AUDIOPHILES PLEASE - hi-fi sound problem.

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First; my set-up. Marantz CD67 mk2, Denon PMA 255, Tannoy R1 speakers on Target stands, Qnect interconnects and Cable Talk speaker cable.

Here is a picture - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/lair001.jpg

Second; the problem. There's a slight hum, like a reverb or a sibilance or something, coming through the right channel on certain notes/sounds and vocal sounds, vowels, "A"s mostly. It is only a tiny sound but it is annoying the fuck out of me. My girlfriend can't really hear it, but occasionally picks it up. There is also an annoying click sound when a CD track ends and another begins.

I've swapped amps around with my girlfriends (she has a Denon too) and that wasn't it, I've tried different speakers from my Denon mini-system, I've switched the cabling at the back so the right channel goes to the left speaker etcetera, and I'm positive the problem is not with the amp, cables or speakers.

Which means it's my CD player, right? I've used a lens cleaner and that did bugger all good. Does anyone have any suggestions, either for what might the problem be or else somewhere online where I can get advice as to finding out what the problem is?

My set-up is about 6 1/2 years old.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Friday, 16 September 2005 09:30 (twenty years ago)

Ditch your girlfriend.

― Alba (Alba), Friday, 16 September 2005 09:54 (twenty years ago)

I've switched the cabling at the back so the right channel goes to the left speaker etcetera, and I'm positive the problem is not with the amp, cables or speakers.

And the problem moved to the left channel, yes? Does the Marantz have a headphone socket of its own? Have you heard the problem through that?

It could be that the analogue output stage of your CD67 is about to die (especially if you can't hear the problem through the CD67's headphone socket but can, say, through the Denon's headphone socket), which is very unusual, or perhaps the internal cabling to your right channel RCA jack on the Marantz has been corroded in some way. I'd expect these things to produce much grosser audible effects though (or complete failure).

Weird. Cynical money-grabbing answer: bid on my Marantz CD63KI on eBay (which has its own quirks, but nothing like this).

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Friday, 16 September 2005 10:08 (twenty years ago)

Lens cleaners are a great way to fuck up your player completely. That's all they're good for, really. I found that out the hard way, and the repair shop confirmed it.

Do you own a DVD player? Try plugging that into your system and spin one of the problem CDs on that. That will at least let you know if your CD player is the culprit.

― Myxo, Friday, 16 September 2005 10:10 (twenty years ago)

How much you pushin'mouthy?

― tolstoy (tolstoy), Friday, 16 September 2005 10:31 (twenty years ago)

MJ I can't find your CD player on eBay (unless you're claiming to sell it from Birkenhead, which would be a strange choice but not inconceivable I suppose).

― Tim (Tim), Friday, 16 September 2005 10:44 (twenty years ago)

(If you search on Marantz CD, it's about the fifth thing down).

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Friday, 16 September 2005 11:03 (twenty years ago)

The problem did switch to the left channel when I switched cables, aye. I've not thought to use the Marantz's own headphone out jack actually, must try that tonight. That silver box on top is my DVD player and I've played CDs via that with no end-track-click or sibilance. I'm gonna take a Denon CD player home from work this weekend and try that, as well as some different interconnects.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Friday, 16 September 2005 11:31 (twenty years ago)

Nick if you buy Jonesy's CD player I'll bring it to Exeter personally next Saturday (24th) and hand it over to you at NO CHARGE.

― Tim (Tim), Friday, 16 September 2005 11:41 (twenty years ago)

That's a very kind offer Tim but unless the cheque I'm expecting from EMI arrives tomorrow I can't afford to buy it off him this month!

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Friday, 16 September 2005 11:47 (twenty years ago)

Expecting a refund on that missile sh1pment?

― Tim (Tim), Friday, 16 September 2005 11:49 (twenty years ago)

Haha, I wish. I've done a bit of work for them and am waiting for £300.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Friday, 16 September 2005 11:54 (twenty years ago)

How much you pushin'mouthy?

I don't think I've picked them up in about three months except to get at the wine rack (behind the left speaker).

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Friday, 16 September 2005 11:55 (twenty years ago)

I was kinda joking about buying my CD player! It's nearly 10 years old with a squeaky drawer and occasionally skips on playback when cold (this is all in the listing) so it's maybe not the best replacement for a newer CD67.

I'm quite happy with the way the Marantz auction's going (not so my NAD tuner, which is currently going for £2.50! OK, the display doesn't work which means tuning in presets might be a bit of a bugger, but I reckon 10p's worth of silver solder would probably fix it - just not in my hands. Sounds really good an' that.)

