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Hi-Fi systems

chrismpw said:
In one or two threads people have lamented on the passing of old style audio systems. Now it seems vinyl is (quite rightly) making a comeback, as is the turntable. In recent years, the budget end has made huge improvements in quality on the back of digital music. There's no doubt digital is hugely convenient, and I use it myself. But when I want to sit and really listen, I stoke up the proper system and pour myself a beer.

In fact every time I moved house , or flat as a student, the second thing I would do on arrival (after making a mug of tea) is put the hi-fi together. . . . Then it was home.

So is there anybody out there who shares an interest in getting the best out of their music collection ?

Currently running: Elite Rock mk2 which I've had since 1986 (as a student I worked all summer and spent the lot on this! ) rega tonearm and orthofon mc15 cartridge . Micromega stage 6 cd player bought in 1995 straight after after a divorce (!) , Lumley valve power amp.

The pre-amp and (concrete transmission line) speakers are ones I've built and developed myself over the years. I had the fortune to meet a loudspeaker designer when I was at uni and learned a lot - from both him, and consequently the uni library in a rabid search for perfection. Still trying after all these years.
Click to expand...

Retro Hi-fi is a fantastic hobby to be fair - rediscovering music's soul that I remember from the 70's and 80's after the icy cold age of cd and mp3 etc...
My current set-up is Technics SU-V9 amp from 1980 - its an absolute monster and I run my Technics SL-D2 turntable through it.
I always manage to pick up a few second hand vinyl's most weekends, but thanks partly to millennial hipster types and the music industry rediscovering that they can make money out of it again it is becoming a more expensive hobby by the week... (just don't tell the missus)
 
Philw said:
Always hear 'audiophiles' going on about how much better the sound is with a proper hi fi/record player set up. Would like to actually hear a demonstration of the difference sometime.
Click to expand...
I used to be rabid about the superiority of vinyl, and ran loads of vinyl / CD comparisons with my mates to prove the point.
A few years ago, though I bought myself a 24bit recording device and started making my own cds of my vinyl. Have to say - the A/B comparisons now are much harder to hear the difference.
I think the main difference between a stock cd and vinyl is the huge amount of compression put on the cd at production, so that it sounds half decent on cheap systems. In comparison, vinyl doesn't have so much compression, so the dynamics are much greater. I found the dynamics of my own recorded cds much better than stock.
 

daza_1973 said:
Retro Hi-fi is a fantastic hobby to be fair - rediscovering music's soul that I remember from the 70's and 80's after the icy cold age of cd and mp3 etc...
My current set-up is Technics SU-V9 amp from 1980 - its an absolute monster and I run my Technics SL-D2 turntable through it.
I always manage to pick up a few second hand vinyl's most weekends, but thanks partly to millennial hipster types and the music industry rediscovering that they can make money out of it again it is becoming a more expensive hobby by the week... (just don't tell the missus)
Click to expand...
Loving the Pink Floyd quote in your sig.
 
chrismpw said:
I used to be rabid about the superiority of vinyl, and ran loads of vinyl / CD comparisons with my mates to prove the point.
A few years ago, though I bought myself a 24bit recording device and started making my own cds of my vinyl. Have to say - the A/B comparisons now are much harder to hear the difference.
I think the main difference between a stock cd and vinyl is the huge amount of compression put on the cd at production, so that it sounds half decent on cheap systems. In comparison, vinyl doesn't have so much compression, so the dynamics are much greater. I found the dynamics of my own recorded cds much better than stock.
Click to expand...
Which recording device did you buy ? interesting that...all down to compression...?
 
At home I've got a Cambridge amp and a pair of Gale monitors in the living room with my 1210's and a set of old '80's Technics separates in the bedroom.

Would like to upgrade to some B&W stuff if I ever get the spare cash. I like B&W a lot.
 

chrismpw said:
The main problem with vinyl is keeping it clean. Charity shops are a good source of old vinyl if you're one pared to wade through all the cliff Richard and 70s top of the pops stuff. A few years ago I bought a "disco antistat" wet record
cleaner through Amazon for around £50. It does amazing things cleaning up old vinyl.
Click to expand...

I have disco antistat too and for the price it does work wonders especially if you collect from charity shops / car boots etc...
Luckily my amp has two phono inputs so while I'm saving up for a professional record cleaner like a Moth - I have two turntables set up a Technics for new and really good condition vinyl and a lesser spec Dual 505 for second hand / cleaned vinyl - this saves on cross contamination and on stylus replacement bills.
 
chrismpw said:
Lou Reed's Transformer was always a stock sample track in the hifi press as i recall.
Click to expand...

Transformer got me back into vinyl, I found the 1972 first press in the loft that I had bought yonks ago, compared it to the CD version, there was no comparison, warmer sound, more depth, what you get is what Lou Reed intended it to sound like when he recorded it.
 
chrismpw said:
I used to be rabid about the superiority of vinyl, and ran loads of vinyl / CD comparisons with my mates to prove the point.
A few years ago, though I bought myself a 24bit recording device and started making my own cds of my vinyl. Have to say - the A/B comparisons now are much harder to hear the difference.
I think the main difference between a stock cd and vinyl is the huge amount of compression put on the cd at production, so that it sounds half decent on cheap systems. In comparison, vinyl doesn't have so much compression, so the dynamics are much greater. I found the dynamics of my own recorded cds much better than stock.
Click to expand...
How much does all this matter now everything is recorded digitally?
 
ijjysmith said:
Why not both?
Click to expand...
I was just messing around. Of course both are still perfectly valid, though I have to admit I find it hard to get through a whole album these days (from recent releases) yet will still listen to old albums in exactly the same way I used to (ie if there was a track I didn't like 20 years ago, I'm still skipping that track today!).
 
mellowblue said:
Which recording device did you buy ? interesting that...all down to compression...?
Click to expand...
A Roland R-05 - really very pleased with it - also doubles as a top quality MP3 player ... one of these:
Amazon product ASIN B003FGN0I0
Which I think @GrandOldTeam would like me to say is available through his link to Amazon! that's where I got mine.

Of course CD isn't 24 bit so I tend use one of these Colorfly MP3/Flac players. It's better than the Micromega which cost me a grand back in 1995/6 - but its also portable and drives proper hi-end headphones. The only drawback is around 4 hours playback on a charge. It's so smooth yet the transients and attack are crisp, and detailed, with deep controlled base.
Amazon product ASIN B004DWNJ18
 

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