The Hi-Fi thread
Discussion
Completely open thread to discuss your hi-fi systems, both from yesteryear and today.. Open to discuss within ths thread, is the music you once enjoyed and what you enjoy listening to today....! 
I started with a Thorens TD166 turntable bougt for the bargain price of £25 back in about 1983.. Partnered with a CreekCAS 4040 integrated amp connected to Acoustic Research AR 18 speakers. In early '87 decided to go down the CD route with the first player being a Marantz CD84. I did get a Linn Basik tonearm fitted to the turntable not long before getting rid..!
Today my system consists of Marantz CD6004 PM6004 CD player and amplifier combined connected to Monitor Audio Bronze 5 floor-standing speakers. Pretty happy with it at the moment - That being said, upgrading does often come to mind..!
Over to you
I started with a Thorens TD166 turntable bougt for the bargain price of £25 back in about 1983.. Partnered with a CreekCAS 4040 integrated amp connected to Acoustic Research AR 18 speakers. In early '87 decided to go down the CD route with the first player being a Marantz CD84. I did get a Linn Basik tonearm fitted to the turntable not long before getting rid..!
Today my system consists of Marantz CD6004 PM6004 CD player and amplifier combined connected to Monitor Audio Bronze 5 floor-standing speakers. Pretty happy with it at the moment - That being said, upgrading does often come to mind..!
Over to you
Edited by rjfp1962 on Sunday 4th February 17:35
That was a nice set up to start with, my first hi-fi was a Toshiba midi system and currently have a 20 year old Cambridge Audio azure 540 and a pair of Gale floor standers with a newish Denon cd. I have just been looking at a Leak stereo 230 amp with Wharfedale Linton speakers and a Rega Planar 1 turntable to get back into vinyl. I'm pretty sold on that set up but I need to get a listen to the amp to see if it suits the music I prefer.
I've bought various kit, mostly secondhand.
I still have a Cambridge A1 for the workshop system, now have an Arcam Alpha 6 for the main room and a pair of home made amps in a Sony chassis.
I re-engined the Marantz CD player last year, but also dabble with players based on Raspberry pi and use the PC a fair bit.
I'd like some 'decent' speakers, we currently have some Gale monitors in the kitchen and some of the cheaper Wharfedales in the lounge. They sound fine enough, but the finish is some sort of MFI coating which shows its age.
I still have a Cambridge A1 for the workshop system, now have an Arcam Alpha 6 for the main room and a pair of home made amps in a Sony chassis.
I re-engined the Marantz CD player last year, but also dabble with players based on Raspberry pi and use the PC a fair bit.
I'd like some 'decent' speakers, we currently have some Gale monitors in the kitchen and some of the cheaper Wharfedales in the lounge. They sound fine enough, but the finish is some sort of MFI coating which shows its age.
This probably belongs on the Vintage HiFi thread, but I have a Linn Sondek with Ittok arm and a Dynavector DV-10x5 mkII playing through a Naim NAC 72 and NAP 140 olive pre/power amp combo. Speakers are Quad 22L floor standers. It sounds great to me but I've recently moved all the furniture in my room and I'm not convinced it's in the right place now!
w1bbles said:
This probably belongs on the Vintage HiFi thread, but I have a Linn Sondek with Ittok arm and a Dynavector DV-10x5 mkII playing through a Naim NAC 72 and NAP 140 olive pre/power amp combo. Speakers are Quad 22L floor standers. It sounds great to me but I've recently moved all the furniture in my room and I'm not convinced it's in the right place now!
That looks very nice, clean and stylish. A lot of my components also verge on the vintage, but why not?I have a similar Sondek/Ittok but it is currently in need of an overhaul and is is doing second system duties driving a pair of Videoton Minimaxes via an old Cambridge Audio Azur 340A SE. Actually that amp is the newest part by at least 20 years, so not sure why I am calling it old!
Main system is Michelle Gyro TT with Graham Slee Accession Phono stage,, Leema Antila CD player, Leema Tucana 2 amp just used as a preamp with a pair of Graham Slee Proprius power amps. Speakers are Goodmans LS3/5a, recapped and rewired last year. I also have an MJA Pro50 subwoofer, which for years I thought I didn't like and didn't use- until I discovered how to adjust it correctly!
Edit- spelling!
Edited by mac96 on Monday 5th February 18:19
I started with a Rega 3 and ended my vinyl days with an LP12. Amps and speakers are too numerous to mention - but memorably AR18's when I started out, moving to SD1's (floor standing giants).
Then CD's came along and I had various players ending with the Musical Fidelity CD Pre 24 - which I still have but don't use. Using Ruark floor standers driven by Musical Fidelity X Can 200 mono blocks.
