Jimbos Audio ramblings

[Jimbo]

Was the sas one I had
As classy as it was the original as no's was better for me

I agree the original is a great stylus. The SAS stylus changes the cartridge completely.

[Jimbo]

Earliest photo of my first CD player Philips CD104 along with Quad 33 and 405. Speakers were B&W DM10.

73A4452C-7655-4E0A-BCA9-7A227E9D7E00 by , on Flickr
Sadly this was how my system was set up in my bedroom back in 1984. Really didn't have a clue back then although I had loads of nice equipment. Quad played a big part as I sold their gear in a local shop and got a good discount along with Technics, Philips, Sony, Panasonic and Bang and Olufsen.

I moved onto the Quad 606 after owning 405 and 405/2.

Wish I had taken more photos back then but it was not really a big thing in early 1980s.

[Wakefield Turntables]

I took no photos at all if my earlier kit.

[Barry]

Earliest photo of my first CD player Philips CD104 along with Quad 33 and 405. Speakers were B&W DM10.

73A4452C-7655-4E0A-BCA9-7A227E9D7E00 by , on Flickr
Sadly this was how my system was set up in my bedroom back in 1984. Really didn't have a clue back then although I had loads of nice equipment. Quad played a big part as I sold their gear in a local shop and got a good discount along with Technics, Philips, Sony, Panasonic and Bang and Olufsen.

I moved onto the Quad 606 after owning 405 and 405/2.

Wish I had taken more photos back then but it was not really a big thing in early 1980s.

Not familiar with the B&W speakers, but at some time I have had and used the Philips 104 CDP (my first) and a Quad 33/405.

(BTW the preamp shown is the 34, not the 33. The 34 is one of the few pieces of Quad gear I have not used, and I don't know if it had a dedicated input for CD, so my previous comment regarding the need to modify older Quad preamps may now be irrelevant. )

For a first system that is one you could be proud of.

[Jimbo]

Not familiar with the B&W speakers, but at some time I have had and used the Philips 104 CDP (my first) and a Quad 33/405.

(BTW the preamp shown is the 34, not the 33. The 34 is one of the few pieces of Quad gear I have not used, and I don't know if it had a dedicated input for CD, so my previous comment regarding the need to modify older Quad preamps may now be irrelevant. )

For a first system that is one you could be proud of.

I forgot the numbering of the Quad preamps and so thanks for correcting me on that. I did not own any more Quad preamps after this one but moved to a Croft micro which worked well with the Quad 405. The DM10 speakers were rather nice at the time too but these were moved on and replaced with Spender SP2s which were much more refined and detailed.

[walpurgis]

I seem to recall that earlier Quad 34 preamplifiers did not have a dedicated CD input, but later ones had a button on the front panel to select CD.

[Jimbo]

Seeing that old photo got me thinking of amplifiers I have had in my system since I first started in hifi and before I forget

Prinzsound SA1001 - Integrated early solid state ( 1975- 1978)
JVC A-X2 Integrated ( 1980-1981)
Quad 405 ( 1981- 1983)
Quad 34 (1981 -1983)
Quad 405/2 ( 1983 -1985)
Leek Stereo 20 (Croft modified) ( 1985-1986)
Croft Micro - Preamp (1985 - 1986)
Croft Dakshini - Power ( 1986)
Quad 606 (1987 -2015)
Croft 25R (2015- present)
Croft Series 7 ( 2015- present)
Croft 7R monos ( 2019)


Other amplifiers used in my systems over the years.

Creek CAS 4040
Musical Fidelity Synthesis
Musical Fidelity A1
NAD 3020
Audiolab 8000A
Technics SU-A700
A&R Cambridge A60
Sony ST- 2950
Pioneer SX-590
Croft Charisma
Croft super micro
Croft Cypher mono blocks
Croft Epoch
Croft Vitale
Croft Integrated
Various Firebottle amps
Neurochrome 686


These are the ones I remember but there may have been more. Believe it or not the one amplifier that stood out was the Musical Fidelity Synthesis, that really was a great sounding amp. Class A if I remember. There were a few classics on the list and lots of Croft gear of course. The Cypher monos were unbelievable but also had an unbelievable price (£10,000) so these were not purchased! Plenty of British gear and probably stands up well even today.

Over the years I had the opportunity to listen to many more amps in friends systems and indeed at some group gatherings. I have heard amplifiers from the following manufacturers elsewhere.

Krell
Conrad Johnson
Other Croft amplifiers both power and preamps
Simaudio
Chord
Naim
Linn
Vincent Audio
McIntosh
Audio Research
Counterpoint
Luxman
Exposure
Bang and Olufsen
Rega
Arcam
Albarry
Voyager monoblocks
Paradise phono stage
NVA
Tim Paravicini
Gold Note
PS Audio

From the list above that I remember the amps that really came across well were the Voyager mono blocks but I think they were a DIY project. I have probably forgotten a fair few amplifiers from other manufactures that I may have heard over the years as I was not always taking particular attention to all the equipment I was listening too at the time.


I do look back over the past but always have an eye on the future but having listened to so much gear over the past 40 years not much impresses me now although I am sure there are some great sounding amplifiers probably with eye watering price tags that may wet my appetite.

Amplification is a funny thing as it is probably the least sexy part of your hifi system and differences can be small. However through a process of slow evaluation and lots of listening I find valve gear more to my liking. Although Solid State can sound great and highly revealing it never really engages me as much. Job done yes but musical involvement and long term listening...not so sure. I think we all gravitate towards what makes us tick and certainly what we think sounds great even if it is coloured or far from the ideal neutral sound that is theoretically how our system should sound.

[struth]

you became a croft fanboy jim.. i count about 10 crofts

[Jimbo]

you became a croft fanboy jim.. i count about 10 crofts

Think your right, there is a bit of a theme running through all those amps!

[Barry]

Wow - that's quite a list! I expect that might be because you worked in an audio dealer's shop.

My amplifier history is somewhat shorter in manufacturer's names but do show a loyal Quad following . In rough chronological order they are:

Mullard 5-10
Quad 22 + 2 x Quad II
Sugden C51 + A51
Quad 33/303
Quad 44/405 Mk.I (modified)
Quad 44/405 Mk.II
Quad 520
Radford STA15 Mk.III
Quad 510 monoblocks
Mark Levinson ML-2 monoblocks
Quad 50E monblocks
Quad 303K
Cambridge P50 integrated amp
Quad 405, monoblocked and upgraded to Keith Snook level 3, and with improved power supplies

and finally a

Crown (Amcron) D50.