Ive used some shit speakers (hifi/lofi) over the decades but what rig you playing your prized collection through?
Photos if you feel compelled…
(ps. I’m NOT ASKING ABOUT HEADPHONES!)
A Hi Fi or a Soundsystem?
Stay away from Hi Fi shops unless you have thousands to burn. I’ve been dealing in the kind of product that would keep a Japanese Hi Fi Bar happy and working with people to achieve proper sound for approx 25 years.
You want something efficient with plenty of flavour and lots of cone area on the bass end. My stuff is in semi storage at the moment as you can see. I do have a nice home cinema surround setup which can also shake the whole house if needed, although I have to say it isn’t even half as good as the proper vintage stuff.
Oh just one more thing, the above was all incredible value for money, probably less than some speaker cable and a mains lead from a hi fi dealer.
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Leben amp, McIntosh pre amp, Linn Sondek LP12 turntable, Graham Slee phono stage, Shanling tube CD player, Tannoy Gold speakers. I decided 7 or 8 years ago if I was going to spend my life buying records I should at least invest in a system that makes the best of them without falling into becoming an audiophile bore who spends hundreds on cables etc. A lot of car boot records have been sold to pay for it (well, just one thing left to pay off now). Everything apart from the phono stage bought second hand off eBay.
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Nothing too fancy, Project Debut turntable , Marantz PM6006 amp and Marantz CD6000 OSE Ken Ishiwata Signature CD player through Mordaunt-Short floorstanders all hooked up with decent but not crazy expensive cabling.
Turntable - Thorens TD160 160B with Rega tonearm.
Amp - Copland CSA 28 Valve hybrid
Speakers - Harbeth HL-P3ES-2
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Sold a set of NS10’s (2nd set bought boxed during the time when no one really wanted them) also sold my JBL’s 4410’s (bigger NS10’s IMO) to put towards some decent 'Audiophile/non-production system.
I looked at high-end McIntosh amps (££££ wow!), Klipsch Heresy/Forte (US muscle), Linn amps, even BBC/Roger/Harbeth etc. and then down the B&W route thanks to Abbey Road! (£££££££!). Settled on…
- Yamaha NS1000m
- Yamaha B2 Amp
- KRK RP7’s - just cos many DJs have them (so for me, referencing)
- Technics 1210s x 2 (beaten up), but Im eyeing up the Yamaha GT1000 as a listening deck
Although not very bass heavy the NS1000m’s - poorly produced/engineered music sounds really quite bad, meaning well produced/engineered music sounds, simply AMAZING.
I rock HEDD’s + sub, for music production, Genelecs + sub in storage
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I went down the vintage hi-fi route a few years ago and bought some Bowers & Wilkins DM2 Series II speakers and a Quad 520f amp. Still using my trusty 1999 technics mk ii (with the turntable wiring upgraded and an isonoe power supply) with a Rane MP2016 (with some processing on the fx loop) as the pre-amp. All in all I love the way it sounds, and the amp/speakers were pretty reasonable second hand 
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Round my way the JBL 4410 etc is the gateway drug to something bigger by Altec, Tannoy or Urei. Did you get to hear any horn systems in your search?
The NS1000m is the kind of speaker you went to Tottenham Court Road just to look at, never a hope of having the cash back then!
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Poor man’s audiophile home system>>>
Recapped Pioneer SX-636 receiver
Pioneer PL-560 turntable w/ Empire A15E cartridge
Lexicon Alpha Audio Interface
Phase Technology Teatro 7.5 speakers (indoor)
Klipsch KHO-7 speakers (patio)
Outdoor system>>>
Sunn Model 15 tops.
Altec 1215a bass horns
Fitzmaurice Tuba HT subwoofer (not pictured)
Running 3way, tops in stereo, bass and sub-bass mono
(EV Eliminators used as stands only)
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Yeah, all my hifi gears secondhand and imported pretty much (there’s some great bargains to be had - relative to their original price tag! - if you aren’t in a hurry and know a decent tech; which Im blessed with)
The closest I got to horn systems were the Klipsch muscle-end stuff still being sold (Cornwall/Forte etc. so not the TV surround sound or copper coned modern hifi towers). No Altecs or Tannoy Little Reds/Golds round my end of the world =/
No way a poor mans audiophile setup… the early Pioneer SX range was great! I only sold my Pioneer SX434 receiver to buy the Yamaha B2 VFET.
