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Thread: New member checking in....

  1. #1
    Join Date: Oct 2018

    Location: Sussex

    Posts: 10
    I'm Gav.

    Default New member checking in....

    Hi, new member here making my first post!

    Have been into hifi since I was young; my first 'system' was a cheap Philips mini system with speakers which detached from the side - they were mounted on upturned pins blu-tacked to bricks on my windowsill in an early (and probably somewhat pointless!) attempt at isolation... To be fair I was 12 at the time!

    Numerous bits of kit came and went, the usual array of things like Tannoy, Mordaunt-Short and Kef speakers, Marantz CD players, Marantz and NAD amps etc until I bought my first 'proper' hifi in my early 20s - a Naim CDi, NAC92/NAP90 - which did its best with a pair of Celestion A2s I was lucky to get for a ridiculously good price 20 years ago. The electronics slowly morphed over the years into a CDX/102/250/NAPSC/HICAP2 combo:



    Circumstances a decade ago meant I sold the Naim on (although I held onto the Celestions), CDs got ripped to FLAC and managed from my PC running into a Creative X-Fi HD external soundcard and I bought a new but end-of-sale Cyrus 8vs2 for £600 to run it into. The amp was only meant as a stop-gap but proved surprisingly capable for the money and for a while hifi stuff stayed pretty static. I knew it wasn't ideal but life has a way of making you prioritise things.

    The X-Fi HD got swapped for a Behringer DAC which was fine for a while but I've recently decided to chuck some money back into my system and purchased a used Audiolab M-DAC which has blown me away in terms of the difference it's made. One of the things I really like about it is that it has a setting to allow its output volume to be controlled by the PC over USB - I use my PC as a media hub running into my TV - it's a small feature but one I really appreciate. It's effectively just a 'fancy external soundcard' in that regard I guess. Another nice feature is that it also handles the optical audio output from the TV for the smart features like Netflix/Prime and the Xbox One X - previously I used a Cyp AUD3-192 on a separate input to convert the optical.

    Before I bought the M-DAC I looked at a number of 'all in one' streaming solutions (Hegel H90/Rost, Leema Acoustics and a Naim Uniti Nova) but I wasn't able to find out whether they offer the ability to control their volumes via their USB inputs and buying one could have been an expensive punt. I don't have any space issues so a multi-box solution isn't a problem but an all-in-one would've been neat. If there's an AIO solution which does what I need it wouldn't be out of the question to swap to that though and shift the M-DAC on (for example I see there's a Simaudio Moon Neo Ace for sale in the classifieds currently..).

    Assuming I stick with the M-DAC, the next thing on the list is amplification as the 8vs2 really isn't capable of getting anywhere near the best out of the Celestions. I'd thought about just adding a power amp and running the M-DAC as a digital pre- over the balanced outputs but I think I'd find the lack of any analogue inputs a pain at some stage. Other options are to run the 8vs2 as a pre- and put a power amp on that or ditch it completely and buy a new pre/power or another integrated solution.

    I'm a long way out of touch with the hifi scene though and I'm not really sure what will partner well with the Celestions? They're a pretty easy load (90dB sensitivity, 4 ohm impedance) but anecdotal feedback seems to suggest that they're capable beyond their price-bracket and really thrive on much better amplification.

    Musically my tastes are ridiculously broad and varied - from funk (perhaps the username is a giveaway there), blues, jazz, country, prog-rock/metal, some modern classical, shoegaze, trance, acoustic guitar/piano through to gregorian chant. My current go-to genre is synth/retrowave such as The Midnight, FM-84 and VHS Collection.

    As many will probably gather from my mostly Naim-based history I liked their focus on 'pace, rhythm and timing' - in my younger years I was a drummer so I tend to focus in on drums and bass predominantly so I'd probably be looking for an amp with a bit of dynamism and the ability to rumble out a taught, musical bassline and tight kick drums rather than a warmer, rounded sound.

    I'd really appreciate any thoughts folks might have on amp recommendations with a budget in mind of around £1-2k? Am looking at used (or possibly ex-demo).

    Cheers and thanks for making it this far in my intro thread!
    Last edited by Funk; 17-05-2019 at 16:31.

  2. #2
    Join Date: May 2008

    Location: Surrey

    Posts: 7,103
    I'm Rob.

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    Ahhh a man after my own heart. Funk - how do you describe it? I was and still am a big fan of 70s/80s Jazz-Funk......too many artists to mention, but two pieces that I will mention in an effort to define it are Rhyme Tyme People - Kool and The Gang and Ain't We Funkin' Now - Brothers Johnson....Oh and tons more as well.

    Now I veer more towards the "Norjazz" side of things which can be a bit weird if you know what I mean.

    Welcome along.

    Whereabouts in Sussex are you? I am just into W.Sussex.
    Buy Bose...And get your parking validated!.

    https://youtu.be/ZCBe7-6rw4M

    No Highs...No Lows....It Must Be Bose!

  3. #3
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,778
    I'm Martin.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Funk View Post

    I'm a long way out of touch with the hifi scene though and I'm not really sure what will partner well with the Celestions? They're a pretty easy load (90dB sensitivity, 4 ohm impedance) but anecdotal feedback seems to suggest that they're capable beyond their price-bracket and really thrive on much better amplification.
    !
    Hi Gav, welcome to the forum. Great intro!


