View Full Version : Follow up from my original "Speaker Query" post
This post will no doubt lead on to further questions which I'm bound to ask later but for now I'll try to keep this brief.
After the fantastic help I received on here on using the Tannoy speakers I acquired via our TV we decided that because there was nowhere to position the Tannoy's whilst keeping our present living room furniture we would look to having a major change around in order to be able to keep & use the Tannoys.
This would mean disposing of a large three seater setee, moving armchairs around, hanging the TV on the wall and looking for a piece of furniture which could house equipment and fit in and look good with the speakers.
With all this in mind I've been keeping an eye open on the local auctions for something that might fit the bill.
Recently we came across something that we thought may well work well ..... Although the pictures on the auction site were very poor it peaked our interest being described as -
"A George III Commode converted to house HiFi equipment together with four speakers" Estimate £100 - £150.
I e-mailed the auction house asking for better pictures and a condition report but all I got back was "Good working condition. No amplifier with this lot". No extra pictures were sent so I had to try to figure out what I could see from the blurry pictures!
From what I could make out it looked like it would be a bargain if it went on or near estimate so I decided to bid on it when the lot came up.
Being a local auction house but also having online bidding it very quickly became apparent that several people were VERY interested in this also and the estimate was swiftly exceeded by some way! However I figured that with that much interest I'd hang in there as herself had taken a real liking to the item as a piece of furniture.
In the end I won it ..... I won't say for how much but it was a lot more than I'd have preferred!
Having got the thing home I've been trying to make a list of the contents and how I might possibly use them. I'll add some pictures and possible thoughts on what I can/might do with it in a follow up post but for now I'll just list whats sitting in the commode and maybe someone could come and kick me if I've bought a pile of rubbish!
So apart from the Commode itself inside is the following as far as I can make out from checking on the internet -
2 x B&W 600i series speakers
2 x Wharfdale Dovedale 3(?) speakers
1 x Akai GX-R66 Tape player
1 x Quad FM3 Tuner
1 x Quad 33 Pre-amp
1 x Quad 303 Power Amp (Told by the auction house there was no Amp but it was fitted in the back behind the other Pre-Amp & Tuner)
1 x STD 305D Turntable (From what I can make out this might have been why there was so much bidding interest?)
1 x SME 3009 Turntable arm
1 x Pickering XV-15/625E Cartridge
Any thought's/ideas ..... Apart from the Commode itself should I keep any of it to use with the TV/Tannoys or think about selling it on. All my LP's/records went several years ago so I don't really have a need for the turntable unless convinced to keep it?
Not a bad haul there, there's no rubbish. Everything there has some value, even the tape deck.
I'd keep the 303 power amp and get a passive pre-amp to use with it. You might like that better than the NAD (it should be better). Sell the 33 pre-amp.
If you will get any use out of a tape deck, tuner and record deck keep all of them. They're all good.
The Dovedales are worth about a ton assuming they are working fine and in good cosmetic condition. The B&W maybe fifty quid.
I agree with Martin,
I don't know what you paid for the 'Commode', but each of the Quad items would fetch ~ £100 apiece, and the turntable and arm a lot more. :)
As Martin has said: "nice haul".
walpurgis
25-07-2020, 16:40
Hi Dave Welcome to AOS.
So your commode is no longer 'bog' standard? :)
Yeah, keep the Quad 303, it's a well liked Classic. The STD + SME are well worth using and should suit the Pickering. I'd also hang onto the Dovedale III speakers, they're not the last word in refinement, but they are a lot of fun!
Pigmy Pony
25-07-2020, 19:19
Nice haul Dave, you "flushed" out a bit of a bargain. Traditionally commodes were just full of shit. Do items like this come up regularly, or was it a flash in the pan?
A few pictures of the crap that came with the commode
Now I've run power to it the turntable has a digital speed read out window showing the exact turntable rpm. Apart from the regular 33/45/78 settings there's an additional feature which allows manual adjustment to set the exact rpm required between each rpm setting ie. If you want to run at 35rpm you can easily adjust it, all clever stuff.
