Barry’s radiogram [Archive] - The Art of Sound Forum

Barry

29-06-2010, 20:37

Despite having been a member for about 18 months, I have yet to provided any photographs of my system. This was due to me not having, nor being able to borrow, a digital camera. Well at long last I now have one, so here are some images for your delectation. This is my system as of 20.06.10. Here is the business end, or where the music starts:

http://i780.photobucket.com/albums/yy88/barrydhunt/001.jpg?t=1277843066

A Thorens TD124/II fitted with SME 3009 plus damper and an EMT XSD-15 cartridge.

Behind the deck you might be able to make out some other cartridges (both moving and fixed coil) fitted into SME S2 headshells.

At the moment amplification is provided by a Series 3 Quad (33/303) system and radio is via a Quad FM3 tuner. This will revert to my Series 4 system when the Quad 44 preamp comes back from repair.

http://i780.photobucket.com/albums/yy88/barrydhunt/Uher4400beingputthroughitspaces004.jpg?t=127777059 2

Since the Quad 33 preamp was designed in the days before the popularity of moving coil cartridges, the disc input has insufficient gain, so I am using a Nakamichi MCB-100 transformer as a SUT for moving coil cartridges. To the right can be seen two more EMT cartridges and on top two ADC cartridges again in SME S2 shells.

Here is a better overview of the business end. The Quad 303 can be seen on the floor. The CD player is a Sony CDP XB720E and the Quad 405 can be seen to the right.

http://i780.photobucket.com/albums/yy88/barrydhunt/Uher4400beingputthroughitspaces001.jpg?

The untidy wiring to the right of the tuner is as a result of my experimenting with a second tuner.

Two more images showing a Uher 4400 and a Nagra IV-S reel to reel tape machines being put through their paces:

http://i780.photobucket.com/albums/yy88/barrydhunt/Uher4400beingputthroughitspaces005.jpg?t=127784098 4

http://i780.photobucket.com/albums/yy88/barrydhunt/002.jpg?t=1277841394

And finally the music comes out here:

http://i780.photobucket.com/albums/yy88/barrydhunt/005.jpg?t=1277841792

Shot taken from my listening position. Owing to the distortion caused by the wide-angle lens, the speakers (Quad 57 ESLs) appear to be further away than in practice (5 metres). The brown object on the floor to the right is a Nitty Gritty RCM. The size of the living room is 10m long, 4.1m wide narrowing down to 3.3m in width, 4m towards the speakers. The speakers themselves are 2.4m from the rear wall. The room is 2.4m high, with a lot of absorbing clutter (books, records, CDs etc. plus odds and sods picked up from my travels).

More photographs are to follow, once I have reinstated the Quad Series 4 electronics (44 preamp, 405 power amp, FM4 tuner) plus some shots of my other turntables and items from the 'museum'.

Regards

Labarum

29-06-2010, 20:48

Nice to see the Quads still in service; and I look forward to more pics.

Marco

29-06-2010, 20:58

Jonboy

29-06-2010, 21:15

Very nice old school system Barry, how do you find the Thorens over a Garrard 301/401 if you have done a comparison

Alex_UK

29-06-2010, 21:43

Not sure its a 'cosy' room (33 x 13 ft roughly, for those who don't speak metric) but it is certainly very homely, Barry. As Jon says, "very nice old school system" - although I also find it interesting (if not a little ironic, then?) that Barry is one of the members here who is always trying (and telling us about) new music. Do you have any computer audio connected, or do you just buy the CD releases?

Marco

29-06-2010, 22:04

Hi Alex,

Not sure its a 'cosy' room (33 x 13 ft roughly, for those who don't speak metric)

I was referring to the way it was decorated, dahling, not the size... I sense an amusing 'Marcoism' in there, but I'll let it slip past on this occasion! :eyebrows:

Marco.

Spectral Morn

29-06-2010, 22:13

Hi Barry

Nice to finally be able to see your home system. Looking very interesting.

