Hi all, long time reader and appreciator of this forum so certainly time I took a more active approach to my learning curve about our wonderful hobby!

I have to say the forums are a refreshing approach to lively discussion, opinions and advice without threads descending into somewhat menial and often ill informed opinions.
Don't get me wrong some laughs and jokes (and drinks and smokes) - one for the Knopfler fans there - are welcome but it always amazes me how people are so quick to treat others opinions and experiences with disdain rather than consider what they are saying and possibly learn something in the process!

If there is one thing I've learned in "all" my years in hifi (I'm only in my 30's but started early!!) its that all systems are different and what has been a life changing upgrade or tweak for one person may not work at all for another. Having said that I also believe that system matching and synergy, no matter the budget, has the biggest effect on our hifi enjoyment.

Big budget or small, there are hifi bargains to be had if you know what you're after and where you want to get to.

God knows I've wasted my fair share on wholly inappropriate purchases but that doesn't mean they are necessarily bad products, just not right in my system at that time.

For me its all about getting value from your hifi. If it makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up and brings a tear to your eye, 100k speakers are good value. Same goes if you can get there for £100!

As far as my current kit goes I'm just coming out of a SET amp, high efficiency/horn/single driver speaker approach from which I have found bliss. However, I have recently been a convert to the Quad ESL fraternity . . . the 57's specifically. If there's a more magical and rewarding speaker this side of 5k I can't wait to find it.

I do a lot of my listening late at night at low(ish) volume in a loft conversion, so low level detail retrieval is important for me whilst retaining warmth. The Quads do this on level unrivaled by anything I've heard. At the moment I'm actually running them with a low watt SET amp (surprise surprise) which in theory isn't the best match for them, BUT, it works. It just does. I have a theory that they enjoy some of the feedback from the amp and the fact the voltage is tube rectified rather than solid state. Granted, this gives a slightly bloated bottom end but the "bloom" it allows the Quads to throw out into my room is spine tingling.

Also the shape of the room has a lot to do with the sound of my gear. It is a gradually rising pitched roof that falls at the opposite end and so logically it amplifies if not somewhat compresses the sound. However I liken the effect to a giant pair of headphones giving a totally immersive experience. In short, its like nothing else I've heard. Its probably quite colored and inaccurate but I don't care. The immediacy of the presentation from the Quads along with the magical tube bloom more than outweighs any shortcomings they may have. They do have some well documented limitations.

Anyway, apologies for the War & Peace but hopefully that gives some idea about my system.

My musical preferences are aimed towards well recorded folk/rock/acoustic with some electronic notes (I was young once . . . ). Think Dire Straits, Eagles, The Doors, London Grammar, LAMB, Nils Frahm, Jon Hopkins kind of stuff.

As noted by many, a female vocal coming through the Quads with tube amplification is as close to the live performance as one can really get.

My sources include an LP12 (dad hand me down, thank you dad!) boosted by a lovely Mark Travis phono stage and a simple Pioneer streamer going into a Musical Paradise MP-D1. At least that is one of my systems . . . .


Looking forward to getting to know the community with some relatively intelligent questions and answers along with some stupid ones it almost goes without saying!

Speak to you soon,

Opti-cal