Romulus
pfm Member
16 week wait on on some ATC speakers so plenty of time to save
Maybe If I offered to wash their dishes at Gloucester base during that period they may offer an entry speaker in return!
System Reviews-Why I love my own system
- Thread starter Del monaco
- Start date
Maybe If I offered to wash their dishes at Gloucester base during that period they may offer an entry speaker in return!
Mr Magoo
Hello. How are you?
I bought my first system in 1973 and had numerous changes until 1989 when Naim took over in the amplification and speaker areas. The highlights of my earlier days were my first amp (Sansui AU101) and the Armstrong 621 integrated. Also the Keesonic Kub speakers driven by the Armstrong.
I then did the whole Naim/Linn journey culminating in a 252/300 and a fully loaded LP12. I enjoyed that period, but found I was listening to Hifi and not music.
My present system ticks all my boxes in that it works brilliantly with the vinyl I have collected since 1973. Currently about 5,000 albums. Mostly rock, some jazz.
The beating heart of my system is the amazing Sugden A21P power amp, teamed with a very capable Exposure pre. Now the Sugden is a real joy and was my first experience of a true Class A amplifier. Yes, it might get a tad warm and is a little limited in terms of outright power, but the sound is sublime. Nicely balanced in terms of bass and mids and a nice smooth top end. Plenty of detail. Makes bass guitars sound right too. Wish I’d gone Sugden long ago.
My sole source is my plug and play (compared to an LP12) and great sounding Well Tempered Versalex with the wonderful Dynavector 17D3 (my third one). I think the lively and dynamic 17D3 and the Sugden really gel.
My speakers are perhaps an odd choice for a lowish powered system in a 3.5m x 4m room, but I like them. Perhaps because they are big and bold, they deliver great sounding music with very little effort. Like driving a Porsche at 50mph. Capable of so much more, but not having to make much effort is cool too. Having a sensitivity of 88db certainly helps things along.
All connected with Chord Shawline interconnects and speaker cable. Oh, and I nearly forgot. The phono amp is the amazing little F117 Nighthawk battery powered phono stage from the States. Better than a Dynavector P75 Mk4 in my opinion.
I recently moved my rack a couple of feet and took the system apart and rebuilt it. Something is missing and the synergy feels compromised. Also, there’s now an annoying hum in the background at medium to high levels, confirming that something isn’t quite right. So a move back to the original position plus another rebuild will hopefully correct this. I think moving the system close to the only mains outlet my be a factor. I just pray I can get that elusive wow factor back that I had before messing it up by moving the rack.
There are some changes I would consider. I hear a pair of Dynaudio SpecialForty speakers a few years ago and think they’d work well in my room/system. When the cart finally needs replacing, the 17Dx is a front runner as a replacement. The Versalex and the Sugden are keepers.
Peter
I then did the whole Naim/Linn journey culminating in a 252/300 and a fully loaded LP12. I enjoyed that period, but found I was listening to Hifi and not music.
My present system ticks all my boxes in that it works brilliantly with the vinyl I have collected since 1973. Currently about 5,000 albums. Mostly rock, some jazz.
The beating heart of my system is the amazing Sugden A21P power amp, teamed with a very capable Exposure pre. Now the Sugden is a real joy and was my first experience of a true Class A amplifier. Yes, it might get a tad warm and is a little limited in terms of outright power, but the sound is sublime. Nicely balanced in terms of bass and mids and a nice smooth top end. Plenty of detail. Makes bass guitars sound right too. Wish I’d gone Sugden long ago.
My sole source is my plug and play (compared to an LP12) and great sounding Well Tempered Versalex with the wonderful Dynavector 17D3 (my third one). I think the lively and dynamic 17D3 and the Sugden really gel.
My speakers are perhaps an odd choice for a lowish powered system in a 3.5m x 4m room, but I like them. Perhaps because they are big and bold, they deliver great sounding music with very little effort. Like driving a Porsche at 50mph. Capable of so much more, but not having to make much effort is cool too. Having a sensitivity of 88db certainly helps things along.
All connected with Chord Shawline interconnects and speaker cable. Oh, and I nearly forgot. The phono amp is the amazing little F117 Nighthawk battery powered phono stage from the States. Better than a Dynavector P75 Mk4 in my opinion.
I recently moved my rack a couple of feet and took the system apart and rebuilt it. Something is missing and the synergy feels compromised. Also, there’s now an annoying hum in the background at medium to high levels, confirming that something isn’t quite right. So a move back to the original position plus another rebuild will hopefully correct this. I think moving the system close to the only mains outlet my be a factor. I just pray I can get that elusive wow factor back that I had before messing it up by moving the rack.
There are some changes I would consider. I hear a pair of Dynaudio SpecialForty speakers a few years ago and think they’d work well in my room/system. When the cart finally needs replacing, the 17Dx is a front runner as a replacement. The Versalex and the Sugden are keepers.
Peter
Jezzer
Unspecified
Del monaco
Del Monaco
That sounds like a very satisfying system Mr M. Shame about the buzz.May be a cable? Always loved the sound of class A. The Sugden always pops up as a good ‘un. Hope you get things sorted and your satisfaction returns.
Del monaco
Del Monaco
Thanks for the reviews of your own systems so far. Really interesting to see what floats your own boats.
John Phillips
pfm Member
I have been more than happy listening daily since 2018 to what I have (see the Information tab of my Profile page). I have felt no need to improve anything. I was very happy with my previous system (installed in 2004), but I gradually listed in priority order the things that occasionally annoyed me. Here are some:
- Not being able to always comfortably do a “Peter Walker” with the volume control and place performers as close to me, in mid-field (2.8m) listening, as the recording perspective demanded.
- Not being able to comfortably reproduce close-miked 88-key piano down to the lowest octave at high enough volume with sufficiently believable dynamic performance.
- Not always perceiving tonal, detail and dynamic independence of instruments in a multi-instrument (e.g. orchestral) recording where instruments play simultaneously at independently varying levels from quiet to loud.
- Frequently wanting to adjust the volume control when listening to BBC Radio 3 to quieten the announcer then raise the level of the performance for better audio perspective and more audio detail.
Del monaco
Del Monaco
The Radio 3 announcer issue irritates me at times.
John Phillips
pfm Member
Others have reported the issue too. I suspect it may possibly happen with insufficient bass extension.
Low frequency low-level detail gets lost at low volume levels - that's just normal human hearing. To hear low frequency low-level detail you have to turn up the volume and that raises the level of human voice in the midrange.
My last 'speakers were actually bought mainly for their excellent reproduction of opera and in particular the human voice. In hindsight I think I should have taken a more balanced view over all of the types of music to which I listen. I did that for my most recent purchases and took along a more balanced set of material to the audition.
In support of the idea, when I installed the new system I found I gradually reduced my foreground listening volume control setting, presumably set initially on what I had previously become accustomed to hearing. The low frequency low-level detail is now there at low volume because of better bass extension, and the mid-range of the announcer's voice is now not at an annoying level in consequence.
