Martin's

[Barry]

Yes, that really is a good looking and sounding system you have there Martin.

Would love to hear that EAR preamp.

May I ask why you have replaced the knife edge bearing on your SME arm, and why don't you play your Ortofon SPU in it? (Ortofon themselves used a Thorens/SME/SPU combination.)

Regards

[Macca]

Very impressive. Outstanding, in fact. The sort of set up that reminds me that to have the system I deserve I really need to earn a lot more money than I actually do.

[Reid Malenfant]

Wow, very nice indeed woot.gif If i ever went over to using valves, that is the type of equipment & speakers i'd be looking for drool.gif

It's been years since i heard a pair of 15" dual concentrics, from what i can remember they were very good indeed.

[DSJR]

Ooooh I'm green

Those pictures just show how HUGE the Lockwood Majors really are, even though the TD124 is quite a neat little deck in that plinth system. Marco's own pics don't really give the scale of them IMO.

That EAR preamp probably costs many many thousands of pounds now, as Tim's hiked all his prices from expensive to stratospheric, but that one MUST be better than an ARC Reference, which I've always thought of as all fur coat-n-no knickers (take out all those Clarity caps and I bet it would be very ordinary)...

HiFi dave, can't you borrow one to try??????

[Marco]

Hi Dave,

Those pictures just show how HUGE the Lockwood Majors really are, even though the TD124 is quite a neat little deck in that plinth system. Marco's own pics don't really give the scale of them IMO.

Indeed, probably because they're in a bigger room....

Don't you think they look just as huge in the room at Scalford Hall (which was huge in itself)?





Anyway, they certainly sound just as huge as they look. The sheer scale they can muster with the right material would make you soak yer Matalan panties!!

Marco.

[martin_kbh]

Hi guys...thanks ever so much for your kind input. Much appreciated.

Just noticed there's a huge difference in layout between 1 & 2 and then 3 - (is that an extra bookshelf speaker appeared in 3 next to the moved EAR?) Which is the current current one?

Hi Alex...The first picture is the only current picture. It's a previous experiment. I also have the Denon AVR-4310 and a PS3 for surround and I was experimenting with my Dynaudio 52SE placed in the bookshelf. Not good. Id rather just swap cables and use the Lockwood's for surround. As you can see I have left room on top for the center speaker - Dynaudio C122.

May I ask why you have replaced the knife edge bearing on your SME arm, and why don't you play your Ortofon SPU in it? (Ortofon themselves used a Thorens/SME/SPU combination.)Regards

Hi Barry...Because i read this review...is it true? I dont think so. But it looks good

Actually Ortofon sold these TD-124 (at least in Scandinavia) using their own arms - the SMG212. I have this arm and you can just see in the sixth picture. Its a very simple arm and it tracks remarkably well. The contra weight looks like an old Kodak 35mm film case (grey lid on black) - this is full of soft lead. Due to it weight and very limited movement on the arm its impossible to use/outbalance various PU's other than the heavy Ortofon SPU G/T with the inbuilt SUT.

The Denon DP59L also looks interesting. I'm not aware of that particular model. How would you compare it sonically with your TD-124? Marco.

Hi Marco...they are so different in may ways. The Denon is a typical direct drive Japanese turntable with really fine features, specs and measurements. It never faults, it just delivers - easy to live with.

The TD-124 is a real demanding child compared to the Denon, constantly something needs to be oiled, adjusted, tweaked or changed...certainly never boring. But the key difference is the amount of torque and thus sonic attack in the music...the TD-124 is an absolute league of its own here. I think the Denon is more correct in terms of wow and flutter.....marginal.

[martin_kbh]

I wish my LookIgotWood..Major one... was as good looking as yours. Id much rather have your dark wood Formica finish. Yours also seem to be in better nick than mine. As you can see mine are covered in gaffatape around the base to cover the shattered formica. I am working on a plan for restoring the cabinetts...so little time.

Gee...when you read this all together it really comes out quite stupid

[Marco]

Hi Martin,

You're right, regarding the condition. However, when I first got mine I didn't think they were in particularly good condition, as there are some scrapes and scuffs on the sides which the pictures don't show (bear in mind that until then I only bought brand new speakers), but now I've seen pictures of some other Lockwoods, I now realise that mine are virtually mint!

There were some nice teak coloured ones for sale a while back, which went for a ridiculously cheap price of around £700, but they didn't have Monitor Golds in. Instead they were some other obscure drivers. I forget which model...





And one of my babies in situ at home:

I am working on a plan for restoring the cabinetts...so little time.

Please keep me in the loop with that, as I'd like to do something with mine, perhaps in terms of re-veneering in a (lighter) real wood

Marco.

[DSJR]

I'm still hankering after some Cheviots with re-built drivers.

We've discussed this before, but a pair of Major cabs for £7-800 with some Monitor Gold drivers (how much for a restored pair, £2K these days?) is still well under £3K all in. It may even be possible to get some current 15" DC's and crossovers... That's still a third of the price that any alternatives would cost I reckon.

[Techno Commander]

I rather liked my Cheviots, but I did think them a "little lacking" at the top end. I dont know how much an "improved" crossover would help here.

Marco: Is that a full size door next to your Lockwoods?