Scalford show 6th March 2011

[Alex_UK]

(OB1) Room 47

MF Tri-Vista SACD, MastersounD PHL-5 pre, McIntosh 275 power, Sonus Faber Amati.

OB was playing some pretty full on metal, at pretty high levels, and even though the speakers by rights should have been far too much for the room, it all hung together pretty well. Amazing looking speakers - and loved the fact that he was using a pink Hello Kitty TV as his monitor screen!

[Reid Malenfant]

I believe the Decca Volts are pretty rare? They certainly made a very nice noise - one of those systems that showed we haven't really advanced that much the last few decades...

You remember i asked the chap if they happened to be Decca London ribbons?

[anthonyTD]

Marco;Cheers, mate

We all really missed you this year, and TBH, although things went well, it wasn't the same. And besides,

Beechy didn't quite suit the frock we'd reserved for you, and it wouldn't fit John!

Damn, i cant believe i misssed the frock!

However, we'll make up for your absence big time next year!

Realy sad i missed the show this year and everything else that goes with it, ie; the banter and fun we usualy have etc, also missed out on meeting a few more of the AOS team.

I'd love to hear your Soul amp driving the Celestions, which would act as a nice contrast to Martin's superb Chord. We could do half the day with each amp, which I'm sure would be very interesting...

Yep, i'm up for that!

We can also go for a curry and a few beers with the lads from Wigwam, so that should be a giggle!

Looking forward to it already.
Anthony,TD...

Marco.

[Alex_UK]

Richard (Gromit) Room 36

Garrard 401, SME, Dyna P75, MacBook, HiFace, 840C, Inca Tech Claymore, Royd Merlins.

Being a 401 owner, I was keen to talk to Richard about his Russ Collinson plinth, which looks fabulous in the flesh, and considering it is the bottom of the range, hollow type, there was not a hint of rumble as far as I could hear. Richard was struggling a bit with the SME - you'll notice he was missing the spacer, (a replacement had been won on ebay, but the seller had let him down in getting it out to him) so it sat too low on the plinth, so the pillar had to be extended to it's fullest reach.

Like mine, the 401 is long overdue a service I believe, but it sounded fab through the amp and the little Royd's, producing one of those sounds that defied the size of the speakers - this was another of my favourites, and a system I could happily live with.

[John]

You know you need to get that 401 plinthed Alex

[Alex_UK]

Adam (Beobloke) Cottesmore room

Sony Biotracer PS-B80 & Aiwa LP3000 TT's, Cambridge Audio CD1, Pioneer SA9800MkII amp, Leak 2075, & lots of other delights!

It was good to meet Adam, a thoroughly nice chap, and this was certainly one of the most interesting rooms, and Adam is to be commended for doing something different. The 70's kit looks fab, and sounded good too - the Panasonic amp was so shiny it looked like it was brand new! Adam commented that he was probably the only exhibitor not to have a remote control amplifier, but did have remote control turntables!

The Aiwa turntable was an intriguing device, as was the Sony - a technical masterpiece. I particularly liked the look of the wooden plinthed ADC (Accutrac 4000 I think?) with its "Space 1999" typeface on the control panel, Track selection buttons (yes, really!) and another one with remote control!

[Rare Bird]

Nice pics alfie.
The helius on the voyd is the mk 3 orion.
The mk 2 were 2 piece were the mk3 is 1.

Thats correct regarding the armtube my mistake

[Alex_UK]

Dave (Slavedata)

Thorens 124, SME 3009, Shure V15, Sony SACD PC 192/24 Mediaserver, Fisher 500C amp, Jordan JX92S folded horns.

Those tiny drivers had no right to produce the amount of bass they did - the horns obviously doing what they were supposed to do! I was really pleased to see a 124 - they look unbreakable! The Fisher amp was something differennt, and it certainly sounded good overall.

(By the way, if I haven't commented on a system it is only because I don't really have much to say about it - for various reasons - i.e. couldn't get into the room properly, or by the time I got to listen to them my ears were shot! They were genuinely ringing on the way home - I think some rooms could maybe do with dropping the volume a little...?)

[Alex_UK]

You know you need to get that 401 plinthed Alex

Oh yes - next on the list after the speakers arrive...

[DSJR]

Adam (Beobloke) Cottesmore room

That Empire Troubador was an amazing deck at the time and sonically, a total Linn anihilator from memory. The arm was out of its time - far too massive for Empire's then top cartridge (2000Z), but this deck rocked brilliantly. A shame so very few made their way to the UK.