advertisement


Brands that disappeared very quickly

Linx amplifiers are by far my favourite long-gone brand. Founded in NZ in the 1980's they moved to the UK and I think were located in Canvey Island area. I first heard their Stratos pre and mon-power amps in a show at a Swiss Cottage hotel in the 1980's and lusted after them since. My first foray into Linx ownership was the Linx Vega power amp which I actually liked over the Supernait the preceded it and dare I say it, also the Bedini that succeeded it. I then managed to find a Nebula integrated which I still have - this MosFET'd beauty can outboogie a Nait 2 and drive anything. I need to get it recapped. A couple of year's back I managed to locate an example of the Stratos kit in good external nick. More refined than the Nebula and by far the best amplification I have had. The pre-amp has been upgraded by an ex-Linx designer still based in Canvey. The power amps were restored by a local specialist after the previous owner's repairer had bodged it The only downside is the Stratos pre and power amps are very susceptible to noise in my mains.
 
I had a Kelvin Labs class A (20W as I recall) feeding TDL Studio 1 speakers. Fond memories. Then the Kelvin blew up and the company had disappeared.
 
There have been hundreds of tiny companies that appeared in a few reviews and then vanished.
I feel that this thread is about companies that did establish themselves.
Glancing at a 20 year old magazine, two amplifier brands with a bit more presence were Alchemist and Myrad, two speaker companies were Heybrook and TDL
 
Went to Movement Audio in Parkstone Dorset in 1988 fully expecting to walk out with a NAD 3020 to go with the Tannoy Mercury MK2s my parents had just bought me for my 21st. The salesman suggested I should have a listen to a Proton D540 as well as the NAD. To cut a long story short I still own the Proton. Despite probably being well overdue a recap it still sounds great on the increasingly rare occasions I fire it up. I seem to recall that Proton had some connection with NAD (They use identical switches for power & speaker switching).
Despite my personal preference NAD seem to have gone from strength to strength whereas Proton seem to have completely disappeared.
 
davidsrsb said:
Glancing at a 20 year old magazine, two amplifier brands with a bit more presence were Alchemist and Myrad, two speaker companies were Heybrook and TDL
Click to expand...
Heybrook are still going, although not sure how it relates to the original company, or has been reincarnated?
http://www.heybrook.co.uk/
They made a nice LP12 competitor in the 80's.
(edit) just browsed their website, and it looks very dated. Not sure they are really still in the HiFi market, their only UK distributor is now some sort of 'microcars' company, and putting Heybrook in the search draws a blank.
 
What about Castle Speakers, they made some nice gear with proper wood finishes. I remember listening to them against an entry level rega stand mount & prefering them. Had them for a few years.
 
martin clark said:
In 1995, Mana seemed like
Just another Stand war
But it wasn't, it was
Different in many ways

As so were those
Who did the fighting
In World War II
The average age of the
Combat soldier was twenty-six

[Chorus]
In the Stand Wars, he was nineteen
In the Stand Wars, he was nineteen
In the Stand Wars, he was nineteen
In the Stand Wars, he was nineteen
N-n-n-n-nineteen

The heaviest fighting
Of the past two weeks
Continued today twenty-five
Miles northwest of Salisbury

I really wasn't sure
What was going on

[Chorus]
N-n-n-n-nineteen, nineteen
N-nineteen, nineteen

In the Stand wars, the combat soldier
Typically served a twelve month tour of duty
But was exposed to hostile fire almost everyday

[Chorus]
N-n-n-n-nineteen
N-n-n-n-nineteen
Ph-a-a-a-ase N-n-n-n-nineteen
N-n-n-n-nineteen

In Anglesey, a miltary spokesman
Said today, more than 720 posts
Were killed last week in
That sensitive border area
In all of Mana wars
The enemy lost a total of
2,689 purchasers.

[Bridge]
All those who remember the war
They won't forget what they've seen
Destruction of men in their prime
Whose average Phase was nineteen

D-d-d-d-d-destruction
D-d-d-d-d-destruction

According to a Veteran's Administration study
Half of the Stand combat veterans suffered
From what psychiatrists call
Post traumatic stand disorder
Many vets complain of alienation, rage, or insufficient tings
Some succumb to suicidal thoughts
Eight to ten years after emptying their home
Almost eight -^^^^^ men
Are still fighting the Mana Stand War

None of them received
A hero's welcome

None of them
None of them
Click to expand...


Interesting. A perfect mix of Randy Newman and Thomas Pynchon. I wonder how it could be put into music: a chamber Oratorio perhaps? Not joking.
 
Woodface said:
What about Castle Speakers, they made some nice gear with proper wood finishes. I remember listening to them against an entry level rega stand mount & prefering them. Had them for a few years.
Click to expand...

Add Richard Allan speakers to the list. A friend’s father had some homemade speakers using their drive units.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top