View Full Version : Items That Have Been A Revelation on Your Hi-fi Journey
RobbieGong
25-09-2016, 14:43
Mission 752 Freedoms - Fabulous well balanced, organic sounding floorstanders that just get better and better the more you upgrade your system (budget floorstanders by name only, trust me!)
Ortofon 2M Black - Game changing mm that does things very expensive mc's would be proud of
Sansui AU 919 - I always dreamt of finding an amp that sounded like this and then I found it. Will be my last amp, no question. :)
julesd68
25-09-2016, 15:16
Is your Sansui back in action again Rob?
walpurgis
25-09-2016, 15:23
Difficult to know where to start really.
The first time I used a Decca cartridge, certainly. That was a revelation!
My first pair of Tannoy dual concentrics, I suddenly realised I was 'There' when I bought those.
Buying an ADC 10E Mk.IV that made me realise that Deccas had some serious competition.
Being stunned as to how remarkably good an old Leak Stereo 20 could be.
Plodding through a trail of MC carts and finding the glorious Technics EPC-305MC.
Being amazed by my first ZYX MC. The R50 Bloom H was first cartridge to outdo the Technics in every way.
My current Tannoy Cheviot II speakers being notably better than the preceding Golds and HPDs.
Finding every Monarchy Audio product I bought to be superb.
Last, but not least. The MingDa MC-9 TVC pre-amp sounding better than any other pre-amp I've used.
RobbieGong
25-09-2016, 15:24
Is your Sansui back in action again Rob?
Hey Jules, How you been ?
My beloved 919 is still with Phonomac. He's well into the re-cap.:)
The second time I used a Decca cartridge.
Returning back to vinyl after 25 years in the digital wilderness.
Listening to many of the Croft amps as they came out over the years especially the cypher mono blocks.
The mostly lovely people you meet in audio forums....and occasional disgrace to the race.:eyebrows:
On equ, i guess finding how good fullrange speaker CAN be if setup right.
Finding the super m55e cart, which considering its lowly price and original rep, really is much better than most.
Amps are not the b all....
Finally, the realisation that a superbly sounding system can cost very lttle comparatively speaking.
Eisener Bart
25-09-2016, 15:42
1. DIY Rack from IKEA tables (http://eisenerbart.blogspot.com/2015/09/ii-i-ikea.html).
2. Headphones HiFiMan HE1000 (http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2015/09/a-tale-of-one-thousand-high-fidelity-men/).
3. Power Amplifier NuPrime STA-9 (http://eisenerbart.blogspot.com/2016/07/killers-of-class-ab.html).
southall-1998
25-09-2016, 15:51
In no particular order.
Grado SR-80 Headphones. They still continue to amaze me. With their highly musical sound, and excellent tight 'controlled' bass. They're certainly forward sounding headphones, but luckily I can put up with their flaws.
JPW ML-110i Speakers. They seem to sound best with a Naim Nait 5i (In my room and to my ears). Along with a Rega Planet CDP as source. The cables are usually NVA.
Sony CDP-X777ES. The build quality from this CD Player, is absolutely stunning and weighs in at nearly 20KG. The sound is very enjoyable, and not overly bright, like some of the other Sony CD players. The CDP-X777ES could end up being my end-game CD Player! But, I still want to get my paws on another Rega Planet!
Naim Nait 3. Strange sounding little amplifier. But, has the best 'timing' and 'pace' I've ever heard.
S.
walpurgis
25-09-2016, 16:03
Finally, the realisation that a superbly sounding system can cost very lttle comparatively speaking.
Very true!
Ortofon 2M Black - Game changing mm that does things very expensive mc's would be proud of
I have to agree about the 2M Black, sounds amazing and you can just buy a new stylus rather than send it away.
Marantz CD6004, punching way above it's weight in both sound and build quality
Acoustic Solutions DAB/FM tuner, I paid less than £20 for it and although very basic it produces very nice noises
NVA LS5 cable, night and day moment when I replaced my old Cable Talk3
Sony MM cartridge equalizer EQ2. The first phono amp that brought my record player to life. A step up from the Gram Slee Amp 1 that it replaced.
http://img.ukaudiomart.com/uploads/large/1086706-sony-eq2-mm-phono-amplifier-batteryrare.jpg
Easily the most memorable was hearing Quad electrostatics for the first time, circa 1970.
Other than that, hearing a couple of consumate sources of similar vintage ...
A studio grade reel to reel tape recorder playing 2 track 15 ips master tapes ... blew vinyl away tbh.
