 amp that I bought when I was a student. It still sounds lovely even though I can't really use it as it gets insanely hot, but I think that because it was my first piece of decent kit, I somehow can't bring myself to chuck it or sell it.

I also have a CYRUS TWO that just looks so pretty sitting on a shelf that I also can't seem to get rid of just yet.

There isn't much else [apart from my Ditton 15s but that was another life] that I have ever had that has really touched on being decent kit, apart from my MARANTZ CD6000OSE KI which I have recently rediscovered. Now although I know that I can probably seriously better it for not much cash at all, I seem to have this deep attachment to it that I can't seem to sever, despite a nagging upgrade urge and hours of googling the Rega Saturn & Apollo-r, Musical Fidelity A3.5 & XRay3, Cyrus yadda yadda etc etc. And eBay. It is rather lovely how it just *works* so cleanly and feels so solid.

R

rdpx

02-03-2015, 02:55

I notice a few people seem to like these SUGDEN A21s....

If I could get one ex-demo [A21L - 2010] for under a grand would you all think that this is a good idea?

:mad:

Gordon Steadman

02-03-2015, 09:04

Leak Stereo 20 / Quad ESL57 / Technics EPC-U205

Keep coming back to the combination, no matter what other kit visits from time to time, it always sounds just right. The Technics works on any of the TTs, it will be interesting to hear it with a Jico stylus.

agk

02-03-2015, 11:49

I have a strange love of the big two way Leak Sandwich, as soon as I find a pair close eenough the MA are gone.

Yomanze

02-03-2015, 14:11

Royd speakers - especially the Sorcerers
LFD PA0 (SE) and PA2M (SE) power amps
LFD DLS preamp
Krell KRC-3 preamp
Audial Model S DAC
The Halide Bridge USB to SPDIF converter (with AQVOX power) as the first and only USB front end so far to beat my CD transports - and I have tried a lot.
JRiver Media Centre for being so seamless and automatically configured for best sound.

Barry

02-03-2015, 14:28

Favourite products? Probably most of what I'm still using now! :lol:

EMT cartridges
Decca cartridges
Ortofon SPU and SL15E cartridges
ADC 10E Mk. IV and 25 cartridges (the latter with the 'red spot' stylus)
AKG P8ES cartridge.

SME Series II arms
Breuer Dynamic Type 5A arm

Thorens TD124 Mk II turntables
EMT 930 turntable with 929 arm

Nagra IV-S reel-ro-reel tape machine

Mark Levinson ML-10A, ML-25/ML-26 and ML-28 preamps
Mark Levinson ML-2 monoblock power amps

Quad 33/303/FM3
Quad 44/405/FM4
Quad 520f

Quad 57 speakers

southall-1998

02-03-2015, 15:16

I notice a few people seem to like these SUGDEN A21s....

If I could get one ex-demo [A21L - 2010] for under a grand would you all think that this is a good idea?

:mad:

Is it an A21a Series II?

Do you know how old it is?

S.

rdpx

02-03-2015, 20:02

Not sure - "A21L" rrp £1,649.

2010

southall-1998

02-03-2015, 21:50

Not sure - "A21L" rrp £1,649.

2010

I'd offer £650 max for it, IMO.

S.

Ninanina

02-03-2015, 22:02

I will have to add the Audio Note Oto as a favourite product over the years...

I've owned this amp for ages but for years I didn't use it and I put it up for sale.... thank goodness nobody purchased it as I now wouldn't part with it... I think that I now have speakers that are a good match for it...

So the Oto is a keeper... ;)

I don't think for one minute this is the best amp around but it does so much right that I will be keeping hold of it... :)

The Barbarian

02-03-2015, 22:19

Bev
Be interesting to know what you get out of the Klipsch speakers that i totally don't hear?

Ninanina

02-03-2015, 22:58

Bev
Be interesting to know what you get out of the Klipsch speakers that i totally don't hear?

Well Andr'e.... it's a long story really... but here goes:

To me they have an immediacy and realism that is lacking in other speakers I've had, and I should point out I've had dozens of speakers over the years..!
They are very articulate and 'quick', but that's a difficult one for me to describe
They sound very good even at low volumes
They just sound so real to me
They make best use of the 'first good watt' of an amplifier as they are so sensitve and so easily driven
They are effortless .....my 8watt Oto drives them to crazy levels if necessary but as I have nice neighbours I never use them to their full potential

Like all things HiFi it is all down to personal choice but I've only been tempted to buy the same speaker twice with two speakers I've had, one was the Heresy's and the other were Quad Electrostatics....

Can I ask which Klipsch you have heard and with what equipment ?

southall-1998

02-03-2015, 23:02

Sorry to ask again, Bev.

Are your Heresy the MKII Or III?

s.

Ninanina

02-03-2015, 23:18

Sorry to ask again, Bev.

Are your Heresy the MKII Or III?

s.

Shane mine are the MK II's...

