[Snufkin]

Hi AC - I'm a newbie on here from Scotland - always interested in chatting to like minded audiophiles and garnering info to try and improve my listening experience; are we ever satisfied with our systems........?

[FullRangeMan]

Welcome 

[JLM]

Welcome!

My starting out advice is to focus on the intended listening room first.  It shouldn't be small or squarish.  It should be well insulated and hopefully dedicated to you (a man cave) so you can listen when you want and maintain proper setup.  Most audiophiles way "over gear" for the given room in an effort to be a big game hunter and constantly refilling their room with lots of flashy gear (like thick sculptured faceplates and fancy veneers). 

Next read Floyd Toole's "Sound Reproduction" 3rd edition, the consummate audiophile primer for learning how speakers/subwoofers behave in-room, that all residently sized rooms have large bass peaks/dips, and how to deal with those peaks/dips (by use of multiple well placed subwoofers).

Then you can shop for speakers.  Monitors work best, consider active designs as having several undeniable advantages.  Shopping for speakers should involve long auditions with favorite recordings and note taking.  Limit yourself to 3-4 speakers per day to avoid listener fatigue.  Power amps are next and need only be viewed in terms of serving the speakers well.

Finally decide on source format(s).  Digital streaming is the most convenient and cheapest route.  Vinyl is the least convenient and most expensive route but adds a degree of hands-on hobbyist aspect. 

[Phil A]

Welcome!

[ArthurDent]

Greetings & Welcome to AC  Snufkin   

[jcsperson]

Welcome aboard.

[Snufkin]

Thanks for the welcomes!

My system is primarily 'older' gear (some would say vintage like me!) but with a certain modern twist; for example, my speakers are Yamaha NS-1000s which I have revamped and restored but the modern twist is that they are now active and driven by Hypex amplifier modules (3 per speaker) and accompanied by a BK XXLS-400 subwoofer. BK are a less well known UK subwoofer manufacturer, highly regarded this side of the pond. This particular unit is sealed rather than reflex to match the Yams and has a 12" Peerless driver.

To me the active Yams are great but I acknowledge that they do divide opinions 

[Norman Tracy]

Hello Snufkin,

I was going to welcome you to AudioCircle, then I read about your NS-1000s and now I am too jealous to be that civil.  So much envy, NS-1000 are at the top of my should have bought off e-bay before prices skyrocketed and all that was left were the rode hard and put up wet dregs list. 

When Kendrick Sound http://jbl43.com/?pid=45019561starts to restore them one knows a speaker has attained a following.



Seriously now, you are most welcome to AC and I am curious what crossover you are using to tri-amp your NS-1000s.

[toocool4]

Welcome to AudioCircle Snufkin

The only way to happiness is to be happy with what you've got, i am satisfied with my setup. 

[twitch54]

Welcome Snuf, love your Country, spent a couple weeks there back in '17, my liver has finally recovered ! Loved the town of Oban and the whisky !

[Snufkin]

Thanks Norman. Love those speaker restorations by Kendrick......

These are my NS-1000s - a bit more subdued perhaps but looking good in my view! You'll note that I've deleted the L pads as they're no longer required.



The active crossovers were built for me by a very small UK company, Chevron Audio. The units are neatly integrated into the speaker stands as you can see in the picture and also contain the Hypex amplifier modules.

www.chevronaudio.co.uk

The crossover frequencies are at 500 Hz and 4,500 Hz. If you check the link to Active Crossovers on the Chevron website there's more details and a review available.

Thanks for your kind words, Twitch. Yes, Scotland is beautiful but I'm a wee bit biased....  A whisky a day is imperative in my view!

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Welcome to AC!  Since you live in Scotland, have you had a chance to listen to the Fyne Audio speakers.  I heard them at Rocky Mountain Audio Fest last fall and they are one of the few speakers that made me want to sell my Magnepans and upgrade to the 702's.

[Snufkin]

Hi I. Greyhound Fan - Yes I have heard some of Fyne Audio's speakers; I particularly like their F1 series with co-axial point source drive units.

[I.Greyhound Fan]

Hi I. Greyhound Fan - Yes I have heard some of Fyne Audio's speakers; I particularly like their F1 series with co-axial point source drive units.

I am considering buying the 702 or the 502sp's.  I flew down to a dealer in Sarasota Fla. in February to give them as listen after I had heard the 702's at RMAF when they were brand new with on 20 hours on them.  I want to hear the new Monitor Audio 300 5G gold speakers before I pull the trigger.  I was supposed to fly to St. Louis to  hear them when covid hit.  Maybe next year.

Larry