What would be your top 3 favourite bits of classic kit?

[The Black Adder]

Hi all.

So, if you had to choose 3 bits of classic gear, what would you choose?

It could be something you own or owned, or something you hope to own one day.

[emoji106][emoji2][emoji41]

Sent from my BBC Microcomputer 32K

[guy]

Rega ELA mk1
Linn LP12
I still have the above

Possibly and ADC XLM cartridge or Quad II’s (which i no longer have in working order), or perhaps Mission 710 speakers - apologies for indecision on third choice :)

[Barry]

For me that's easy:

Quad 57 ESL speakers
I have been using them for the last 50 years, and despite their limitations, I'm unlikely to change them now.

Thorens 124/II turntable
Again I have used this turntable for over 50 years, and think so well of the design I bought two more (to use with different arms and cartridges).

The Decca Mk. VI cartridge
Also known as the Decca Gold, in general I prefer this model over the Decca V (also known as the Decca Blue). However I have to add this caveat: you have to find a good sample: Decca's quality control was atrocious, but with a good sample a Decca will present a sound that has a greater sense of life, attack and vivacity than virtually any other cartridge available today. Decca cartridges fitted with a fine line stylus profile are preferred, such as the rare Weintz parabolic or the Van Den Hul.



There are of course many other classic pieces of gear that
I use, but you asked to name three.

[bardley]

Good thread this.. I love a bit of classic kit.
Making great reading and Googling If I don't know.

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[Beobloke]

Garrard 301 turntable

Leak 3090 loudspeakers

B&O Beocenter 7007 music centre

[AJSki2fly]

Krell KSP-7B pre-amplifier
A lovely neutral and natural sounding pre, also very, very good onboard phono stage.

Krell KSA-80 power amp

One that is serviced and recapped is as good as new and built like a tank to last, loads of power, gives a wonderful spacious soundstage and lots of control, it just does it all very well.

Rockport Lyra loudspeaker
Having heard a pair if money was not a problem and I had a suitable room then it would have to be a pair of these, just breathtakingly good. Alternatively a high-end pair of Wilson Benesch speakers.

[Macca]

I think I'd have a Sony CDP101

https://i.ibb.co/mXwx4F3/sony-cdp-101-worlds-first-cd-player-a-piece-of-audio-history-and-working-perfectly-digital-866.jpg (https://ibb.co/YyMrhTx)

Radford STA15

https://i.ibb.co/f2v8gDG/radford.jpg (https://imgbb.com/)

with a passive pre

And some Sansui SP5000

https://i.ibb.co/T8JW1DZ/sansui.jpg (https://ibb.co/58CKkXd)

[Barry]

OK, three more classic pieces of kit I have used and still possess:

Radford STA15 Mk.III amplifier
A 15 watt/channel amplifier using EL34 output pentode valves. Like many British amplifiers of the time it is based on the Mullard 5-20, however thanks to the advice of audio theorist Dr Bailey the ECC83 phase splitter is replaced with an ECF82 for lower distortion.
The 25 watt/channel also shares the same valve line up, but the STA15 replaces the solid state rectifier for a GZ34 double diode. It is claimed this change creates a sweeter mid-range.
A perfect valve amplifier with which to drive Quad 57 speakers.

EMT XSD15 moving coil pickup
Not my first mc cartridge (that was an Ortofon SL15E), but the first which offered a truly believable portrayal of a musical performance. Used in either an SME 3009 or 3012 arm I used the cartridge for a few years, prompting me to buy a couple more fitted with Van den Hul stylii.

Mark Levinson ML-2 25W solid-state monoblock amplifiers
Again bought to drive my Quad 57 speakers, these American amplifiers are absolute behemoths. They are pure Class A designs, so draw constant current from the mains and are only about 25% efficient, which means what is not used by the speaker is dissipated as heat. They are thus big, heavy and run hot, very hot with concomitant reliability problems. I only used them for about a year because in the summer months the excess heat was overbearing. Many regard them to be the perfect amplifier for Quads and I can understand why.

[Macca]

Most of my system is getting on for classic status anyway

speakers are 23 years old

Pre-amp is 34 years old

Power amp is 30 years old.

Only the CD transport is new.

[Stranraer]

More of a Modern Classic I guess, but I'll weigh in with the Mark Levinson 390S CD player.
In the hope that it's life will be extended I use mine mainly as a DAC right now with Audiolab 6000 as transport, but every now and then I'll spin a disc on it and either way it sounds glorious.

[Barry]

More of a Modern Classic I guess, but I'll weigh in with the Mark Levinson 390S CD player.
In the hope that it's life will be extended I use mine mainly as a DAC right now with Audiolab 6000 as transport, but every now and then I'll spin a disc on it and either way it sounds glorious.

Agree re the Levinson 390S player. You use yours as a DAC, whereas I'm looking for an off-board DAC for my ML390.
I have a Teac unit but it doesn't seem to like the Levinson player.

[The Black Adder]

There's some lovely bits of kit listed so far. Keep it coming.

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[Stranraer]

I'm looking for an off-board DAC for my ML390.

I'd be interested to see how far up the ladder you'll need to go to improve the DAC.
Should be fun finding out........

[Barry]

I'd be interested to see how far up the ladder you'll need to go to improve the DAC.
Should be fun finding out........

