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Thread: Firebottles Place

  1. #1
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Yorkshire

    Posts: 9,295
    I'm Andrew.

    Default Firebottles Place

    Me and my mate trundled down to Firebottle's place to pick up my gear after the latest round of modifications. Alan further modded my Croft pre-amp and Sondex S100 power amp. In a nut shell the croft now has better power regulation and is specifically modded to run with 5691 valves and variants. The Sondex had a re-biasing, a hum problem sorted and a radical recap and replacement resistors (where needed). The system now sounds fine and is in the process of opening up. I've already started to notice a minutiae of detail that was previously hidden away. Things should improve with another 75-100 hours on the clock. All in all I'm a very happy bunny. Now I have to make an announcement. I really really hate Alan. BUT!!!!! In a very very nice way. The bugger has an amazing pair of Quad ESL57's hanging from his ceiling with supertweeters and an amazing phonostage (the Vivant). WOW!!! What an amazing spacious sound stage with plenty of space between the instruments, an amazing mid band, fantastic full bodied instruments. A very immersive soundstage with amazing timbral decay. A really really fantastic experience. Now, the reason for hating Alan is that I'm now probably, more than likely going to go down another bloody rabbit hole with Quad ESL 57's, super tweeters, Lyra cartridges and Vivant phonostages. I own a pair of 57's and I'm now seriously thinking of having my listening room's ceiling modified to accommodate my 57's (thanks mate)!!!

    Seriously, Alan is a talented guy. Very pleasant to deal with, patient (the Radford amp), and very hospitable with his time and coffee. All in all a credit to AOS. Many thanks, now where's my single malt.....
    SS
    CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10

    VALVE
    PRE
    Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker



  2. #2
    Bigman80 Guest

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by REXTON View Post
    Me and my mate trundled down to Firebottle's place to pick up my gear after the latest round of modifications. Alan further modded my Croft pre-amp and Sondex S100 power amp. In a nut shell the croft now has better power regulation and is specifically modded to run with 5691 valves and variants. The Sondex had a re-biasing, a hum problem sorted and a radical recap and replacement resistors (where needed). The system now sounds fine and is in the process of opening up. I've already started to notice a minutiae of detail that was previously hidden away. Things should improve with another 75-100 hours on the clock. All in all I'm a very happy bunny. Now I have to make an announcement. I really really hate Alan. BUT!!!!! In a very very nice way. The bugger has an amazing pair of Quad ESL57's hanging from his ceiling with supertweeters and an amazing phonostage (the Vivant). WOW!!! What an amazing spacious sound stage with plenty of space between the instruments, an amazing mid band, fantastic full bodied instruments. A very immersive soundstage with amazing timbral decay. A really really fantastic experience. Now, the reason for hating Alan is that I'm now probably, more than likely going to go down another bloody rabbit hole with Quad ESL 57's, super tweeters, Lyra cartridges and Vivant phonostages. I own a pair of 57's and I'm now seriously thinking of having my listening room's ceiling modified to accommodate my 57's (thanks mate)!!!

    Seriously, Alan is a talented guy. Very pleasant to deal with, patient (the Radford amp), and very hospitable with his time and coffee. All in all a credit to AOS. Many thanks, now where's my single malt.....
    Yep, he does that to you doesn't he.

    The Vivant is now a real cracker, on a level with the BigBottle which Alan also designed. He knows valves.

    His 57s never appealed to me Untill we put my Neurochrome 686 on them and suddenly I understood what the fuss was about.

    The ceiling arangment is strange untill you get used to it, but it actually works pretty well in all honesty.

    That Lyra Clavis cartridge was a bargain too. I'm a big fan of it.

    He's a top banana too, always happy to help and when he's in the mood, very inventive.

    Enjoy the Croft and the Sondex. They sounded good together.

    Did Alan use the proart amp? Takes the mickey that amp lol.

  3. #3
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: The Black Country

    Posts: 6,088
    I'm Alan.

    Default

    Thanks Andy (I think)
    Now in all seriousness I am happy to be of service. It was a combination of everything, not just the Quads and Vivant helping to give that soundstage.

    The Croft and Sondex are a fantastic pairing and as you heard drive 'statics extremely well. I imagine they will be as good driving any of your speakers.

