Hello from Leuchars

[mr1macuk]

Hi,

I am John and I've been an Audiohaulic for 25yrs..... My first system was Rogers A100, T75II, JVC KDA5, Marantz CD65, MS Pagent 2 (when I was still a teen - part birthday and christmas and part paid by me - was step dad's old system.

Hi-fi had to get sold a number of years back as had a disc out in my neck and was getting no money and needed to get money to look after my autistic son. However this year I found some Autistic Child Friendly speakers (which my mum bought me for my 40th) and I have been resurrecting my hi-fi. Though go to say it still hurts I had to loose my cd player from last system (Cardinal, Da-Capo HDCD filter & DC PSU). Anyway I am getting there and am just finishing off and upgrading a few bits to finish things off.

Currently

Marantz LE cd player (just a get me going £5 thing)
Ava Rip-n-play running vortexbox connected async to an rDAC
Meridian 541 as pre
Crimson 620 Power
Cambridge Audio R50 Transmission lines with falcon upgraded crossovers
DNM Reson speaker cable.

working on re-purposing an old Sugden A88 with totally dead pre section as a power amp (10watt class A - 80 Watt total). Though considering trying a Crown PSA2, DC300a or PS400 due to the R50's needing a big damping factor.

Turntable is on the go. I got a Lenco diy ptp5 style plates in slate plinth with cutout for 12" sme. My 3009 is winging it's way to Ray at Sonik Sircle to be converted to a 12", serviced, rewired, carbon fibre armtube for less than half what a 3012 would cost (will need to make do with grado red or nagaoka mp11boron to start then upgrade later). And I am working on getting a suitable a phono stage at the moment.

So once tt installed on target wall shelf I would like to upgrade the Pre, the CD player, the DAC but i'll get there.

Most of all Enjoy The Music :)

John

[struth]

Hello and welcome John. The more you struggle the better it sounds is my motto. I hope you enjoy the forum

[mr1macuk]

In that case looking after an autistic child full time a midi crappy supermarket box should sound like Krell Sonus faber :) excellent!!!!

[struth]

I know where your at John:eyebrows:

[walpurgis]

Hello John. Welcome to AOS.

Quite a nice first system you had there starting out and an interesting one you run now. We like vintage gear.

Tell us what music you listen to and if you have projects on the go, some photos for The Drawing Board section would be good.



Enjoy the forum,
Geoff.

[mr1macuk]

Will get some photos up soon.

Music tastes are very eclectic with a bit of everything from Sinatra to current but I guess my main love is Blues and 70's rock sorta things.

Projects will be Sugden a88 into power amp (10watt class A 80 watt total) though with bigger heatsyncs may try and bump to 15watt class A. Other project is a Lenco speed controller. In future when wee lass is at nursery and wee man is at school I would love to build a diy set TL's based on R50 plans with modern drivers but we will see.

Just woking on getting components to a level I am happy with and a good synergy.

[Spectral Morn]

Welcome to AoS John


Regards Neil

[mr1macuk]

A few of the setup. TT wont have that arm but a 12" sonik sircled SME 3009 and excuse wallpaper - not long moved in :)

http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm180/mr-mac/hifi/11813314_10153492014132224_3905056626969950378_n_z psemm5aojn.jpg
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm180/mr-mac/hifi/WP_20150502_14_55_55_Pro_zpsvenho35a.jpg
http://i296.photobucket.com/albums/mm180/mr-mac/hifi/WP_20150225_17_51_26_Pro_zpst2148t4z.jpg

[walpurgis]

R50s looking impressive! :)

I've heard those many times, but never owned any.

[mr1macuk]

Yep and are autistic bairn proof (with the spike plinth things added at some point I estimate 47/48kg each speaker and 1.45m tall)... Though the lenco Turntable shipping weight was 52kg lol

Falcon crossovers are a must though. The ones with fixed bass leak, improved MF and HF crossover points and Super power handling are to be recommended (more modern sound and it helps increasing the stupid 25watt max/50watt peak originals are rated for)... Needs close to 100watt amp to make these move (seem to like current) and damping factor as high as you can :)

[walpurgis]

Needs close to 100watt amp to make these move (seem to like current) and damping factor as high as you can :)

IMFs are even worse. Not so much in power needs which I suspect are pretty similar, but they are even more loosely damped to my ears and certainly don't sound right with an amp that doesn't have a good grip. I suspect the main speaker differences are likely due to the more tightly tapered acoustic line and smaller exit port on the R50s.

