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View Full Version : Hello from Kirriemuir (where the ball was held)



combwork
05-06-2008, 22:39
Everyone's heard of the "Ball of Kirriemuir"? I'm reliably informed that things have calmed down since then, but you never can tell........ This looks like a great site, but its a pita to join if you're on AOL. Oh well. 'Though the journey was long and twisted I'm glad to be here~~~~~~~~

Marco
05-06-2008, 23:07
Hi Combwork,

Welcome to the forum :)

I'm glad you've finally managed to join us after your registration issues. I'm not quite sure what your trouble was with AOL, as I'm also with AOL and had no trouble registering at the very beginning.

Anyway, I see you seem to be settling in ok so enjoy!

What system do you have, and have you got any pics you can post in the Gallery? Also, what's your first name? We feel it makes exchanges of dialogue more personal and friendly knowing someone's first name.

Marco.

BajaGringo
05-06-2008, 23:32
Welcome Comb...

Pull up a chair and join in. It's a great group and some great topics. I have learned a lot and met some great folks here.

Enjoy!

combwork
06-06-2008, 09:01
Thank you Marko, thank you BajaGringo. First name's Jim and I'm an ex-pat Englishman living in Scotland. It's funny; I've always thought of myself as British; four nations making one family and all that jazz. I've lived in Scotland for 25 years now but I guess the push for nationalism and the national identity that goes with it makes me an Englishman. Am I going to insist on my `yumin right' to fly the flag for St. George and lobby for Morris dancing lessons down the local Leisure Centre? Probably not................

Marko, you asked for pictures of my system. Not easy; to cut a long story short we found wet rot in the floor below the washing machine. Fixing it involves specialist wood treatment and lifting/replacing floorboards and maybe a joist or two; to pay for this I've had to sell the centerpiece of my system; a beautiful Pioneer SX-1980. Back in 1979 these things were the largest receiver Pioneer made. At 79 Lbs they were extremely heavy and rare as hens teeth over here. They'll still be rare; mine was bought by a guy in Sweden................

ALL IS NOT LOST. I have a nice pair of Quad ESL57 speakers driven by a NAD 3020B pre/power amp and in the next few weeks will be getting a pair of B & W DM70s. Everything's kind of balanced on top of things at the moment, but once it's all straightened out I'll post pictures.

Filterlab
06-06-2008, 10:54
Hi Jim!

Glad you got here in the end, nice to have you on board. :)

shane
06-06-2008, 12:55
in the next few weeks will be getting a pair of B & W DM70s.

Seriously cool. Continental or Standard?

BajaGringo
06-06-2008, 14:59
I've had to sell the centerpiece of my system; a beautiful Pioneer SX-1980.

Oh, the horror!!!

I think I'd sell one of my kidneys first...

Mike Reed
06-06-2008, 19:04
'Scuse my higgorance, Combwork, and greetings, but how do you motivate electrostatics (esp. Quad) with a baby NAD?

I've always been under the impression that beefy amps. are required to get any sense out of this genre of speakers.

Commiserations with your dry rot (I know it well.......!) and welcome to the home of ranting rot, though I think that has now migrated to more aquatic climes.

In which part of Caledonia are you domiciled?

Mike
06-06-2008, 19:58
Commiserations with your dry rot (I know it well.......!)

Wet rot matey. ;)

It often goes with washing machines:

http://img360.imageshack.us/img360/1883/jpegimage1363570vs4.jpg
By shian7 (http://profile.imageshack.us/user/shian7), shot with u30D,S410D,u410D (http://profile.imageshack.us/camerabuy.php?model=u30D%2CS410D%2Cu410D&make=OLYMPUS+CORPORATION) at 2008-06-06

Hmmmm.... loverly! :(

Mike Reed
06-06-2008, 20:23
Well, wet rot dries out eventually, doesn't it?

Slight faux pas there on my part (having re-read the post in question). Early signs of brain rot, I believe.

Any more bloody rain and I'll have to get a drain surgeon in.

combwork
07-06-2008, 13:08
'Scuse my higgorance, Combwork, and greetings, but how do you motivate electrostatics (esp. Quad) with a baby NAD?

I've always been under the impression that beefy amps. are required to get any sense out of this genre of speakers.

Commiserations with your dry rot (I know it well.......!) and welcome to the home of ranting rot, though I think that has now migrated to more aquatic climes.

In which part of Caledonia are you domiciled?

I lurk in Kirriemuir, just up road from Dundee. As to higgorance, everything I 'know' I've learned from others. Notably AudioKarma (U.S. Site) plus following whatever I find on Google. The Quad ESL57 can be fully motivated by all manner of amps including the NAD 3020(B); I had a saved site listing about 30; some solid state; some valve. I thought I had it saved, but I've just spent 20 minutes trying to find it with no avail:steam: The original amp Quad designed specifically to partner their new (in the 1950's) electrostatic speaker had it's own strange way of doing things, from what I've read it was rated up to 45 watts. The NAD 3020B has a series of LEDs that light up as the power goes up. They're marked as "Power Watts 8 Ohm" and number up to 35. The thing to take into account though is that unlike the 3020, the output on the 3020B can be switched to 4 ohm and according to the manufacturer, is perfectly happy with a sustained 2 ohm load, so for the ESL57 it's a good match. It claims to be a high current design, but I think I might be pushing my luck expecting it to drive the B & W's properly.


shane Quote: "Seriously cool. Continental or Standard?"

Hi Shane, Continentals with wood finish, upgraded power supply and original paperwork. The man I'm buying them from had two pairs. One pair he bought new direct from the factory, the other pair (the ones I'm buying) he bought second hand as a back up pair in case his first pair were ever out of service:wow: Now he's having building and decorating work done on his house and needs the space. He's even lending me the original boxes his new pair came in (on pain of something horrible if I don't get them back to him). So, in a few days I'm paying him the balance and arranging transport to Kirriemuir...........from Southampton! I'd pick them up myself but unfortunately, I had an epileptic fit a couple of months back, so the DVLA nicked my license until I've been symptom free for 12 months.

If anybody here is going from the south of England to Scotland in the next few days, if you fancy a diversion let me know and I'll pay your petrol.