I believe the MK III's now have a 'better' woofer and titanium mid and tweeter... and they are even more sensitive: The MK II's being about 97dB and the MK III's being about 99dB...

I have no intention of changing mine to the MK III's though as I am sure they are pretty similar sound wise... ;)

The Barbarian

02-03-2015, 23:27

Bev:
Heresy II'.. I don't like loud shouty speakers..Just don't like Horny speakers really..

Ninanina

02-03-2015, 23:33

Bev:
Heresy II'.. I don't like loud shouty speakers..Just don't like Horny speakers really..

Well I think that is a misconception of horn speakers but I don't find the Heresy's at all shouty... Actually I find them quite smooth but detailed at the same time... maybe the Heresy you heard wasn't driven buy the right amp as I think they are quite sensitive to that.. AND they are very revealing of the rest of the system... in fact any little change in the system is quite apparent with the Klipsch ;)

The Barbarian

02-03-2015, 23:37

O your right regarding matching but i still don't like em. If the attraction is not there from the start there's no hope with me. :D

Ninanina

02-03-2015, 23:41

O your right regarding matching but i still don't like em. If the attraction is not there from the start there's no hope with me. :D
That's so true... Luckily we all like different stuff... Klipsch are definitely for me but I understand they are not for everyone...;)

southall-1998

02-03-2015, 23:45

That's so true... Luckily we all like different stuff... Klipsch are definitely for me but I understand they are not for everyone...;)

You ''appreciate'' Klipsch Speakers, Bev.

S.

Ninanina

02-03-2015, 23:46

You ''appreciate'' Klipsch Speakers, Bev.

S.

I certainly do Shane....:)

struth

02-03-2015, 23:58

Nearly bought a small pair recently but decided to allow my heart to rule my head and went for a long time desire...IMF's:eek: Not much difference in size:lol:

jandl100

05-03-2015, 09:15

Favourite products of mine.

I tend not to like going back to previously owned kit - it seldom works for me - been there, done that!

But standout components that did the WOW thing for me at the time ....

Quad 405ii - I rate that as my first 'real' amp. A sense of grip and control that took the sound way beyond the cheap Jap kit I had previously used.
ProAc Response 2 speakers - just totally blew away the Quad 63 stats I had previously owned. Redefined for me what speakers could and should do.
Amptastic class D t-amps - to say I was astonished when I 1st heard them would be an understatement! I still love them and can happily go back to them.
Parasound Halo A21 power amp - a tad soft and cuddly, call it on the warm side - but total control and authority. An amazing thing.
Restek Consens pre - not really a WOW pre, but just so musical and good to listen through - it's seen off all comers over the last 2 years or so.
Ortofon MC25FL cartridge - the other component that I have returned to happily a couple of times now.
--- and quite a few others I am sure.

And I guess I'd have to include my MBL 116f speakers - they are a few days off their 5th anniversary with me! :eek:

RobbieGong

05-03-2015, 13:30

Mike New bearing - Not cheap but the one to have, beautifully engineered hunk of solid brass. Makes the stock Techie bearing look like a toy which translates. MN Baseplate - Allows a solid platform for the excellent MN bearing to sit and perform at it's optimum and very affordable. MN ETP Platter - Again not cheap but absolutely addresses the resonance issues of the stock Techie platter which rings like a bell. Feels quality, solid, well made and makes the Techie look grown up.

Ortofon 2M Black ( A revelation for me in terms of what a good cart can really do. Does much of what decent moving coils do but without the hassle and/or hefty price tag)

Mission 752 floorstanders ( Lovely well balanced speaker with detailed sound and great imaging. Solid and well built compact floorstander that can be had for the price of a good weekend out.)

Speedy Steve Ebony Armboard (Not only beautiful but a genuine armboard upgrade addressing resonance and presenting a more 'natural' sound (Top service too, nice guy to do business with)

Yannis Tome 423.5 Phono Silver-Litz tonearm cable - Top quality cable at not daft money, helps the cart extract great detail from recordings (again top service and a top bloke to do business with) :)

Marco

05-03-2015, 14:02

From personal experience, I have to agree wholeheartedly with the last two, Rob! :)

Marco.

Kvaal

05-03-2015, 17:03

NAD 3020
DUAL 1228 with Shure M 95e
Lenco L 75
Carlsson and Snell speakers
Tandberg tape recorders and radios
Philips and Denon cdp's with multibit dac's

Si74

06-03-2015, 12:13

Meridian M2s
Keswick Audio Torinos
Audio Note AN/Js
Audio Physic Virgos
Sachito Horns:-)

Musical Fidelity M3 Integrated
Passlabs X-250
Audiopax 88s
Supratek Syrah
Supratek Custom

Musical Fidelity Nu Vista cd

turntables
too many to mention

Marco

06-03-2015, 18:05

Keswick Audio Torinos

What were they like, sound-wise, Si? Keswick Audio was always a brand that intrigued me :)

Marco.