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Friday, 16 September 2005 11:56 (twenty years ago)

Good luck selling an analogue tuner in the DAB age, Jonesy...

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Friday, 16 September 2005 12:00 (twenty years ago)

I'm hoping to cash in on the "hang on, this is a con" vibe of audio buffs horrified by low bitrate DAB channels, all clamouring to get FM back in their lives. There may be no such clamour. There is a NAD 402 (better nick than mine) going for £35 on eBay at the mo. I should've had the guts to list it with a higher starting price.

I switched the NAD on for the first time in months the other night to make sure it actually worked (ribbon aerial dangling off the wardrobe door, RCA outputs cabled into my MD portable on rec-pause) and cycled through the presets. Sounded fine. Radio 2 on Freeview seemed less compressed and a bit softer in comparison but there wasn't much wrong with FM.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Friday, 16 September 2005 12:11 (twenty years ago)

**There's a slight hum,**

Hmm...a Bark Psychosis B-side?

**an annoying click sound**

No, wait....the new Autechre??

Seriously I hope you get this fixed. I can be of no assistance here, but I was interested to see that MJ said "occasionally skips on playback when cold" because my CD player does that too. It's 15 years old, mind you.

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Friday, 16 September 2005 12:48 (twenty years ago)

It's such a tiny sound, is the most annoying thing, and only on certain notes and vocals. Emma can barely notice it, but it did audibly click/pop/buzz quite loudly at one point on a track off thast Mark Hollis album (it's really open, natural sounding recordings that it affects, superunnatural or compressed things you can't hear it in) and she admitted then that I wasn't making it up. The thing is that because it's so tiny I find myself consciously listening for that rather than to the music, thus I've banished most of my listening to the bedroom lately where I have a nice wee Denon mini system thing - http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/lair.jpg

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Friday, 16 September 2005 13:22 (twenty years ago)

'I don't think I've picked them up in about three months except to get at the wine rack (behind the left speaker).'

Drink wine, leave weights. Good to hear:)

― tolstoy (tolstoy), Saturday, 17 September 2005 09:25 (twenty years ago)

Right, I've brought a Denon DCD-660 home from work, and run it through two different inputs on the amp - there is, unsurprisingly, no pop or hum through either. There is no pop or hum using headphones with the bothersome Marantz through through it's own headphone socket. There is pop and hum through the amp's headphone socket though. I used two different sets of interconnects from the Marantz as well, just in case. Pop and hum on both.

IT'S STILL SUCH A FUCKING SMALL SOUND BUT BY GIT IT'S SO ANNOYING.

Which means that Jonesy appears to be right, and there is a problem with the right-channel analogue output stage of the Marantz. However minor.

The question now is, is this fixable? If it is, how much is it likely to cost? If it's likely to cost £70+ am I just as well forking out £100-£150 on a new CD player (the Marantz when bought back in 1999 was £180 down from £250, and was the most expensive part of my system MY PRIDE AND JOY if you like)? I see NAD have a nice and highly regarded player at about £130 currently...

I also notice that this whole problem has come about since someone in the household decided to switch off my hi-fi rather than leaving it on all the time to stabilise the circuit temperature. It had been on pretty much constantly for the first four years of its life. Poor thing.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Saturday, 17 September 2005 11:46 (twenty years ago)

You'll be charged £60/70+ just to look at it with any repairs on top I'm afraid.

― tolstoy (tolstoy), Saturday, 17 September 2005 14:18 (twenty years ago)

I thought that would probably be the case. Bollocks. New CD player it is then. There shoudln't be any problem fitting a NAD in that set-up should there?

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Saturday, 17 September 2005 14:30 (twenty years ago)

I have fixed the problem by doing this;

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/nads009.jpg

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 15:21 (twenty years ago)

there are 10 things different in these seemingly identical pictures. how many can you name, kids?

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 15:53 (twenty years ago)

I can only spot 7?!

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 15:54 (twenty years ago)

no fair. you're the artist.

― andrew m. (andrewmorgan), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 15:58 (twenty years ago)

I thought for a minute you'd fixed it by angling in the speakers a bit! The NAD looks nice. What was previously stacked on top of yr Marantz and where has it gone?

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 16:25 (twenty years ago)

does it make the noise when your TV is off and unplugged?

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 16:40 (twenty years ago)

have fixed the problem by doing this

Drinking four bottles of wine.