[mr1macuk]

By looks of design IMF use rear wave... R50's do not ;)

To my ears IMF's have impressive (but not accurate ) bass and sound 70's... Very LP12... Fun, flat soundstage that's not that accurate but boogie along a funky bassline beautifully, sound warm etc...

R50's image crazy good, they are very flat from 20hz to over 30khz and especially with falcon crossovers sound timeless... Even applause doesn't sound shut in or fixed to box which is rare in a box speaker. If I had to describe them its like an LS3/5a with real deep bass and maybe just a smidge smoother top end. Very different beast to an IMG (and due to IMF's impressive 70's sound they cost a bomb bit r50's can be found as cheap as £50 on gumtree)

[mr1macuk]

Phono stage added. Trigon Vanguard for under £100 if I like it I'll upgrade with volcano PSU. It's MM/MC and has adjustment for gain, resistance, capacitance and switchable subsonic filter. All in all a great wee stage for budget price ;)

[archiesdad]

Howdy and welcome John from nearby Dunfermline, enjoy the forum.

[mr1macuk]

Lived there for a good few years myself... And judging by your s2000 sig you might have seen my bright red Nissan 200sx (s13) about Dunfermline 8-10yr ago ;)

[walpurgis]

By looks of design IMF use rear wave... R50's do not ;)

Yes they do. Both the big IMFs and the Cambridge R40 and R50 are back loaded transmission line designs.

Here's a diagram for yours:

http://i62.tinypic.com/10hpwlh.jpg

[mr1macuk]

Yes think Imf reuses rear wave and r50 damps it out before exit of the wave... I know for defo r50 damps it out as in the dot plans it gives a minimum height but also says you can make it taller if you like giving a longer Line.

The design of IMF channel and using the bumpy pyramidy foam stuff on the walls of the transmission line made me think it was reusing the 1/4 wave though could be wrong on IMF if they are not using rear wave then, agreed, under damped :)

[walpurgis]

Both makes use a 1/4 wavelength tapered line which produces a port pulse which is partly in phase with lower frequency output from the front of the bass driver. Compared to IMFs, the line of the Cambridge is more constricted and the port is quite small in relation to the B139 diaphragm area. Presumably this is more resistive, making for a better damped bass.

[mr1macuk]

The r50 throws rear wave away as length of line is minimum 1/4 or anywhere longer if it re-used rear wave line length would have to be fixed so fit design plans would not state can be longer but no smaller (it's the min length required to fully damp rear wave away).

Any r50 with audible output from line in usually means stuffing is needing re-done.

[mr1macuk]

Iirc the imf has no wool or stuffing just the acoustic shaped foam on the surfaces to damp it a little r50's wool damps line completely. Re-stuff an r50 and you'll almost nothing out of end of line ;)

[Barry]

Welcome to AoS John,

Nice system, I have heard the Cambridge R50s many times in a friend's system. Helped him move them - they damned heavy! They were driven by a 75W/channel Harrison-Chapman S200 integrated amplifier.

Would love to see some photos of your modded SME with the carbon fibre arm. :)

Enjoy the Forum

Regards
Barry

[mr1macuk]

System update ——

Analogue Source
Ptp4 style 40kg Slate Lenco, (arm your be arranged but 12”), trigon phono stage (due to 0 capacitance setting), nagaoka mp11 boron....

Digital Source
Home made fanless rip/replay end point also acts as DLNA renderer, PT Cardinal transport
PT Da-Capo (HDCD filter and both spdif and clock lock input cards), PT Battery PSU

Meridian 565 Dolby decoder feeding da-capo via digital out. Purely for music documentaries/gigs etc on Sky. Experiment as the SPDIF on sky box seems the worst quality sound available now.


Amplification

Meridian 502 pre

Magnum MF250


Speakers
Cambridge R50M



Shed system, Ariston RD80, marantz cd, marantz tuber, meridian 542, crimson 620, Monitor Audio Monitor 9

[Barry]

The SME modded with a carbon-fibre armtube sounds interesting. Show some pictures when you have them - we would love to see what it looks like and to learn what it sounds like. :)