Steve's next turntable journey Pioneer PL-71

[DSJR]

I appreciate the vintage approach, but bearing in mind your liking the SP100's, the one other modern avenue I would want to follow myself (given the money and space) would be the Harbeth 40.1. I loved the big ATC's when I had them, but as Ashley keeps reminding me how times have moved on, the Harbeths do seem to combine modern technology where it matters, whilst developing the incredibly well researched BBC ideals - the info papers published on the Spendor Yahoo Group site are very easy to read and very comprehensive as to what things did and WHY - no BS there...

[REM]

Yes of course the vintage approach is as valid as any other but sometimes things just happen in such a way as to suggest that a particular path is the right way to go, if you see what I mean.
Earlier this year I bought a pair of new expensive speakers, Swiss precision engineering, great sound, design life of 20+ years and was very happy with them. A few weeks later I returned to the dealers' to pick up some new i/c's and there THEY were, newly in stock, bloody big things with more bling than this years' gansta rappa. "You've got to listen to these" says Dave (why are all hi-fi dealers called Dave?), something inside me said 'this is going to be expensive' and we sat down for a listen. Well, stone me, half way through the du Pre/Elgar concerto there was a resounding thud as my jaw hit the floor. This wasn't just an impressive speaker this was a (hi-fi) epiphany, a life changing event equal to that moment, 38 years ago, when I first heard real hi-fi (FYI, Tannoy lz111/Tandberg R2R/Big Jap receiver). Somehow my new speakers just didn't do it anymore, I was gutted, there was no way I could justify getting rid, the financial hit would be too much.
Well, fast forward a month or so and fate intervenes, one of my bomb proof, 20 year life span speakers goes kapputtft! Long story short, Dave does me a brilliant deal on the the bloody big blingy things and here I am waiting waiting and waiting for them to arrive and yes I just know I've done the right thing.
To finish, these thing are going to re-write my system and as they are very efficient (96db/watt) I might even be after a low powered valve amp in the near future, any suggestions???

Cheers

PS Talk about thread drift, this is supposed to be about PL-71s innit?

[Ali Tait]

What are the speakers Ralph?

[REM]

Think 'through the keyhole', the clues are all there. They are BIG, very blingy, very very efficient, and they ain't British, hence the long delay in delivery. An extra clue for you, mine are going to be in the standard piano black but you can have them any colour you like...

[MartinT]

Wilson?

[DSJR]

Nah, Wilsons usually need a lorry-load of Krell before they lower themselves to rattle their cones-n-domes (not expensive in reality, but priced that way to add cachet )

Ushers?

[REM]

Wilson?

Noooope, not that big and deffo not that expensive, not been around as long either. Another clue, they produce a cartridge as well....

[Ali Tait]

Oooh you little minx! Ok,so what country then?

[REM]

The Wilson guess wasn't so far off the mark, these are from across the pond as well....
You gotta get it now....

[MartinT]

There are some very good hi-end modern speakers around though, Martin's Ushers being a prime example (which I think are almost a bargain considering the material value and superb use of latest technology.

I would hesitate saying they are great value, because they were undeniably expensive. However, compared with the likes of Wilson and Focal I agree with Marco that the Ushers are a hell of a lot of speaker for the money at half their price. I'm in awe of their ability!