Well, that's a potential explanation, but the upshot anyway is that I haven't experienced the issue at any time with this system. I do have the old system still in storage so maybe at some time I will go back and see if my appreciation of it has changed. However, there are no issues at all on my current system's list of annoyances.
wylton
Naim and Mana member
When it comes to hi-fi, I’m the original flat-Earther, so the direction that my system has taken is no surprise really. It was when I attended the hi-fi shows in the early days, in particular, the Naim rooms that I was hooked and also, a review in the January 1977 issue of Practical Hi-Fi & Audio, of the NAC12/NAP120 amplifier, that the direction of my system was set.
My systems have been based around Linn (Sara, Kans, Isobariks) and Naim (SBLs) loudspeakers. I ran the Linn Sara in active and passive form, with Naim NAP 160 & NAP250 amplifiers.
When a new Hi-Fi shop opened near to where I lived, I popped in to say hallo and they had just taken delivery of the then, new Naim SBL’s. As I was already running an active system with the Sara’s, I seemed to be the obvious choice for someone to give them a home test, so a short time later, they were delivered to me, complete with a new NAXO crossover. They made an immediate impact on me, so I bought them and didn’t send them back!
I had a home demo of the Linn Troika too, when that came out, so:
LP12/Ittok LVII/Troika
NAC32.5
NAXO
2 x Hi-Caps
2 x NAP250
Naim SBL’s.
Then I got a nagging itch to try Isobariks, so I moved on the SBLs and bought an elderly pair of Linn Isobariks, running them passively with a NAP250. They were fun, but in all honesty, they didn’t work too well in my room, which does give a slight bass lift.
About that time, there was a thread on pfm from someone who wanted to try Linn Kans and was seeking advice. A pfm member posted that he had a pair for sale if the OP was interested. A couple of days passed with no response from the OP, so I made an offer and bingo! The little Linn Kans fitted in straight away, the slight bass lift from the listening room being an advantage to the Kans where it had been a disadvantage to the Isobariks.
I was a late adopter to CD, my first CD player being the Marantz CD52, later replaced with a Naim CD3, which was fun, but could strip the wallpaper on the wrong material as reviewer Peter Comeau once put it.
When it came to replacing the CD3, I was fortunate enough to be able to get a home demo of three CD players:
· Naim CDS
· Naim CDSII
· Naim CDX
TBH, I could have lived with any of them. I remember on one particular Frank Zappa track (can’t remember what track), the CDSII Sounded absolutely sublime, but the CDS/CDPS sounded better over a wider range of tracks, so I kept the CDS.
I was an early adopter of the Naim Aro. I initially bought a Linn Ekos to replace the Ittok, but for some reason, I couldn’t get on with it and very soon purchased the Aro, which I still have (in fact I have two, neither of which is on an LP12)!
Having lived with the Linn Kans for a while, I began to wonder how I could improve them and eventually, after doing some background research, decided to go active again! I purchased a pair of MkII Kustone Kans, which are easy to convert. Getting the grille off is the hardest bit. The Bass/Mid on the MkIIs is on a gasket, so it’s easy to remove. Then you remove the crossover, take off the components and replace the board, reconfiguring the loudspeaker wires to suit.
I had several bits and pieces around, including a full width Naim case, so I built a dual mono ZAP250 to go with the remaining NAP250 that I had, and a couple of 4 x channel Avondale TPX1’s. Then bought an old NAXO and there you go, active Kans! Like the passive MkI’s, they fitted in straight away and sounded fantastic from the word go. The Naim NAC A5 loudspeaker cable was a bit unwieldy in active form, but I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a set of Atlas Hyper bi-wire cables, and they worked very well and looked neater too.
The next thing that happened was I developed an interest in vintage turntables! I had a Lenco 88 up in the workshop. It had been up there for years. I paid a pound for it in a jumble sale. I stripped it down, had the motor board powder coated, and replaced the idler wheel. I commissioned a slate plinth, which I mounted onto an aluminium frame, that was made to my designed by an engineering friend (now sadly passed away, R.I.P Paul). It started with an Audiomods classic and now has a Zeta/Dynavector DV20XL. The latter was another pfm purchase.
After looking for some time, I eventually found a Garrard 401 for £565 on eBay, which went straight to Terry at Loricraft for refurbishment and to be fitted in one of his skeletal plinths. It was fitted with the Aro from the LP12 (which went into temporary retirement) and a Dynavector XX2MkII. I have since swapped the two Aros and now the Garrard has an Aro/Troika
Then the Mitchell! Before I purchase my first LP12, I saw a lovely Hydraulic reference in a shop window. It looked fantastic, so days later, I returned to the shop and bought it. I sold it to the brother-in law of a work mate, when I bought my first LP12. Years later, I ran into my old work mate, and he told me that his brother-in-law wasn’t using the Mitchell and was in the loft! I went round to look at it, to find that it hadn’t been looked after, so I offered him £100 for it, another restoration project! I initially mounted a Hadcock, but then I found an Aro arm-top at an audio jumble! I was lucky to be able to purchase the last Aro Arm base that they had in stock. So currently, I have:
· Michell Hydraulic Reference/Naim Aro/Dynavector XX2MkII
· Lenco 88/Zeta/Dynavector DV20XL
· Garrard 401/Naim Aro/Linn Troika.
All of this is on a mad heap of Mana.
A couple of nice upgrades this year. I picked up a Naim NAXO 2-4, here on pfm, which I sent to Naim to be reconfigured for the Kans. I wasn’t expecting too much tbh, but it was a nice improvement, presumably because it’s dual rail.
I also tried a set of Ryan Sound Lab boards in one of the Naim NAC 12’s that I had sitting up in the workshop and was blown away! I purchase a set, along with a Naim NAC32 that I picked up on Gumtree. So, after all these years, back to the 32, albeit with an Avondale PSU.
I also have a Nakamichi 670ZX, that I bought not working for £40. I sent it to B&W and it just needed a service.
Digital streaming is taken care of with an Auralic Aries Mini + Linear PSU.
The sound I like is something that isn’t over bright and has a tight, not overblown bass and sounds good over a variety of musical genres and input material and to my ears, this system fits the bill.
The System:
Michell Hydraulic Reference/Naim Aro/Dynavector XX2MkII
Lenco 88/Zeta/Dynavector DV20XL
Garrard 401/Naim Aro/Naim Prefix/Avondale TPX1/Linn Troika.
Naim CDS/CDPS
Nakamichi 670ZX
Auralic Aries Mini + Linear PSU
Ryan Sound Lab loaded Naim32.5/Avondale TPX1
Naim NAXO 2-4/Avondale TPX1
Linn Kan MkII active/MkII stands
Atlas Hyper bi-wire cables
Mana equipment supports.
My systems have been based around Linn (Sara, Kans, Isobariks) and Naim (SBLs) loudspeakers. I ran the Linn Sara in active and passive form, with Naim NAP 160 & NAP250 amplifiers.