― Billy Dods (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 17:06 (twenty years ago)

I did toe the speakers in a bit, aye, but yes, the NAD is settling in nicely. Still a touch brash at the moment but I'm sure in a couple of days it'll have calmed down - the bass is already tightening up after just 5 or 6 hours.

What was on top of the Marantz was a Pioneer minidisc deck - while re-arranging stuff it struck me that I hadn't even turned it on in about a year, so I've taken it out and intend to box it up and maybe head down cash converters or somewhere.

Jed - it did make the noise with the TV unplugged, aye.

Also, yes, wine has been drunk. But not today...

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 18:48 (twenty years ago)

OH NO

Audible CD spin with Laughing Stock. Nothing else yet. Fuck fuck fuck.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 20 September 2005 19:59 (twenty years ago)

Recommend me things to listen to on the new NAD please!

Here is my record collection to help you...

!!! me and giuliani down by the school yard
!!! !!!
!!! louden up now
.o.rang herd of instinct
.o.rang fields and waves
4 hero two pages
65daysofstatic the fall of math
a guy called gerald to all things what they need
a.r. kane 69
a.r. kane """i"""
aaliyah aaliyah
aaliyah one in a million
acoustic ladyland last chance disco
adderley, cannonball "mercy, mercy, mercy! live at ""the club"""
adem homesongs
afghan wigs, the black love
afghan wigs, the 1965
aguilera, christina stripped
air moon safari
akufen my way
alfie if you happy with you need do nothing
alfie crying at teatime
allinson / brown av1
and you will know us by the trail of dead madonna
and you will know us by the trail of dead source tags & codes
andy, horace skylarking
andy, horace in the light / in the light dub
anechoic just like you
antony and the johnsons i am a bird now
aphex twin selected ambient works 85-92
aphex twin i care because you do
aphex twin richard d. james album
aphex twin come to daddy
aphex twin window licker
aphex twin druqks
aphex twin selected ambient works volume 2
apple, fiona tidal
arcade fire, the funeral
ash free all angels
asian dub foundation free satpal ram
asian dub foundation community music
asian dub foundation enemy of the enemy
associates sulk
associates fourth drawer down
astral come & go
astral future times
astral astral
at the drive in acrobatic tenement
at the drive in el gran orgo
at the drive in in/casino/out
at the drive in vaya
at the drive in one armed scissor
at the drive in relationship of command
at the drive in rolodex propagana
audio bullys ego war
autechre amber
autechre incunabula
avalanches, the since i left you
bacharach, burt the look of love the classic songs of
badly drawn boy hour of the bewilderbeast
bark psychosis game over
bark psychosis hex
bark psychosis a street scene
bark psychosis independency
bark psychosis blue
bark psychosis ///codename: dustsucker
bark psychosis scum
basement jaxx rooty
basement jaxxx kish kash
beach boys, the pet sounds
beach boys, the smiley smile/wild honey
beach boys, the sunflower/surf's up
beach boys, the the very best of the beach boys
beastie boys paul's boutique
beastie boys check your head
beastie boys ill communication
beastie boys hello nasty
beastie boys licensed to ill
beatles, the help
beatles, the rubber soul
beatles, the revolver
beatles, the sgt. pepper's lonely hearts club
beatles, the magical mystery tour
beatles, the the beatles
beatles, the abbey road
beatles, the let it be
beatles, the past masters vol 1
beatles, the past masters vol 2
beck mellow gold
beck odelay
beck mutations
beck midnite vultures
bed spacebox
bed the newton plum
bees, the sunshine hit me
behan, jimmy days are what we live in
bell, chris i am the cosmos
belle & sebastian if you're feeling sinister
belle & sebastian the boy with the arab strap
belle and sebastian tigermilk
beta band, the los amigos del beta bandidos
beta band, the three EP's
beta band, the the beta band
beta band, the to you alone/sequensizer
beta band, the hot shots II
beta band, the heroes to zeroes
beulah when your heart strings break
beulah the coast is never clear
big star #1 record
big star third/sister lovers
bjork debut
bjork post
bjork vespertine
bjork homogenic
bjork medulla
black dog productions (bytes)
black dog productions spanners
black grape it's great when you're straight…yeah
black rebel motorcylce B.R.M.C
blackalicous nia
blakey, art moanin'
bloc party bloc party EP
bloc party helicopter
bloc party silent alarm
