The new KT88 is the 300B!
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The new KT88 is the 300B!
Ooo-er nice one :smoking:
Let's hope those f*ckers from Empire Stores cough up - if not the boys might just have to pay them a little visit ;)
Marco.
I've kinda got pissed off a bit after today's shenanigans! ;)
For those who don't know, Empire Stores has gone tits up and taken the money I recently payed for a brand new Technics SL1210 with it. Twats!
I might get it back, but it won't be in the next ten minutes or anything.
I think you're taking it remarkably well, actually :)
Marco.
Well, what else can I do? :confused:
T'ain't exactly a fortune... Worse things happen at sea, as they say! :)
Or summat.
Sounds fantastic :) Any excuse to retreat to the shed, eh ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Mike Homar
Oh yeah.Quote:
Originally Posted by Beechwoods
And I'm gonna get one of them too! :eyebrows:
Sorry to hear that Mike.
I guess it's a dodgy time to buy anything of value, unless you can actually walk out the door with it.:(
Well after speaking to Mr Toy, my open mindedness made me give some cables from Mark Grant a whirl, they've had me scratching my head, how come these buggers work better than the somewhat more expensive offerings, tis witchcraft I tell ye.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
They're fantastic, aren't they? :eyebrows:
Quite simply, I haven't heard any better cables anywhere, ever, - at any price! 'Giant-killing' gear offering the highest SPPV value is undoubtedly what it's at with hi-fi...
Marco.
True and I've ordered some black mamba's as well, they too could be interesting.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
I think you can take that as a given ;)
Marco.
Somebody also recommended Maplins OFC copper as a link between external crossover and speaker terminals, which has to be a pee take.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Why not? Give it a go - remember, there are no 'absolutes'! ;)
Marco.
:doh: okay, death by cableQuote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Any of you guy's ever tried Hitachi 102 ssx LCOFC speaker cable' its rather good i bought it from Kevin scott of definitive audio nottingham, it was a big surprise for me.
He also sold me an interconnect made from standard copper with an outer braid and the worst cheap'n'nasty plugs you ever saw' and do you know what it sounded bloody good ' i asked him why the cheap plugs and he told me it gave a really good tight contact.
They were about £160 again i asked him why so much , and he said for every good one they made about 10 had to be thrown away' as a real bitch to solder those cheap plugs.
His current one's use neutric plugs, i am sure that Guy knows Kevin so he may be familiar with these cables .
I've recommended Maplin's 50 strand in red and black for re-wiring the insides of old Speakers like mine which came with 17 strand (less than) bell wire. What was good enough for Epos ES14's is ok for me (the wires look to be the same make, but someone will come along and tell me I'm mistaken no doubt :))Quote:
Originally Posted by shuggz
hi chris,Quote:
Originally Posted by chris@panteg
i still have some of that hitachi cable somewhere, ive had it for years, and i agree, its a good cable.:)
anthony,TD...
Hi Anthony
Yes its quite surprisingly good' though there is always something out there even better i guess ,the black mamba looks interesting.
Yes the Mamba I find very good.Quite seamless top to bottom.
As usual I been reflecting on this topic
I plan to go a whole year without upgrading any part of my system , my reference point has always been live music and think as far as hifi goes this is impossible task Of course there are a few items that would improve my system some nice Open baffles for starters but the speakers I got are pretty good.
I think we owe a lot into those DIY tweakers; some may spend more time tweaking than listening to music but there knowledge and skills allows us to find cheaper alternatives to creating good sound and for that alone I am thankful.
About 10 years ago I could never imagine me writing on a hifi forum I would of considered it close to train spotting, so in future I will try and limit my observations more to music rather than Hifi where others have far more experience and knowledge.
Don't you dare, matey! We value all your observations here, John - hi-fi, music or otherwise orientated :)Quote:
...so in future I will try and limit my observations more to music rather than Hifi where others have far more experience and knowledge.
So keep your hi-fi comments based on 'limited knowledge', coming... ;)
Marco.
A thought provoking topic indeed. Seems to have wandered off a little here and there as such things will.
I have been mulling over various aspects of this for days and TBPH could not decide whether I wished or needed to contribute and if so why.
Being at a loose end, I went back to the beginning of this thread and reread the opening and realised that there were a few points I considered worth raising.
For myself it is definitely about the music, I only became seriously involved in this whole malarkey a few years ago when I became dissatisfied with what had sufficed until then.
In general terms I think many people will become defensive when "robustly challenged" - confrontation is not always the best route to change.
Acceptance of one's own realities, yes, that is necessary.
I think of myself as largely practical and for that reason, I suppose, I would be considered subjectivist. If I cannot hear a difference, then to all practical purposes there is not one.