Last year I cleared the decks and bought a pair of KEF LS60's with a KEF KC62 sub. Streaming only now with Roon and Qobuz.
I am a little less satisfied as musical enjoyment is hampered by poor mastering/engineering/production which the new system brutally reveals. Fortunately I like jazz and most in the genre is well recorded.
I started the 'Best Produced Albums' thread a while back and that's been interesting.
Then CD's came along and I had various players ending with the Musical Fidelity CD Pre 24 - which I still have but don't use. Using Ruark floor standers driven by Musical Fidelity X Can 200 mono blocks.
Last year I cleared the decks and bought a pair of KEF LS60's with a KEF KC62 sub. Streaming only now with Roon and Qobuz.
I am a little less satisfied as musical enjoyment is hampered by poor mastering/engineering/production which the new system brutally reveals. Fortunately I like jazz and most in the genre is well recorded.
I started the 'Best Produced Albums' thread a while back and that's been interesting.
Great idea for a thread.
I started my hifi journey in the late 80s mainly due to my late brother who was 12 years older than me. He introduced me to the idea of hifi separates and I remember being fascinated by his system as a child, there was something so interesting and alluring about it and the sound reproduction was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. He had a Thorens turntable, a NAD 3020 amp, NAD cassette deck and NAD tuner and I think Tannoy speakers.
As soon as I’d saved up enough from my paper round at about age 13, he took me down to Richer Sounds (I think in Ilford/Barking way but I’m hazy on that) and with my very modest budget, he helped me get my first separates system, a JVC amp, a Philips CD624 bitstream CD player and JPW minim speakers. Shortly after, when I had the funds, a Denon TU-260L tuner was added. It certainly wasn’t anything other than budget but I still look back on that system with amazing fondness.
Through the years there’s been a million upgrades, some worthwhile, others not so much. Notable mentions are Mission 760i SEs, Sony 176 Brooklands speakers, a Kenwood 3020SE amp, various Cyrus products, KEF speakers, and Marantz CD sources including the famous CD-67.
Fast forward to now and my current system is a Cambridge Audio CXA-81 amp, a heavily modified BlueSound Node streamer feeding an RME ADi-FS DAC and Acoustic Energy AE-509 floorstanders. Very sadly, we lost my brother to a brain tumour 10 years ago, so in a nod to him, I have his old Isotek Cleanline Power Supply feeding all the components. It sits quietly in the hifi rack and occasionally reminds me of the hifi journey he started me on.
I started my hifi journey in the late 80s mainly due to my late brother who was 12 years older than me. He introduced me to the idea of hifi separates and I remember being fascinated by his system as a child, there was something so interesting and alluring about it and the sound reproduction was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. He had a Thorens turntable, a NAD 3020 amp, NAD cassette deck and NAD tuner and I think Tannoy speakers.
As soon as I’d saved up enough from my paper round at about age 13, he took me down to Richer Sounds (I think in Ilford/Barking way but I’m hazy on that) and with my very modest budget, he helped me get my first separates system, a JVC amp, a Philips CD624 bitstream CD player and JPW minim speakers. Shortly after, when I had the funds, a Denon TU-260L tuner was added. It certainly wasn’t anything other than budget but I still look back on that system with amazing fondness.
Through the years there’s been a million upgrades, some worthwhile, others not so much. Notable mentions are Mission 760i SEs, Sony 176 Brooklands speakers, a Kenwood 3020SE amp, various Cyrus products, KEF speakers, and Marantz CD sources including the famous CD-67.
Fast forward to now and my current system is a Cambridge Audio CXA-81 amp, a heavily modified BlueSound Node streamer feeding an RME ADi-FS DAC and Acoustic Energy AE-509 floorstanders. Very sadly, we lost my brother to a brain tumour 10 years ago, so in a nod to him, I have his old Isotek Cleanline Power Supply feeding all the components. It sits quietly in the hifi rack and occasionally reminds me of the hifi journey he started me on.
w1bbles said:
This probably belongs on the Vintage HiFi thread, but I have a Linn Sondek with Ittok arm and a Dynavector DV-10x5 mkII playing through a Naim NAC 72 and NAP 140 olive pre/power amp combo. Speakers are Quad 22L floor standers. It sounds great to me but I've recently moved all the furniture in my room and I'm not convinced it's in the right place now!
I'm certain your system sounds lovely and probably similar vintage to my own. My hi-fi journey
I started with a Pioneer PL516 turntable with Shure cartridge, Pioneer SX550 receiver and Wharfedale Lintons. The speakers were soon replaced by Kef Caprices. After a couple of years, I went into a hi-fi shop in Bolton, I think it was called Cleartone with a well equiped demo room to buy my idea of the ultimate mid range hi-fi - a Rega Planar 3 and A&R A60 amp which would keep me happy for ever !!