Regards D S D L

quadsugdenman

29-06-2010, 22:14

roob

29-06-2010, 22:21

I thought I had stepped out of a Time Machine for a moment ;)

The Grand Wazoo

29-06-2010, 22:35

Alex_UK

29-06-2010, 22:37

Hi Alex,

I was referring to the way it was decorated, dahling, not the size... I sense an amusing 'Marcoism' in there, but I'll let it slip past on this occasion! :eyebrows:

Marco.

:lol::lol::lol::lol: - we'll leave it there, then! ;)

Barry

29-06-2010, 23:23

Hi Barry,

Very 'cosy' looking room with more than a soupçon of retro charm! :)

As you know, I love your Thorens and also the type of cartridges you like. We have very similar tastes in that respect.

I also like classic Quad gear, so I look forward to popping down sometime for a sesh and bringing some respectable plonk with me to toast the occasion! :cheers:

Marco.

P.S I'll be sending you that headshell tomorrow. Sorry for the delay, but I've just been busy with various things.

You're not the first person to use that adjective on entering the room!

Retro? Retro is my middle name - just look at the equipment I use, both audio and photographic, not to mention the cars I have driven. Come to think of it, my attire can be pretty retro. I'm sure André would approve.

Look forward to being able to provide some hospitality in return. What will we be celebrating? The fact that it has taken me eighteen months to finally fulfill my obligations upon joining? :eek:

Regards

Barry

29-06-2010, 23:27

Very nice old school system Barry, how do you find the Thorens over a Garrard 301/401 if you have done a comparison

Sorry Jon, I've never done a comparison. I have read that the 301/401 has better bass performance, whereas the 124 is better with imaging.

I did once compare my 124 with a Linn LP12. I could hear some differences, but nothing that made me want to change decks.

Regards

Barry

29-06-2010, 23:35

Great set up Barry. Nice to see a 33, FM3 and 405 in service and just love those 57's and wish I could have the space to use mine:(.
What make/type tape do you use on the Nagra and Uher reel to reels?

:lolsign:

Garry

Thanks Garry. I wish I had the space for a stacked pair of 57's plus two sub woofers.

Regarding tape, whatever I can lay my hands on. Open reel tape is not a major source for me and I'm not a purist where it comes to tape. I have about 15 reels of Ferrograph (Pyral) tape as well as a few reels of EMI, Agfa, BASF, Philips and Scotch tape to be going on with.

Nick (Beechwoods) is the man to talk to about 1/4" tape.

Regards

Barry

29-06-2010, 23:39

I thought I had stepped out of a Time Machine for a moment ;)

HaHa! Wait to you see some more photos. Even some of the newer electronics is thirty years old!

Or were you refering to the décor? Yep, that's thirty years old as well!

Regards

Barry

29-06-2010, 23:44

Hehehe Barry!
It's nice to finally see all of it, at last! You should've been clapped in irons a long time ago. The first post police aren't nearly as good as they like to think they are! Sack the Sheriff, I say.

Dan Hicks & Sandy Denny, eh?

I think that's what Marco and I will be celebrating with the bottle of wine: the fact that it has take me so long to complete my obligations!

I'll take some photos of my record and CD spines, so you can go cross-eyed trying to read them! :lol:

Regards

roob

30-06-2010, 00:01

Matching hifi and decor, cool Barry cool.

The Grand Wazoo

30-06-2010, 00:03

I'll take some photos of my record and CD spines, so you can go cross-eyed trying to read them!

Ha! The fun is to recognise them without being able to read the writing........

This is your Curzon record here up against some of my records.