I would not however, discount the possibility that under different circumstances or development and training of my listening skills that I might perceive what I do not now.
There are many things that I perceive now that I did not a few years ago, that has come about from discussion, listening and trying different things/components.
I am of an experimental and inquisitive nature and learn most things by trying and making lots of mistakes.
Occasionally I am able to learn from others mistakes.
Mostly my realities are bounded by accomodation & disposable income - not quite sure how to "confront" those except by buying lottery tickets.
Any "beliefs" I might have are, I would hope, merely the present state of my experience and open to change in the light of subsequent experience.
Yes, I do like a little DIY, less than I might have due to limited facilities rather than skills shortage, that is another of my realities.
I can and do, from time to time, have obsessive "testing sessions", cable comparisons, mat trials etc. but these are usually settled with a decision (never irrevocable) that something or other is preferred and may indicate an area of improvement to come or for further research.
But, I will do similar with different recordings of the same work to see which I prefer, so that is me not the gear.
Considering what I am presently using, I seem to have rather an eclectic collection, a prototype amp from a defunct manufacturer, a heavily modded stock amp, a modded but old CDP, an uncommon CDP, a modded preamp, severely modded T/T, DIY DAC, stock phono stages and rather uncommon speakers from another defunct manufacturer. (plus way too much other gear)
It has all been good fun, (just) affordable, and compared to where I started, sounds fabulous with most of my evergrowing collection of black round, small silver round and digital downloads.
So, what did I want to say ?
call me a w****r for getting old and still having a pony tail and I will be defensive, tell me in no uncertain terms that cables make no difference when I perceive otherwise, fine, you are entitled to your opinion.
Tell me that such and such sounds like ****, I will hear you and when or if possible test it for myself, if it is in a direction I think I might like to explore, not to prove you wrong, but to see if I hear what you do.
I often like to read the perceptions of the musically trained and compare that to how I hear (or don't) the same thing/piece of music.
Mutual learning from sharing experiences is that not what we are doing here?
Nice post tony...
Mutual learning from sharing experiences is that not what we are doing here?
spot on...
I consider myself fortunate in that I don`t obsess about it all or desire meaning from it. The music and an insight into the recording is all I ask.
Sure I have preferences for a type of presentation on a certain type of music. This will probably be biased toward my chosen colourations and the systems which have been my reference through continual useage rather than choice.
I could probably take any of the gear that guys are using here and live happily with it. I would probably adjust to it in days or weeks............see I told you I was easy pleased . I can enjoy listening to the meagre limitations of a budget system trying to extract information in it`s puny way. A bit like watching an old film and seeing the faults in the direction production and editing etc.
There is also the study of the gear itself. Some stuff is beautifully made and I like that in all things.
The storys of guys building their systems is always interesting. It`s good to see people getting a buzz from the music through the gear.......it`s a better way to spend money than car depreciation aint it?. Lastly I think Music /Hi Fi is a great interest in the cold and dark winters we get. Tuck yourself in with it all and let winter go by.
...and in the glorious summer months :D many of us are still at it!Quote:
Lastly I think Music /Hi Fi is a great interest in the cold and dark winters we get. Tuck yourself in with it all and let winter go by.
Hi,
I only got to page 7 before feeling I should really stop reading forums and get on with my tax return so appologies if repeat anything.
My recent realisation, admission if you will, is that I enjoy music just as much while listening to the radio in bed through headphones as I do when sitting in front of my latest hi-fi purchase. What I enjoy about hifi is separate from the music, not necessarily separate from sound but separate from the human art form of music. You often see the same amongst musicians too - they can enthuse about the music, feel the emotion etc through the cheapest of hifi set-ups, read some old Stereophile interviews with promenant musicians as examples.
From this realisation, I can relax! I know I will always enjoy the music whatever. Finding the hifi combination that produces the ear candy that I also enjoy (creating an aural virtual reality in my living room that you can almost touch) combined with build quality and aesthetics can take as long as I want, box swapping for changes' sake. It is strangly relaxing and a relief to realise that for me it is just an obsession, a hobby, that ultimately I could drop if I had to - I just choose not to.
I've just been on holiday, travelling for six weeks, and the freedom from hifi thoughts felt sooo good and I can better seperate all this hifi stuff from the enjoyment of music ... so easy to fall back into the same routine again though, ahem.
Seems like wot I just wrote had been said already! Except that I do find myself obsessing about the beautifully made stuff...Quote:
Originally Posted by lexi
Well Nat I think I must correct the first line of my post. I think we all obsess and desire meaning from putting a system together............otherwise why would we bother?. I meant it`s not a must have top of my list thing that totally drives my spare time.