At the moment I'm quite happy with the ML390 as a complete player. There is a Levinson DAC, the ML360S, but it is the same size of the player and is expensive (about £3,000 for a used sample), so of no real interest as space available is limited.

[Barry]

I should have added that the Teac DAC is the UD-H01. It has an adjustable headphone output and mains switch on the front, balanced XLR outputs at rear, and is a compact unit (about 22cm square by 5cm high). It would be perfect, were it not for the fact it doesn't seem to like the ML390. :doh:

I should try it with another CD player I have (a Studer Revox C221), but cannot be bothered at the moment.

[Mikeandvan]

Gotta be the 1210 for me. Looks fantastic, built like a tank, smooth operation, and affordable for the masses.

[shane]

Gale GT2101/Transcriptors Fluid Arm
Lecson AC1/AP3/FM1
Gale GS401A (the chrome ones)

Don't know what it would sound like, but it would look amazing!

[Barry]

Gale GT2101/Transcriptors Fluid Arm
Lecson AC1/AP3/FM1
Gale GS401A (the chrome ones)

Don't know what it would sound like, but it would look amazing!

Agree re. looks, especially the Lecson. But looks aren't everything, and the Lecson had reliability problems.

[Lawrence001]

Not saying they would make a good system but I'll go with

Marantz CD94 MkII cd player

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240425/1117a4a2e981784c00598ae81b036899.jpg

Musical Fidelity A100 amplifier

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240425/b5bbfbdc95d955d3a014d1401048c76e.jpg

IMF TLS80 speakers

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20240425/6c64e508ea9330e7004a5c4d0c70b92f.jpg

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[Stranraer]

At the moment I'm quite happy with the ML390 as a complete player. There is a Levinson DAC, the ML360S, but it is the same size of the player and is expensive (about £3,000 for a used sample), so of no real interest as space available is limited.
Probably going to embarrass myself here but wouldn't the 360 DAC be the same as the DAC within the 390 ?

[Barry]

Probably going to embarrass myself here but wouldn't the 360 DAC be the same as the DAC within the 390 ?

No, they are different. The 360S uses 4 PCM1704 multibit DAC chips, whereas the internal DAC of the 390S player uses 2AD1853 delta/sigma bitstream chips.

One review found the only really significant difference was in the bass: the 360 refined and articulate, but the 390S was more lush and free. Or to put it another way, the 360S was more controlled, the 390S more musical.

However the 360S is the same size as a 390S, and used samples go for upwards of £3,000. Ideally I'm looking for a compact DAC but maybe I'll put it all on hold for a while.

[SteveRW]

Mission PCM 7000 CD Player
Mission Cyrus 2 Amp
Mission 753 Freedom

Used to sell them in a hifi shop back in the 80s, lovely sound!

[sailor]

Dahlquist DQ10 very advanced for their time and a bargain. (were stolen)
GAS Son of Ampzilla, now stripped and host to Neurochrome 286 modules, temporarily standing in for my ML23.5 or maybe not :hmm:
Wadia 15, if there was a fire and had time to only grab one component it would be this!

[Alex_UK]

I’ve always lusted after a Michell GyroDec, I know they are still made, but a classic in my opinion.

So that’s my source, I will have to think about amp and speakers…

[Barry]

Three more from me:

1 Elecrocompaniet 'The Two Channel Audio Amplifier'

Despite the rather obvious and prosaic sounding name, this first offering from Electrocompaniet was a commercial realisation of a circuit published in the IEEE by Matti Otala.

Winning no prizes for looks it was however one of the best solid-state amplifiers I ever used in my system and along with, then, the Mark Levinson ML-2, a perfect match with Quad ESLs.


2 Ikeda 9C III cartridge
This is a cantileverless moving coil cartridge designed by Ikeda and originally marketed by Rowland Research in the US.
Imagine a moving coil cartridge without a cantilever, in the same way the Decca cartridges are fixed-coil designs but don't have a cantilever.

The Ikeda 9C III displays all the smoothness and liquidity of a good moving coil cartridge with the added 'air', attack and sheer "life" of Decca designs.

Intended to be used with the Ikeda-modified Ortofon 309 arm, the 309i, it works very well in other detachable headshell arms such as the SME M2-12R.

It is one of the top three cartridges in my collection.


3 Brinkmann 10.5 pickup arm
Based on the now unobtainable Breuer Dynamic 8C arm, the Brinkmann arm displays all of the craftsmanship, fit and finish of the Breuer and can support a wider range of cartridges, without compromising sound quality.

The effective length of 10.5" makes it difficult to fit onto the armboard of the Thorens TD124 deck, but it can just about be done with care.

[Slack]

Based on what I have owned/still own-
B&W DM70 hybrid electrostatic speakers.-still considered by many as the best B&W has made.The midrange IS very special.
Tannoy Monitor Gold !5s in big wide baffle boxes-just musically involving with a big relaxed and vibrant sound.
Gale 401 speakers-Groove,punch and finesse.

[Macca]

Based on what I have owned/still own-
B&W DM70 hybrid electrostatic speakers.-still considered by many as the best B&W has made.The midrange IS very special.
Tannoy Monitor Gold !5s in big wide baffle boxes-just musically involving with a big relaxed and vibrant sound.
Gale 401 speakers-Groove,punch and finesse.

I've always wanted a go on the DM70. They must be very rare now.