A live broadcasts on a top flight FM tuner that put me in the studio with the performers ... blew vinyl away tbh
It took the amazing Audio Note Io Ltd cartridge to convince me that maybe vinyl can compete with R2R and FM.
Easily the most memorable was hearing Quad electrostatics for the first time, circa 1970.
Other than that, hearing a couple of consumate sources of similar vintage ...
A studio grade reel to reel tape recorder playing 2 track 15 ips master tapes ... blew vinyl away tbh.
A live broadcasts on a top flight FM tuner that put me in the studio with the performers ... blew vinyl away tbh
It took the amazing Audio Note Io Ltd cartridge to convince me that maybe vinyl can compete with R2R and FM.
I have heard and agree with your thoughts on all of the above Peter but for me the Decca has got the most out of my vinyl.
There is something so very satisfying to the sound of high end R2R and I agree it's hard to beat a live broadcast on a top FM tuner when the BBC engineers nail the recording.
PhilofCas
25-09-2016, 19:35
Absolutely loving my Spendor S3/5r2's, Tisbury passive preamp/Quad 306 power amp, fed by Chromecast Audio (with either Spotify or my ripped CD's from laptop).
Never enjoyed listening to music as much I am now :mex:.
Hifi dealers in Norwich and Norfolk in the late 70s early 80s that let me sit and listen and understand what music could sound like and how components were made.
Making a pair of speakers in 6th form, having them tested by a manufacturer and being told they were as good as commercial models!
Getting back into vinyl after a 20 year gap and thoroughly enjoying the upgrades and new recordings available.
Zyx cartridges!
Valves, especially John Wood amp.
Latterly full range driver with horn loading delivering great bass.
jandl100
25-09-2016, 20:48
Amptastic Mini-T t-amp ... the first time I learned that a cheap (£50 in this instance) amp could sound better than well thought of multi-£k jobs.
Xiang Sheng DAC-01A ... ditto for DACs, but at around £100. It's still my reference DAC having seen off all-comers up to £2k without breaking into a sweat.
--- to be fair, the Beresford DACs had done a similar trick quite a few years before that.
Hearing MBL speakers at hifi shows. They became my dream - now happily attained.
walpurgis
25-09-2016, 21:27
Absolutely loving my Spendor S3/5r2's, Tisbury passive preamp/Quad 306 power amp, fed by Chromecast Audio (with either Spotify or my ripped CD's from laptop).
Never enjoyed listening to music as much I am now :mex:.
Good combo the Tisbury and 306. Sounds very Decent!
This is not such a easy question, or it is easy but not so simple one :)
During my beginning with this interest it was all about getting more and cleaner sound and I more or less aimed to "highend" world and digital sources. During the years I have learned about the music and how it reproduces in details. This I achieved at the beginning e.g. with Naim and Linn gear, and then some SET and single driver speakers. I have also adventured to the world of vinyl with many different takes and believe to analogue sound still. Later I found the classic monitor designs and different horn designs with quality tube amps. And still I'n trying to learn more every day.
So, I would say that my personal revelation is not bound to any single item of gear, more to the longish >25 year path with all the sidestepping and open minded investigation to different ways for reproducing the music and then trying to search my own personal nirvana from there..
PhilofCas
26-09-2016, 11:41
Good combo the Tisbury and 306. Sounds very Decent!
Very true, for the money, an absolute bargain.
Absolutely loving my Spendor S3/5r2's
I have to agree that Spendor S3/5R2's are splendid. Love mine too.
Covenant
26-09-2016, 18:56
Vandersteen 1c speakers-still miss the soundstage they produce. Stan's latest DAC-the Caimen Mk2 SEG is the best box I have bought.
PhilofCas
26-09-2016, 19:08
I have to agree that Spendor S3/5R2's are splendid. Love mine too.
:thumbsup:
Have owned many floor standing speakers before and was a bit concerned that when I came back into hi-fi I was a bit worried about how much speaker technology had improved, therefore decided to take a punt and purchased my current Dynaudo c1s and what a revelation I cannot believe how accurate, clean, and fast bass/treble you can get out of a small standmount certainly no need for subs.
These are definite keepers for now.
CornishPasty
27-09-2016, 11:40
Ever since I first heard big IMFs I wanted a pair. Thirty five years later and a pair of TLS80s finally graced my living room. That must have been six years ago and they're still here. They're big ugly things but I forgive them every time I listen to them.
walpurgis
27-09-2016, 11:53
Ever since I first heard big IMFs I wanted a pair. Thirty five years later and a pair of TLS80s finally graced my living room. That must have been six years ago and they're still here. They're big ugly things but I forgive them every time I listen to them.