If I`m understanding you then it is a good point that the hi fi and search for better sound is a bonus to the music rather than a prerequisite. That is healthy enough. Spare a thought for the other guys who are so keen and having a voracious appetite for discovery in sound and equipment. Why? Because they then have to explain the cost of it to the women who design their listening rooms:lolsign:
Good stuff Nat and Lexi, I'm with you on those aspects, I can enjoy the tunes on the store PA when working in one (get the irrits when they babble about the latest specials and interrupt something I particularly like) and my car system is no mobile disco, just as long as it does not pick up engine noise or rattle the speakers its fine (must say hard rock when driving is not good for me - I get heavy footed - classical or jazz is better/safer)
My preamp has had me feeling I want to replace it, but for most listening it is OK and provides the flexibility I want WRT input selection (CD, Tuner, Computer, LP) - for really serious listening I bypass it and gain in immediacy and reduced compression.
I can't help tinkering if I think something could be better though :doh:
But I'm like that with anything, not just hifi, always have had a problem with knowing when too much was enough :mental:
At the moment I am going through a period in which I am really happy with my sounds I am not sure if this is psychological or is it just having the whole synergy of the system right; even on my digital side which is not so exotic and quite basic everything is just sounding right.
I think that's a really important consideration in building a truly musically rewarding system and not enough people pay serious enough attention to it, IMO.Quote:
At the moment I am going through a period in which I am really happy with my sounds I am not sure if this is psychological or is it just having the whole synergy of the system right
A collection of disparate 'bargain' boxes bought on Ebay is unlikely to create a synergistically-matched system; carefully considered and partnered equipment and ancillaries thoroughly auditioned beforehand is...
Unfortunately everyone wants a 'quick fix' and doesn't have the patience or dedication necessary for 'the long game'.
Marco.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Marco
Really ??
Sorry, I should have said 'most' people. It's certainly the evidence I often see displayed :)
We tend to be quite the opposite here on AOS.
Marco.
Well I'm very happy with my ancient inherited system and feel it would cost a small fortune to significantly better it in any way. I certainly don't like having to turn the music off and do something else at the moment.
So I gather, Dave. I believe that you've developed a love affair with some Crowns? :)
Marco.
P.S Word on the grapevine (from a reliable source) tells me that Glenn is just about ready to introduce his new range of equipment to the market :cool:
From The Grave
I started building for very basic reasons. I was tired of replacing/re-buying chain store crap that didn't last much longer than a few years. I did not want to pay exorbitant prices for (anything really, including) high-end gear; especially, if it was not worthy of it's asking price. I wanted gear that sounded awesome. I wanted gear that I could fix if it broke; gear that was fixable and not throw away; gear that most likely wouldn't need fixing (just periodic maintenance). That was the beginning of the journey.
I live by the "measure twice, cut once" rule. I spend copious amounts of time researching before I ever undertake a project/build. Because, when the project/build is complete, I really do not want to revisit it. I don't want to have to hunt down a cold solder joint. It should turn on. The voltages should be within range. And, the gear should do it's thing, so I can listen to the music. Endless tweaking holds no appeal for me. Case in point, the upgrades for my Bottlehead gear have remained in the box since I got them, almost two years now. They sound great stock. I'm in no hurry. Eventually, maybe.
I used the same approach on the 1500MK2 re-plinth project. I spent weeks just thinking about it. I spent a few more weeks measuring and re-measuring and plugging those measurements into CAD and then rechecking. The last thing I wanted was to get the plinth home from the CNC shop and have it not be right! It was right. So... done. I may get some BDR cones for it at some point; but, that's about it.
I'm not saying I never upgrade; but, I apply the same principle. Copious research. Apply the upgrade. Be done. Listen to music. I purposefully do not clutter my schedule with projects; because, that leaves me little time for critical music listening enjoyment. That would be a big problem. Spending so much money on tweaks that there is little left to by boat loads of vinyl would also be a huge problem. My musical enjoyment does not come from listening to music in the background while working on gear. In fact, the only problem I have now, is spending too much time on the internet and not enough time with the cans on, eyes closed. :lol:
Talking to people yesterday at the Scalford show, it was very clear to me that music came first. There was clear enjoyment of the tracks played, discussion of singers, groups and musical styles and I was pleased to hear classical demo'd as well as modern. Whether a large or small budget was available, everyone was trying to get the best sound for their pound of expense.
I think perhaps the cliche of a rich bloke with his £100k bijou system and a collection of 10 discs is overstated?
I've got to be really honest and say I love the kit almost as much as the music. Wouldnt choose to be without either. Not for a second.
My life, my hobby, my rules. Dont give a flying one what anyone else thinks of my priorities.
