Newly retired, new house, rekindling an old flame (music)

[Barry]

Alistair,

Cables

1. They need to be of a sufficient length.
2. Dont believe the hype or bullshit.
3. They need to be able to conduct an electrical current

2mm Solid core electrical cable from Wickes can produce you some very nice power and speaker cables. I use silver, but that's just my quirk.

I'm reminded of what the late Peter Walker of Quad had to say about speaker cables:

There are only two things that matter: the first is that they are long enough to reach between the amplifier and the speakers; the second ideally is that the colour of the cable insulation should match that of the carpet over which they run.

As you can tell Peter Walker was highly sceptical about all the hype and bullshit theory that surrounds a lot of audio cable marketing. But no matter, I'm sure Richer Sounds will offer some sensible suggestions.

Good luck for Sunday.

[Maelstrom]

Morning all,

Well, it's happening. Tomorrow morning, I'll be in the demo room at Richer Sounds Belfast with George. The hotel is booked, I'm heading over this afternoon, and I've got a night out lined up first. Feeling properly excited – and a little nervous, if I'm honest.

George has been brilliant. We had another good chat on the phone yesterday, and together we settled on a shortlist to audition. He's going to have two or three combinations ready for me, mixing and matching within my £3-4k budget.

Here's what we'll be listening to:

Streamers:

Argon Audio Stream 2 MK3

WiiM Pro Plus

Amplifiers:

Audiolab 7000A

Cambridge Audio EXA100

Speakers:

Monitor Audio Silver 100 7G

Wharfedale Super Linton

KEF LS50 Meta

The plan is to try a few different pairings – probably start with the WiiM into the Audiolab with the KEFs, then swap in the Cambridge, then try the Wharfedales, etc. George said we can take as long as I need, which is a relief.

I'm particularly curious to hear the Super Lintons. They're big, I know, but everything I've read says they have that warm, engaging, slightly forgiving character I've been after. The Monitor Audios seem to get rave reviews for punch and dynamics. And the KEFs are the modern classic I feel I should try, even if I worry they might be too clinical for me.

The Argon streamer is a bit of an unknown – it seems to be well regarded in European forums but less talked about here. George rates it highly for the money, so I trust him.

Although cables didn't come up in our conversation so far, I'm looking forward to seeing what they use and recommend...

Anyway, I'll report back tomorrow evening with impressions – which combination made me smile, which one fell flat, and whether I walked out with a receipt or just a lot of thinking to do.

Thanks again to everyone who's offered advice along the way. It's genuinely helped me get to this point with some confidence.

Wish me luck – and if you see a retirement age man wandering around Belfast tonight looking slightly lost, that'll be me.

Alistair

[Macca]

All the best with it, have a good time!

[Pigmy Pony]

Best of luck Alistair, I'm sure you won't need it

[Barry]

Wishing you an entertaining, informative and successful weekend Alistair. We're all on tenterhooks here to learn how you get on. An exciting time.

[Wakefield Turntables]

I honestly hope that you have a great time, learn some new stuff and hopefully have a new system.

[CageyH]

Enjoy the experience. George seems to have plenty of experience (based on the RS website) so I think you will be in good hands.
I had my doubts about the first dealer you contacted, as they seem to deal mainly in high end gear, but I think RS will certainly be a completely different experience.

Enjoy it. Don't be afraid to ask questions and try different gear to the stuff that has already been prepared.

[hifi_dave]

Lots of great gear missing from that list.

[Maelstrom]

Evening all,

I'm back from Belfast, ears still ringing (in a good way), and I wanted to share how the demo went – partly because I know some of you were following along, and partly because it might help someone else in a similar position.

First, the night out was excellent. A few pints in the Cathedral Quarter, a very good steak, and a solid night's sleep. Walked into Richer Sounds on Sunday morning feeling relaxed and ready.

George was every bit as good as he sounded on the phone. He had the systems set up in the demo room, exactly as promised. No pressure, no jargon, no "you really need to spend more." Just a genuine enthusiast who let me listen, swap things around, and listen again.

We ran through a few combinations from the shortlist I posted earlier. I tried the KEF LS50 Metas with the Cambridge amp – too clinical for my taste, especially in that bare-ish room. The Monitor Audio Silver 100s were punchy and fun, but a bit too forward on rock vocals. The Audiolab 7000A was perfectly fine, but the Cambridge just had more soul.

And then we got to the combination that a couple of you had recommended in my earlier threads: the Wharfedale Super Lintons. George paired them with the Cambridge Audio EXA100 and fed the signal from a WiiM Pro Plus. From the first track, I understood what the fuss was about. Nina Simone's voice had weight and presence. John Bonham's kick drum had physicality without overwhelming the room. Joni Mitchell's guitar harmonics just hung in the air beautifully.

George smiled and said he thought this combination would match my room superbly – the Lintons' warmth and the Cambridge's control working together in a 5x4m space. It certainly sounded that way in the demo room.

So where am I now? I didn't buy on the spot. George was perfectly understanding – no hard sell whatsoever. I've come away with some excellent listening notes and a clear front‑runner, but I want to do a bit more research and maybe hear one or two other combinations before I commit. The Wharfedale/Cambridge pairing is definitely the one to beat, but I'd like to sleep on it and perhaps compare against a NAD C389 or a Naim setup if I can find one locally.

One quick practical note: I asked George about speaker cables – knowing full well what a can of worms that is. He said for a system at this level, decent OFC speaker cable (around £3-5 per metre) is all you need. He recommended Fisual Super Pearl or Cambridge Audio's own SYMPHONY 200 – nothing fancy, just well-made and sensible.

A huge thank you to everyone who offered advice along the way – especially those who pushed the Wharfedales. You gave me a fantastic reference point. And if anyone's considering a demo at Richer Sounds Belfast, ask for George. He's a rare find.

Now I just need to buy a rug. And make a decision.

Alistair

[Barry]

You have made a good start there Alistair. Would you be able to listen to a NAD or Naim set-up at Richers? Like your choice of demo music.