2 x B&W 600i series speakers
2 x Wharfdale Dovedale 3(?) speakers
1 x Akai GX-R66 Tape player
1 x Quad FM3 Tuner
1 x Quad 33 Pre-amp
1 x Quad 303 Power Amp (Told by the auction house there was no Amp but it was fitted in the back behind the other Pre-Amp & Tuner)
1 x STD 305D Turntable (From what I can make out this might have been why there was so much bidding interest?)
1 x SME 3009 Turntable arm
1 x Pickering XV-15/625E Cartridge
2822328224282252822628227
Unless the Quad three are better than what you have, I would sell them as a trio after cleaning them up, their sound is a bit dated, and the 303 produces bloated bass..
Ok, so after trying to digest the replies and rummaging around the ether until my head hurts I have a couple of "What if" questions.
Please bare in mind that this is all new to me so any questions may be based on my stupidity :scratch:
All I really want to achieve (for now) is to run the TV through the Tannoy speakers I have and with the help of forum members I managed to set this up temporarily & very successfully via TV - DAC - NAD 3020 - Tannoys.
When I move all the furniture around and put the commode in position I'd like to end up with the same ie TV out through the speakers which brings me to the (probably) stupid questions.
1) "IF" I decided to keep the commode contents could I connect my DAC directly into the Quad 33 Pre-amp as opposed to into the Nad 3020?
2) Would it alternatively be possible (or beneficial?) to use the NAD as a pre-amp instead of the Quad 33 then feed into the Quad 303?
3) Would it be better to do away with the Quad 33 & 303 and stick with using the NAD?
4) Would it be better to do away with the Quad 33 & look for/add a passive(?) pre-amp?
All suggestions/idea's gratefully received!
No doubt other question will arise later .....
initially i'd try the quad stuff with the dac.. dac line out to quad pre line in... the nad, if i remember, doesnt have an option for using it as a pre(i could be wrong tho) so if thats case then that is out. passive pre will depend on gain structure. the 303 's can be good power amps. the pre 33 is the weak part, or can be.... but it looks great and i'd be inclined to try the whole thing and if its good, then use it.
does the nad not have digital inputs? if so then you could use its dac instead of the one your using(if thats what your doing)
walpurgis
26-07-2020, 09:07
1, Probably work OK.
2, Should be OK and may sound better, Worth trying.
3, Not necessarily, both 303 and NAD are worthy items. (the Quad is an appreciating Classic, the NAD is not quite as desirable yet, but sounds as good in its own way)
3, I'd say so, but using the NAD as a pre-amp may sound even better, as mentioned.
(the above, assuming your version of the NAD has pre-amp out sockets, not all did)
The DAC will overload the QUAD 33 pre-amp. The 33 pre-amp is not very good in any case, the pre-amp section of the NAD is a better bet.
Passive pre-amps can be bought very cheaply, get one and do the comparison of NAD to 303, passive-pre to 303 and NAD on its own. Settle with the combo you prefer.
the dac will overload the quad 33 pre-amp. The 33 pre-amp is not very good in any case, the pre-amp section of the nad is a better bet.
Passive pre-amps can be bought very cheaply, get one and do the comparison of nad to 303, passive-pre to 303 and nad on its own. Settle with the combo you prefer.
yeah i felt that may be case but felt it worth a try. No the 33 isnt great in its original form although for a tv system it may surprise. My mate uses one and it sounds very nice.
he has the input altered for cd etc
yeah i felt that may be case but felt it worth a try. No the 33 isnt great in its original form although for a tv system it may surprise. My mate uses one and it sounds very nice.
he has the input altered for cd etc
They look good but imo they are worse than the 34 and the 34 is not that much cop either. Maybe I've only heard bad ones. But in any case the input won't accept 2V without mods and I don't think it's worth the trouble, unless you have a real thing for the styling.
The DAC will overload the QUAD 33 pre-amp. The 33 pre-amp is not very good in any case, the pre-amp section of the NAD is a better bet.
Passive pre-amps can be bought very cheaply, get one and do the comparison of NAD to 303, passive-pre to 303 and NAD on its own. Settle with the combo you prefer.
