Greetings All -
This looks like a fun site; I've been lurking for a little while and have enjoyed how deep some of the discussions go. I think there's some useful information and sharing here, and I'm looking forward to adding my two cents...
My current systems - main system:
Analog: Late 1980s vintage LP12 (pre-cirkus, Valhalla power supply), Ittok, Dynavector 17D3 cartridge into Linn Linto (recently serviced)
Digital: Naim CD 3.5, Fostex CR300, iLive model IAB13B Bluetooth receiver and adapter (very cheap, working great) streaming from my Samsung Note 5 cell phone
Preamp: Naim NAC 82 with hicap power supply
Amp: Innersound Electrostatic (recently serviced by Coda Audio)
Speakers: Quad ESL63 - original, unserviced, crammed right up against the shelves holding my record albums, but still sounding great
Living room system:
Analog: Technics SL-1300 direct drive turntable, stock arm (Jelco?), Stanton cartridge
Digital: Sony RCD-W500C player/recorder
Amplification: Carver HR-772 "Sonic Holography Receiver"
Speakers: JBL 4430s
I know this system is full of compromises, but it sounds great. My main objective was finding a way to get my wife to accept having the JBLs in the living room. She objected for a long time but seems to have very graciously accepted them as an expression of her acceptance of me.
Comments:
I grew up in a music-loving and listening family. My father loved classical music. I remember back about 1961 when he built an Eico ST-70 integrated amplifier. Tube, obviously. A few years later, when the first transistor amplifiers came out he traded his Eico in for, probably, a Lafeyette transistor integrated. He took it home, hooked it up, and hated the sound. He went to return the Lafeyette and get his Eico back, but his Eico had sold. Fortunately, another Eico came along shortly and he switched back to tubes.
My "going away to college" system was the Eico, a Pioneer PL-12 and a pair of EPI 100 speakers. After a few years I thought I needed to upgrade from the Eico. I went to one of the local hi-fi shops and, having heard that "if it measures the same it sounds the same", set out to buy something with around 35 watts per channel. However, my auditioning convinced me that units that measured the same DIDN'T sound the same. The differences between (IIRC) a Mitsubishi, a Denon and a Luxman persuaded me that the differences were easily discernable and musically significant. I ended up with a Luxman receiver, which I still have, stored in the basement.
In 1989 I set out to replace my Pioneer turntable. I was travelling, and in Nashville a Linn dealer "did the dem" and I was sold on the LP12. Tracked down a used one and was a happy camper. Within a year or two the Ekos tonearm came out. When I auditioned that arm I knew within a few seconds that A) it was superior to the Ittok and B) I would probably never be able to afford one. Fast forward another year or two and the Lingo power supply came out. Did the dem and knew within moments A) It was great and B) I was too cheap to probably ever afford one. Since then I've mainly concentrated on buying lots of music.
For guidance on electronics, in the early 1990s I turned for advice to an audiophile friend of mine who ran an Oracle turntable, CAT (SL-1?) preamp, into Manley 350s & Krell monoblocks driving his Martin-Logan Monolith-III speakers. He was a strong advocate of tubes, and I was open minded. Since I was travelling a fair bit, in the various cities I traveled to, whenever I got the chance I'd audition equipment. What I noticed was that when I listened to Naim equipment I just relaxed. For some reason my reaction was consistent - the Naim stuff just sounded good to my ears. I went from 72/140 to 72/hicap/140 to 72/hicap/250 to 82/hicap/250 to 82/hicap/135s. Now the 135s have been replaced with the Innersound amplifier.
Allow me to digress: back in my early days of listening to Naim equipment, on a return visit to the Seattle area I persuaded Hawthorne Stereo to allow me to borrow a 72/hicap to demo in a friend's system. He was using a Proceed cd player into an Adcom passive, driving VTL 200 monoblocks into a pair of Magneplanar SMGs. In addition to the Naim 72/hicap he borrowed a First Sound passive preamp from Hawthorne. I've never forgotten the experience of that First Sound passive. It made the 72/hicap sound rolled off and veiled by comparison. Ever since then I've known that "there is better stuff out there". But my system has evolved gradually, based on improvements to the "weakest link" that were available within a limited budget.
My buddy who used to own the "big system" is now using a Prima Luna integrated. He owns Quad 2905s and streams everything. His system sounds great. Looking ahead I think I'll be replacing the Naim 82, but I'm not sure what I'll replace it with. I've read with interest the comments of Emmanuel Go on his First Sound website (I still kick myself for not taking advantage of the opportunity to hear his equipment when he was located in Renton, WA.) and understand that the volume control is an important factor in the ability of the preamp to "get out of the way". I know there is a lot more to it than the volume control, too! I've found the youtube videos put out by Prima Luna to be illuminating. And I've really enjoyed reading the white papers of Roger Sanders, who designed my Innersound amplifier. I think any audiophile will find his white paper on "Tubes vs. Transistors" to be extremely illuminating.
Ok, a long, rambling introduction. But there you have it.
