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Thread: London calling

  1. #1
    Join Date: May 2019

    Location: London, UK

    Posts: 6
    I'm James.

    Default Hi from Hackney

    Hi everyone,

    I realised I've been lurking around here for quite a while now, so thought it was about time I signed up and revealed myself. I'm James from London. I'm 37 and have been obsessed by music since my Dad gave me a 60s compilation tape aged 7, and into hifi since I got my first separates aged 17. Then I got REALLY into hi fi when I bought my first flat 4 years ago. Back then I had a laptop, Arcam rDAC, Alpha 7 amp and Mission 773e speakers. I've since bought and then sold 4 amps, 3 streamers, 4 dacs and a turntable, and I've finally settled on the following (for now...):

    Turntable: Linn LP12 (pre-Cirkus, pre-Valhalla, LV-X arm, Ortofon VMS30mkII)
    Phono stage: Project Phonobox
    Digital: iMac with Audirvana/Tidal
    DAC: RME ADI-2 Pro FS
    Pre: Croft 25R with Mullard ECC83
    Power: Croft 7R with Sylvania 12BH7A
    Speakers: Proac 1SCs

    Favourite music at the moment is 1950s and 60s American jazz and blues, west African kora music, Ethiopian jazz, recent techno and electronica, and solo and small ensemble classical (especially piano, guitar and cello) with the odd concerto and symphony thrown in.

    Planned system upgrades are a new phono stage and modernising the LP12 (a long and expensive road!). And lots of new records...

    Looking forward to chatting,

    James
    Last edited by Jas0_0; 22-05-2019 at 23:02.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Jul 2017

    Location: Kent

    Posts: 550
    I'm Paul.

    Default

    Nice system James.

    I'd like to try your dac one day (well not the one you own) Do you use it as a pre or is it just on dac duties?

    Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk
    Current system:
    RPi + Allo Digione
    Beresford Caiman Seg & Dorado powered by 15v Linear PSU
    Transcendent Sound Mini Beast OTL
    Amptastic Mini-1
    Klipsch KG4.5 Speakers with Titanium Diagphrams and Sonicap Cap upgrade
    110aH Leisure Battery powers the Mini-1 & Digione

  3. #3
    Join Date: Apr 2012

    Location: N E Kent

    Posts: 51,624
    I'm Geoff.

    Default

    Hello James. Welcome to AOS.

    We have many members that have experience of LP12 mods. You could start a thread in the Analogue Arts section and outline your ideas, I'm sure you'd get plenty of opinions.

    Feel free to join in the chat, there's plenty going on.


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

  4. #4
    Join Date: May 2019

    Location: London, UK

    Posts: 6
    I'm James.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Pepperamip View Post
    Nice system James.

    I'd like to try your dac one day (well not the one you own) Do you use it as a pre or is it just on dac duties?

    Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk
    Thanks Pepperamip!

    The RME is a great DAC. I tried it as a pre but I preferred the sound with the Croft 25R pre in the system. Some would probably say I'm introducing colour. Running the RME direct into power amp was certainly more detailed and had more leading edge attack - but I found this came at the expense of dynamics, soundstage depth and tonal saturation, so the 25R stayed.

    The RME's EQ functions are good and vital in my system for room correction. My room's a bit of a sonic nightmare with several modes, including a MASSIVE peak at 60Hz. I got the AD/DA version so I could us it to room correct the signal from my turntable. I guess analogue purists might see this as sacrilege, but for me any losses in the AD/DA conversion are more than made up for by curing the boomy one-note bass.

    I'd definitely recommend the RME, having tried DACs from Chord, Linn, Arcam and Cyrus.

  5. #5
    Join Date: May 2019

    Location: London, UK

    Posts: 6
    I'm James.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by walpurgis View Post
    Hello James. Welcome to AOS.

    We have many members that have experience of LP12 mods. You could start a thread in the Analogue Arts section and outline your ideas, I'm sure you'd get plenty of opinions.

    Feel free to join in the chat, there's plenty going on.


    Enjoy the forum,
    Geoff.
    Great, thanks Geoff - will do.

  6. #6
    Join Date: Jul 2017

    Location: Kent

    Posts: 550
    I'm Paul.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jas0_0 View Post
    Thanks Pepperamip!

    The RME is a great DAC. I tried it as a pre but I preferred the sound with the Croft 25R pre in the system. Some would probably say I'm introducing colour. Running the RME direct into power amp was certainly more detailed and had more leading edge attack - but I found this came at the expense of dynamics, soundstage depth and tonal saturation, so the 25R stayed.

    The RME's EQ functions are good and vital in my system for room correction. My room's a bit of a sonic nightmare with several modes, including a MASSIVE peak at 60Hz. I got the AD/DA version so I could us it to room correct the signal from my turntable. I guess analogue purists might see this as sacrilege, but for me any losses in the AD/DA conversion are more than made up for by curing the boomy one-note bass.

    I'd definitely recommend the RME, having tried DACs from Chord, Linn, Arcam and Cyrus.
    Might not be for the purists but if it helps/solves a problem you have clearly identified then its right for you and your circumstances.

    Whereabouts in sarf london are you? I grew up in Kennington.

    Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk
    Current system:
    RPi + Allo Digione
    Beresford Caiman Seg & Dorado powered by 15v Linear PSU
    Transcendent Sound Mini Beast OTL
    Amptastic Mini-1
    Klipsch KG4.5 Speakers with Titanium Diagphrams and Sonicap Cap upgrade
    110aH Leisure Battery powers the Mini-1 & Digione

  7. #7
    Join Date: May 2019

    Location: London, UK

    Posts: 6
    I'm James.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Pepperamip View Post
    Might not be for the purists but if it helps/solves a problem you have clearly identified then its right for you and your circumstances.

    Whereabouts in sarf london are you? I grew up in Kennington.

    Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk
    I’m actually out north east - Clapton. Just seen you’re west. Maybe I could drop round with the RME one day - would love to hear your speakers.

  8. #8
    Join Date: Dec 2018

    Location: Neath, Wales

    Posts: 1,515
    I'm Shane.

    Default

    Howdy! Welcome to AOS.

    Have fun.

    S.
    Shane Lonergan.

  9. #9
    Join Date: Jul 2017

    Location: Kent

    Posts: 550
    I'm Paul.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Jas0_0 View Post
    I’m actually out north east - Clapton. Just seen you’re west. Maybe I could drop round with the RME one day - would love to hear your speakers.
    I'm south east or some say north west Kent but either way that sounds good. Ill pm you and we can arrange something.

    Sent from my CLT-L09 using Tapatalk
    Current system:
    RPi + Allo Digione
    Beresford Caiman Seg & Dorado powered by 15v Linear PSU
    Transcendent Sound Mini Beast OTL
    Amptastic Mini-1
    Klipsch KG4.5 Speakers with Titanium Diagphrams and Sonicap Cap upgrade
    110aH Leisure Battery powers the Mini-1 & Digione

  10. #10
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 31,859
    I'm openingabottleofwine.

    Default

    Welcome to AoS James,

    Greatly admire your tastes in music: American '50s and '60s Jazz and Blues (though I like Blues from before that time period); West African kora (I'm especially keen on West African and Zairian music) and Ethiopian Jazz.

    Enjoy the Forum
    Barry
    Barry

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