+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 12 12311 ... LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 111

Thread: HiFi Lounge Goes Motor Racing!

  1. #1
    Join Date: Aug 2014

    Location: Bedfordshire, UK

    Posts: 1,003
    I'm Paul.

    Default HiFi Lounge Goes Motor Racing!



    We Must Be Crazy :-)

    Hi All,

    So this is probably the craziest thing I have ever decided to do but we has just bought a race car and HiFi Lounge are going Motor Racing :-) We are entering a 12 round championship with races around the UK and I would love as many of our customer’s as possible to become involved by coming along to the races, other than being a hifi dealer I have always joked that being a racing driver would be my dream job so this is an attempt to merge my 2 passions together, I have spent my whole life watching far too much motorsport so I am hoping some of it may have sunk in :-)

    So when we say race car, what have we actually bought? Well there is no point mucking about so we have jumped in at the deep end with the slightly scary Radical SR1, for those who don’t know Radical Cars they are a local company based up the road at Peterborough and make pretty much everything in house and offer a range of pretty epic cars and for many people Radical offer are their first steps into motorsport, especially with the SR1 as they make the whole daunting process of going racing reasonably straight forward, you can read more about the car below -

    https://www.radicalsportscars.com/our-cars/sr1



    The Best Of British HiFi


    The idea is to run a ‘Best Of British HiFi’ Car, we have a few sponsors lined up but as soon as everything is confirmed we will make an announcement regarding who is crazy enough to back us.

    What started as an idea for a bit of fun has turned into a serious project now, basically I needed a race medical which luckily I passed this week, I have had to get all the racing kit, you know it is serious when you have to buy a Hans device :-) I have then got my racing licence test at Brands Hatch at the end of February, we have had to employ a race team to run the car, we have gone with the guys at UPE Motorsport so look forward to a fun year with these guys, please see a link to their Facebook page below and my my first test in the car is at Snetterton in a few days with another shortly after at Rockingham then Oulton Park, the Car is being built now then we can have the fun part of designing the livery.

    https://www.facebook.com/UPEMotorsport/

    Keep Up To Date On How The Season Is Going!

    We have a Motorsport page now on HFL’s homepage where all this years goings on will be posted with live feeds from the track so please keep an eye on this if you are a fellow petrolhead and also we will posting regularly on our social media feeds so if you don’t already follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram please follow the links below

    HFL Motorsport Page - http://hifilounge.co.uk/index.php?ro...on/motorsports

    Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/HiFiLoungeUK/

    Twitter - https://twitter.com/hifilounge

    Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hifi_lounge/

    We will also be holding a motorsport themed ‘Boys Toys’ open day shortly where we will be running a driving based competition where the winners will get full hospitality at one of the race meetings so please watch this space.

    Please Support Us At The Track!

    The races are on Saturday’s so it means HFL will be closing on 6 Saturday’s this year but as many of our customers are petrolheads I am hoping that a lot of you will come along to support our efforts and believe me I will need as much support as I can get as this is the fist time I have driven a car with real downforce which is a scary thought.

    So please see the race calendar below and please put any of the races in your calendar that you think you can make it along to, if you can’t get to the track then the races are also broadcast live on you tube although you probably won’t see much of me as I expect to be trailing round at the back until I’ve got some experience in the car :-)



    So this is really just a headsup to the madness ahead for 2018 but please keep your eye out on the website on the Motorsport page for all the latest news, just hope I can get to the end of the year unscathed and with my dignity intact :-)

    Definitely looking forward to a fun year though with lots to learn :-)

    Please see a few photo’s below from the recent AutoSport show where I signed on the dotted line, I must say it seemed like a good idea at the time but as the first race gets closer I am already starting to feel the nerves.









    Cheers,

    Paul.
    Specialists In The Brands We Believe In, Set in the Beautiful Bedfordshire Countryside, Just off The A1M, Loads Of Free Parking, Relaxed Environment, No Pressure Sales!
    PMC, Naim, Bryston, Devialet, Rega, Martin Logan, Musical Fidelity, Sonus Faber, Heed, Spendor, Koetsu, Dynavector, Michell Engineering, JVC Projectors, OPPO, REL, Atlas Cables.
    For All The Best Headphones, Amps and DACs All Under One Roof Then Please Visit Highend Headphones.
    www.hifilounge.co.uk / www.highendheadphones.co.uk / 01767 448121 / paul@hifilounge.co.uk

  2. #2
    Join Date: Aug 2014

    Location: Bedfordshire, UK

    Posts: 1,003
    I'm Paul.

    Default

    Hi All,

    I just thought I would post a few pictures I took when on a Factory Tour of Radical Sportscars the other day, I have to say I was really surprised at the size of Radical as a company, good to see a local company doing so well

    This is just a small part of the factory!