It had a great sound to it, punching WELL above its 15 +15 watts output with the Loudness button on!
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I’d love some klipsch forte iii’s but they’re just a little bit too big for my space
really love the look of those sunn model 15"s, what with the eggshell horn color. i imagine they’re just agonizingly heavy though.
i grew up going to school with the kids of the family that started sunn (and bi-amp, and a few other small oddball audio companies). my first DJ experiences were high school dances using the family’s prototype speaker and power amp designs. i’d like to say that it sounded amazing - but we were playing from cassettes.
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I remember a friend having EV eliminators for sale, not exactly small themselves, the rest of the kit makes them look tiny!
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Just putting this out there. I’d be happy to organise a kind of mobile Japanese bar style listing experience with the big white JBL’s and maybe a single subwoofer. I’m open to any (UK) location assuming there is a support group to assist.
It can be single deck or two, I won’t expand into an excessive of level of Hi Fi snobbery as it sounds clear and lively with a Technics 1200 plus it will cut through bar chatter.
I also am also able to create any visual effect to enhance a venue and again the possibilities are endless for those who want to be creative and put some work in. I’m exclusively non digital for audio and visual, these are just the constraints and freedoms to keep the whole operation as an original concept. Optikinetics projection, 35mm slides, 8mm film, drapery, structures…etc
The above is pretty much what I’m trying to bring to fruition, with a kind of collective spirit, a red tractor mark of quality and an inclusive and diverse patronage and of course music (although the music should be able to appeal to many ears).
I was thinking of trying to start a thread on what is basically throwing a party, rather than a discussion of media marketing and ticket sales etc.
So who’s in on a discussion and collaboration of ideas and actions towards social actual social interaction?
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Yes. Just throwing it out there but… Maybe theres a need to organise less of a DJ night and more of a UK listening night?? With quality sounds system…
They are actually not crazy heavy. Solid and absolutely a two person job but they are not as heavy as they are big; so ridiculously big. Carried the whole shebang up 3 or 4 flights of stairs for a rave and that was stupid.
They sound pretty dang nice. My dad has run a semi-pro studio for my whole life and has a good set of ears. When he saw these I could tell he thought I bought some old junk but they impressed him. Outside they really sound sweet.
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I don’t know your Location Ant.Plate?
Yes, just a programming of good balance of good music. I have the equipment which will fill an estate car.
It’s literally getting people to cooperate to play records in a public space, there need only be one selector.
Of course the more of support with the artistic element the better. I have worked for the biggest bands in the globe and the shittiest pub gigs all for next to no money, so to me it’s all about having a team all on the same wavelength willing to work towards the goal.
All the ego’s and usual scene snobbery can do one.
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It’s probably just me but the world of online mixes and radio program is an anathema and a negative enhancement of mine and possibly others isolated lives.
I’ll just add another paragraph of my thoughts and if the initial thread can expand to cover this kind discussion?
I’m kind of ‘possibly’ going to document the places I go and the people I meet in the world of ‘Hi Fi’ Sound Systems across the UK. Being a hobbyist and professional in the event production business as well as audio electronics the electro audio geekery side is covered. Would really like the personal stories, connections and music to make the total into something engaging.
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I was very fortunate to take over a loft apartment here in Brooklyn a cpl years ago. Using those paychecks from the government during Covid, I started buying second hand hifi gear. I slowly accumulated and upgraded a few things and now have this
Proceed BPA-2 amp to power 4 speakers-
La Scala Industrials (1981)for the front speakers and a pair of Forte’s that my friend literally found on the sidewalk for the rear.
Klipsch KG3’s for the monitors and a little Parasound amp to power those.
GSG 18" sub, Crown amp
Xone 96 + Bozure 201-ISO
It works well for jazz etc during the day, and then cranking it up at night for parties. We live next to the train and have cool neighbors… For now:)
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