Good speakers!
CornishPasty
27-09-2016, 15:23
Thanks Geoff. I'd be very upset if I ever had to part with them. I've heard a few loudspeakers that have impressed me, one in particular but after a good listening session with the IMFs I'm happy to stay where I am.
Arkless Electronics
27-09-2016, 15:32
Many years ago my then new to me (second hand) Mission 770's (original white bass cone ones) were a massive improvement on anything I had owned before! I would still rate them as excellent today.
Had a set of renaissance ones from mission that were my brothers for many years.. not bad at all and looked cool too. Sold them on here a while back
Many years ago my then new to me (second hand) Mission 770's (original white bass cone ones) were a massive improvement on anything I had owned before! I would still rate them as excellent today.
Yep I agree had a pair of those with a NAD 3020 and dual TT. Classic
Arkless Electronics
27-09-2016, 15:50
I think there was a 737 Renaissance IIRC...
The only area I thought let down the 770 was a rather "in yer face" top end. Not overly bright as such but maybe a slight touch on the bright side, I reckon it was from the very simple crossover, which endowed it with it's best points, allowing too much treble from the bass unit. The crossover on the bass was just an inductor. That's it.
Their dynamics, bass extension and slam, max volume imaging and immediacy would still impress alongside modern £1500 speakers I would say. An impressive edge of your seat and definitely not relaxing sound. If I have given the impression that they are bright, edgy, coloured and inaccurate then that is far from the truth! More a case of they were so good overall that the slight hardness to a small range of the treble was, once noticed, hard to ignore... if you know what I mean.
Arkless Electronics
27-09-2016, 15:54
Yep I agree had a pair of those with a NAD 3020 and dual TT. Classic
:eek: I bet that sounded erm... interesting.... The speakers were about £390, the amp £69 and the TT about £90 at the time (1980 ish). They were pretty much the most ruthlessly revealing speaker I've owned to this day!
Might have been 737. Nice anyway. Had a white driver and decent tweeter, and were well enough made.
tannoy man
27-09-2016, 16:27
:eek: I bet that sounded erm... interesting.... The speakers were about £390, the amp £69 and the TT about £90 at the time (1980 ish). They were pretty much the most ruthlessly revealing speaker I've owned to this day!
I loved my pair of 770s, I was using them with a Sugden p51 driving each channel. Pre amp was a NAD 3020 at first then an Elite Townsend eei 600c.
Deck at the time was a Denon DP2000 with an ADC alt arm and Shure M97HE.
The system was very fast and exploding with energy . As a well paid 19 year old I should have stopped reading HI-FI mags at that point.
Haselsh1
27-09-2016, 16:39
QLN Mk1 loudspeakers back around 1982.
NVA LS5 loudspeaker cables.
KEF Q500 loudspeakers.
Logic DM101 turntable.
Rogers LS3/5a loudspeakers.
Passive pre-amps, in particular the NVA P90SA. Redefined my expectations of the level of sound quality it was possible to get without spending thousands.
Hello, not posted for while so, well, Hi !
1. Putting a TT back in my system after not owning one for around 30 years. Sounds great, looks wonderful and playing records just makes me feel so good. Probably connects back with where it all started.
2. Being lent a Quad 405-2 recently. You could argue it's the only power amp you'll ever need ! In terms of good old vfm, this has to be up there.
Jeff Wood
27-09-2016, 19:04
most incredible breathtaking unbelievably good product I've ever heard was the LFD DAC3.......just wow !
walpurgis
27-09-2016, 19:10
most incredible breathtaking unbelievably good product I've ever heard was the LFD DAC3.......just wow !
I've heard that those are good. It would be interesting to put it up against one of my Monarchy Audio M22B & M22C DACS.
Klotz MC5000 - the end of expensive interconnects in my system.
MrRadish
28-09-2016, 10:09
Mission 760iSE for me. Simple, honest, musical, worked really well in small rooms and at sensible levels. They've seen off a great deal of more expensive competition here, probably because they're easier to drive than most. If my NAD 3020i didn't have a humming transformer I might just keep that pair as my main system as its so enjoyable.
It took me 17 years to a get a pair of dedicated stands for my lovely shan shimna speakers that i purchased from k j west in the west end in 1993.