So if I'm understanding correctly I can't connect my DAC directly into the Quad 33 pre-amp without causing potential problems but if I get a passive pre-amp installed between the DAC & 303 it would work ok?
I assume if I do the above I would then need to also connect the Turntable/Tuner/Tape to the new passive amp to get everything up and running and the 33 would be out of the pipeline but could still sit there just not doing anything?
At present the power feeds from the Quad 33 into the 303 via a sort of round 4(?) pin plug. Would it be easy to get a new power supply to the 303?
Is it easy enough to connect a "new" passive pre-amp to the 303?
At some point I will add a cd/blue ray player which I guess would also need to connect to the passive?
I suppose the next question would be is there a passive amp that would cater for all the above connections that anyone could recommend that's not going to drain the bank balance too much?
Alternatively I could leave the components in the commode (Turntable/Amps/Tape) unused for now but sitting where I want it in the front room and stick to using the TV/DAC/NAD 320e/Tannoys as I tried temporarily earlier until I decide on the best course of action?
http://www.richardbrice.net/quad33&303.htm
a good ee could fix it up for you..
So if I'm understanding correctly I can't connect my DAC directly into the Quad 33 pre-amp without causing potential problems but if I get a passive pre-amp installed between the DAC & 303 it would work ok?
I assume if I do the above I would then need to also connect the Turntable/Tuner/Tape to the new passive amp to get everything up and running and the 33 would be out of the pipeline but could still
yes it would all work with a passive except the turntable, you would need a phono stage for that. Also one issue with passive pre-amps can be the number of inputs. BTE:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bte-designs-TYPE-2-passive-preamp-pre-amplifier-customizable-to-your-spec/254262826576?hash=item3b333ed650:g:jlwAAOSw1i5bsgI G
will do you one with as many inputs as you need, you have to get a quote from him but prices are reasonable. Depends on how much you want to experiment. For no hassle solution just use the NAD as a pre-amp as then you don't have to get a separate phono stage and you already have it so the cost is nothing. A cable to connect the NAD to the 303 won't be more than a tenner.
Depending on the age of the 303 you might need a specific cable if it does not have RCA inputs but they should be available somewhere on line.
http://www.richardbrice.net/quad33&303.htm
a good ee could fix it up for you..
If push comes to shove it might be end up being an option!
walpurgis
26-07-2020, 13:52
If you just want a cheap way to hear what a passive pre-amp sounds like, try one of these: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Universal-Car-Audio-Amplifier-Bass-RCA-Level-Remote-Volume-Controller-Knob-LC-01/193180160911?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649
It's only a pot in a box with in/out leads, but works just fine and sounds vastly better than you'd expect.
I have one in my collection. It took just under three weeks to arrive from China.
yes it would all work with a passive except the turntable, you would need a phono stage for that. Also one issue with passive pre-amps can be the number of inputs. BTE:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Bte-designs-TYPE-2-passive-preamp-pre-amplifier-customizable-to-your-spec/254262826576?hash=item3b333ed650:g:jlwAAOSw1i5bsgI G
will do you one with as many inputs as you need, you have to get a quote from him but prices are reasonable. Depends on how much you want to experiment. For no hassle solution just use the NAD as a pre-amp as then you don't have to get a separate phono stage and you already have it so the cost is nothing. A cable to connect the NAD to the 303 won't be more than a tenner.
Depending on the age of the 303 you might need a specific cable if it does not have RCA inputs but they should be available somewhere on line.
So if I'm following correctly >
DAC to NAD to the 303 via new cable
Turntable/Tuner/Tape into the NAD
303 out to Tannoys
33 is then bypassed & voila .....?
So if I'm following correctly >
DAC to NAD to the 303 via new cable
Turntable/Tuner/Tape into the NAD
303 out to Tannoys
33 is then bypassed & voila .....?
That's it.
That's it.
Many thank's
Once I've managed to rearrange the furniture and start sorting bits out I'll no doubt be back with more daft questions!
walpurgis
26-07-2020, 14:24
I'll no doubt be back with more daft questions!
There are no "daft questions". Plenty of daft answers about though! :D
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