When a new Hi-Fi shop opened near to where I lived, I popped in to say hallo and they had just taken delivery of the then, new Naim SBL’s. As I was already running an active system with the Sara’s, I seemed to be the obvious choice for someone to give them a home test, so a short time later, they were delivered to me, complete with a new NAXO crossover. They made an immediate impact on me, so I bought them and didn’t send them back!
I had a home demo of the Linn Troika too, when that came out, so:
LP12/Ittok LVII/Troika
NAC32.5
NAXO
2 x Hi-Caps
2 x NAP250
Naim SBL’s.
Then I got a nagging itch to try Isobariks, so I moved on the SBLs and bought an elderly pair of Linn Isobariks, running them passively with a NAP250. They were fun, but in all honesty, they didn’t work too well in my room, which does give a slight bass lift.
About that time, there was a thread on pfm from someone who wanted to try Linn Kans and was seeking advice. A pfm member posted that he had a pair for sale if the OP was interested. A couple of days passed with no response from the OP, so I made an offer and bingo! The little Linn Kans fitted in straight away, the slight bass lift from the listening room being an advantage to the Kans where it had been a disadvantage to the Isobariks.
I was a late adopter to CD, my first CD player being the Marantz CD52, later replaced with a Naim CD3, which was fun, but could strip the wallpaper on the wrong material as reviewer Peter Comeau once put it.
When it came to replacing the CD3, I was fortunate enough to be able to get a home demo of three CD players:
· Naim CDS
· Naim CDSII
· Naim CDX
TBH, I could have lived with any of them. I remember on one particular Frank Zappa track (can’t remember what track), the CDSII Sounded absolutely sublime, but the CDS/CDPS sounded better over a wider range of tracks, so I kept the CDS.
I was an early adopter of the Naim Aro. I initially bought a Linn Ekos to replace the Ittok, but for some reason, I couldn’t get on with it and very soon purchased the Aro, which I still have (in fact I have two, neither of which is on an LP12)!
Having lived with the Linn Kans for a while, I began to wonder how I could improve them and eventually, after doing some background research, decided to go active again! I purchased a pair of MkII Kustone Kans, which are easy to convert. Getting the grille off is the hardest bit. The Bass/Mid on the MkIIs is on a gasket, so it’s easy to remove. Then you remove the crossover, take off the components and replace the board, reconfiguring the loudspeaker wires to suit.
I had several bits and pieces around, including a full width Naim case, so I built a dual mono ZAP250 to go with the remaining NAP250 that I had, and a couple of 4 x channel Avondale TPX1’s. Then bought an old NAXO and there you go, active Kans! Like the passive MkI’s, they fitted in straight away and sounded fantastic from the word go. The Naim NAC A5 loudspeaker cable was a bit unwieldy in active form, but I was lucky enough to be able to borrow a set of Atlas Hyper bi-wire cables, and they worked very well and looked neater too.
The next thing that happened was I developed an interest in vintage turntables! I had a Lenco 88 up in the workshop. It had been up there for years. I paid a pound for it in a jumble sale. I stripped it down, had the motor board powder coated, and replaced the idler wheel. I commissioned a slate plinth, which I mounted onto an aluminium frame, that was made to my designed by an engineering friend (now sadly passed away, R.I.P Paul). It started with an Audiomods classic and now has a Zeta/Dynavector DV20XL. The latter was another pfm purchase.
After looking for some time, I eventually found a Garrard 401 for £565 on eBay, which went straight to Terry at Loricraft for refurbishment and to be fitted in one of his skeletal plinths. It was fitted with the Aro from the LP12 (which went into temporary retirement) and a Dynavector XX2MkII. I have since swapped the two Aros and now the Garrard has an Aro/Troika
Then the Mitchell! Before I purchase my first LP12, I saw a lovely Hydraulic reference in a shop window. It looked fantastic, so days later, I returned to the shop and bought it. I sold it to the brother-in law of a work mate, when I bought my first LP12. Years later, I ran into my old work mate, and he told me that his brother-in-law wasn’t using the Mitchell and was in the loft! I went round to look at it, to find that it hadn’t been looked after, so I offered him £100 for it, another restoration project! I initially mounted a Hadcock, but then I found an Aro arm-top at an audio jumble! I was lucky to be able to purchase the last Aro Arm base that they had in stock. So currently, I have:
· Michell Hydraulic Reference/Naim Aro/Dynavector XX2MkII
· Lenco 88/Zeta/Dynavector DV20XL
· Garrard 401/Naim Aro/Linn Troika.
All of this is on a mad heap of Mana.
A couple of nice upgrades this year. I picked up a Naim NAXO 2-4, here on pfm, which I sent to Naim to be reconfigured for the Kans. I wasn’t expecting too much tbh, but it was a nice improvement, presumably because it’s dual rail.
I also tried a set of Ryan Sound Lab boards in one of the Naim NAC 12’s that I had sitting up in the workshop and was blown away! I purchase a set, along with a Naim NAC32 that I picked up on Gumtree. So, after all these years, back to the 32, albeit with an Avondale PSU.
I also have a Nakamichi 670ZX, that I bought not working for £40. I sent it to B&W and it just needed a service.
Digital streaming is taken care of with an Auralic Aries Mini + Linear PSU.
The sound I like is something that isn’t over bright and has a tight, not overblown bass and sounds good over a variety of musical genres and input material and to my ears, this system fits the bill.
The System:
Michell Hydraulic Reference/Naim Aro/Dynavector XX2MkII
Lenco 88/Zeta/Dynavector DV20XL
Garrard 401/Naim Aro/Naim Prefix/Avondale TPX1/Linn Troika.
Naim CDS/CDPS
Nakamichi 670ZX
Auralic Aries Mini + Linear PSU
Ryan Sound Lab loaded Naim32.5/Avondale TPX1
Naim NAXO 2-4/Avondale TPX1
Linn Kan MkII active/MkII stands
Atlas Hyper bi-wire cables
Mana equipment supports.
Last edited:
TonyScarlett
pfm Member
Unfortunately I'm not very articulate both in person or on page but I'll have a go at explaining why I love my current system & how I got here.
First off, I've been into music & hifi for almost as long as I can remember. My first single was the Hollies "The air that I breathe" aged 7 in 1974 (my brother who is 2 years older than me bought Suzi Quattros "Devil gate drive", I still have better music taste than him!)
My first introduction to hifi was through my Dad who built a couple of valve amps when I was a toddler. I can still remember the glow of the valves & the strict instructions not to poke my fingers in there. They were completely open with birds nest wiring so obviously intriguing to a toddler (health & safety's moved on a bit since then!)
He then moved onto to a Henelec Texan amp with the ubiquitous Garrard SP25 & oval EMI speakers in homemade cabinets.
He lost interest in hifi in the late 70's, moving on to a Panasonic music centre so my first hifi was the Texan, SP25 & EMI speakers. The Texan had an appetite for output transistors so I also learnt how to use a soldering iron while it was in my possession.