I always remember the designer saying the sound of the speakers degrades by quite a wide margin without the stands ( both made from a polymer/
concrete material ) and wrong he was not . I must have spent the next 3 weeks playing music all day. I also read on the net where one guy found a
pair of these speakers in his loft or somewhere and although not as good as his impulse Lallis said the transparency was remarkable. Must be something
about the material that makes it ideal for sound reproduction , although of course very expensive to manufacture these days. Best £ 300 ever spent on
hi fi for speaker and stands. Happy days.
This AoS member got his for nothing, with the stands, out of a skip:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?27754-Shimna-by-Shan-Acoustics
Even happier days.
Yes , read that before Martin, a great find I agree. Btw anyone near London is more than welcome to a listen at mine. Sounds great with audio innovation / Bp
power supply (lenco 75 or rock 11 front end) In fact amazing, but I suppose everybody thinks that about there on set up. Enjoyed your hi fi ramblings on
the net btw Martin ( if i m thinking about the right guy?). The one speaker I would be interesting in trying is a vintage Tannoy. Geoff the cheviots must
be stunners ?.
walpurgis
28-09-2016, 17:42
The one speaker I would be interesting in trying is a vintage Tannoy. Geoff the cheviots must
be stunners ?.
They amaze me each time I hear them. Mind you it's the sum of the system that makes it all work so well.
Neil McCauley
28-09-2016, 17:57
Mine are:
Beveridge 2SW full range speakers
Meridian 107 power amp
Meridian M1 active speakers
Mark Levinson ML6a twin mono preamp
Mark Levinson HQD loudspeaker system
Krell KSA 80 stereo class A power amp
SAE Model One preamp
Apogee Scintilla speakers
Breuer 8 Dynamic tonearm
Pink Triangle Anniversary turntable
Nakamichi 680ZX full and half speed cassette deck
Michell Engineering CD player (prototype and never put into production)
Best value though; without doubt are the Sony MDR 51 headphone supplied with the Sony Walkman Professional
Neil McCauley
28-09-2016, 18:00
most incredible breathtaking unbelievably good product I've ever heard was the LFD DAC3.......just wow !
Dr Richard Bews tells me that despite the passage of time and allegedly superior parts it is impossible to reproduce the DAC 3's sonic characteristic. Only the more modern LFD DAC 5 comes close. There was no DAC 4.
DAC 6 comes out next year so I'm told
Wakefield Turntables
28-09-2016, 19:00
Decca Maroon cartridge
Lenco GL75
Sansui AU719
Croft Epoch
paulf-2007
28-09-2016, 19:08
Mmm that's a tough one, my memory is not what it once was so its difficult to remember far back. My hifi journey from total novice to now has seen open baffles that at the time sounded great to my wax filled lug holes, then front horns with ob's, DIY bass reflex single driver, still have them in use, several very good turntables and some decent amps, but if I were to choose one item that's been a revelation it would have to be the Shure Ultra 500 in a Martin Bastin body. The Denon DP80 is excellent as is the Stax arm but the Shure has put the icing on the cake
I see this thread being revisited to add to as the old grey matter releases old memories
Apogee Duettas. Still flummoxed by them.
Silbatone's Western Electric system at Munich 2014. Proof that hi-fi is rubbish. You have to have heard that system to know what I mean.
fatmarley
28-09-2016, 19:30
Dr Richard Bews tells me that despite the passage of time and allegedly superior parts it is impossible to reproduce the DAC 3's sonic characteristic.
Doesn't surprise me one bit.
There are a lot of people using dacs with the ultra low distortion Sabre chips, that complain they are thin and harsh (things may have changed with the more modern Sabre chips). Same goes for the Ultra low distortion LM4562 opamps (read post #9 (http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=29581)). I tried the LM4562 when they first came out and even after trying just about every decoupling arrangement I could think of, I gave up and went back to the cheap old NE5xxx opamps.
Arkless Electronics
28-09-2016, 19:42
Doesn't surprise me one bit.
There are a lot of people using dacs with the ultra low distortion Sabre chips, that complain they are thin and harsh (things may have changed with the more modern Sabre chips). Same goes for the Ultra low distortion LM4562 opamps (read post #9 (http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=29581)). I tried the LM4562 when they first came out and even after trying just about every decoupling arrangement I could think of, I gave up and went back to the cheap old NE5xxx opamps.
I love the LM4562! I would take them over the NE5532 any day. Different strokes for different folks ...