  4. #4
    Join Date: Nov 2010

    Location: Yorkshire

    Posts: 9,295
    I'm Andrew.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Firebottle View Post
    I don't really hate you!!!! But I hate the fact that I'm now really torn between using my Tannoy's or Quads is a killer. I thought I was finished with my setup but it now looks like I'm about to start down a new path.
    SS
    CD Teac VRDS25X(Audiotuned) DECK 1210 Mat Crystal Audio Mods MN Base/Bearing/Platter+Ebony armboard Feet Isonoe PSU Paul Hynes SR7EHD-27XL/DCSXL Ag DC lead/3 Stage Regs/Recap PCB+No Pitch/Strobe/Light ARM SME V(Kondo Ag Rewire&Tags) MC Cadenza Black FGS CABLES Arm Yannis SPD-4 IC Yannis 222 Litz+Ag bullets Power WAR PRE ATC SCA2 SPEAKERS ATC 50ASL STANDS Atacama PHONO Sugden Masterclass PA4 SUT Ortofon ST80SE POWER PSAudio P10

    VALVE
    PRE
    Croft Epoch(Modded) AMP Sondex S100 (Modded) SPEAKERS Tannoy 15"MG+RFC Warwick cabs+ Ref XO + Batpure supertweeters DECK Garrard 301 Mat Teunto Bearings 401(Bastin) Plinth Bamboo Arms 3009/3012 PSU Eagle+Tachometer MC Ag Meister II/FGS + Ortofon SPU MONO CABLES Arm Yannis 420.5 Litz+ SpeakerPC Tripple C+WBT-0681 Ag IC Oyaide FTVS-510 AgWBT 0110Ag Phonostages Paradise(4 Box Mega-Modded) / Croft Musicmaker



  5. #5
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Birmingham

    Posts: 6,767
    I'm James.

    Default

    Must get over there myself sometime soon - its been too long!
    Main system : VPI Scout 1.1 / JMW 9T / 2M Black / Croft 25R+ / Croft 7 / Heco Celan GT 702

    Second System : Goldring Lenco GL75 / AT95EX / Pioneer SX590 / Spendor SP2

  6. #6
    Join Date: Sep 2009

    Location: west mids, UK

    Posts: 3,261
    I'm Phil.

    Default

    yes i love those quads hanging on the ceiling , my wife was impressed too . alan has helped me out a number of times and we are fortunate to have him and hopefully he will not get injured persuing his other aviation hobby !
    ou might slip, you might slide, you might
    Stumble and fall by the road side
    But don't you ever let nobody drag your spirit down
    Remember you're walking up to heaven

    Don't let nobody turn you around
    … Walk with the rich, walk with the poor
    Learn from everyone, that's what life is for
    And don't you let nobody drag your spirit down

    Eric Bibb

  7. #7
    Join Date: Jun 2014

    Location: Chorley Lancs

    Posts: 14,515
    I'm Steve.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by hifinutt View Post
    yes i love those quads hanging on the ceiling , my wife was impressed too . alan has helped me out a number of times and we are fortunate to have him and hopefully he will not get injured persuing his other aviation hobby !
    I think he's more likely to be injured by one of those Quads falling off the ceiling and hitting him on the head. Sorry Alan, is that tempting fate?

    One of the good guys Just a bit of creepy bum-licking in advance of asking him about a little job I may want doing.
    I just dropped in, to see what condition my condition was in

    T/T: Inspire Monarch, X200 tonearm, Ortofon Quintet Blue. Phono: Project Tube Box CD: Marantz CD6006 (UK Edition); Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Integrated.
    Speakers: Zu Omen Def, REL T9i subwoofer. Cables: Atlas Equator interconnects, Atlas Hyper 3.0 speaker cables

    T'other system:
    Echo Dot, Amptastic Mini One,Arcam A75 integrated, Celestion 5's, BK XLS-200 DF

    A/V:
    LG 55" OLED, Panasonic Blu Ray, Sony a/v amp, MA Radius speakers, REL Storm sub

    Forget the past, it's gone. And don't worry about the future, it doesn't exist. There is only NOW.

    KICKSTARTER: ENABLING SCAMMERS SINCE 2009

  8. #8
    Join Date: Jan 2013

    Location: Bristol

    Posts: 6,843
    I'm Justin.

    Default

    He's alright.

    But I now have 12,394,234 valves to test since he fixed my valve tester

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