I was also heavily influenced in my formative years by a close friend of the family who had a Yamaha amp, Pioneer TT & cassette deck & Celestion Ditton 44s. This system seemed really exotic to me at the time & sounded incredible to my young ears (he also introduced me to Pink Floyd & Supertramp). I have had a soft spot for vintage Yamaha & Pioneer gear to this day although I haven't owned any for a few years.
My first, what I consider "proper hifi", was a Proton D540 amp, Ariston QDeck, Yamaha CDP (can't remember the model) & Tannoy Mercury mk2s, all bought in 1988 aged 21.
This served me well for many years while I went through my alcohol abuse/negative equity/motorbike addiction/relationship startups/breakups years.
I didn't really take an interest in hifi again until around 2005 when the Proton started playing up (I might not even have started this recent hifi journey had I discovered DeOxit sooner!)
I then went through a phase of buying & selling vintage Japanese amps (I had also recently discovered Ebay). There are far too many of these to list but the hilights were the Yamaha CA-1000 mk2, CR-2010, Sansui SA-7500, Marantz quadrophonic receiver bought for £13 which was immaculate under the nicotine stains & a couple of Optonica amps which were built like brick outhouses even compared to the other Japanese amps.
More recently as my income increased I started on the upgrade treadmill, going through a number of set ups culminating in an Exposure 3010S2D, Exposure 3010S2CDP, Rega P6 with Ania cart, Trilogy 906, Allo Digione Signature, Mytec Liberty DAC & Amphion Argon 3S speakers.
Whilst this system gave undoubtedly superb SQ, unfortunately what it didn't bring me was joy. Somehow I seemed to have fallen into the trap of listening to the hifi rather than the music.
Something had to change so the last couple of years have seen me selling off all that kit (apart from the Allo which I still use) & going back to basics.
Like a lot of us I have two systems. Unlike a lot of us my two systems are fairly similar.
My main system currently consists of my Grundig CD8400 MKll (there's something about the TDA1541 equipped CDPs that sound so right), aforementioned Allo Digione Signature steaming Spotify feeding a recently purchased Topping D30pro, PTP Lenco in homemade plinth with Rega RB303 & Denon DL-110, Quad 33 preamp & Leak Stereo 20 or Quad 303 (I've set the system up so it's quick & easy to swap between the two although since I plugged the ST20 back in the 303 hasn't had a look in). Speakers are Stirling LS3/5A V2s.
So what does this set up give me that I wasn't getting before? First off, pride of ownership. I think that comes from owning kit that has a history & provenance. It also comes from having got my hands dirty. The main restoration work done on the ST20 was expertly carried out by Graeme at AmpRegen but since then I've replaced the smoothing caps, fitted a spark suppressor & carried out the diode mod to protect the amp should the GZ34 rectifier valve fail. I also built the plinth & put the PTP Lenco together myself.
Most importantly what this system gives me is music, the emotion in the voices, the timbre of the instruments, the ambience of the recording venue.
You can probably tell I really like this set up. My only planned changes are a vintage TOTL TDA1541 equipped Sony CDP, either a 333esd or 337esd. Longer term I will possibly be looking at upgrading the speakers to either Stirling V3s or Falcon Q7s, haven't decided yet.
I would also love to try an LP12 at some point.
My headphone listening is taken care of with a Topping A30pro with Sennheiser HD600s. This is a superb combination which I can listen to for hours with no fatigue.
My bedroom system is an A&R Cambridge A60, Raspberry Pi with Allo Piano DAC hat & Kali reclocker & Sony CDP-M75 (another TDA1541 equipped player). Speakers are JR149s.
This system is still a work in progress (I need to fit some wall brackets to mount the speakers, they don't sound great sat on chests of drawers).
I also have several other bits of kit which I can swap in & out as the mood takes me. This includes a Quad 99CDP-2 (which may be up for sale soon), two Rotel RCD-965BXs (at least one of which will definitely be up for sale soon), a Goldring Lenco GL-75, a Technics SL-1200MK2, an Arcam Delta 60, Ion Obelisk 3, Onix OA21s & the Proton D540 which still works perfectly since I discovered the DeOxit.
TS
First off, I've been into music & hifi for almost as long as I can remember. My first single was the Hollies "The air that I breathe" aged 7 in 1974 (my brother who is 2 years older than me bought Suzi Quattros "Devil gate drive", I still have better music taste than him!)
My first introduction to hifi was through my Dad who built a couple of valve amps when I was a toddler. I can still remember the glow of the valves & the strict instructions not to poke my fingers in there. They were completely open with birds nest wiring so obviously intriguing to a toddler (health & safety's moved on a bit since then!)
He then moved onto to a Henelec Texan amp with the ubiquitous Garrard SP25 & oval EMI speakers in homemade cabinets.
He lost interest in hifi in the late 70's, moving on to a Panasonic music centre so my first hifi was the Texan, SP25 & EMI speakers. The Texan had an appetite for output transistors so I also learnt how to use a soldering iron while it was in my possession.
I was also heavily influenced in my formative years by a close friend of the family who had a Yamaha amp, Pioneer TT & cassette deck & Celestion Ditton 44s. This system seemed really exotic to me at the time & sounded incredible to my young ears (he also introduced me to Pink Floyd & Supertramp). I have had a soft spot for vintage Yamaha & Pioneer gear to this day although I haven't owned any for a few years.
My first, what I consider "proper hifi", was a Proton D540 amp, Ariston QDeck, Yamaha CDP (can't remember the model) & Tannoy Mercury mk2s, all bought in 1988 aged 21.
This served me well for many years while I went through my alcohol abuse/negative equity/motorbike addiction/relationship startups/breakups years.
I didn't really take an interest in hifi again until around 2005 when the Proton started playing up (I might not even have started this recent hifi journey had I discovered DeOxit sooner!)
I then went through a phase of buying & selling vintage Japanese amps (I had also recently discovered Ebay). There are far too many of these to list but the hilights were the Yamaha CA-1000 mk2, CR-2010, Sansui SA-7500, Marantz quadrophonic receiver bought for £13 which was immaculate under the nicotine stains & a couple of Optonica amps which were built like brick outhouses even compared to the other Japanese amps.
More recently as my income increased I started on the upgrade treadmill, going through a number of set ups culminating in an Exposure 3010S2D, Exposure 3010S2CDP, Rega P6 with Ania cart, Trilogy 906, Allo Digione Signature, Mytec Liberty DAC & Amphion Argon 3S speakers.
Whilst this system gave undoubtedly superb SQ, unfortunately what it didn't bring me was joy. Somehow I seemed to have fallen into the trap of listening to the hifi rather than the music.
Something had to change so the last couple of years have seen me selling off all that kit (apart from the Allo which I still use) & going back to basics.
Like a lot of us I have two systems. Unlike a lot of us my two systems are fairly similar.
My main system currently consists of my Grundig CD8400 MKll (there's something about the TDA1541 equipped CDPs that sound so right), aforementioned Allo Digione Signature steaming Spotify feeding a recently purchased Topping D30pro, PTP Lenco in homemade plinth with Rega RB303 & Denon DL-110, Quad 33 preamp & Leak Stereo 20 or Quad 303 (I've set the system up so it's quick & easy to swap between the two although since I plugged the ST20 back in the 303 hasn't had a look in). Speakers are Stirling LS3/5A V2s.
