Hi-fi nostalgia

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Corruption

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OK, based on Bottleneck's message on the forum I thought I would ask a couple of interesting (I think) questions to hopefully drum up some lively debate;

1) I'm sure that many of you like me now have what you consider to be the best hi-fi system you have owned in terms of absolute sound quality. What component or system have you owned in the past that provided the best quality PER POUND (or other currency) spent, i.e. listening enjoyment versus value for money?

2) What 5 pieces of music / albums really make your hi-fi system sing, and show off its ability to make you tap your feet / smile / thank your bank manager (these don't have to be your favourite pieces of music, just those that show off your system the best)?

My answers:

1) When I was 21-ish I had a system that comprised an Arcam Alpha 1 CDP, a NAD 302 amp and an old pair of Rogers LS3/5As (in pretty good nick, bought from a friend for £150!). My first "proper" hi-fi system and still the best in terms of sound per pound, notwithstanding that I was still living with my parents so it never got cranked up really loud...

2) Equinoxe - Jean-Michel Jarre
Rumour and Sigh - Richard Thompson
Little Earthquakes - Tori Amos
Wider Angle - Hybrid
Dead Cities - Future Sound of London
 
ok :)

1) best sound for pound that I've owned.
I'd have to say my EAR 834p. In a universe of constant upgrades, this little fella has just stayed and stayed.... and stayed. I bought it used for about £350... oooo about 8 years ago. From recent Ebay sales, it's probably now worth about £400. How could I complain? it would be most churlish :)...AND! - its never ever (touch wood) needed anything apart from a couple of cheap valves... more reliable than a Toyota.

2) With a big horn system (biggish anyway) it's no suprise what sounds best is highly dynamic music, and music with a big badass bass punch..

1) 'Sola System' by Underworld.
2) 'Nadia' Nitin Sawhney
3) 'Double Drums' Peace Orchestra
4) 'Orange Wedge' Chemical Brothers
5) 'We Come 1' Faithless

However, I really like these tracks so that may well be playing an influence :)
 
Answer to 1) would be my first proper system. I think not only due to the value for money, but also I had more time then to listen more frequently.

It was a cheap Pioneer CDP coupled with (the proper stuff) Linn Intek integrated amp and Epos ES11 speakers. In fact that amp and those speakers are still putting in good service and being enjoyed by a good friend of mine along with the Meridian 200/203 that I also sold to her.
 
i just referbished my old amcrom "crown" ic150a pre-amp and dc300a power, talk about nostalgia, also my goldring lenco t/t also found an old sure v15, wow,
nando.
 
Nice.

1) my iPod

2) Cara Dillon - Craigie Hill
Richard Thompson - Vincent 52 (MFSL vinyl)
Chris Wood - Hard
Martin Simpsom - Plains of Waterloo
Dire Straits - Money for Nothing
 
realing back the years, s.d. joan armatrading, plying over a leak amp and leak sanwitch speakers,
nando.
 
The best sound for pound system is easily my sisters which consists of a

Circa 1979/80 Pioneer SA520 amplifer which is around 40wpc given to me.

Some bush speakers £10 from Richersounds - these sound really quite amazing, I expected them to sound awful and use them to cut up and experiment with but they are actually decent speakers, nice open clear midrange, decent bass timing and some treble detail, they are not greatly refinded and there isn't the midrange clarity you would expect from more expensive speakers but they sound almost good as my parents JPW 310is.

Cambridge Audio CD32 £60 from Richers, again it has a nice subtle sound to it, works very well with the bright Pioneer amp.

Total cost of the system was £70 and I would say it is on par with a new £250 seperates system.

My HIFI is all two new to mention on this thread really but I have old Rotel pre amp Rory sold me which is still going strong.
 
I used to own that huge Aiwa parallel tracker that was in HiFi world a few months ago. It was my first TT:

http://www.audio-extasa.eu/popup_add_image.php?pID=927

You could program the tracks in, that bit didn't always work mind you.

What it did have was rock solid bass and I don't think I really bettered the sound until I had a Syncro with Dino and DL304.

It weighed a fucking tonne. I remember lifting it up 3 flights of stairs into student attic after every trip home (used to get a lift and take ALL my HiFi). Playing Orbital with the lights off after nights out, cool.
 
I never really got the point of them, if you want the CD functionality buy a CD player (by the late 80's they were quite cheap) if you want a turntable buy a traditonal one. But I am guessing these Aiwa's were cheaper than the well known brands and probably sounded better than the CD players at the same price in which case they would have been a bit of a bargain secret :)

In a different league to the Pro-Ject series!
 
dev, i regret selling that luxman amp, sob ,sob, i still can't find an l85v,
nando.
 
My best value buy was paying the Garrott Brothers £65 in 1981 to rebuild my brand new Decca Gold cartridge - sublime! So sa dthat they died in a suicide pact a few years later.

Charlie
 
best value for money .... Rega (Royd) Elas + Onix OA21, a few hundred quid tops, would need pay many times more to beat, still have them :)
 
In answer to corruption's questions:

1) Definitely the rosy glow of nostalgia here but it feels like it was also my first proper system, in the late '70s - cheap T/T (can't remember what) in a DIY plinth made from an old door with a Transcriptors unipivot arm and an Ortofon VMS20e cart, into a Trio KA3300 amp and a pair of smallish B&W's (DM4's I think). Sounds great in my memory, even in my university bedroom, where it mostly lived.

2) An MDG set of the Brandenburg Concertos, the Hickox recording of Vaughn Williams 5th Sympho, Tori Amos' Boys for Pele, Ryan Adams' Heartbreaker and King Crimson Live in Mainz, 1974!
 

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