bloc party little thoughts / tulips
bloc party so here we are / positive tension
bloc party so here we are
bloc party little thoughts EP
bloc party silent alarm remixed
blondie parallel lines
blue nile, the hats
blue nile, the high
blue nile, the a walk across the rooftops
blue states nothing changes under the sun
bluetones, the slight return
bluetones, the expecting to fly
bluetones, the marblehead johnson
bluetones, the return to the last chance saloon
blur leisure
blur modern life is rubbish
blur parklife
blur great escape
blur blur
blur think tank
blur 13
boards of canada music has the right to children
boards of canada geoaddi
boards of canada peel session
boards of canada in a beautiful place out in the country
boo radleys, the giant steps
boo radleys, the wake up!
boo radleys, the c'mon kids
boo radleys, the kingsize
boo radleys, the find the way out
boo radleys, the everything's alright forever
boredoms super ar
boredoms vision creation newsun
bowery electric beat
bowie, david the man who sold the world
bowie, david hunky dory
bowie, david ziggy stardust
bowie, david diamond dogs
bowie, david station to station
bowie, david low
bowie, david """heroes"""
bows cassidy
boymerang balance of the force
branca, glenn the ascension
brave captain all watched over by machines of loving grace
breakbeat era ultra-obscene
british sea power the decline of british sea power
british sea power open season
british sea power carrion / apologies to insect life
british sea power please stand up
british sea power remember me
british sea power it ended on an oily stage
british sea power please stand up
brothers in sound family is for sharing
brown, james godfather of soul
brubeck, dave time out
buckley, jeff live at sin-é
buckley, jeff grace
buckley, jeff live from the bataclan
buckley, jeff the grace EP
buckley, jeff sketches from my sweetheart the drunk
buckley, jeff mystery white boy
buckley, tim happy sad
buckley, tim dream letter live in london
buckley, tim greetings from LA
bush, kate hounds of love
bush, kate the sensual world
bush, kate the kick inside
butterfly child onomatopoeia
buzzcocks, the singles going steady
byrds, the mr. tambourine man
byrds, the fifth dimension
byrds, the younger than yesterday
campag velocet bon chic bon genre
can monster movie
can soundtracks
can tago mago
can ege bamyasi
can soon over babaluma
can future days
cannibal ox the cold vein
captain beefheart & his magic band trout mask replica
caribou the milk of human kindness
cash, johnny johnny cash at san quentin
cave, nick & the bad seeds the boatman's call
cave, nick & the bad seeds no more shall we part
charlatans, the the charlatans
charlatans, the tellin' stories
chasez, jc schizophrenic
chemical brothers, the exit planet dust
chemical brothers, the dig your own hole
chemical brothers, the surrender
chemical brothers, the push the button
chemical brothers, the come with us
chemical brothers, the loops of fury
cherry, neneh raw like sushi
cinematic orchestra, the every day
clash, the the clash
clash, the give 'em enough rope
clash, the london calling
clash, the clash on broadway
clash, the sandinista!
clearlake cedars
clientele, the the violet hour
clientele, the suburban light
clinic internal wrangler
clor love & pain
clor clor
clouddead clouddead
clue to kalo come here when you sleepwalk
cocteau twins treasure
cocteau twins head over heels
cocteau twins heaven or las vegas
cocteau twins victorialand
coil love's secret domain
coldplay parachutes
coldplay a rush of blood to the head
coldplay speed of sound
coldplay x&y
coleman, ornette the shape of jazz to come
coltrane, john blue train
coltrane, john giant steps
coltrane, john a love supreme
common one day it'll all make sense
common like water for choclate
common electric circus
company flow funcrusher plus
congos, the heart of the congos
congos, the congo ashanti
cook, peter/morris, chris why bother?
cooper temple clause, the kick up the fire and let the flames break loose
coral, the the coral
cornelius fantasma
cornelius point
cornershop when I was born for the seventh time
costello, elvis when I was cruel
costello, elvis & the attractions very best of
cure, the disintegration
daft punk homework
daft punk discovery
daft punk human after all
d'angelo brown sugar
d'angelo voodoo
d'arby, terence trent the hardline according to
davis, miles birth of the cool
davis, miles miles ahead
davis, miles porgy & bess
davis, miles kind of blue
davis, miles sketches of spain
davis, miles nefertiti
davis, miles miles in the sky
davis, miles filles de kilimanjaro