So what does this set up give me that I wasn't getting before? First off, pride of ownership. I think that comes from owning kit that has a history & provenance. It also comes from having got my hands dirty. The main restoration work done on the ST20 was expertly carried out by Graeme at AmpRegen but since then I've replaced the smoothing caps, fitted a spark suppressor & carried out the diode mod to protect the amp should the GZ34 rectifier valve fail. I also built the plinth & put the PTP Lenco together myself.
Most importantly what this system gives me is music, the emotion in the voices, the timbre of the instruments, the ambience of the recording venue.
You can probably tell I really like this set up. My only planned changes are a vintage TOTL TDA1541 equipped Sony CDP, either a 333esd or 337esd. Longer term I will possibly be looking at upgrading the speakers to either Stirling V3s or Falcon Q7s, haven't decided yet.
I would also love to try an LP12 at some point.
My headphone listening is taken care of with a Topping A30pro with Sennheiser HD600s. This is a superb combination which I can listen to for hours with no fatigue.
My bedroom system is an A&R Cambridge A60, Raspberry Pi with Allo Piano DAC hat & Kali reclocker & Sony CDP-M75 (another TDA1541 equipped player). Speakers are JR149s.
This system is still a work in progress (I need to fit some wall brackets to mount the speakers, they don't sound great sat on chests of drawers).
I also have several other bits of kit which I can swap in & out as the mood takes me. This includes a Quad 99CDP-2 (which may be up for sale soon), two Rotel RCD-965BXs (at least one of which will definitely be up for sale soon), a Goldring Lenco GL-75, a Technics SL-1200MK2, an Arcam Delta 60, Ion Obelisk 3, Onix OA21s & the Proton D540 which still works perfectly since I discovered the DeOxit.
TS
Singslinger
pfm Member
I agree 100%. Too many people spend too much time viewing the glass as being half empty. Like you, I'm also trying to avoid negativity as much as possible and spend my time being as positive as I can. At 61 years old now, I think life is too short for complaining and whinging.
By the way, I really enjoyed your review - thanks very much for that!
davidismynaim
pfm Member
My HiFi love/affliction started due to my father, who was a big Quad man, he had a system many today would love, a Garrard 401, SME 3009 arm, powered initially by a 33/303 into a single bronze 57 (mono was fine for his large collection of Jazz 78’s!) But he couldn’t resist buying a brand new pair of 63’s when they were introduced, I remember seeing the invoice and being sworn to silence, so mum didn’t find out!! His system never did it for me, looking back I am sure it was the room layout that was the issue.
I started by building myself a connoisseur BD1 with my own wooden plinth and sourcing an SME 3009 II imp arm second hand for £35 – times have changed! I then saved up my hard-earned cash to get a NAD3020 and after initially using a pair of Wharfedale Lintons, I bought a used pair of Cambridge Audio R50 transmission line speakers. Not a bad system for a 15 year old!
I carried most of that system into University, but the speakers were too big, so I had to compromise, leaving them at home and buying a pair of mission 700 (I think). My dad sold me his 33/303 as he bought a 34/405. Not sure it was much of an upgrade to the NAD, but I liked them, so went with it.
My musical tastes started out in Prog Rock, Genesis, Pink Floyd, etc. Back then WYWH and DSOTM were stand out albums along with Supertramp Crime of the Century – probably my all-time favourite. I guess what I really sought out was really convincing sound stage and imaging, something I have found hard to find, but when you do, wow! My musical taste is now very broad, but one consistent thread has been female vocals – listening to Joni – Hejira as I type this. So whether it was Blondie (ok maybe more for the videos!), Joni, Carol King, Fleetwood Mac, or more recently Samantha Fish, Malia, or London Grammar – I am a sucker for female vox. So mid-range quality along with Imaging is at the top of my list of things to get right, plus deep, fast and controlled bass.
I won’t bore everyone with the full progression. But I went through the Naim phase, with a fully active SBL / 250 rig, but I ran out of shelves!! So I decided to go cold turkey and sell it all.
I now have:
For Vinyl a lovely Michell Gyrodec with original AC motor driven by a QC PSU, with Tabriz Zi and Ortofon Quintet Black S – feeding a rare Ryan Sound Lab phono stage, that is a trans-impedance design, with great gain flexibility and sounds amazing.
For digital, I ripped all my CD’s a few years ago, and moved from Squeezebox to Roon, this is run on a server (always on) Deskside PC in my office, that in turn connects via Cat6 cable in the house to a little £35 second-hand Dell/Wyse PC (SSD, no BT, no WiFi) Windows 10 PC – the roon endpoint, control surface (via Logitech Harmony remote/FLIRC) and display. Some believe you should spend £1000’s on a streamer, but I can’t hear any difference. My friend went all high-end streaming, I know he thinks he can hear improvements, but I can’t (expectation bias?)
The PC feeds into a little box of tricks that converts the USB into AES digital – it came from China, cost very little and just works. It has some fancy crystals and the XMOS chip in there to do its magic.
Now both the analog and the digital AES signals are fed into a DBX Venu 360. This is a pro unit designed as a DSP loudspeaker management system. It was recommended to me by Roger Sanders the designer of one of my amplifiers and speakers.
The dbx provides active DSP crossover duties, PEQ adjustment for panel phase cancellation and can do room correction too, though I am not currently.
The amplification needs to support 6 channels. So I have a Sanders ELS mk2 power amp, to drive my Inner Sound Isis ELS panels, it’s a monster of an amp, with the ability to drive almost any load, optimised for voltage delivery (for electrostatics) and is capable of 1000w into 2 ohms! I then found a bargain second-hand 4 way 4x250w power amp made by a Swedish company, called Amtech, this needed some TLC, so I found an amazing audio engineer who took it on as a project!! It now has been radically overhauled and improved with dead silent twin toroidal transformers, fully balanced input, soft start, DC protection, improved earth schema, new caps. etc etc….amazing job. This powers the Transmission line 8” bass in the hybrid ELS speakers and my own built stereo pair Ripoles – utilizing 4x12” SLS peerless units into two remarkably compact W dipole configurations.
In summary:
Amplifiers
Sander Sounds System ELS Mk2 Power amplifier
Heavily improved Amtech 4x250W Power amplifier
Active Crossover
DBX Venu 360
Speakers
Inner Sound Isis (converted to be driven actively)
Subs
Pair of Homemade Ripoles, each with 2x12” Peerless SLS drivers
Turntable
Michell Gyrodec/QC with Tabriz and Ortofon Quintet Black S into Ryan Sound Lab
Digital
Roon (lifetime member)+ Qobuz into Wyse mini PC into XMOS USB/AES converter
Cables
VanDamme for all XLR balanced interconnects, VanDamme 4mm speaker cable and pro video grade silver double insulated coax for ELS cables.