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/5363/curzon.jpg

I know the spines shown are my lp's, so I really ought to know them, but this illustrates my point quite well. From this, without enlarging it and using patterns & colours rather than the writing, I can clearly see:

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
Rolling Stones - Black & Blue
Santana - Amigos
Siouxie & the Banshees - Twice Upon a Time
Dusty in Memphis
The Faces - Coast to Coast: Overture & Beginners
UFO - Strangers in the Night
Uriah Heep - Demons & Wizards
Uriah Heep - The Magicians Birthday

I know, I should find something better to do with my life!

Barry

30-06-2010, 00:15

Ha! The fun is to recognise them without being able to read the writing........

This is your Curzon record here up against some of my records.

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/5363/curzon.jpg

I know the spines shown are my lp's, so I really ought to know them, but this illustrates my point quite well. From this, without enlarging it and using patterns & colours rather than the writing, I can clearly see:

Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow
Rolling Stones - Black & Blue
Santana - Amigos
Siouxie & the Banshees - Twice Upon a Time
Dusty in Memphis
The Faces - Coast to Coast: Overture & Beginners
UFO - Strangers in the Night
Uriah Heep - Demons & Wizards
Uriah Heep - The Magicians Birthday

I know, I should find something better to do with my life!

Yes I know what you mean. Certainly the third LP spine on the top shelf and the fourth and sixth on the lower shelf look striking - but I can't identify them.

You will have more difficulty with mine, as most of them have transparent outer sleeves which doesn't make 'reading' their spines easy.

Regards

Beechwoods

30-06-2010, 06:34

It's great to be able to see your gear Barry! I'm looking forward to the next instalment so keep the pictures coming.

DSJR

30-06-2010, 07:24

What a great old system :)

Do try the dada Quad upgrade on the 33, unless you've taken a different route. I found it improves things no end (and I use my 33 daily now).

Barry

02-07-2010, 10:53

What a great old system :)

Do try the dada Quad upgrade on the 33, unless you've taken a different route. I found it improves things no end (and I use my 33 daily now).

Thanks Dave,

At the moment I'm enjoying the 33/303 combination, to the extent that although my 44 has come back from Quad, I have yet to reinstate the 44/405 system. There a few things I want to do with the 33/303, or at least with the 33, before this system is returned to supplement the audio from my TV.

I have managed to buy a couple of American flat-blade mains plugs, so have made up a mains lead to allow the 33 to feed the 405. That way I will be able to compare/contrast the 303 with the 405.

Do you use your (upgraded) 33 with the Crown D60s? What are the improvements that Dada provide? I'm interested in capacitor replacement, but I'm not keen on Net's improvement to the power supply. I think they fit a socket on a new plug-in tape circuit card and use a 'wall wart' power supply. I don't like the look of that.

When the 44/405 is reinstated, I will probably get the 33/303 'Dada'd' - I'm sure the capacitors could do with replacing and the replacement of the bridge rectifier with low noise Schottky's looks good as well.

Regards

Rare Bird

02-07-2010, 14:11

Retro? Retro is my middle name - just look at the equipment I use, both audio and photographic, not to mention the cars I have driven. Come to think of it, my attire can be pretty retro. I'm sure André would approve.

:respect:

Barry

02-07-2010, 15:12

:respect:

Hurray! André have you returned to the fold? Always thought you would.

Excellent news - It's made my day! :mex:

Regards

quadsugdenman

02-07-2010, 15:28

:respect:

Good to see you back matey we've missed you!!!

:youtheman::youtheman::youtheman::youtheman:

Rare Bird

02-07-2010, 19:15

:sofa:

John

02-07-2010, 19:29

Welcome back

quadsugdenman

02-07-2010, 19:32

:sofa:

Come on fella, dont be shy, show us yer posts!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)

DSJR

02-07-2010, 19:47

Andr'e, you're ALWAYS welcome here with us all. When you have an "off" week or two as I now do, just hang back until you feel better, and THEN come back for some fun :)

The biggest improvement you can make to a 33 I understand is to revise the power supply along the Dada recommendations. This involves the supply caps, and raising the circuit voltage to 16V (from 12V) by replacing the two resistors, the Zener diode and upgrading the main diodes (I went one further and put in a pair of UF4007 which may have made a tiny further upgrade.. The phono board needs to have the power voltage reduced back to 12V though, to keep noise down. I also replaced the .68uF caps on the output boards to 1uF as per Richard Brice, but left the rest alone as I wanted to use the tone controls and filters.