davis, miles in a silent way
davis, miles bitches brew
davis, miles dark magus: live at carnegie hall
davis, miles live - evil
davis, miles panthalassa the music of miles davis 1969 - 1974
davis, miles a tribute to jack johnson
de la soul 3 feet high and rising
de la soul de la soul is dead
death in vegas dead elvis
death in vegas contino sessions
dee-lite world clique
delakota the rock
delakota c'mon cincinnati
delakota 555
delakota 555
delakota one love
delakota got it like that
delays faded seaside glamour
delgados, the the great eastern
delgados, the hate
delgados, the universal audio
deltron 3030 deltron 3030
depeche mode violator
deus in a bar, under the sea
devine, richard asect:dsect
dexys midnight runners searching for the young soul rebels
disco inferno d.i. go pop
disco inferno technicolour
disco inferno the mixing it session
disco inferno in debt
disco inferno it's a kid's world
disco inferno love stepping out / summer's last sound
dismemberment plan, the """!"""
dismemberment plan, the is terrified
dismemberment plan, the emergency & I
dismemberment plan, the change
dismemberment plan, the/juno juno & the dismemberment plan
dizzee rascal boy in da corner
dizzee rascal showtime
dj shadow endtroducing…
dj shadow high noon
dj shadow pre-emptive strike
dj shadow the private press
dm and jemini ghetto pop life
dodgy homegrown
dodgy free peace sweet
donaghy, siobhan revolution in me
doors, the the doors
doors, the strange days
douglas, dave freak in
douglas, dave songs for wandering souls
douglas, dave charms of the night sky
doves sea EP
doves here it comes
doves lost souls
doves the cedar room
doves the last broadcast
doves some cities
doves lost sides
dr alimantado best dressed chicken in town
dr john gris-gris
dr john in the right place
dr. dre the chronic
drake, nick five leaves left
drake, nick bryter layter
drake, nick pink moon
drake, nick time of no reply
durutti column, the lc
dust brothers, the fight club original motion picture score
dylan, bob blood on the tracks
e.s.t. (esbjorn svensson trio) seven days of falling
echo & the bunnymen ocean rain
echo & the bunnymen heaven up here
echo & the bunnymen crocodiles
echo & the bunnymen porcupine
echoboy volume 1
edan primitive plus
editors the back room
edwards, todd full on volume 1
eighties matchbox b-line disaster, the horse of the dog
elbow asleep in the back
elbow red
elbow the any day now ep
elbow grace under pressure / switching off
elbow not a job
elbow forget myself
elbow forgot myself
elbow cast of thousands
elbow newborn
elbow powder blue
elbow fallen angel
electric soft parade, the there's a silence
electric soft parade, the holes in the wall
el-p fantastic damage
embrace fireworks EP
embrace one big family EP
embrace all you good good people EP
embrace the good will out
embrace hooligan
embrace hooligan
embrace you're not alone
embrace you're not alone
embrace drawn from memory
embrace save me
embrace save me
embrace if you've never been
embrace i wouldn't wanna happen to you
embrace i wouldn't wanna happen to you
embrace all you good good people CD 2
embrace gravity
embrace gravity
embrace out of nothing
embrace fireworks (singles 1997-2002)
embrace wonder
embrace make it last
embrace ashes
embrace ashes
embrace one big family perfecto mixes
embrace looking as you are
embrace looking as you are
embrace a glorious day
embrace a glorious day
eminem the marshall mathers lp
eminem the eminem show
eminem the slim shady LP
eminem encore
engineers folly
engineers engineers
eno, brian here come the warm jets
eno, brian another green world
eno, brian ambient 1 / music for airports
eno, brian before and after science
eno, brian apollo
eno, brian - byrne, david my life in the bush of ghosts
evans, bill conversations with myself
explosions in the sky those who tell the truth shall die, those who tell
faith no more angel dust
fall, the 50,000 fall fans can't be wrong; 39 golden greats
fela kuti expensive shit / he miss road
fela kuti zombie
fennesz endless summer
fennesz venice
field music field music
fiery furnaces, the blueberry boat
flaming lips, the hit to death in the future head
flaming lips, the transmissions from the satillite heart
flaming lips, the clouds taste metallic
flaming lips, the zaireeka
flaming lips, the the soft bulletin
flaming lips, the yoshimi battles the pink robots
four tet pause
four tet dialogue
four tet rounds
four tet everything ecstatic
fridge semaphore
fugazi repeater + 3 songs
fugazi 13 songs
fugazi in on the kill taker
fugazi red medicine
fugazi end hits
fugazi the argument
funkadelic one nation under a groove
funkadelic standing on the verge of getting it on
funkadelic motor city madness; the ultimate funkadelic comp.
futureshock phantom theory
gang of four entertainment!
gang of four a brief history of the twentieth century
gangstarr the ownerz
gangstarr step in the arena
gaye, marvin what's going on
gaye, marvin let's get it on
genius/gza liquid swords
ghostface killah ironman
ghostface killah supreme clientele
ghostface killah the pretty toney album
gibbons, beth & rustin man out of season
girls aloud what will the neighbours say?
girls aloud sound of the underground
gladiators, the trenchtown mix up
go! team, the thunder, lightning, strike
godspeed you black emperor! f#a# infinity
godspeed you black emperor! slow riot for new zero kanada EP
godspeed you black emperor! lift yr. skinny fists like antennas to heaven!
goldfrapp felt mountain
goldie timeless
gordon, dexter go!
gorillaz demon days
grandmaster flash & the sugarhill gang the message
guillemots i saw such things in my sleep
hancock, herbie sextant
hancock, herbie head hunters
hancock, herbie thrust
handsome boy modelling school so… how's your girl?
happy mondays pills 'n' thrills and bellyaches
happy mondays bummed
har mar superstar you can feel me
harvey, pj rid of me
harvey, pj to bring you my love
harvey, pj is this desire?
harvey, pj stories from the city, stories from the sea
hawley, richard lowedges
hayden skyscraper national park
hayes, gemma night on my side
hayes, isaac hot buttered soul
hayes, isaac black moses
head, michael and the strands the magical world of the strands
hendrix experience, jimi are you experienced
hendrix experience, jimi electric ladyland
hollis, mark mark hollis
holmes, david this films crap, lets slash the seats
holmes, david let's get killed
holmes, david bow down to the exit sign
hood cold house
howie b, crispin hunt & will o'donovan mayonnaise
hubbard, freddie red clay
hubbard, freddie first light
hubbard, freddie straight life
husker du candy apple grey
idlewild captain
idlewild everyone says you're so fragile
idlewild a film for the future
idlewild hope is important
idlewild actually it's darkness
idlewild 100 broken windows
idlewild these wooden ideas
idlewild these wooden ideas
idlewild you held the world in your arms
idlewild you held the world in your arms
idlewild the remote part
idlewild warnings / promises
interpol turn on the bright lights
jackson 5 the ultimate collection
jackson, michael thriller
jackson, michael off the wall
jackson, michael bad
jane's addiction nothing's shocking
jane's addiction ritual de lo habitual
jay-z the blueprint
jay-z vol. 3… life and times of s. carter
jay-z the blueprint 2, the gift and the curse
jem finally woken
jesus and mary chain, the psychocandy
johnny boy you are the generation that bought more shoes…
johnson, linton kwesi independent intavenshun
jonathan fire*eater wolf songs for lambs
jorge, seu cru
joy division closer
joy division unknown pleasures
juan maclean, the less than human
junior senior d-d-don't don't stop the beat
juniorboys last exit
jurassic five lp
jurassic five quality control
kaiser chiefs employment
kelis kaleidoscope
kelis wanderland
kelis tasty
killers, the hot fuss
king crimson in the court of king crimson
king tubby king dub
king tubby the roots of dub and dub from the roots
king, carol tapestry
kingsbury manx, the the kingsbury manx
kitchens of distinction love is hell
kitchens of distinction cowboys and aliens
KLF, the the white room/justified & ancient
kraftwerk the man machine
kraftwerk trans-europe express
kruder dorfmeister the k&d sessions
kylie ultimate kylie
kyuss blues for the red sun
kyuss welcome to sky valley
kyuss and the circus leaves town
lakeman, seth kitty jay
lambchop thriller
lambchop what another man spills
lambchop nixon
lambchop is a woman
lambchop aw c'mon
lambchop no you c'mon
lambchop how i quit smoking
la's, the the la's
lcd soundsystem movement
lcd soundsystem lcd soundsystem
led zeppelin remasters
leftfield leftism
leftfield rhythm & stealth
legend, john get lifted
leila like weather
lfo sheath
lil jon & the east side boyz crunk juice
ll cool j mama said knock you out
ll cool j the definition
lo fidelity allstars kool roc bass
lo fidelity allstars how to operate with a blown mind
lo fidelity allstars don't be afraid of love
lo fidelity allstars ghostmutt ep
long fin killie houdini
long fin killie amelia
loose fur loose fur
love forever changes
love da capo
ludacris word of mouf
m.i.a. arular