User211

06-03-2015, 18:23

User211

06-03-2015, 18:24

Best bits all comprise my current system. Rather boring to say that but hey.

dantheman91

06-03-2015, 18:38

Hmm.......

Classics for me and will always use is:

Old Quad Amplifiers (For Nostalgia)
Technics CD Players
Pioneer Stable Platters
Yamaha Amplifiers

My Current System is not to shabby see signature >

Si74

06-03-2015, 18:50

What were they like, sound-wise, Si? Keswick Audio was always a brand that intrigued me :)

Marco.

Hi Marco,

funny story behind these - went after work to buy an MF dac and psu from a guy. He was using a big MF amp and the Torinos.
Fired up the sytem and the bass was incredible, laughed and took a table cover off what I thought was a dining table, biggest
REL sub I have ever seen, This was in a third floor council flat?????
Said the speakers were good in that department and switched the sub off, bass was still knock out.
Bought the dac & psu and thought I better not go home with Black speakers or the wife will kill me.
I was using some crappy Missions as I'd got an ultimatum to get "Those horrible black boxes out of my lounge" my trusty Meridain M2s.

Driving back from work the next night, thinks I have to have those speakers so went and bought them.
Two weeks later wife borrows the works Honda, comes in and says what the hell are those in the back - eh speakers
"Why are they in the car?" Cause I was frightened to bring them in the house cause they are a bit Black, eh but they have lovely
walnut panels on the front. Much shaking of heads.
Fabulous speakers which I was dubious went to the stated 20Hz until I put them in my lounge which sits above a 22ft square garage,
room went mental. Made some isolation platforms and these restored the grin to my face for a good few years.
Loved them but had to have a pair of Cherry Virgos, installed when her indoors was away in London (these didn't go down
a storm with her indoors either).
Sold the Torinos to a work mate and he still loves them to this day. Grossly underrated methinks as they were crackin speakers.
I caught a thread someplace where a guy had loads of Keswicks (he had worked for them) and was selling them ridiculously cheap,
unfortunately missed the boat on that one as I would have had to have tried their top of the range ones which he was selling for buttons.

Can't go into detail but they made the Missions which had cost loads more than I paid for the Torinos sound like a transistor radio,
bass, body, texture, you name it!

Marco

08-03-2015, 21:26

Sorry for the late reply, Si. That’s really interesting!

Back in the day when I used floor-standing speakers I always wanted to try some Keswick Audio stuff, as I just had a gut feeling it would be good, but sadly never got round to it. I like how you describe their sound, and at that time had I gone for some, they’d have probably hit the spot nicely :cool:

Funny, isn’t it, how so often the smaller, more ‘boutique’ hi-fi manufacturers often produce the best sounding and most capable kit? For that reason, I’ve always preferred using stuff that’s a bit different from the norm.

Marco.

trio leo

08-03-2015, 23:15

Favourite products over the years, well, having spent decades involved in the industry, I would say some pieces of kit have stuck in my mind.
Townsend Rock turntable, Logic DM101 t/table, Trio L07D t/table. Thoren's 124 mk ii t/table, Dais t/table. Audio Technica 1503MKIII Tonearm.
Van den Hul MC cartridge built just for himself and we talked him out of it, one of the best I have ever heard, he said it was so close to the original cutting cartridge, it was scary, (1980's)

Van den Hul'd EMT MC Cartridge
Ortofon SPU GTE, Van den Hul'd silver wired, boron cantilevered cartridge.

Tandberg 3001 Tuner, stunning machine.
Teac C3 cassette deck.
Albarry M408 monoblocs, (1980's)
Yamaha NS 1000's, stunning speakers.
Bose 1301, speakers.
Koss Dynamite's. incredible mini 3 way speakers.
Allison 1's, 2's ,3's, and 6's speakers, incredibly realistic
Carver Holographic pre-amp.
Technics SL-PG 490 CDP, Superbly reminiscent of analogue.
Lyra Delos MC cartridge, superb.
Nowadays, Albarry MCA11 mc Amplifier, AP11 Pre-amp/ M1108 monobloc power amps, absolutely unbeatable!!! IMHO.

Enjoy your music. :)

Cheers Al

jandl100

09-03-2015, 06:58

Hm that's because Quad 63s are the most boring, sleep inducing speaker possible. A total pipe & slippers job.

Mmm - yes and no. :hmm:

With appropriate upbeat amps (Audiolab 8000P works surprisingly well!) they can be nicely transparent and detailed on small scale music without large dynamic changes.
-- that solo lute music you heard would work well, I think, Justin.

But no, not suitable for Justin-Music. :nono:

User211

10-03-2015, 17:09

I must admit it'd be interesting to hear a pair with some very powerful SS grunt behind them. Just to get some dynamics out of them.

Some of the more recent larger Quads can actually manage some dynamics. Though sometimes at shows you wouldn't think so. But when you catch them right... not totally unacceptable to these ears.

Still love restored '57 mid range though. Fantastic with the right material.