What works:
Well, I am very pleased overall, I think I have the cleanest mid to upper frequency imaginable – once you hear electrostatics it’s hard to go back. I had along the journey a lovely pair of Yamaha NS1000M and I still have a pair of Impulse H2 (used for TV now!) The ELS are simply better. Now they are backed by a tonne of low frequency from both the Transmission line (dealing with 80-230Hz) and my homegrown subs doing everything below 80Hz. I am fairly happy with the imaging. It is, however, very directional, which would not suit everyone. It is really only suited for 1 person listening, but that’s fine, as that is what I do.
I think I have more to do to get the phasing spot on, and maybe a little bit of REW room treatment, which will, I think, further improve the 3-dimensional aspects of the sound stage and ensure I have the bass set up ideally. But I am happy for now. I need to have a break, as the whole 6-way setup took some building and setting up, so for now I am just enjoying it.
What next
I will swap out the DBX for a BSS unit, which is better quality and I have the possibility to improve it via the same guy who worked on my Power amp. This will give me greater control of the filter and phasing. Plus it will be modified to allow me to control a 6-way gain at the right place – just before it goes into the 6 channels of power amplification. Atm, I am using digital volume control for roon, and clunky DBX app control for Vinyl, not ideal.
If I ever move, I would want a bigger listening room and may go for some larger electrostatics from Roger if he is still making them. Or maybe I will scratch another itch, to try out a pair of Linkwitz LX521, the only cone speaker I fancy now – but I would need a much bigger room for these dipoles.
If you want to see how this all looks, see here : System Pics 2021 | Page 104 | pink fish media
I started by building myself a connoisseur BD1 with my own wooden plinth and sourcing an SME 3009 II imp arm second hand for £35 – times have changed! I then saved up my hard-earned cash to get a NAD3020 and after initially using a pair of Wharfedale Lintons, I bought a used pair of Cambridge Audio R50 transmission line speakers. Not a bad system for a 15 year old!
I carried most of that system into University, but the speakers were too big, so I had to compromise, leaving them at home and buying a pair of mission 700 (I think). My dad sold me his 33/303 as he bought a 34/405. Not sure it was much of an upgrade to the NAD, but I liked them, so went with it.
My musical tastes started out in Prog Rock, Genesis, Pink Floyd, etc. Back then WYWH and DSOTM were stand out albums along with Supertramp Crime of the Century – probably my all-time favourite. I guess what I really sought out was really convincing sound stage and imaging, something I have found hard to find, but when you do, wow! My musical taste is now very broad, but one consistent thread has been female vocals – listening to Joni – Hejira as I type this. So whether it was Blondie (ok maybe more for the videos!), Joni, Carol King, Fleetwood Mac, or more recently Samantha Fish, Malia, or London Grammar – I am a sucker for female vox. So mid-range quality along with Imaging is at the top of my list of things to get right, plus deep, fast and controlled bass.
I won’t bore everyone with the full progression. But I went through the Naim phase, with a fully active SBL / 250 rig, but I ran out of shelves!! So I decided to go cold turkey and sell it all.
I now have:
For Vinyl a lovely Michell Gyrodec with original AC motor driven by a QC PSU, with Tabriz Zi and Ortofon Quintet Black S – feeding a rare Ryan Sound Lab phono stage, that is a trans-impedance design, with great gain flexibility and sounds amazing.
For digital, I ripped all my CD’s a few years ago, and moved from Squeezebox to Roon, this is run on a server (always on) Deskside PC in my office, that in turn connects via Cat6 cable in the house to a little £35 second-hand Dell/Wyse PC (SSD, no BT, no WiFi) Windows 10 PC – the roon endpoint, control surface (via Logitech Harmony remote/FLIRC) and display. Some believe you should spend £1000’s on a streamer, but I can’t hear any difference. My friend went all high-end streaming, I know he thinks he can hear improvements, but I can’t (expectation bias?)
The PC feeds into a little box of tricks that converts the USB into AES digital – it came from China, cost very little and just works. It has some fancy crystals and the XMOS chip in there to do its magic.
Now both the analog and the digital AES signals are fed into a DBX Venu 360. This is a pro unit designed as a DSP loudspeaker management system. It was recommended to me by Roger Sanders the designer of one of my amplifiers and speakers.
The dbx provides active DSP crossover duties, PEQ adjustment for panel phase cancellation and can do room correction too, though I am not currently.
The amplification needs to support 6 channels. So I have a Sanders ELS mk2 power amp, to drive my Inner Sound Isis ELS panels, it’s a monster of an amp, with the ability to drive almost any load, optimised for voltage delivery (for electrostatics) and is capable of 1000w into 2 ohms! I then found a bargain second-hand 4 way 4x250w power amp made by a Swedish company, called Amtech, this needed some TLC, so I found an amazing audio engineer who took it on as a project!! It now has been radically overhauled and improved with dead silent twin toroidal transformers, fully balanced input, soft start, DC protection, improved earth schema, new caps. etc etc….amazing job. This powers the Transmission line 8” bass in the hybrid ELS speakers and my own built stereo pair Ripoles – utilizing 4x12” SLS peerless units into two remarkably compact W dipole configurations.
In summary:
Amplifiers
Sander Sounds System ELS Mk2 Power amplifier
Heavily improved Amtech 4x250W Power amplifier
Active Crossover
DBX Venu 360
Speakers
Inner Sound Isis (converted to be driven actively)
Subs
Pair of Homemade Ripoles, each with 2x12” Peerless SLS drivers
Turntable
Michell Gyrodec/QC with Tabriz and Ortofon Quintet Black S into Ryan Sound Lab
Digital
Roon (lifetime member)+ Qobuz into Wyse mini PC into XMOS USB/AES converter
Cables
VanDamme for all XLR balanced interconnects, VanDamme 4mm speaker cable and pro video grade silver double insulated coax for ELS cables.
What works:
Well, I am very pleased overall, I think I have the cleanest mid to upper frequency imaginable – once you hear electrostatics it’s hard to go back. I had along the journey a lovely pair of Yamaha NS1000M and I still have a pair of Impulse H2 (used for TV now!) The ELS are simply better. Now they are backed by a tonne of low frequency from both the Transmission line (dealing with 80-230Hz) and my homegrown subs doing everything below 80Hz. I am fairly happy with the imaging. It is, however, very directional, which would not suit everyone. It is really only suited for 1 person listening, but that’s fine, as that is what I do.
I think I have more to do to get the phasing spot on, and maybe a little bit of REW room treatment, which will, I think, further improve the 3-dimensional aspects of the sound stage and ensure I have the bass set up ideally. But I am happy for now. I need to have a break, as the whole 6-way setup took some building and setting up, so for now I am just enjoying it.
What next
I will swap out the DBX for a BSS unit, which is better quality and I have the possibility to improve it via the same guy who worked on my Power amp. This will give me greater control of the filter and phasing. Plus it will be modified to allow me to control a 6-way gain at the right place – just before it goes into the 6 channels of power amplification. Atm, I am using digital volume control for roon, and clunky DBX app control for Vinyl, not ideal.