Download the Dada 33 upgrade pdf. It's explained there quite well I think.

As for sound. To me, the 33 now sounds like the X10-D but ever-so-slightly gentler and more "organic." I feel the race-tuned X10-D is the better, but with the gain on the Crowns turned fully up, the Quad comes into its own, although the gain is slightly high despite the internal gain adjustment resistors in the Dada kit.

As you've been using and enjoying a standard 33, for under £25, I'd buy the dada kit, some little red Wima 1uF caps with, IIRC, 10mm pitch and do it in stages.

Put it this way, I have an AVI preamp out of the system that I could have used instead of the Quad 33. So far, I have no inclination to change things, despite the accuracy and solid-state precision of the AVI. I'm sure the Quad 33 modifies the sound ever-so-slightly still, but you know, I couldn't care less! :lol:

aquapiranha

02-07-2010, 20:32

I love the look of that T/T

I am also a fan of Sandy Denny too.

Andre! good to see you back matey!!!

dantheman91

03-07-2010, 08:17

Hi

Fantastic system mate.
i still miss my dads old quads:(

Rare Bird

04-07-2010, 21:48

http://i780.photobucket.com/albums/yy88/barrydhunt/001.jpg?t=1277843066

http://i780.photobucket.com/albums/yy88/barrydhunt/Uher4400beingputthroughitspaces004.jpg?t=127777059 2

Barry do you realise this Topic has made my week :)

Barry

04-07-2010, 21:54

Thanks André,

For my part, just let me say that your return to AoS has made my week! :cool:

Regards

Macca

04-07-2010, 23:42

Thanks André,

For my part, just let me say that your return to AoS has made my week! :cool:

Regards

Barry it has made my week that finally someone on AOS has a living room decor even more dated than mine I try to bullshit women that it's deliberate retro chic but I dont often (i.e never) get away with it.

Seriously it is a shame you live so far away in Essex as this is a system I would really like to hear - I had a 33 pre briefly and a pal had a 303 at one point but that is the limit of my Quad experience. Great pics.

Barry

05-07-2010, 00:14

Barry it has made my week that finally someone on AOS has a living room decor even more dated than mine I try to bullshit women that it's deliberate retro chic but I don't often (i.e never) get away with it.

Seriously it is a shame you live so far away in Essex as this is a system I would really like to hear - I had a 33 pre briefly and a pal had a 303 at one point but that is the limit of my Quad experience. Great pics.

:lolsign:

Truth be told it, badly needs redecorating: ceiling, walls, a new carpet and furniture. However it hasn't been touched for 30 years (honest!), as I couldn't put up with disruption and not being able to play any music.

Will have to bite the bullet someday....

Retro Chic - I like that, but agree that it wouldn't impress women; not Ikea enough.

Regards

Ali Tait

05-07-2010, 08:16

Yes great system Barry.I used to have a pair of 57's but I've never heard any Quad amps.Have to rectify that someday.

Rare Bird

05-07-2010, 11:01

Aye this is the present project, just stripping some sorrifull 303's you can see someone sprayed black :steam: Anyone with '303's look closely you can see a fine casting seam at the top of the heatsink fins, this bugs me so must comeoff before having the parts re-finished.

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a222/LIVING-SIN/303.jpg

Barry

05-07-2010, 11:24

Yes I know about the cast line. Yes, they should have been fettled better, but I don't let it worry me. Most of the time the amp is on the floor, out of view.

Good luck on the refurbishment.

DSJR

05-07-2010, 16:10

Rare Bird

05-07-2010, 16:40

:lolsign: