Recent content by paskinn

He’s obviously weak after his ordeal, but he’s definitely the old Mik, back with us. Wonderful. Just wonderful.And all praise to the great medical team who cared for him, saved him. Human life is so precious......

Good news; Mik , analogue guru from Watford, is now well on the mend after his illness, out of critical care and expects to be back at his business, Unique Audio, before too long. Something positive in these dark days.

I haven’t posted for several years, and no longer have a system, but for what it’s worth, the 12inch arm will sound smoother and more relaxed ,at the cost of a slight loss of dynamics. The issue with the SME 10 is mounting the longer arms. I far preferred the 12inch, but it’s just a matter of...

I no longer have any audio gear, so am an occasional bystander. But from what I hear, the key issue for the new owner was marginal profits. SMEcwas not making sufficient margins for long-term survival. This was compounded by a serious fall-off in the company's other engineering business. SME has...

Thought I would pop back to mention that SME has been sold. The buyer, who gets the products and two factory sites, is apparently an entrepreneur who bought Spendor some time back. Never thought the Aikmann family would do that. After about sixty years of family ownership. But things...

While I'm here, let me just suggest that moving coils are a major mistake. They don't sound much at all like real music. A decent moving magnet is a better source, but in the clichéd world of 'hi fi' that sort of view is ignored. . As for stuff like Lyra...you could strip wallpaper with those...

Yes, SME 30-12 and a host of SME arms.All sold. Great kit, but time to move on. Done the analogue thing for nearly 50 years; I still think it is the best source, by a solid margin, but these days I am prepared to settle for convenience. Disgraceful I know. Still I will get round to...

The question shows my ignorance. I have now sold my audio system, freeing-up an entire room. It feels lovely to be rid of it all! Anyway, what I use these days is my I-pad feeding an Oppo HA1 digital headphone amp and hp1 earphones. Happy with that and won't change or 'upgrade'. I am...

People have told me I'm daft to be 'leaving' the hobby. But as someone spotted, I don't plan to abandon listening to music. Earphones are a compromise, lossy digital is a compromise, but I can still enjoy it. For instance, this afternoon I listened to Neilson's 'Helois' overture, Sibelius Fifth...

This issue is one of the reasons I am in the process of selling-off my hi fi system...first system 1967, last one 2016. From now on it's just earphones and my I pad. And, for that reason, this is the last entry I ever make on an audio forum. .....I enjoyed fifty years of audio as a...

I know thread drift is always possible, but how did a thread about vinyl get turned into another droning, tedious, set of assertions about the perfection of digital? Reading it is a bit like watching paint dry. It is grey and boring and slowly killing these forums.

I have become intrigued by the way tv set designers 'signal' particular eras, lifestyles and classes. All with a few objects. Here we have a quite clever selection. Lamps are another favourite...stick a few modern classic on a set and...job done. The Eames chair is another easy 'signal' to...

Absolutely true. I have a B77 high speed and a rather rare Ferrograph Logic Seven, again, 15ips half track. At those speeds they eat tape, but the sound is great. I let a few local bands borrow the B77 to record their stuff. They are expensive to maintain, expensive to run...but so what.

I don't want to get caught-up in another thread about room correction devices; I find that using a pair of Rel 582 subs, set at low gain, gives a fine result in my room. Better than one sub used centrally. But obviously, you have to spend twice as much....

Indeed, it is a matter of personal experience. For my tastes the 401 does some things very well but others rather less well; I've never owned an LP12 but I have heard them over many hours of use. My own choice would probably be for the LP12, it's not obviously inferior to a 401 and avoids...