Hi-Fi: The Covid Years.

[Enossification]

Hi-Fi: The Covid years.

Back in 2019 I had a couple of medical procedures to reconstruct damage from a motorcycle accident many decades back. Moving into 2020 I had the funds to upgrade my sound system and with recovery from the operations in mind set about doing just that. And then Covid struck.

In February 2020 I sold off my Spendor S3/5R2's and bought a pair of KEF R5 loudspeakers courtesy of the Wall of Sound in Holme On Spalding Moor who are due praise and so now have it. Years back I used to use KEF Q500's, a pair of speakers I have fond memories of so I didn't expect to be disappointed with the R5's. I wasn't. As good on Yo Yo Ma's Bach Cello Suites as they are on Shpongle's Museum of Conciousness I expect they will be here for quite a while.

The next to go was the cheap three hundred quid compact disc player to be replaced by a Denon DCD2500NE SACD/CD player. Why ? Because I have quite a few SACD's and I wish to hear them the way they should be heard. Heavy, solid, well built and sounds great. That'll do for me.

I next decided that my Prima Luna Dialogue Premium valve power amp had to go. Bought back in late 2016 my only description of this amp would be disappointment. It was OK as amps go but never to the sum of two and a half grand. Big disappointment. So the amp went and in came an Usher R1.5 power amp as a replacement. Heavy Class A bias so runs hot but has amazing low frequency grip and definition with a nice delicate midrange. The treble suits my ears so well it is hugely open and controlled. To replace my Prima Luna Prologue 3 preamp I bought a Fidelity Audio Pre120 SE preamp which completely overwhelmed the Prologue 3 with a much smoother high frequency sound. Stereo imaging was now massive thanks to the changes made.

OK, so even though I didn't need to, I reinvented the wheel and got back into vinyl. Having cleared out the "What the hell did I buy that for" vinyl I still had my collection of first edition Brand X discs as well as other (to me) valuable discs including quite a few by Ozric Tentacles. Anyhow I got hold of a Clearaudio Anniversary turntable with Clearaudio Unify unipivot tonearm to which I attached an Audio Technica ATOC-9 XML cartridge. As a phono stage I used a ProJect Phonobox DS until it lost the right channel. Over the decades I have used quite a few phono stages and always liked the Phonobox's. I replaced it with a Musical Fidelity LX2-LPS which is not to me as good as the Phonobox DS. In comparison the LX2 is warm and overly thick in the lower frequencies. The Phonobox was leaner and deeper in bass extension. The turntable is sat on a ProJect isolation platform which is then sat on a heavyweight pine coffee style table.

The sound is wonderful with a cavernous stereo effect and very deep in room bass extension. Power and grip come from the Usher with the low frequencies never running out of steam and being nice and propulsive especially on synth music. The Yo Yo Ma Bach suites are nice and dry and highly realistic. Absolutely love it.

So from 1979 to 2022. Made it at last. I am so humble and so grateful.

Have a fantastic end of year period and a very safe and successful next year.

[Firebottle]

Do you still have the Phonobox DS? I imagine it could be repaired.

[Barry]

Nice write up Shaun, I enjoyed reading it.

Glad to hear you have made it at last - now sit back and enjoy all your records.

Happy listening
Barry

[Enossification]

Do you still have the Phonobox DS? I imagine it could be repaired.

No Alan I chucked it.

[Enossification]

Nice write up Shaun, I enjoyed reading it.

Glad to hear you have made it at last - now sit back and enjoy all your records.

Happy listening
Barry

Thank you Barry.

[Pigmy Pony]

No Alan I chucked it.

You're a rare breed Shaun, most folk just let broken kit pile up around them "pending repair"

[brian2957]

Good write up Shaun. Love that you've arrived at a system where you can sit down and just enjoy the music. I've been into hifi and music from around the same time as you and have been a bit jaded the last while. I would normally be looking at changing something or other but my priorities have changed so it's gonna be a while before something new is introduced.
How do you like the project base unit BTW?

[Jac Hawk]

A very interesting read Shaun, interesting that you didn't rate the Primaluna amp set up, to my ears they are one of the best amps i've heard, but hifi is more than anything subjective, just like food what one person likes another person wants to vomit, at the end of the day all that matter is what you think and if you have something that suites you then well played.

[Enossification]

You're a rare breed Shaun, most folk just let broken kit pile up around them "pending repair"

[Enossification]

A very interesting read Shaun, interesting that you didn't rate the Primaluna amp set up, to my ears they are one of the best amps i've heard, but hifi is more than anything subjective, just like food what one person likes another person wants to vomit, at the end of the day all that matter is what you think and if you have something that suites you then well played.

Mike, I judged it purely on what I was using before it arrived and when compared, it was very disappointing. I also remember more classic valve setups I'd had before and it didn't compare. I expected far more for two and a half grand but as you say, highly subjective and this is my opinion only.