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Post by ChrisB on Jul 24, 2015 6:45:17 GMT
What was the first bit of hifi that really bowled you over, and why?
For me, there were lots of things that made an impression and that I would have liked to have owned one day, but when I saw an Audio Research SP8 preamplifier and played with its controls, I realised that there was a whole different different world of hifi gear out there that I knew nothing about. Very exciting and it wasn't even plugged in!
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Post by zippy on Jul 24, 2015 7:17:19 GMT
It was a QUAD system - 33/303 with ESL 57's back in the late 70's I can't even remember what the deck was, I was too blown away by the sound (mostly the speakers). It was a long, long time until I heard anything as good as that again.
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Post by MikeMusic on Jul 24, 2015 7:21:35 GMT
My next door neighbour John
Home made speakers and I think Nikko kit. Not sure of his deck. May have been Goldring
Out performed my transistor radio and my parents stereo radiogram by some margin. I was still at school so my paper round money wouldn't go anywhere near that
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Post by Chris on Jul 24, 2015 7:44:53 GMT
A pal f mine had a rather nice record player(think it was a Linn but not sure) and that was nice. It was hooked up to an Arcam amp and MS speakers and sounded great. That got me thinking!
On the other hand I remember seeing a £10,000 headphones and headphone amp setup at a show once(think they were sennheisers not sure of the amp) and being utterly underwhelmed after having a listen. That's when I realised price is no indicator of sound quality.
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Post by MartinT on Jul 24, 2015 7:51:21 GMT
SME 3009 Series II Improved arm. The first bit of serious hi-fi I ever bought (from Laskys) and rivalled the quality of anything I've ever owned. Object of lust in my hands at the age of 19.
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Post by John on Jul 24, 2015 12:13:06 GMT
For me it was some of those big Sansui amplifiers
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Post by julesd68 on Jul 24, 2015 16:05:36 GMT
Excellent! This looks like a suitable topic for the milestone of my 1000th post...
Looking back, I think it was The Music Room in Manchester that really set off my love affair with 'proper' hi-fi. It was a lovely and spacious shop with unpatronising and friendly service and they had a very big range of quality gear.
The early Mission Cyrus amps were certainly objects of desire for me. Whilst the Cyrus One was great value, it was the Cyrus 2 with PSX that I nearly bought but ultimately the sound didn't quite match up to the looks. The amp I adored, and would have bought if it wasn't for the offer of a second-hand Albarry set-up, was the Musical Fidelity A1. I rather liked the griddle pan looks but the sound was something else with the right partners. I remember demoing it at a different dealer with an Elite Rock and it was quite superb.
As I've said before though, the item I most listed after as a teenager in The Music Room, was an MRM Source tt that was on permanent display as you walked in. They are uber rare on the second-hand market now and mine is going nowhere - after all it only took me 25 years to acquire it...
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Post by ChrisB on Jul 24, 2015 17:39:33 GMT
It was The Music Room, Glasgow where I finally got my hands on an SP8. I lusted after a lot of stuff in that shop and they removed a lot of cash from my wallet! I still have everything I bought there.
1,000 posts Jules!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2015 20:25:33 GMT
Ive always been one of those where i see summert i have to buy it. Stuff i remember seeing & just had to have straight away
SME '3009,S2 Imp' Pick-Up Arm {I bought one of the very last ones available} Logic 'DM101' Turntable {I bought one of the first ones}
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2015 22:20:26 GMT
For me it goes back to the 80s. The Roksan Xerxes, Myst Tma3, and Epos ES14 were all fascinating to me and I had to have them. I lusted after a Krell KSA50 and Apogees but it was many years before I'd get to them.
I also had a lust for Townshend kit and I put together a Rock/Kelvin Labs/ Glastonbury system in my younger days. Some of the things I've bought recently are amongst the few remaining bits from my teenage bucket list.
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Post by daytona600 on Jul 25, 2015 8:59:26 GMT
15 walked into a shop & heard a linn/naim system tri-amped isobariks , bit of a shock compared to my sony music centre
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Post by Deleted on Jul 26, 2015 14:48:35 GMT
Which option did you go for?
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Post by daytona600 on Jul 27, 2015 16:52:01 GMT
went back 6months later & bought a linn/naim system for my sixteenth birthday worked 3 jobs
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Post by MartinT on Aug 1, 2015 8:13:20 GMT
Wow, I was on Wharfedale Chevins at 16!
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