m83 dead cities, red seas and lost ghosts
m83 before the dawn heals us
madonna ray of light
make up sound verite
make up save yourself
make up i want some
man or astroman eeviac
manitoba jacknuggeted
manitoba start breaking my heart
manitoba up in flames
manitoba hendrix with ko
manitoba hendrix with ko
mansun attack of the grey lantern
mansun six
marley, bob & the wailers catch a fire
marley, bob & the wailers natty dread
marley, bob & the wailers exodus
marley, bob & the wailers uprising
mars volta, the de-loused in the comatorium
martyn, john solid air
massive attack blue lines
massive attack protection
massive attack no protection
massive attack risingson
massive attack mezzanine
massive attack 100th window
maximo park a certain trigger
maxwell maxwell's urban hand sweet
maxwell embrya
mayfield, curtis roots
mayfield, curtis a man like curtis the best of
mc5 kick out the jams
mc5 high time
mc5 the big bang the best of the mc5
medicine the mechanical forces of love
medicine8 ironstylings
mega city four terribly sorry bob
mega city four who cares wins
mega city four sebastopol rd
mega city four magic bullets
mercury rev yerself is steam
mercury rev boces
mercury rev see you on the other side
mercury rev deserter's songs
mercury rev all is dream
mighty diamonds right time
mingus, charles mingus ah um
mingus, charles blues and roots
mingus, charles mingus mingus mingus mingus mingus
mingus, charles the black saint and the sinner lady
missy elliott miss e … so addictive
missy elliott under construction
missy elliott supa dupa fly
missy elliott this is not a test!
missy elliott the cookbook
mitchell, joni blue
mobb deep hello on earth
moco out to go
mogwai young team
mogwai come on die young
mogwai mogwai EP
mogwai rock action
mogwai my father my king
mogwai happy songs for happy people
mojave 3 out of tune
money mark push the button
monk, thelonious brilliant corners
morgan miss parker
morgan, lee the sidewinder
morphine cure for pain
morphine yes
morris, chris blue jam
morrison, van astral weeks
morrison, van moondance
mos def black on both sides
mountain goats, the tallahassee
mountain goats, the all hail west texas
mountain goats, the we shall all be healed
mouse on mars rost pocks the EP collection
mouse on mars iaora tahiti
mouse on mars autoditacker
mouse on mars niun niggung
mouse on mars idiology
mouse on mars instrumentals
mouse on mars vulvaland
mouse on mars radical connector
mr lif i phantom
ms jade girl interrupted
múm finally we are no one
murcof martes
music, the welcome to the north
mu-ziq tango n' vectif
my bloody valentine isn't anything
my bloody valentine loveless
n*e*r*d in search of
n.w.a straight outta compton
nas illmatic
national, the alligator
n'dour, youssou immigrés
necks, the drive by
necks, the aether
neptunes, the the neptunes present... Clones
neu! neu!
neutral milk hotel in the aeroplane over the sea
new kingdom paradise don't come cheap
nextmen, the get over it
nirvana nevermind
nirvana in utero
nirvana unplugged in new york
notwist, the neon golden
nusrat fateh ali khan shahbaaz
nusrat fateh ali khan & party love songs
nusrat fateh ali khan & party devotional songs
oasis definitely maybe
oasis whatever
oasis (what's the story) morning glory
oasis wonderwall
oasis be here now
oasis the masterplan
orb, the the orb's adventures beyond the ultraworld
orbital radiccio
orbital orbital
orbital orbital
orbital snivilisation
orbital in sides
orbital satan live
orbital satan live
orbital satan live
orbital the saint
orbital the middle of nowhere
orbital the altogether
orbital the box
orbital diversions
orbital times fly
orbital are we here?
orbital blue album
o'rourke, jim eureka
otis, shuggie inspiration information
outkast stankonia
outkast aquemini
outkast atliens
outkast speakerboxxx/the love below
outkast southernplayalisticadillacmuzik
pablo, augustus king tubbys meets rockers uptown
pablo, augustus east of the river nile
pablo, petey still writing in my diary: second entry
part, arvo te deum
passengers original soundtracks 1
pavement slanted and enchanted
pavement crooked rain crooked rain
pavement brighten the corners
pearl jam no code
pearl jam yeild
pearl jam binaural
penguin café orchestra, the a brief history
pere ubu the modern dance
pere ubu dub housing
pere ubu terminal tower; an archival collection
perry, lee 'scratch' arkology
pet shop boys discography
peterson trio, the oscar night train
phoenix alphabetical
phoenix united
pine, courtney modern day jazz stories
pink floyd dark side of the moon
pink floyd wish you were here