Jeff Wood
28-09-2016, 19:45
The LFD DAC3 used an Ultra Analogue chip, and I know that LFD have used up their stock.
I used to build the DAC3's when I worked for LFD, it was very time consuming to build, and even more time consuming to actually find the weird and wonderful components that Bew's specified for it.
But lots of people, visitors from magazines, universities, other hifi companies all said it was probably the best DAC in the world at any price.
So if you ever see one going cheap its worth buying, just make sure its fully working though,,
I think there was a 737 Renaissance IIRC...
The only area I thought let down the 770 was a rather "in yer face" top end. Not overly bright as such but maybe a slight touch on the bright side, I reckon it was from the very simple crossover, which endowed it with it's best points, allowing too much treble from the bass unit. The crossover on the bass was just an inductor. That's it.
Their dynamics, bass extension and slam, max volume imaging and immediacy would still impress alongside modern £1500 speakers I would say. An impressive edge of your seat and definitely not relaxing sound. If I have given the impression that they are bright, edgy, coloured and inaccurate then that is far from the truth! More a case of they were so good overall that the slight hardness to a small range of the treble was, once noticed, hard to ignore... if you know what I mean.
It was the dynamic slam I remembered. I might have a look for a pair out of interest.:)
Idlewithnodrive
28-09-2016, 20:09
Two things have really impressed me for both their overall SQ and VFM.
1/ Quad 405-2; it's been said on this thread before, but it is all the power amp I will ever need but the winner by a country mile is -
2/ The Heco Celan 300 standmounts - gobsmackingly good, in all areas, especially for the little they cost.
I was always quite a box swapper but I've had these a while now and just don't feel the need to look at anything else.
Two things have really impressed me for both their overall SQ and VFM.
1/ Quad 405-2; it's been said on this thread before, but it is all the power amp I will ever need but the winner by a country mile is -
2/ The Heco Celan 300 standmounts - gobsmackingly good, in all areas, especially for the little they cost.
I was always quite a box swapper but I've had these a while now and just don't feel the need to look at anything else.
That Doge 6 CDP you're using is dead good as well.
Double post in weird software behaviour phenomenon shock horror.
montesquieu
28-09-2016, 21:39
Sorry to be boring. Quad ESLs. At my maths teacher's place when I was about 15. Didn't quite get over that till I owned a pair in my 40s.
Oris horns with Lowthers inside, driven by a home-made chip amp, attached to some fridge-sized home-made bass horns. Couldn't live with them (my Tannoys are more musical far more 'easily' enjoyable) buy my word what a striking sound. Redefined the possible for me.
Kondo M77. Up until then I thought preamps were for switching and volume control. Sorry, passive-lovers, but that's only 10% of the story.
montesquieu
28-09-2016, 21:40
Double post in weird software behaviour phenomenon shock horror.
It's not the screen it's just your ears ringing.
It's not the screen it's just your ears ringing.
walpurgis
28-09-2016, 22:53
Oris horns with Lowthers inside
Blimey! I've not heard Oris mentioned for donkeys years.
Arkless Electronics
29-09-2016, 00:10
It was the dynamic slam I remembered. I might have a look for a pair out of interest.:)
Yes dynamic slam kind of describes them well. I suspect most were used with less than ideal partnering equipment though. They really need top class source and amplification to shine as they are very revealing...
Neil McCauley
29-09-2016, 08:05
But lots of people, visitors from magazines, universities, other hifi companies all said it was probably the best DAC in the world at any price.
I agree. However, the editors of the UK printed magazines won't give LFD, Dr. Bews or any of his designs the time of day.
Ammonite Audio
29-09-2016, 09:07
For me, true audio revelations have been relatively few, but my recent realisation that true mono reproduction from vinyl can be far, far better than the best of stereo was a genuine shock and an education (even though Tom had primed me). I'm still reeling from this one, and my mono LP collection is growing rapidly! I'm wondering if I actually 'need' stereo and that thought has kindled a new development project ;)
One thing that I have learnt over the years (the expensive way) is that someone else's revelation is not necessarily going to be shared by me - we are all very different, with varying tastes, preconceptions, biases, prejudices etc.
Spectral Morn
29-09-2016, 09:21
Major wow moments - moving from an Ariston Q Deck turntable to a Voyd Valdi, Rega RB300, Goldring Eroica combo.
Marantz CD65Se to a Marantz CD94 mk2.
Rotel 820a to an Audio Innovations series 300 :eek: :D
Celestion speakers (can't recall which, small bookshelf) to Proac Super Tablets.
