Meeting a High Priest of the world of hi-fi BS.

[Fab Foodie]

Yeah, weird. It's almost turned into a willy-waving contest. I'll think about it when I get home tonight and audition my Denon setup.

Not at all, just enthusiasts discussing their hobby, kit choices and possible upgrades...bit like on cyclists on cycle forums.

 

[Grant Fondo]

Not at all, just enthusiasts discussing their hobby, kit choices and possible upgrades...bit like on cyclists on cycle forums.

Well said FF.
The esoteric end of wi fi is quite bamboozling but if you genuinely love music it makes sense to hear it as it was intended, or as close as possible. Got to be honest, there is something great about researching, auditioning, buying and setting up new bits of kit as well....something i haven't done for 3 years 7 months and 22 days lol

 

[raleighnut]

One of the issues with the SME is that you are limited in tracking weight aa it was designed to compliment the Shure M75 and its ilk. I have a lovely Denon DL110 moving iron cartridge which is just too heavy as are most MC cartridges too.
It’s a clasic combo, a bit fiddly and delicate however....

Geoff had an Ortofon VMS 30E Mk2 on his, I ended up buying one too and used it for years until the new styli became too expensive but by then I had a 2nd 'Arm Wand'* for the Thorens so I could run 2 different cartridges and bought the Nagaoka MP11 Boron I still use.

* It's a 6" long 'headshell' with a knurled fixing up near the pivot.

EDIT like this,

 

[Fab Foodie]

Geoff had an Ortofon VMS 30E Mk2 on his, I ended up buying one too and used it for years until the new styli became too expensive but by then I had a 2nd 'Arm Wand'* for the Thorens so I could run 2 different cartridges and bought the Nagaoka MP11 Boron I still use.

* It's a 6" long 'headshell' with a knurled fixing up near the pivot.

EDIT like this, View attachment 489278


View attachment 489278

I started with a Hadcock Unipivot which sounded better than the SME but was such a faff to set-up and probably needed a good service. The SME was a S/H bargain at the time from South Croydon Hi-Fi exchange. Mecca for the skint.....
Also used VMS30E Mk2 for many years and agree they go too expensive for my bedsit squalour years......

 

[Drago]

I got a Sony CD player in the car.

 

[Profpointy]

I got a Sony CD player in the car.

Pah, what's wrong with an 8-track ?

 

[Drago]

My first car had an 8 track! The quality was actually pretty decent compared to cassette.

 

[swee'pea99]

You guys know your stuff so any advice on upgrading the Rega cartridge in my Rega P3. I had an Ortofon Red on my Goldring GR3 before and it was 'livelier' which i liked

I start from the assumption that geeksville means a target-rich environment, secondhand-wise. People are always upgrading - very often after very little use.

When I was after a cartridge I spent a fair bit of time on ebay, thoroughly researching any likely-looking candidates, getting out-bid, pressing on dauntless. It took awhile, but boy did I come up trumps in the end! And no, I'm not saying what I ended up with, because I have a permanent search set up to alert me to any new ones that come up (I like it that much I want to get a spare) - and I want as little competitive bidding as possible, thanks all the same.

So: ebay, online research, patience. You'll be listening to it for some time - it's worth investing some time to make sure you get it right.

 

[MontyVeda]

My first car had an 8 track! The quality was actually pretty decent compared to cassette.

I've still got the 8 track player from the Ford Escort my dad had in the 70s, and one cartridge; Trini Lopez. I'm not sure if we had more than one cartridge.

 

[Pale Rider]

One thing that has not been mentioned in the thread, but makes a big difference, is room acoustics.

I live in a Victorian terrace which has a large bow-fronted lounge, and most unfortunately, a high ceiling.

It's an echo chamber for hi-fi components, nothing sounds good in there.

Lots of hard surface is part of the problem, but I suspect the only effective cure would be to lower the ceiling.

 

[Drago]

Sounds like a great environment for playing live albums. Alchemy, Live and Dangerous, etc, would sound great.

 

[swee'pea99]

One thing that has not been mentioned in the thread, but makes a big difference, is room acoustics.

I live in a Victorian terrace which has a large bow-fronted lounge, and most unfortunately, a high ceiling.

It's an echo chamber for hi-fi components, nothing sounds good in there.

Lots of hard surface is part of the problem, but I suspect the only effective cure would be to lower the ceiling.

You need to cover all the walls and the ceiling with pelts from Russian Black Bears. They're not cheap, but quality never is. Don't be fobbed off with American Brown Bear pelts - they're cheaper, but the sonic properties aren't quite the same.

 

[Pale Rider]

Sounds like a great environment for playing live albums. Alchemy, Live and Dangerous, etc, would sound great.

You might be right, given that most live albums are crap.

They would sound authentically dreadful in my lounge.

 

[Pale Rider]

You need to cover all the walls and the ceiling with pelts from Russian Black Bears. They're not cheap, but quality never is. Don't be fobbed off with American Brown Bear pelts - they're cheaper, but the sonic properties aren't quite the same.

Some people in my situation go for tapestry wall hangings to deaden the sound.

A clap test is instructive.

If the clap is dull and can only be heard once, all is well.

If the clap reverberates around the room, as in my case, an uphill battle with hi-fi awaits.

 

[bruce1530]

You might be right, given that most live albums are crap.

... They would sound so much better if the live sound engineer had used directional oxygen-free crystalline interconnects and gold-plated microphone cables.