Perhaps that was my biggest mistake
as I came home with a Linn Sondek with LVX arm and A&R P77 cartridge, having also liked the Michel Gyrodec. After a short while, it was obvious that the Pioneer receiver was the limiting factor and so was replaced by an original NAIM NAIT (which currently sits in the attic). The NAIT was a brilliant amp as long as you didn't push it too hard, from memory I think it was rated at 12watts per channel. So the plan was then to upgrade to a NAIM NAC42 /90 or 160 combo but the result of many visits to various hi-fi shops in London such as Grahams was to return home with an Ittok arm, then a Lingo power supply, then a new plinth and Circus upgrade which meant that my LP12 was nearly still original - well the outer platter and lid were.
Eventually the NAIT and Caprices were replaced by a Linn MAJIK amp and Keilidh speakers in the mid 90s. Since then the system has only changed slightly with the addition of a pair of Linn LK100s to convert the Keilidhs to active operation and the addition of a Genki CD player and Pekin tuner.
I think I've lost the upgrade bug as sometimes I think I should get the Sondek fettled with the various upgrades with incomprehensive names or get a music streamer, but then I think I'm quite happy with the quality that my system still provides, but it could also be the case of older hearing. One thing I've always thought is that you soon fail to notice the result of each upgrade as you get used to the new level of performance and treat it for granted.
Deranged Rover said:
Nomme de Plum said:
That's superb. What have you got now?I foolishly sold the 7000s with the intent of selling the 861V8 as Meridian have not developed it to run ATMOS and the like.
I still have the record desk but effective now running a NUC Roon based music system with little LSxs and KC62 sub which I brought back from my apartment overseas and separate receiver driven cable, TV system.
I'm looking for a new DSP equipped system with active speakers.
I've still got my old Lecson AC1 and AP3 (1975) (the stuff Boothroyd Stewart created before Meridian and a Aragon 8008B balanced amp (circa 30kg) bit like Krell.
I started off with a Rotel integrated amp, Philips CD, Arcam Black Box 1 DAC and Heybrook Solo speakers in about 1990 bought from Audio T in Enfield.
That was gradually upgraded over a several years and iterations to a Michell Gyrodec, Heybrook C3/P3 amps and Mission 753 speakers that all got sold when I moved house.
Nowadays I have mostly vintage stuff that I pick up on eBay and try and repair/restore. Probably have 20 amps/receivers in various states of repair.
I have some of it set up in the home office to try and get regular use of as much kit as possible as I work from home a few days a week. Another one is used downstairs for the TV.
I try and swap out with other amps and receivers I have around the house every few months.
Currently in the office it is:
JVC Nivico 5500U receiver for FM
Kenwood TK-140X receiver fed an Astell & Kern SR15 for streaming
Leak 2000 receiver fed from a L&G CT-5000 cassette deck
JVC JR-S300 receiver fed from a Denon DCD-1500 CD player
All connected to Falcon Q7 speakers via a TC-616 selector.
Hitachi SR-804 receiver and Monitor Radius speakers for the TV.![](https://thumbsnap.com/sc/fpbWskBg.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="https://thumbsnap.com/fpbWskBg" Target="_blank" rel="nofollow">[img]https://thumbsnap.com/sc/fpbWskBg.jpg)
That was gradually upgraded over a several years and iterations to a Michell Gyrodec, Heybrook C3/P3 amps and Mission 753 speakers that all got sold when I moved house.
Nowadays I have mostly vintage stuff that I pick up on eBay and try and repair/restore. Probably have 20 amps/receivers in various states of repair.
I have some of it set up in the home office to try and get regular use of as much kit as possible as I work from home a few days a week. Another one is used downstairs for the TV.
I try and swap out with other amps and receivers I have around the house every few months.
Currently in the office it is:
JVC Nivico 5500U receiver for FM
Kenwood TK-140X receiver fed an Astell & Kern SR15 for streaming
Leak 2000 receiver fed from a L&G CT-5000 cassette deck
JVC JR-S300 receiver fed from a Denon DCD-1500 CD player
All connected to Falcon Q7 speakers via a TC-616 selector.
Hitachi SR-804 receiver and Monitor Radius speakers for the TV.
Deranged Rover said:
Nomme de Plum said:
I'm looking for a new DSP equipped system with active speakers.
Got to be DSP-8000s hasn't it? I came very close to buying a pair and they remain close to the top of my 'all-time favourite speakers' list. I'm not really sure which direction I'm going. I'm probably going to give up on the analogues stuff. Too much faffing. The thing is the deck looks really cool. I bought the original electronic reference deck with SME arm in 1975 traded it for the Orbe about 10 years ago.