Someone said to me the other day that when you get into hif, you are forever chopping and changing. My point was that if you buy something but then 6 months down the line, you see and hear something that sound different, you want to change it. Why can't just be happy with what you have got. Their point was, that hifi is all about change, tinkering, fiddling and upgrading or just swapping things about to what you can get out of your hifi. Thats what hifi is, as this is a hobby for a lot of people. I agree with what they said and took their point on board as this is why people get into hifi in the first place. But it doesn't stop me getting a little fed up when I am happily listeing to something and Dom comes along and starts tweeking. Oh the joys of hifi.
Natalie;)
Natalie
You have to draw a line weither some say it's part of the hobbiy or not, i stopped all that a long time ago, i just rebuild my old stuff, plug - play & forget now..I don't get anymore headaches & my bank account doesnt suffer anymore, & as Alex & Mike proven at the pie show, their cheap systems are apparently better than some very expensive system that have obviously had lots of money injected into them..
Hi Andre, tell me about. I am a big believer in costing more doesn't mean better. I have heard some top of the range hifi, arm, cart speaker etc etc. But you would be hard pushed to find something cost more sounding better than something cheaper. I am also a big believer in saving people money. Sometimes, less can be more and vice versa. Thats what I say. Dom is also a big believer in costing more doesn't necessarily mean better. You have to trust your own hearing for the sound that is coming from your hifi. Dom's a tinkerer because he is constantly testing carts repairs or upgrades. I shouldn't moan really because I get to hear a variety of hifi stuff. Recently, Dom serviced an L75 for a customer who has just got back into his vinyl, for the money and what he has paid, the lenco sounded superb.
Natalie;)
To quote the Beach Boys:
'Reality is not for me
And it makes me laugh'
For me, the Hi-Fi is a hobby and nothing more (all be it one that's been with me for 36 years) but music is just an integral part of who I am and I couldn't live without it.
The tinkering aspect will always be there, but it's not very strong with me at the moment. For instance, I've got a couple of cartridges that I want to try (a Stanton 681eee and a Shure M75 ED), but just can't be bothered at the moment of going through the whole rigmarole of swapping, aligning, VTA etc. etc. as I'd rather spend the limited amount of free time I have listening to music (and my Nagaoka MP11 sounds just fine anyway).
Sometimes it's just really nice to sit down and have a good listen to some great music. Just a little point I want to make and please dont all shoot me down. I asked a question on here a couple of weeks ago asking why do hifi enthusiasts/diyrs/hobbiest need have so many different things like various carts etc. Now if some of you guys are saying that you just enjoy listening to the music, then you obviously don't need a variety of different pieces of equipment, because you are obviously happy with your system as it is and have no reason to change anything. So why do people have so many diffrent pieces? Gotcha:lol:
Don't get me wrong. I like the idea that you can swap and change things about. I also enjoy listening to various sounds from different equipment. But if everyone or most people are saying that they just enjoy listening and don't bother tinkering, then why have something you are not going to use. I will tell you why, because you hifi buffs love having bits and pieces, you just enjoy having your items just incase you fancy changing and tinkering.
Natalie;)
Some of us enjoy changing cartridges, whereas for others, it's dressing gowns :D
Marco.
because it's a thinly veiled quest to once more experience that idealistic and blissful union with the maternal figure. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Dominic Harper
Absolutely! I have umpteen CD players and Dacs. But that didn't stop me buying a Marantz CD63 at the last Tonbridge Audio Jumble :lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by Dominic Harper
Looked like it had gone 10 rounds with David Haye!.....But......I knew there was 1500 page thread on Diyaudio for mods to it.
A quick re-spray and lots of cheap (yes really) internal mods and now of course it is the best CD player I have.......until.......
It's in the aproach. On cartridges, yes, I have several; but... even on the T3 arm, I ordered a bayonet. That means cartridge swaps take all of 2 minutes from start to finish. So, there's not a lot of time involved in that "tweak". I'm back to listening to music in no time. Why do it? The answer to that lies in the fact that not all masters were recorded the same, not all vinyl pressings were created the same (microgroove, mono, "normal modern stereo", hotly pressed 2lp sets and/or 12" singles, not to mention 78's). If one gets to know his/her carts well, there's not a lot of guess work. One pretty much knows which cartridge is best suited for the task.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dominic Harper
I look at tube rolling the same way. It's a 2 minute tweak (preamp tubes). I knew the EH 12au7's weren't giving me all I wanted and knew the general character of JAN's I had. I rolled them in. It's been two years now. So, I agree. Some of us do tend to have a lot of "stuff" hanging about; but, that doesn't necessarily mean that tweaking needs to be or has to be relentlessly on going. I can only speak for myself, though.
I would hate to be without options. I would equally hate for those options to control me, hinder me or paralyze me. It has gotten easier to find that balance the older I've become.