Pathos Classic One Mk2 - stunning.
My Marantz CD94mk2, Audio Innovations Series 500, Proac Super Tablet, Oracle Delphi, Eminent Technology ET2, VDH MC10, Head Step Up, Audio Note Silver, XLO, Deltec Black slink cabling + my bed room in my parents house (part of the set up, synergy at play big time - room and system one) stunning :D I have the gear, but that room.... nope :(
Ensemble system at NAS a few years ago, stunning, best system I have ever heard classical and Jazz on, and that was at an audio show, in a hotel room.
Idlewithnodrive
29-09-2016, 18:23
That Doge 6 CDP you're using is dead good as well.
That's true as well. Keep forgetting the old CDP :)
Jeff Wood
29-09-2016, 21:43
I agree. However, the editors of the UK printed magazines won't give LFD, Dr. Bews or any of his designs the time of day.
true, he was never interested in playing the game.
magazines are only really interested in companies who advertise in them.
topoxforddoc
29-09-2016, 22:45
I've listened to a fair few bits of kit since the late 70s. I also go to a lot of live gigs (ranging from opera to jazz and rock) and my wife is a musician. So for mew, it is all about trying to make it sound like music and not hi-fi. Here are my stand out items in no particular order.
15 IPS reel to reel recorder playing a master tape - this is THE ULTIMATE - my favourite machine is a Sony APR-5003, although I would love to have a Studer A820
Decca FFSS cartridges - they are all fantastic and it is great that John Wright can continue to look after them. My favourite is my 60s FFSS Mark IV C4E
TRON Seven Reference phono stage built to match my Decca
Nakamichi Dragon - updated with ANT4066 mods - stunningly good reproduction from what should be a crippled format
Avantgarde horn speakers - the Trios are something else - I have to make do with the Duos at home
TRON amplification - not cheap, but stunning build quality and sound
Other items, which have impressed on the way
Infinity IRS speakers
Revox G36
Radford STA15
Neil, I would have loved to hear the Beveridge speakers. KK used to rave about them when I worked with him over 30 years ago.
walpurgis
29-09-2016, 22:47
Really like your choices Charlie. I know what most of that lot sound like. :)
paulf-2007
30-09-2016, 06:08
Charlie ( topoxforddoc) has reminded me of the time I heard a nagra reel to reel at the audio jumble, through headphones, the best hifi sound I've ever heard. Such a shame that all or any of my favs are not available on tape, I could live with all the faffing about for that sound.
topoxforddoc
30-09-2016, 07:20
Such a shame that all or any of my favs are not available on tape, I could live with all the faffing about for that sound.
They are, if you look hard and have deep pockets. I have accumulated about 40 albums now on 15 IPS tape - Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, John Coltrane, Ray Charles, The Doors, Beatles, Jesus & Mary Chain, Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, Led Zep etc. A couple have been Tape Project albums, the others either original distribution masters or so called "safety masters". You have to be careful about the latter, as I have sourced most of my stuff from the shark infested *bay. But there are a few sellers there, who are reliable. However, it can get very addictive.
paulf-2007
30-09-2016, 11:05
They are, if you look hard and have deep pockets. I have accumulated about 40 albums now on 15 IPS tape - Nina Simone, Miles Davis, Art Blakey, John Coltrane, Ray Charles, The Doors, Beatles, Jesus & Mary Chain, Bob Marley, Michael Jackson, Pink Floyd, Led Zep etc. A couple have been Tape Project albums, the others either original distribution masters or so called "safety masters". You have to be careful about the latter, as I have sourced most of my stuff from the shark infested *bay. But there are a few sellers there, who are reliable. However, it can get very addictive.no no no I'm not going there Charlie, 1) no room for a reel to reel, 2) cost involved, 3) very content with my set up and not prepared for another slippery slope.
walpurgis
30-09-2016, 11:14
Dunno about R2R, but does anybody still use MiniDisc?
I have a Pioneer MJ-D707 MiniDisc deck that gets used only occasionally, but the quality of recordings made with it really is remarkably good. I was astonished when I bought it (just out of curiosity), as I'd really dismissed MD as not being a serious format, having only heard it via Midi Systems and the like.
If I record onto MD from my Meridian/Monarchy Audio CD setup, the playback quality is virtually the same as the original CD and on my system, that means extremely good.
Neil McCauley
30-09-2016, 12:31
true, he was never interested in playing the game. magazines are only really interested in companies who advertise in them.
