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Thread: What's the story...

  1. #1
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

    Default What's the story...



    This is my state of play so far. January 2019.

    Hi-Fi 2019 January by Shaun Haselden, on Flickr


    Hi-Fi 2019 January by Shaun Haselden, on Flickr


    Really happy with the sound of my system now that I have removed vinyl from the equation.
    Did have a foray into digital optical connect for the CD to DAC but kept getting lots of dropout so back to coax where it all sounds peachy.

    The Spendor's have the most gorgeous vocal sound combined with the valves especially on female jazz vocal, helped no doubt by the EL34's. I've had various valve types since I first got into valves in 1997 but always end up back with the EL34. Very definitely my personal fave.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Nov 2018

    Location: Grimsby

    Posts: 398
    I'm David.

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    Very nice, love the photos.

  3. #3
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: gone

    Posts: 11,519
    I'm gone.

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    Yup, great looking system and lovely photos, of course!

    I'm an MDAC fan as well, have used one in one of my systems for a few years now to excellent effect.
    Personally, el34 are at the bottom of my power valve list, just goes to show how opinions and experience can vary.
    .

  4. #4
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

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    Yes Jerry it sure does. It is a bloody good job we are not all the same or there'd only be the one. The finest valve sound I've ever had was from a single ended Audion 300B but it was just so limited that the then setup had to go. I was running it into Audio Note AZ-2's and the sound was so bloody wonderful but only really on simple 'acoustic' type music. At that time I also had an Audion Sterling ETSE amp running single ended EL34's and the midrange was stunning but with a little more guts. I have not really tried out the bigger KT valves so maybe that will be a thing for the future.

    My personal preference is very definitely for single ended though, I have not yet heard push pull that comes close. Current situation though means I have to use push pull.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

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    Quote Originally Posted by antonio View Post
    Very nice, love the photos.
    Hello David I am only a short way down the road from you. Thank you for your comment.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,777
    I'm Martin.

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    Very sexy photos.
    Current Lash Up:

    TEAC VRDS 701T > Sony TAE1000ESD > Krell KSA50S > JM Labs Focal Electra 926.

  7. #7
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    Very sexy photos.
    Thanks Martin, as usual it's all about the light.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: Wrexham, North Wales, UK

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

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    Looking great, Sean, and glad you're also happy with the noise it's all making!

    So how long do you think you'll keep this lot for, then?

    Or is this system *the* one, so job done, stop the box-swapping and just kick back and listen to the music?

    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!!!


  9. #9
    Join Date: Dec 2008

    Location: East Riding of Yorkshire these days

    Posts: 4,779
    I'm Shaun.

    Default

    I guess the noise our systems make is all relative to how we perceive emotion from music. For me, I am now pretty close to the end of the road with what I have. The pre/power is stunning with the correct blend of everything, the speakers add an immense midrange clarity and realism, the MDAC does what it does extremely well. There was something missing though and I couldn't place what it was until something else gave me the idea of a subwoofer. This has now made the sound complete. Emotionally it makes me amazed at how it can stir feelings of sadness, euphoria and tranquility.

    One thing though; I started this journey in 1978 whilst recovering from a motorbike smash so along the way I have had some really interesting experiences. Is it that I now have my perfect system or is it that my state of mental health has now reached 59 years old and ridiculous things like hi-fi addiction no longer matter. I no longer have anything to prove to anyone but myself which is obvious by the fact that Sue and I now listen alone and no longer have the need to invite people around to share the experience with. The sound we get is just the sound the system reproduces, take it or leave it and if it doesn't please everyone but us then who gives a shit. We don't invite people around anymore to attempt to prove to them how good our sound is. There is simply no need.

    It could be that the competitive edge that so many people suffer from has finally left me and that I no longer give two hoots about what others think and how my system has to be better than theirs. It will never be better it will only ever be different in the same way that everyone else's is different. I went through a similar change with my photography many years back when I gave up the club scene and entering competitions only to realise that the so called 'judge' who was passing her/his 'expert' opinion over everyone's work was actually no better qualified than I was was. Maybe I'm just getting old.


  10. #10
    Join Date: Jan 2008

    Location: gone

    Posts: 11,519
    I'm gone.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Haselsh1 View Post
    I no longer have anything to prove to anyone but myself which is obvious by the fact that Sue and I now listen alone and no longer have the need to invite people around to share the experience with. The sound we get is just the sound the system reproduces, take it or leave it and if it doesn't please everyone but us then who gives a shit. We don't invite people around anymore to attempt to prove to them how good our sound is. There is simply no need.

    It could be that the competitive edge that so many people suffer from has finally left me and that I no longer give two hoots about what others think and how my system has to be better than theirs.
    Interesting!
    And I find myself in exactly the same place.

    My system has got where I want it to be and I actively discourage audio visitors these days. And I am no longer interested in how other folks' systems sound. I no longer go to Hifi Shows. I can find my own way.

    Maybe I'm just getting (even more) antisocial.
    .

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