    So this what my SR1 looks like under the skin





    Now onto the cars!





    Love the colour of this one!







    This is really is a road going version, the RXC GT, Nice!











    Cheers,
    Paul.
    Specialists In The Brands We Believe In, Set in the Beautiful Bedfordshire Countryside, Just off The A1M, Loads Of Free Parking, Relaxed Environment, No Pressure Sales!
    PMC, Naim, Bryston, Devialet, Rega, Martin Logan, Musical Fidelity, Sonus Faber, Heed, Spendor, Koetsu, Dynavector, Michell Engineering, JVC Projectors, OPPO, REL, Atlas Cables.
    For All The Best Headphones, Amps and DACs All Under One Roof Then Please Visit Highend Headphones.
    www.hifilounge.co.uk / www.highendheadphones.co.uk / 01767 448121 / paul@hifilounge.co.uk

  3. #3
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Hi Paul,

    All I can say is wow, WOW and WOW!!

    Major respect, my friend!

    Like you, two of my passions in life are hi-fi and motor racing (also tuning and modifying road cars to peak performance, such as with my own Brabus-modified C-class Mercedes), so I'm very interested to hear of what you're doing.

    Also, up until now I hadn't heard of Radical Sportscars, so that side of things is rather interesting too, as I love the designs and the whole bespoke nature of them. I'll definitely try and come along to the meeting at Oulton park, as it's only 40 mins or so away from me.

    One thing though, I didn't quite catch the hi-fi connection, so perhaps you could explain that again? Anyway, awesome stuff!!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  4. #4
    Join Date: Feb 2008

    Location: South Wales

    Posts: 9,151
    I'm NotTakingLifeTooSeriouslyTheseDays.

    Default

    Exciting times ahead!
    A...
    "Today scientists have substituted mathematics for experiments, and they wander off through equation after equation, and eventually build a structure which has no relation to reality"
    Nikola Tesla



    Its now a conspiracy theory to believe that the Immune system is capable of doing the job it was designed to do.
    A fish is only as healthy as the water its swimming in ! [Dr Robert Young]


    www.tubedistinctions.co.uk

    Matthew 5:10

  5. #5
    Join Date: Aug 2014

    Location: Bedfordshire, UK

    Posts: 1,003
    I'm Paul.

    Default A Big Day Tomorrow!



    Hi All,

    So tomorrow is a big day as I am off to Brands Hatch to take my ARDS Race License test, now that is something I never thought I’d be saying a couple of months ago :-)

    All a bit nerve racking really as it is a 3 hour test and it must be 30 years since I last did a test of any kind and I have never driven Brands in anger before so lots to learn, I have been told that the test is pretty straight forward though which almost makes it worse as if I fail I will then look like a right Muppet :-)

    Anyway plenty of PMA needed for tomorrow and I will post if I pass or fail.



    In other news I want to thank the guys at UPE Motorsports yesterday for collecting my Radical SR1 which was finished being built this week just in time for my first test in the car on Tuesday at Snetterton, exciting times, I wonder what adventures this car will see this year, hopefully not too many trips to the kitty litter of worse.







    Just need to get some HiFi Stickers on it now :-)

    Cheers,
    Paul.
    Specialists In The Brands We Believe In, Set in the Beautiful Bedfordshire Countryside, Just off The A1M, Loads Of Free Parking, Relaxed Environment, No Pressure Sales!
    PMC, Naim, Bryston, Devialet, Rega, Martin Logan, Musical Fidelity, Sonus Faber, Heed, Spendor, Koetsu, Dynavector, Michell Engineering, JVC Projectors, OPPO, REL, Atlas Cables.
    For All The Best Headphones, Amps and DACs All Under One Roof Then Please Visit Highend Headphones.
    www.hifilounge.co.uk / www.highendheadphones.co.uk / 01767 448121 / paul@hifilounge.co.uk

  6. #6
    Join Date: Aug 2014

    Location: Bedfordshire, UK

    Posts: 1,003
    I'm Paul.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    Hi Paul,

    All I can say is wow, WOW and WOW!!

    Major respect, my friend!

    Like you, two of my passions in life are hi-fi and motor racing (also tuning and modifying road cars to peak performance, such as with my own Brabus-modified C-class Mercedes), so I'm very interested to hear of what you're doing.

    Also, up until now I hadn't heard of Radical Sportscars, so that side of things is rather interesting too, as I love the designs and the whole bespoke nature of them. I'll definitely try and come along to the meeting at Oulton park, as it's only 40 mins or so away from me.

    One thing though, I didn't quite catch the hi-fi connection, so perhaps you could explain that again? Anyway, awesome stuff!!