Additionally I'm pretty sure my hearing is not what it once was.
Having started out playing records on a couple of Fidelity record players that my parents bought me, I got my first hifi in the 1980s.
I Started with a Rega Planer 2 deck a Yamaha amp and a pair of Monitor Audio r100 speakers, a Yamaha cassette deck was added then a Denon tu ? Tuner.
Being happy with this for a while and reading lots of hifi mags the upgrade but got me, next was a Rega 3 to replace the 2, a pioneer a400 amp, a Marantz cd63 was added and a pair of Monitor Audio rs1 speakers, these were superb.
The bug struck again, the amp was replaced by some Naim pre and amp separates closely followed by a Naim cd player to replace the Marantz cd then a Naim power supply ( they now how to take your money), the speakers were then upgraded to a set of Neat motive 2s.
A couple of years ago a Naim streamer was added.
I would like to think this all still sounds great but unfortunately, the hearing in my left ear went and I have tinnitus so there is not much point trying too upgrade now,
I Started with a Rega Planer 2 deck a Yamaha amp and a pair of Monitor Audio r100 speakers, a Yamaha cassette deck was added then a Denon tu ? Tuner.
Being happy with this for a while and reading lots of hifi mags the upgrade but got me, next was a Rega 3 to replace the 2, a pioneer a400 amp, a Marantz cd63 was added and a pair of Monitor Audio rs1 speakers, these were superb.
The bug struck again, the amp was replaced by some Naim pre and amp separates closely followed by a Naim cd player to replace the Marantz cd then a Naim power supply ( they now how to take your money), the speakers were then upgraded to a set of Neat motive 2s.
A couple of years ago a Naim streamer was added.
I would like to think this all still sounds great but unfortunately, the hearing in my left ear went and I have tinnitus so there is not much point trying too upgrade now,
I've owned a Hi-Fi since mid 70's firstly a Pioneer PL12d deck with Leak amp & Leak2060 speakers - this sounded great to my ears, sadly the amp failed early 80's and I Invested in a Musical Fidelity 'Synthesis' amp, I also upgraded the deck to a Nad 5120 with Goldring1012 MM cartridge, I still have & use both - I use the Nad mostly for 45's - in mid 80's I bought a Linn LP12/ittok 2/Linn mc cartidge for my 33rpm vinyl, [FYI the MF amp has 2 switchable MC/MM inputs which allows the use of 2 Vinyl decks ] - at that time I also bought JBL L20t speakers which are a good match for the Amp & Vinyl system, over the years I've used various Phillips/Marantz cd players, my current player is a Marantz CD6006UK, I also have Phillips DCC and Sony WM D3 Cassette recorder/players. A few years ago I had the MF amp rebuilt & upgraded by MF guru 'JS' - this setup is used in our 'Front Room' - For the TV room I use a 1980's Pioneer A400 amp with a 2nd Nad 5120 & Goldring1042 and a Panasonic EZ28 DVD/CD recorder/player, I now use the Large Leak2060's together with Dali Spector II's for the 65" Tv's sound, I've tried modern AV amps with dolby etc etc IMO these AV amps sound really abysmal compared with a true Hi-Fi setup using a proper Hi-Fi amp & just L&R speakers - possibly others are screaming in disbelief at this statement. - IMO all modern audio equipment sounds pretty Krap - when compared to a real 'old skool' Hi-Fi system. [no huge stupid subs around here thanks]
I've never had or wanted any type of streaming service, I own all the music I play - currently ~3500 Vinyl LP's ~2000 45's, ~1100CD's,~540DVD's & 1250 DCC & Audio cassettes. There's just something satisfying about manually putting a record/disc/tape 'on or in' a deck, that streaming can NEVER have or replicate. My OLD SKOOL system is all about Aural enjoyment
Compared to some systems I've seen and heard over the years mine is quite basic & modest [and old ] but it's the delivered sound that counts, now i've retired from work my system gets used about 8-10 hours a day - & I couldn't live without it
>
I've never had or wanted any type of streaming service, I own all the music I play - currently ~3500 Vinyl LP's ~2000 45's, ~1100CD's,~540DVD's & 1250 DCC & Audio cassettes. There's just something satisfying about manually putting a record/disc/tape 'on or in' a deck, that streaming can NEVER have or replicate. My OLD SKOOL system is all about Aural enjoyment
Compared to some systems I've seen and heard over the years mine is quite basic & modest [and old
] but it's the delivered sound that counts, now i've retired from work my system gets used about 8-10 hours a day - & I couldn't live without it >
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