    I'm a former Celestion A2 owner myself, had them for ten years. Very capable speaker. But they are not an easy load. Low impedance in the bass. I went through a lot of amps, ended up with an XTZ A100D3 and that had no problems, before that used a Linn LK100 with them, that could drive them too but I was clipping it. If I was you I'd look for a Bryston or a Krell or something along those lines. Something with a very stiff power supply so it won't crap out in the bass. If it doesn't weigh at least 25 kilos, forget it. Then the A2s will really deliver in the bottom end. They're the last of the great Celestions and definitely worth it.
    Current Lash Up:

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

  4. #4
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

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    Hello Gav. Welcome to AOS.

    If you want opinions about equipment, you could start a thread in the appropriate section and outline your ideas.

    Feel free to join in any chat that appeals to you, there's a lot going on.


    Enjoy the forum,
    Geoff.
    It is impossible for anything digital to sound analogue, because it isn't analogue!

  5. #5
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 31,850
    I'm openingabottleofwine.

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    Welcome to AoS Gav.

    Excellent and interesting introduction.

    Enjoy the Forum
    Barry
    Barry

  6. #6
    Alex_UK's Avatar
    Alex_UK is offline Spotify + Facebook Moderator / Chilled-Out Wino and only here for the shilling
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Sunny Suffolk, UK

    Posts: 15,952
    I'm WrappingALilacCurtainAroundMyBobby.

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    As Mr Punch would say "That's the way to do it" - well, if he read introductory posts on this forum he would! Welcome to AoS Gav, look forward to more of your posts.
    Alex

    Main System: Digital: HP Laptop/M2Tech Hiface/Logitech Media Server/FLAC; Marantz SA7001 KI Signature SACD Player and other digital stuff into Gatorised Beresford Caiman DAC Vinyl: Garrard 401/SME 3009 SII Improved/Sumiko HS/Nagaoka MP-30
    Amplifier: Rega Brio R. Speakers: Spendor SP1. Cables: Various, mainly Mark Grant.
    Please see "about me" for the rest of my cr@p! Gallery


    A.o.S. on Facebook - A.o.S. on Spotify - A.o.S. on Twitter

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  7. #7
    Join Date: Dec 2018

    Location: Neath, Wales

    Posts: 1,515
    I'm Shane.

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    Howdy! Welcome to AOS.

    Have fun.

    S.
    Shane Lonergan.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Oct 2018

    Location: Sussex

    Posts: 10
    I'm Gav.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Macca View Post
    Hi Gav, welcome to the forum. Great intro!


    I'm a former Celestion A2 owner myself, had them for ten years. Very capable speaker. But they are not an easy load. Low impedance in the bass. I went through a lot of amps, ended up with an XTZ A100D3 and that had no problems, before that used a Linn LK100 with them, that could drive them too but I was clipping it. If I was you I'd look for a Bryston or a Krell or something along those lines. Something with a very stiff power supply so it won't crap out in the bass. If it doesn't weigh at least 25 kilos, forget it. Then the A2s will really deliver in the bottom end. They're the last of the great Celestions and definitely worth it.
    Thanks to all for the welcome and nice to bump into Macca who's familiar with the A2s! You've certainly got me thinking on the amp front although I'm even less sure what might be best suited now... It's a bit of a minefield for someone like me. Taking the XTZ as a starting point I've found one for sale at £500 so will be investigating tomorrow. In an effort to try and work some stuff out myself too I've been wondering whether Musical Fidelity's M6i or possibly an A1008 might fit the bill - there's one of each on eBay currently (although the M6i ends in an hour so I'd have to be quick!).

    The M6i puts out 200wpc into 8 ohms but I'm not sure how to work out how well it would handle 4 ohm (or lower) which you say the Celestions can demand. The A1008 is more powerful again at 250wpc into 8 or 400w into 4 ohms. Both seem to be pretty well-reviewed from what I can see although I'd be taking a punt with either of them not knowing how they'll sound. The A1008 is up for £1,200 and the M6i is at £750 currently although I suspect it won't finish there.

    Would either of these be a good fit with the A2s? Apologies for continuing here for the mo but if either of the MF amps are a good bet I'd need to make a prompt decision!

    Quote Originally Posted by Puffin View Post
    Ahhh a man after my own heart. Funk - how do you describe it? I was and still am a big fan of 70s/80s Jazz-Funk......too many artists to mention, but two pieces that I will mention in an effort to define it are Rhyme Tyme People - Kool and The Gang and Ain't We Funkin' Now - Brothers Johnson....Oh and tons more as well.

    Now I veer more towards the "Norjazz" side of things which can be a bit weird if you know what I mean.

    Welcome along.

    Whereabouts in Sussex are you? I am just into W.Sussex.
    I'm also in W.Sussex not far from Brighton; hello neighbour!

    I'm a huge fan of filthy basslines and phat horn sections! The 70s are an easy seam to mine for decent funk but here's a few recommendations if you're looking for modern funkspiration...

    Breakestra
    New Jersey Kings
    Speedometer
    The Budos Band
    Cookin' On 3 Burners
    The Haggis Horns <--- these guys especially!
    Breakestra
    The New Mastersounds

    Also one of the very best funk albums I've heard in years came from an old Windows 95 computer game called "Interstate '76". It's something else if you can find a copy although it's on Youtube if you want to hear it!
    Last edited by Funk; 19-05-2019 at 19:02.

  9. #9
    Join Date: Oct 2018

    Location: Sussex

    Posts: 10
    I'm Gav.

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    That M6i did go for £750 in the end; did I miss a bargain..?

  10. #10
    Join Date: Aug 2009

    Location: Staffordshire, England

    Posts: 37,778
    I'm Martin.

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    I don't' know the MF amps you mentioned but they would almost certainly do the job.

    I'll check out your funk reccos.
    Current Lash Up:

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

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