Apparently, the lack of advertising isn't the primary reason in LFD's case. The implication, as I understand it (and you have alluded to this above) is the UK press don't want to puncture the comfort zone that some brands enjoy i.e 'the game'.
From time to time he scores reviews in the USA where despite the competition being far stronger than in the UK, the editorial policy of their magazines appears to him to be more enlightened / fairer and .... he doesn't advertise there either. Meanwhile http://www.lfd-audio.co.uk/
My first epiphany was at the age of about 15. Until then all the "hi-fi" systems I had heard had been used to replay classical music, and I naively (and stupidly) thought that was the only type of music you could play on these systems. Imagine my surprise and delight when upon walking into a hi-fi shop (they weren't called "dealers" then) and hearing the Beatles' 'Norwegian Wood' being played through a Radford amp and (I think) Tannoy speakers and sounding wonderful! Of course I couldn't afford any of it at the time, but it did start me off on my journey.
So to the few items that have been a revelation (most of which I now own):
Quad ESL (57) speakers, original and unmolested.
The second set speakers I used and will most likely be my last. Not perfect by any means, but I am happy to live with their shortcomings for their speed, transparency and lack of colouration.
Decca cartridges.
Having learnt that Deccas need to be pampered and that until recently there was enormous sample-to-sample variation, a Decca of one sort or another has been a permanent fixture on one of my TTs. The speed, air, attack, dynamics and sheer presence are to die for. Again not perfect, but I always have one set up for comparison with other cartridges.
Sony and Nakamichi cassette machines.
I can't remember the exact model, but I bought my first cassette machine to replace the cumbersome Ferrograph 632 reel-to-reel machine I had been using until then. Again imagine my surprise to find that I could make equally good recordings on 1/8" tape at 1 7/8ips using the Sony, as I could on 1/4" wide tape at 7 1/2ips on the Ferrograph. After a couple of years the Sony was replaced by a couple of Nakamichi machines with even better performance.
The Electrocompaniet 'The Two Channel Power Amplifier'
A Norwegian realisation of the 25w/channel design by Otala and Loestrom, published in the Journal of Audio Engineering. Looked awful, was unrelable, but sounded wonderful into Quad ESLs. A bit of a shock to me compared to the original (and un-modified) Quad 405 I was using at the time; so sweet and dare I say it - musical.
ADC 25 and 10E Mk. IV cartridges
The first fixed-coil cartridges to break the Shure hegemony. I had been using Shure designs for four to five years, starting with the M3D and then moving my way up through the M55E, M75ED, V15 II (improved) and V15 III, before I discovered there were other designs out there that were better. The Decca Mk. VI and the ADC 10E were the first, shortly followed by the Ortofon moving coil designs.
Ortofon SL15E and SL15E Mk. II
Used with the somewhat limiting in-line transformer; since few preamps then had provision for moving coil cartridges, these were the first taste of what moving-coils could bring to the party. And I liked what I heard - again not perfect but they somehow seemed to get to the 'soul' of what was being played. Since then I have tried and still own several MC designs: Denon 103, Ortofon SPU, Ortofon MC200 and several EMTs.
EMT XSD-15 cartridge
My first 'serious' MC, bought after reading rave reviews in the then 'underground' press. Designed for no-nonsense professional use and then only fitted with a spherical tip, this cartridge ousted the Linn Asak cartridge I was using at the time, and is a cartridge I keep returning to, or its newer sister fitted with a fine line stylus. I knew I was onto a winner when my friends asked if I could remove the Asak and replace it with the EMT!
Ortofon MC200
My latest find. Short-lived by Ortofon and it never received great reviews, I am however delighted by this cartridge. Fitted with a fine-line stylus on a boron cantilever it does exactly what I want from a cartridge: neither showy nor dull, it just plays music with consumate ease, smooth, fluid and musical (something it shares with the SPU) and with the minimum of surface noise. This one is a keeper!
Breuer Dynamic Type 5A arm
Went out on a limb with this one, having been a die-hard SME fan. But it was receiving very good reviews and I was able to buy one, used, for a reasonable price. Nothing to look at, but having been hand built by a Swiss watchmaker the Breuer oozes quality. It has one of the lowest effective mass of any arm I have seen (only matched by the SME III and beaten by the Infinity 'Black Widow' and possibly the Transcriptors 'Fluid' arm), this arm is one of the fastest I have heard (by fast, I mean that all other arms I have heard sound slightly slow when it comes to transients). No longer made, its spirit lives on in the new generation Brinkmann arms - I have just acquired a Brinkmann 10.5, but have yet to install it on a TT.
