Hi there,
Live in New Zealand, been into 'Hifi' since the mid 1970's.. well back then started out with two speakers and a Garrad SP25 with a built in amplifier in the box. Slowly over the years upgraded/changed to the current system. Think I'm rather 'Musical' than 100% accuracy in my equipment taste,
tend to be 'find what I like', and 'settle' there for several years. So upgrades are sporadic apart from 'consumables' like CD players. The stereo is my main 'entertainment' so CD players have tended to clap out after a few yrs use.
Built up a reasonable SS stereo till the early 90's, {Marantz CD, Thoren's deck, AR Cambridge A60, Nightingale NM1 speakers}. When an elderly gentleman in the local 'circle' introduced me to a home built Stereo Williamson amp.. The baited hook was snapped up, I became a 'tubehead' and over the years several changes have been made till the current and probably last system. Went through the Williamson, Leak TL12+ and a Stereo 60, Acquired a Radford STA100, fantastic amplifier, but consumed KT88's of the time with a voracious appetite {600v on anode and screen} So with 'reluctance' it was sold and replaced with a Ming Da MC34AB {having read the 'fish story' review by a Dr Sardonicus in positive feedback}.. With NoS input valves and JJ KT77's it's a lovely little amp in triode mode, reasonable in ultra linear. At the time I had some very power hungry' speakers NZ made Lambert made Timekeeper SP280, then was given the chance to get a pair of the WAD KSL9's in 'real' crafted cabinets.... this allowed me to look at other options, to the present system, TRI {japan}M88SE monoblocs, original version Antique Sounlab's AQ1006 pre-amp , capacitor modded, and recently an OPPO 105D CD player.
Still have the MingDa it's a lovely 'little?' second amp and it does get regular airings. Marriage split and moving into a small apartment, meant the Vinyl collection had to go in 2006, so I've been CD only for 10yrs. Still hanging on to 2ch only stereo.