If I ever move, I would want a bigger listening room and may go for some larger electrostatics from Roger if he is still making them. Or maybe I will scratch another itch, to try out a pair of Linkwitz LX521, the only cone speaker I fancy now – but I would need a much bigger room for these dipoles.
If you want to see how this all looks, see here : System Pics 2021 | Page 104 | pink fish media
Well, where to begin? I started an electronics apprenticeship in 1974, all I had was a mono philips cassette player.
During the apprenticeship we built a stereo receiver with a whopping 2.5 watts output. That was my start.
I bought an Amstrad TP12D TT and Shure m55e, I think that TT was a rip of the Rega Planet. I wanted more SQ.
Enter the Garrard DD130, Pioneer SA610, JVC cassette deck and Goodmans speakers. That kept me going until around '86.
I then got a job overseas, tax free money!
Mission Cyrus 2, PSX, Townshend Elite Rock, RB250 and DL110, Heybrook HB2Rs and a yamaha CD player. Totally hooked now. I changed the HB2Rs for a pair of DM2s around '92. The Cyrus2 was replaced by a Copland CSA14 and the DM2s with Castle Howard S1 in 1995.
Now I am surrounded by a lot of gear, I still have the Rock and Castles, but Amplification is changing on an almost weekly basis, so many amps that I just swap around.
Last week I had the Rock/rb250/Ortofon Quintet Bronze through a Vincent Pho-8 into an Elekit DIY pre amp into a DIY Pass ACA of 8 watts class A into a pair of Lenehan KT1 kit speakers and DIY TL sub. Digital is a Samsung tablet via OTG to an Ares II DAC or Vincent CD-s4 silver disk spinner. I also have a SB touch.
Needing to finish the speakers I swapped to a pair of KEF 104aB and back to the Castles, other amps that go through are a Copland CSA29 integrated, MF A1, Luxman L-1, Denon PMA250-II and a DIY Pass M2X. I am waiting to put a VdH DDT II special on the Rock, one day, I also have a V15 III and Nagaoka MP11.
Music wise, mostly classic rock, prog, singer songwriter, the wife likes to listen to 80s pop.
Each change suits different genres differently, the Copland and Castles go loud without stress, the MF A1 is just a bit special the Pass DIY amps are very good, I don't have a favourite amp or speakers, I use them as a tool to listen to differing music styles.
Rebuilding a 70s LP12 atm with Hadcock GH228 arm, have a Planar 3 from 1978 and a Luxman PD-264 from 1980 stashed away too.
Time to cut down on the box count, but which to let go? I don't think I will, my son sees my gear as his legacy
Sorry to ramble, but I am no good at describing what I like about sound quality etc. in words.
During the apprenticeship we built a stereo receiver with a whopping 2.5 watts output. That was my start.
I bought an Amstrad TP12D TT and Shure m55e, I think that TT was a rip of the Rega Planet. I wanted more SQ.
Enter the Garrard DD130, Pioneer SA610, JVC cassette deck and Goodmans speakers. That kept me going until around '86.
I then got a job overseas, tax free money!
Mission Cyrus 2, PSX, Townshend Elite Rock, RB250 and DL110, Heybrook HB2Rs and a yamaha CD player. Totally hooked now. I changed the HB2Rs for a pair of DM2s around '92. The Cyrus2 was replaced by a Copland CSA14 and the DM2s with Castle Howard S1 in 1995.
Now I am surrounded by a lot of gear, I still have the Rock and Castles, but Amplification is changing on an almost weekly basis, so many amps that I just swap around.
Last week I had the Rock/rb250/Ortofon Quintet Bronze through a Vincent Pho-8 into an Elekit DIY pre amp into a DIY Pass ACA of 8 watts class A into a pair of Lenehan KT1 kit speakers and DIY TL sub. Digital is a Samsung tablet via OTG to an Ares II DAC or Vincent CD-s4 silver disk spinner. I also have a SB touch.
Needing to finish the speakers I swapped to a pair of KEF 104aB and back to the Castles, other amps that go through are a Copland CSA29 integrated, MF A1, Luxman L-1, Denon PMA250-II and a DIY Pass M2X. I am waiting to put a VdH DDT II special on the Rock, one day, I also have a V15 III and Nagaoka MP11.
Music wise, mostly classic rock, prog, singer songwriter, the wife likes to listen to 80s pop.
Each change suits different genres differently, the Copland and Castles go loud without stress, the MF A1 is just a bit special the Pass DIY amps are very good, I don't have a favourite amp or speakers, I use them as a tool to listen to differing music styles.
Rebuilding a 70s LP12 atm with Hadcock GH228 arm, have a Planar 3 from 1978 and a Luxman PD-264 from 1980 stashed away too.
Time to cut down on the box count, but which to let go? I don't think I will, my son sees my gear as his legacy
Sorry to ramble, but I am no good at describing what I like about sound quality etc. in words.
Del monaco
Del Monaco
Love that journey and it sounds like equipment I would like. A lot of articulacy for an inarticulate guy!
Del monaco
Del Monaco
Keep ‘em coming guys.Great to hear.
Del monaco
Del Monaco
As I’m at home for a second week this holiday, I think I’ll set about on another spring clean of my system.It has that placebo effect of making you feel good afterwards and a suggestion that things have improved( when they may have not even changed).
wylton
Naim and Mana member
I must admit, I enjoyed writing the review of my own system and a few other members enjoyed it too, so I though that I wouyld do a write up of my second/office system upstairs; hope you forgive my self-indulgence!
It had gotten to the point where I was sitting out in the kitchen in the evening, listening to music on the laptop, so when our son left home, the now vacant small bedroom offered an opportunity to install a hi-fi system!
I had some bits leftover from the main system downstairs:
· Linn LP12
· Norton psu
· Audiomods Classic tonearm
· Metal bodied Denon DL103
· Naim Hi-Cap
· Linn Kans Mk1
· Linn K20 loudspeaker cable
· Naim NAP120 amplifier case, empty apart from the transformer
· Maplin DAC
· Nakamichi 600 cassette deck.
· Logitech Squeezebox Touch
A nice Naim NAC 42.5 came up for sale on pfm, so I purchased that, to go with the Hi-Cap that I already had. The NAP120 had been converted into a PSU before I bought it, so I picked up a pair of NAP250 boards and one of Les W’s NAP110 upgrade modules and built a new amplifier that I christened the ZAP120!
Being a small room, space was at a premium, so I looked out for a pair of Sound Organisation Kan wall brackets, which again, I eventually found on pfm! An old Ikea unit was pressed into service to house the equipment.
A Mana wall shelf was the obvious choice for placement of the LP12 on; another pfm find! The Denon DL103 was purchased from pfm too!
It was the slight dissatisfaction with the LP12 that lead me to investigate other turntables in the main system. I was quite keen to get the LP12 back to Linn spec, that way at least I could hopefully narrow down the cause of my dissatisfaction. So, I bought a used Lingo 1 and got it serviced by Class A, a used Linn Keel (from pfm) and a solid base. The Audiomods arm was spare because I had bought a Zeta for the Lenco 88.
