Bargains on ebay?

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Originally Posted by The Grand Wazoo

That looks great Barry. Are you going to assemble the entire system that would have been your heart's desire at the time?

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Hi Chris,

Truth of the matter is I can't remember what my 'heart's desire' was in those days. The only speakers I had heard at the time were some small Celestions (Ditton 15s, I think), Wharfedales (my speakers were DIY jobbies using Wharfedale DD-8RS drivers) and some small Tannoys (I think they were the model III LZ). Later I lived for a year with a pair of Lowther Acoustas using PM6 units, and for a time considered using the same drive units in the 'Lowther Ideal Baffle', with the option to build the Acousta cabinets later.

I don't think I had heard the Quad ESLs then (now, erroneously, referred to as the 57s).

Cambridge Audio later developed the R40 and R50 transmission line speaker. I did have frequent access to the R50s: a four-way design using the popular combination of KEF B139 woofer, B110 mid, Celestion HF1300 tweeter and STC (Coles) super-tweeter. I liked them, but when I heard the Quads they were what I was looking for.

I don't have the room for a complete Cambridge Audio system; the R50s are just too big and too heavy.

Regards

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Originally Posted by Tim

That's a very attractive looking amplifier for sure Barry and thanks for posting the link too, I had never seen that and may give my old Albarry a once over :)

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Hi Tim

I'm not sure who styled the P-series amplifiers, but they seem to an excellent example of Bauhaus thinking: "Form follows function".

I just had to 'name-drop' the Library article - I do have a vested interest. :eyebrows: Hope you find it useful.

Regards

My goodness it's like travelling back in time here. My first speakers were Celestion Ditton 15s and I remember selling the Quad Electrostatics for £66 a pair in the shop I worked in. I wish I had purchased a pair myself at the time... although I think my wife wouldn't be pleased now if I had...

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Originally Posted by Marco

Wonderful looking amp, Barry - just my sort of thing! :)

So other than the Cambridge tuner, what else do you have planned for the third system (indeed, what is your second system, as I don't remember you having mentioned it?)

Will the third system be fronted by a digital or analogue front end, or both? And what speakers do you fancy? Some vintage horns would be nice! :eyebrows: ;)

Marco.

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Hi Marco,

I have mentioned my second system, however it is not used much, is in a state of flux and so changes from time to time. It is in a spare bedroom where the TV lives and is used to reproduce the stereo audio channels from the Freeview box or from the DVD player. Over the years it has consisted of:

Quad 33/303 into Eltax bookshelf speakers (the latter are better than you might think)

then

Hafler DH101 / Quad 303 into Eltax speakers

Lately it has been:

Levinson ML10A / Quad 520 into B&W DM2A speakers.

The latter might seem to be a bit OTT for 'home cinema', but I may hook up a TT for vinyl replay and find a CD player to justify the equipment. Ideally I want some speakers that are about 2/3 the size of the DM2As.

If I do set up a third system, it will be for my bedroom and will require small speakers.

Regards

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Originally Posted by Chris_T

My goodness it's like travelling back in time here. My first speakers were Celestion Ditton 15s and I remember selling the Quad Electrostatics for £66 a pair in the shop I worked in. I wish I had purchased a pair myself at the time... although I think my wife wouldn't be pleased now if I had...

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Travelling back in time?
Oh yes, we have an entire "Travelling Back in Time Dept." here!

Head Office:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=5

And several branches:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=28

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Originally Posted by The Grand Wazoo

Travelling back in time?
Oh yes, we have an entire "Travelling Back in Time Dept." here!

Head Office:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=5

And several branches:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=28

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Thanks Chris, I'll take a look. I used to own a Hafler DH101 (that Barry mentioned) along with a DH200 too. It's a bit weird to see your past floating before your eyes when you aren't expecting it :)

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If I do set up a third system, it will be for my bedroom and will require small speakers.

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Cool. Perhaps a nice pair of BBC-heritage Chartwell LS3/5as? :)

Marco.

NO MARCO :lol: The 3/5A was deliberately contoured for the particular (outside?) broadcast job they had to do and really don't cut it as main domestic speakers these days any more than Spendor BC1's do today, despite the small but highly vocal fans of these models - things have moved on in leaps and bounds, as Alex's SP1's reminded me earlier today :) These days, they fetch far too much money and the Harbeth P3ESR's at £1500 or so absolutely annihilate them IN EVERY WAY :) - Oh alright, you don't like me being absolutist :lol: but in this I'm far more right than wrong - I think :D

Anyway, back to eBay and some sort of reality bargain ;) Try this for a starter cartridge of considerable merit (I have one and rate it highly) -

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SHURE-TURN...item519a7bcf72

Wipes the floor with the AT95E, which sells for over double the price of the above, which is a Shure 76-6S body with a Swiss or Japanese N91ED pattern stylus (with decent diamond tip). It's better than a cheapo Ortofon as well (OM10 and under), tracks pretty well at 1.25g and retains bass while having a far better treble than an M75-EJ for example. I have the original N70-EJ and N93E styli which fit exactly (same body as M93E I believe) and the supplied pattern stylus has more life and bounce to my ears.

Each to his or her own, I guess, Dave... I've heard Chartwell LS3/5as sound superb in the right system :)

Marco.

But I understood you don't like small squeakers?????????

I know this is giong to be difficult as dealers are so few and far between, but the P3ESR's take the "classic" 15 Ohm 3/5A's from the mid 70's and build on the strengths. The bass "breathes" better with no "stunt-bass" qualities, the midrange is sweet, open and so natural with absolutely NO "quack" or "glare" at all (that "radial" material, whatever it is, seems to work so well in a speaker driver) and as for the treble, well, all I can say is that it's as sweet as the source allows, no sizzle or spit at all (which deliberately affected all 3/5A's for their monitoring purposes - emphasising distortion and tape-hiss). There's a clarity in these (Croft driven) that my ATC 20SL pro-actives couldn't beat and only equal (just) in the midrange...

Anyway, I'm sure the set you heard sounded very good in a properly matched system. Forgive me if I sometimes get a bit absolutist about things - I think you know that I am actually quite flexible in opinion and will say so if my old views are changed dramatically :peace: