Scalford show 6th March 2011

[Alex_UK]

Bob (Khapahk) Room 75.

Voyd, Helius, Lyra Lydian, Icon Audio Phono, Shanling CDT-80 CDP, Transendent pre, Graaf 5050 power amp, PMC DB1.

I can't remember what source was playing, but another system that suited the room size perfectly. Unbelievably, the PMC DB1 is in the tradition of PMC a Transmission Line design, the World's smallest, apparently. They certainly sounded very nice, and I remember the depth of image was particularly good with this system. Very nice.

[hornucopia]

Hi Chris,

Did you get a chance to listen to the AoS system? If so, you're feedback, positive or negative, would be appreciated

I also thought Rabski's 57s, with supertweeters, sounded rather good

Marco.

Missed it! I think the room was busy when I was in that corridor, and once off down those labyrinths......
I missed a few things, such as the Apogees.
rabski's a 'friend', as we share interactions. He gets tempted by horns; then I get tempted by ELSs. So we tell each other NOT to be tempted, etc.
Yes, his system WAS lovely. I'm still trying to work out WHERE I could fit ANOTHER set of speakers......I had ELSs in 1980, before my Klipschorns for the following 25 years!

[Beechwoods]

Nick: what tape you using on the Nagra..Maxell UD35-90? works best for me

Andr'e, funnily enough, nothing special. Quantegy 478. £6 a pop when I bought it. I think the trick is finding a tape that works with the bias of your deck. My Nagra is biased for broadcast tape, rather than the (what was more common, and now starting to become unobtanium) musical master tape. I've tried a few different ones and 478 is in the sweet spot of performance and price.

[Alex_UK]

Tim (onlyconnect) Room 81

PC, AVI ADM9.1, BK Electronics sub.

Well, I was very keen to hear the AVI's, as I know from discussions on here that they "divide opinion" (I think that's the polite way of saying it!)

Firstly, what a simple setup - If you need to have a decent sound in a cramped space, or if you move around a lot - perfect. That said, the system was very impressive - extremely musical, and accurate, no hint of any digital "harshness" (I think that's another hifi myth...) for such a digital system, and the non-AVI sub integrated very well. Another positive FBA and tiddly speaker experience!

[MCRU]

[QUOTE=Alex_UK;194724]

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.

I used that very same plinth for my Lenco and it was very, very good, Russ does a solid version, the hollow one is still very heavy, dread to think what the solid one weighs. My 401 is still sat waiting for an arm board,,,,grrhhhh

[Alex_UK]

Henry (cable monkey) Room 77.

Teac P700 CD, Benchmark DAC 1, Modded AR Legend, AO PU7, AT33PTG, Kinshaw preception Phono, Rothwell passive pre, Quad/Net Audio 405-3 power amp, ProAc Response 1sc.

The AR was playing, and thiswas another very clear system, that fitted the room supremely. The little ProAc's did a super job of filling the room with great imaging and a clear presentation. And yes, that turntable is a thing of beauty...

(By the way, please feel free to tell me to stop if I'm doing your heads in with my "What Amateur?" mini-reviews...!)

[Beechwoods]

Lol! I'm just impressed you could remember all the gear! Are you a carnival memory man in your spare time Alex?!

[MartinT]

(By the way, please feel free to tell me to stop if I'm doing your heads in with my "What Amateur?" mini-reviews...!)

No, keep on going. This is great stuff for those of us who couldn't make it. I can almost hear the music...

[Reid Malenfant]

Lol! I'm just impressed you could remember all the gear!

I happened to be there at the same time as Alex, our opinions don't differ by very much in all honesty I pretty much remember the whole lot as well tbh, at least when faced with the pictures

Just a shame it looks like we missed a few good rooms

[Alex_UK]

Lionel (Testy) & John (meninblack)

April Music Aura Note, Laptop, Behringer UCA-202, Mini-T amp, Amphion Ion, Tannoy Autograph Mini.

What a fun room! Lego equipment stands, and the tiniest Tannoy's you've ever seen! Bear in mind that that's a netwbook, and it will give you an idea how small the Tannoys are (it's a 4" driver!) I did learn also that the current Aura brand is nothing to do with B&W - they sold the name to the Korean company April Music sometime ago.

The sound was ok, but didn't quite hit the spot for me - but then it was getting to "ears tired" time. Got a bit of a shock though when I checked the price of the little Tannoys - £1,500! The Aura Note was also £1,500 new, so suddenly you've got an expensive pairing. But I don't think that's the point - hugely entertaining in their own way.

(Thanks for the kind comments Martin, I'll carry on, then, as the photos appear! I might think about joining a freak show, actually Nick! )