The Linn was sounding good at this point at this point, though I did think that the top end whilst great on some material, like Jimi Hendrix – smash hits, for example, could sound a bit over the top on other records. So, I bought the Norton back into play and although I had used this for many years, I was surprised at the improvements it gave; now, the top end was somehow smoother and less notchy is the best way I can describe it. I wanted to retain the 45rpm capability, but the two are pin to pin compatible, so it’s only a matter of swapping PSU’s if I want to play such records. I ended up removing the base too, replacing it with 3m bump-on feet, because I have always found the LP12 to work better this way, especially when it’s on a Mana stand.
I had planned a visit to Les W, to get my NAP 250 serviced, so it was a good opportunity to get the Hi-Cap serviced too and get the TPR4 regulators fitted too.
As I said at the time:
I pressed the Maplin DAC into service, along with an Mtech HiFace Two, so that I could play internet radio through the Toshiba laptop, which, tbh, is what I mostly do with this system.
Downstairs, I had bought an Auralic Aries Mini for streaming, which meant that the Squeezebox Touch was spare too, I installed Squeezepad for control, sourcing the music files on the Auralic SSD via the home network.
I love Nakamichi cassette decks, and I have been lucky enough to get two at exceptionally low price! When I bought the 670ZX for the main system, the 600 (that I bought on pfm) became spare. It’s a lovely machine and sounds superb, though they are not easy to service these days, because of the lack of spare parts, but this one is working fine at the moment.
The only missing thing was CD capability, so, after giving it a lit of thought, I opted for a Cambridge CXC, using the other input on the Maplin DAC.
You will see a reoccurring theme, with the amount of equipment that I have bought from the pfm classifieds!
One idea that I had with this system, was to rotate other equipment through it. I have a NAC12 with NJ cards and a NAP120. The latter is a good working example, though it could probably do with a service; I bet it would sound superb through this system!
LP12/Kore/Lingo 1 or Norton AirPower/Audiomods Classic (built from kit)/Metal bodied Denon 103
Nakamichi 600 cassette deck
Cambridge CXC CD Transport/Maplin DAC
Squeezebox Touch / Best of Two Worlds Booster Linear PSU
Naim NAC42.5/HiCap-TPR4
ZAP120 – homebuilt amplifier in Naim NAP120 case + frame transformer/Avondale NAP110 PSU/NAP250 boards
Linn Mk I Kans/LK20/Sound Organisation brackets.
I spend hours listening to this system, It’s clean and bouncy, with no listening fatigue and sounds good across a wide range of material and it it meets the demands of my flat Earth credentials very well!
It had gotten to the point where I was sitting out in the kitchen in the evening, listening to music on the laptop, so when our son left home, the now vacant small bedroom offered an opportunity to install a hi-fi system!
I had some bits leftover from the main system downstairs:
· Linn LP12
· Norton psu
· Audiomods Classic tonearm
· Metal bodied Denon DL103
· Naim Hi-Cap
· Linn Kans Mk1
· Linn K20 loudspeaker cable
· Naim NAP120 amplifier case, empty apart from the transformer
· Maplin DAC
· Nakamichi 600 cassette deck.
· Logitech Squeezebox Touch
A nice Naim NAC 42.5 came up for sale on pfm, so I purchased that, to go with the Hi-Cap that I already had. The NAP120 had been converted into a PSU before I bought it, so I picked up a pair of NAP250 boards and one of Les W’s NAP110 upgrade modules and built a new amplifier that I christened the ZAP120!
Being a small room, space was at a premium, so I looked out for a pair of Sound Organisation Kan wall brackets, which again, I eventually found on pfm! An old Ikea unit was pressed into service to house the equipment.
A Mana wall shelf was the obvious choice for placement of the LP12 on; another pfm find! The Denon DL103 was purchased from pfm too!
It was the slight dissatisfaction with the LP12 that lead me to investigate other turntables in the main system. I was quite keen to get the LP12 back to Linn spec, that way at least I could hopefully narrow down the cause of my dissatisfaction. So, I bought a used Lingo 1 and got it serviced by Class A, a used Linn Keel (from pfm) and a solid base. The Audiomods arm was spare because I had bought a Zeta for the Lenco 88.
The Linn was sounding good at this point at this point, though I did think that the top end whilst great on some material, like Jimi Hendrix – smash hits, for example, could sound a bit over the top on other records. So, I bought the Norton back into play and although I had used this for many years, I was surprised at the improvements it gave; now, the top end was somehow smoother and less notchy is the best way I can describe it. I wanted to retain the 45rpm capability, but the two are pin to pin compatible, so it’s only a matter of swapping PSU’s if I want to play such records. I ended up removing the base too, replacing it with 3m bump-on feet, because I have always found the LP12 to work better this way, especially when it’s on a Mana stand.
I had planned a visit to Les W, to get my NAP 250 serviced, so it was a good opportunity to get the Hi-Cap serviced too and get the TPR4 regulators fitted too.
As I said at the time:
I pressed the Maplin DAC into service, along with an Mtech HiFace Two, so that I could play internet radio through the Toshiba laptop, which, tbh, is what I mostly do with this system.
Downstairs, I had bought an Auralic Aries Mini for streaming, which meant that the Squeezebox Touch was spare too, I installed Squeezepad for control, sourcing the music files on the Auralic SSD via the home network.
I love Nakamichi cassette decks, and I have been lucky enough to get two at exceptionally low price! When I bought the 670ZX for the main system, the 600 (that I bought on pfm) became spare. It’s a lovely machine and sounds superb, though they are not easy to service these days, because of the lack of spare parts, but this one is working fine at the moment.
The only missing thing was CD capability, so, after giving it a lit of thought, I opted for a Cambridge CXC, using the other input on the Maplin DAC.
You will see a reoccurring theme, with the amount of equipment that I have bought from the pfm classifieds!
One idea that I had with this system, was to rotate other equipment through it. I have a NAC12 with NJ cards and a NAP120. The latter is a good working example, though it could probably do with a service; I bet it would sound superb through this system!
LP12/Kore/Lingo 1 or Norton AirPower/Audiomods Classic (built from kit)/Metal bodied Denon 103
Nakamichi 600 cassette deck
Cambridge CXC CD Transport/Maplin DAC
Squeezebox Touch / Best of Two Worlds Booster Linear PSU
Naim NAC42.5/HiCap-TPR4
ZAP120 – homebuilt amplifier in Naim NAP120 case + frame transformer/Avondale NAP110 PSU/NAP250 boards
Linn Mk I Kans/LK20/Sound Organisation brackets.
I spend hours listening to this system, It’s clean and bouncy, with no listening fatigue and sounds good across a wide range of material and it it meets the demands of my flat Earth credentials very well!
wylton
Naim and Mana member
Yes, I need to do that too; trouble is that Pledge have stopped making my favourite duster!