    Marco.
    Hi Marco,

    Pleased to hear you are a fellow petrol head :-) Be great if you can make it along to Oulton, although I fear I will be trailing around at the back there as I get used to the car, should still be fun though.

    Basically the HiFi Connection is that I am hoping to announce my sponsors soon which are HiFi based and we are running the car under the banner of 'The Best Of British HiFi' so watch this space :-)

    Cheers,
    Paul.
    Specialists In The Brands We Believe In, Set in the Beautiful Bedfordshire Countryside, Just off The A1M, Loads Of Free Parking, Relaxed Environment, No Pressure Sales!
    PMC, Naim, Bryston, Devialet, Rega, Martin Logan, Musical Fidelity, Sonus Faber, Heed, Spendor, Koetsu, Dynavector, Michell Engineering, JVC Projectors, OPPO, REL, Atlas Cables.
    For All The Best Headphones, Amps and DACs All Under One Roof Then Please Visit Highend Headphones.
    www.hifilounge.co.uk / www.highendheadphones.co.uk / 01767 448121 / paul@hifilounge.co.uk

  7. #7
    Join Date: May 2012

    Location: Toulouse, France

    Posts: 6,562
    I'm Kevin.

    Default

    That is a lot of car to get used to on a track, but I am sure there may be a few more experienced competitors that will offer some good advice.
    Kevin

    Too busy enjoying the music....

    European loan coordinator for Graham Slee HiFi system components..

  8. #8
    Join Date: Aug 2014

    Location: Bedfordshire, UK

    Posts: 1,003
    I'm Paul.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by CageyH View Post
    That is a lot of car to get used to on a track, but I am sure there may be a few more experienced competitors that will offer some good advice.
    Let's hope so Kevin
    Specialists In The Brands We Believe In, Set in the Beautiful Bedfordshire Countryside, Just off The A1M, Loads Of Free Parking, Relaxed Environment, No Pressure Sales!
    PMC, Naim, Bryston, Devialet, Rega, Martin Logan, Musical Fidelity, Sonus Faber, Heed, Spendor, Koetsu, Dynavector, Michell Engineering, JVC Projectors, OPPO, REL, Atlas Cables.
    For All The Best Headphones, Amps and DACs All Under One Roof Then Please Visit Highend Headphones.
    www.hifilounge.co.uk / www.highendheadphones.co.uk / 01767 448121 / paul@hifilounge.co.uk

  9. #9
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

    Posts: 110,012
    I'm AudioAl'sArbiterForPISHANTO.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by HiFi Lounge View Post
    Hi Marco,

    Pleased to hear you are a fellow petrol head :-) Be great if you can make it along to Oulton, although I fear I will be trailing around at the back there as I get used to the car, should still be fun though.

    Basically the HiFi Connection is that I am hoping to announce my sponsors soon which are HiFi based and we are running the car under the banner of 'The Best Of British HiFi' so watch this space :-)

    Cheers,
    Paul.
    Ah, gotcha... Yeah, I'll defo try an make it to Oulton Park. See if I can haul a few mates with me to cheer you along (from the back, lol)!

    Nah - with some practice, you'll be the next Stig!!

    Marco.
    Main System

    Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.

    Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.

    Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.

    CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.

    Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.

    Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.

    Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.

    Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.

    Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.


    Protect your HUMAN RIGHTS and REFUSE ANY *MANDATORY* VACCINE FOR COVID-19!

    Also **SAY NO** to unjust 'vaccine passports' or certificates, which are totally incompatible with a FREE society!!!


  10. #10
    Join Date: Apr 2011

    Location: London

    Posts: 4,419
    I'm Robert.

    Default

    Just seen this Paul and can only applaud for you for deciding to live the dream, life as they say is too short so 10 out of 10.

    I'm a big F1 fan since childhood and love cars, those cars in the pics look amazing and i'm in no doubt they are fast !!.....

    Will keep an eye on things so keep us posted and you never know, I may even manage to get to one of the races
    My System:
    Amplification - Sansui AU-alpha 707 DR
    Turntable - Technics SP10 MK2-Technics EPA-250 Tonearm-Yannis Tome 423.5Plus tonearm cable-Eichmann KLEI Absolute Harmony plugs.
    Ortofon Cadenza Black moving coil cartridge-Fritz Gyger S re-tip. Panzerholz plinth.

    CDP - Pioneer PD-91
    Speakers - Spendor D7 on Soundcare SuperSpikes
    QED Silver Spiral speaker cable-airloc banana plugs
    Mains - Ultra Pure silver plated un-switched socket-Missing link EPS 500 silver plated plugs-Hi-Fi Tuning gold plated silver ceramic 13 amp fuses

+ Reply to Thread
Page 1 of 12 12311 ... LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •