The joy of 33 and a third

[gradus]

At long last I have managed to find a repairer for my Systemdek turntable and am listening to Anthony Rolfe Johnson's superb recording of the VW Songs of Travel courtesy of an unplayed LP from 40 years ago. A very good Polydor pressing.
The repairer told me that vintage audio gear now fetches huge prices eg £1,000 for a Garrard 301 in not very special condition and much more if restored.
Unfortunately I turfed out most of my original hi fi gear a few years ago but what I now use is pretty ancient in hi fi terms but to my ears still sounds pretty good being based on Quad amps and speakers.
Time I think to listen to a few of the other unplayed records from years ago, I wonder if others have acquired discs to which they have never listened?

[Beef Oven]

At long last I have managed to find a repairer for my Systemdek turntable and am listening to Anthony Rolfe Johnson's superb recording of the VW Songs of Travel courtesy of an unplayed LP from 40 years ago. A very good Polydor pressing.
The repairer told me that vintage audio gear now fetches huge prices eg £1,000 for a Garrard 301 in not very special condition and much more if restored.
Unfortunately I turfed out most of my original hi fi gear a few years ago but what I now use is pretty ancient in hi fi terms but to my ears still sounds pretty good being based on Quad amps and speakers.
Time I think to listen to a few of the other unplayed records from years ago, I wonder if others have acquired discs to which they have never listened?

I suppose I'll never fully get over the death if vinyl. I sold off all my LPs about ten years ago, along with my beloved Rega Planer 2 turntable. I still have a near-new entry-level Thorens turntable, but wouldn't know where to start in linking it to Genelec active speakers. I'd also have to buy some LPs!

It's upsetting to think of the Karajan, Szell, Kleiber (son & father), Barbirolli etc LPs I no longer have.

Back in the day I could not afford high-end gear as I was starting a family etc, I bet your Quads still sound glorious

[kernelbogey]

I've just dug out of long-term storage (don't ask) all my old hi-fi equipment: Leak Delta 70 amplifier and Delta FM-AM tuner, which are going to be overhauled by a Boffin in Basingstoke; Wharfedale speakers; Dual-505 turntable; Technics M63 cassette deck. I haven't got rid of my old LPs, nor of the scores of off-air recorded cassettes.

(And yes, I do own CDs too, since you ask.)

I've been wondering about where I might now get new styluses for the turntable.

Also where there is a business in London or the South that has one of those vinyl LP cleaning machines.

There are those who would claim that these fifty year old amp and tuner will produce a better sound than modern kit; and those who say speaker technology has moved on more significantly.

Any views of advice on these matters welcome.

kb

[Phileas]

Kb

I think you need to listen to some modern gear to decide. I would expect you to hear very significant improvements, mostly in the loudspeaker department.

I suggest the biggest improvement would be heard with a pair of good quality active speakers.

[kernelbogey]

Thank you - others have said that. Any recommendations for speakers?
BW, kb

[Beef Oven]

Thank you - others have said that. Any recommendations for speakers?
BW, kb

http://www.gramophone.co.uk/editorial/avi-adm91-unusual-active-speakers-prove-a-viable-system-alternative

Apparently these are the best around. There is a forum member that owns a pair and knows all the details. He pmed me, but I forgot his name and due to a technical hitch, I can't access my PMs. When I can, I'll give you his name.

They are about £1300 a pair. I'm going to go for a pair of Genelecs myself. Entry level less than half the price and smaller.

[Phileas]

Since you ask, I feel bound to recommend a pair of active speakers from AVI of which I own a couple of pairs (ADM40 & ADM9RSS).

AVI seem to believe firmly in the original meaning of HiFi, founded on good engineering also good value for money.

The company attracts a certain amount of controversy on various audio forums* but if you can see past that they are well worth consideration.

*mainly due to AVIs outspoken joint-owner and enthusiastic customers.

[Beef Oven]

Since you ask, I feel bound to recommend a pair of active speakers from AVI of which I own a couple of pairs (ADM40 & ADM9RSS).

AVI seem to believe firmly in the original meaning of HiFi, founded on good engineering also good value for money.

The company attracts a certain amount of controversy on various audio forums* but if you can see past that they are well worth consideration.

*mainly due to AVIs outspoken joint-owner and enthusiastic customers.

Good point. AVI's top man doesn't give a monkey's, he just says what he thinks. This does attract some 'playing of the man' rather than the product, I suspect.

[jayne lee wilson]

Only odd thing about the AVI actives is the lack of a usb input for the internal Dac. Almost universal in Computer Music now, If you have usb asynchronous it puts the Dac in control, rendering the digital source, whether ipod or laptop etc., much less quality-critical. Both lightweight build, lack of circuit isolation, and the relatively unsophisticated power supplies in these things can influence the integrity of the datastream, and some human ears seem able to detect quite low jitter levels (NB - A Bad Thing). Some optical outputs may be limited in resolutions too. Usb cables and connectors are also usually better built than optical (I speak as a contented user of Wireworld Glass-fibre optical cable - fine results, but last time I unplugged it the toslink end fell apart in my hand... managed to get humpty back together though).

You may feel you don't need USB now, but the tech world changes rapidly & it's a shame to discover that need after you've bought.

If you don't need a Dac, ATC make some of the best Active Speakers, but they're not cheap. Whatever you do, try to get a home trial with it before committing!

[Roehre]

I've been wondering about where I might now get new styluses for the turntable.

Here we are KB, excellent service (i know by own experience),

http://www.stylusplus.co.uk/

(there are others on the market too, btw)

Also where there is a business in London or the South that has one of those vinyl LP cleaning machines.

cleaning your records yourself:

http://www.needledoctor.com/Spin-Clean-Record-Washer

[still using a host of LPs and cassette tapes on a nearly daily base ]

[jayne lee wilson]

Good point. AVI's top man doesn't give a monkey's, he just says what he thinks. This does attract some 'playing of the man' rather than the product, I suspect.

Hmmm... it's a shame AVI once claimed, after the release of their DAB tuner, that the poor SQ on DAB was NOT due to low bitrates! I mean, advertise and promote yr. product, but really....!
Like Musical Fidelity they do go for in a bit of chest-beating, ours is the greatest, rest is rubbish etc., which I find deeply offputting. AVI's site once had a link to an article "The 10 lies of HiFi", which told a few half-truths itself...

The system I'm most familiar with after my own is an earlier all-AVI one, CD Player, pre/monoblocks and vast Darth Vader lookalike all-black Gravitron speakers. Sounds very good, if not the best I've heard in resolution, contrasts between musical styles & recordings etc... (and I felt it sounded better with the Quad ESL-63s! Owner sold them & got the Gravitrons... now considering... ADMs.)

[Resurrection Man]

Sadly after lying unused for well over fifteen years I went to try my turntable (Thorens TD150, SME arm and Ultimo pickup) only to find that the Ultimo had gone defunct.

[Bryn]

What you folk need is an upgrade:

http://gadgets.guardianoffers.co.uk/p-854-Steepletone-Chichester-4-in-1-Record,-CD,-Tape-and-Radio-Player.html?INTCMP=mic_2680&guni=Article:promo%20New%20classical%20music%20component:Trail%20with%20image%20on%20side%20%28from%20named%20trailblock%29:Position3#ReviewBox

Note: it also plays 78RPM "vinyl".

[VodkaDilc]

What you folk need is an upgrade:

http://gadgets.guardianoffers.co.uk/p-854-Steepletone-Chichester-4-in-1-Record,-CD,-Tape-and-Radio-Player.html?INTCMP=mic_2680&guni=Article:promo%20New%20classical%20music%20component:Trail%20with%20image%20on%20side%20%28from%20named%20trailblock%29:Position3#ReviewBox

Note: it also plays 78RPM "vinyl".

Were there ever 78rpm vinyl records? Surely they were all shellac.

[Tony Halstead]

Presumably that is why Bryn wrote "vinyl" rather than
vinyl.