Thorens TD124/II turntable
Acquired my first one just as Thorens were replacing it with the 125. An aspiration as it seemed to be the culmination of all that was good with idler drive decks. I started my hi-fi journey with a Garrard SP25 (a Mk. II, I think), then a refurbished Collaro 2020, but the Thorens 124 was my ambition. I now have three of them (as well as an EMT 930). There may well be better decks, but living with a Linn LP12 did nothing to change my mind. Spares for the Thorens are plentiful and readily obtainable, if expensive, but I'm still using the same original idler wheel and only change the belt every three years or so. No sign of wow and flutter and I can't hear what rumble there is.
Nagra IV-S portable reel-to-reel recorder
Travel is another one of my interests. The Nagra was an aspirational acquisition as I had intended to use it to record folk music from around the world during my travels. In the end, as I couldn't decide which were the best microphones to use, the machine is heavy and would need a plentiful supply of batteries, and since I like to travel light, I abandoned the idea. I still keep the Nagra to play back tapes I made on the Ferrograph and to occasionally record 'off air'.
Mark Levinson electronics
Been an ambition of mine ever since I read about them in the early '70s. Superbly well built with a 'cost no object' attitude, they did actually sound better than most. Hearing some of their gear at audio shows only reinforced my desire to have some, but I couldn't afford anything new from them at the time. An ambition now achieved - I have a pair of ML-2 monoblocks and three preamplifiers (oh - and the T-shirt!) I would love to hear the ML-6 'mono' preamps, but since the majority of my system is fully balanced, I doubt if I will.
And finally an item that infuenced me, but not in a positive sense: the Linn Isobarik speakers. These still remain to this day as being the worse speakers I have ever heard. Heard them twice, in two different venues, and on both occasions they sounded awful. Because of that I realised that most of what I had read about Linn products was hype and bullshit and I have never taken them seriously since. My loss maybe - I'm sure Linn make some good gear, but for me the damage has been done.
My revelation was the Croft SuperMicroII back in 1989. It just blew all competition away, irrespective of the price (i.e. even 3-5 times more expensive).
I am still enjoying it (with some upgrades since then).
Klyne 7 pre amp & a pair of stacked 57s
killie99
07-10-2016, 08:38
Impulse H2's.
I had been using Linn Kabers when I got the chance to buy a pair of H2's in 2002. On my nearly 40 years journey in HiFi this is the single biggest upgrade I have ever made, a true WOW moment. H2's were replaced in 2013 with Impulse Ta'us and in 2016 they were replaced with Monitor Audio PL300's. The MA's aren't necessarily better, just different.
A Hi Fi shop owners own home system, mainly Quad using electrostatics, playing Osibisa when I was a teenager. Big Edinburgh new town room with round corners...Farkinelle....I was hooked.
Meridian M1's at Lintone Audio a few years later...bass guitar sounded like someone had plugged in and was playing along, in a good way.
A homebrewed system in South Africa, 3 ribbons along the Day Sequera lines, transmission line bass, Tannoy Autographs used as subs, driven mainly by a Radford STA 25. In a huge converted garage, this is still the best system I've ever heard by a considerable margin, and still the one I mentally measure up changes in my own system against. Not only capable of effortlessly imaging outside the speakers, it's party piece was imaging behind you, no kidding.
There might have been one or two Tannoy moments, too...I'm sure it can be imagined the kind of thing I'm talking about:)
A homebrewed system in South Africa, 3 ribbons along the Day Sequera lines, transmission line bass, Tannoy Autographs used as subs, driven mainly by a Radford STA 25. In a huge converted garage, this is still the best system I've ever heard by a considerable margin, and still the one I mentally measure up changes in my own system against. Not only capable of effortlessly imaging outside the speakers, it's party piece was imaging behind you, no kidding.
I guess this was an active set up? Analogue or digital?
It was digital.
CD was Jolida and I believe the pre was Musical Fidelity. I think the magic was the speakers and the room. It wasn't active as such but possibly the Autographs had their own amp but can't exactly remember the configuration. Definitely no active crossover though.
Autos had HPDs in, that I do remember, and only the bass cone was driven. Not the lowest bass I've ever heard - he was an organ enthusiast - but very clean.
icehockeyboy
07-10-2016, 12:29
Klotz MC5000 - the end of expensive interconnects in my system.
Ditto.
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