pink floyd meddle
pixies, the surfa rosa & come on pilgrim
pixies, the doolittle
pixies, the trompe le monde
pixies, the bossanova
pixies, the complete b sides
plaid spokes
plaid double figure
plaid rest proof clockwork
plaid p brane
plaid not for threes
plaid trainer
polar bear held on the tips of fingers
polygon window (surfing on sine waves)
polyphonic spree, the the beginning stages of
pop, iggy lust for life
portishead dummy
prefuse 73 vocal studies & uprock narratives
prefuse 73 one word extinguisher
primal scream sonic flower groove
primal scream primal scream
primal scream screamadelica
primal scream give out but don't give up
primal scream kowalski
primal scream star
primal scream vanishing point
primal scream burning wheel
primal scream echo deck
primal scream if they move kill 'em
primal scream swastika eyes
primal scream xtrmntr
primal scream evil heat
primal scream dixie narco EP
primal scream, irvine welsh and on-u-sound the big man and the scream team meet the barmy arm
prince sign 'o' the times
prince & the revolution purple rain
prodigy firestarter
prodigy breath
prodigy smack my bitch up
prodigy, the music for the jilted generation
public enemy yo bum rush the show
public enemy it takes a nation of millions to hold us back
public enemy fear of a black planet
public image ltd metal box
pulp different class
pulp we love life
pulp his 'n' hers
pulp this is hardcore
quannum spectrum quannum projects
quasimoto the unseen
quaye, finley maverick a strike
queens of the stone age queens of the stone age
queens of the stone age rated r
queens of the stone age songs for the deaf
radio 4 gotham!
radiohead the bends
radiohead ok computer
radiohead kid a
radiohead amnesiac
radiohead hail to the thief
rage against the machine rage against the machine
rapture, the out of the races and onto the tracks
rapture, the house of jealous lovers
rapture, the house of jealous lovers
rapture, the echoes
redding, otis otis blue
reed, lou transformer
regular fries accept the signal
rem document
rem out of time
rem automatic for the people
rem up
rem new adventures in hi-fi
ride nowhere
ride going blank again
ride smile
rjd2 deadringer
rolling stones, the beggars banquet
rolling stones, the let it bleed
rolling stones, the exhile on main street
rollins, sonny saxophone colossus
roots manuva run come save me
roots manuva dub come save me
roots manuva awfully deep
roots manuva brand new second hand
roots, the things fall apart
royal trux accellerator
royal trux veterans of disorder
run dmc raising hell
ruts dc vs. mad professor vs. zion train rhythm collision vol.1 & remix versions
ruts, the the crack / grin and bear it
saian supa crew klr
saint etienne fox base alpha
savath+savalas folk songs for trains, trees and honey
scientist rids the world of the evil curse of the vampires
scissor sisters scissor sisters
scott 4 works project LP
screaming trees dust
seefeel succour
senseless things the singles
sex pistols, the never mind the bollocks
shack water pistol
shack hms fable
shack here's tom with the weather
shystie diamond in the dirt
sigur ros svefn-g-englar
sigur ros ny batteri
sigur ros agaetis byrjum
sigur ros ()
simon & garfunkel bridge over troubled water
simone, nina after hours
singh, talvin ok
six.by seven the things we make
six.by seven the closer you get
six.by seven artists cannibals poets thieves
six.by seven two and a half days in love with you
six.by seven :04
six.by seven ocean / clouds
six.by seven the way i feel today
size, roni new forms
skids, the the best of
sly & the family stone a whole new thing
sly & the family stone stand!
sly & the family stone greatest hits
sly & the family stone there's a riot goin' on
sly & the family stone fresh
sly & the family stone the essential sly and the family stone
smashing pumpkins siamese dream
smith, jimmy back at the chicken shack
smith, jimmy root down (live)
smiths, the meat is murder
smiths, the the queen is dead
snow patrol songs for polar bears
snow patrol final straw
soeza why do you do?
sofa surfers encounters
soft pink truth, the do you party?
sonic youth dirty
sonic youth daydream nation
sound, the from the lions mouth
south from here on in
sparklehorse vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot
sparklehorse it's a wonderful life
sparxxx, bubba deliverance
sparxxx, bubba dark days, bright nights
spears, britney in the zone
spears, britney britney
specials specials
specials stereo typical a's, b's & rarities
specials more specials
spiritualized complete works volume 1
spiritualized feel so sad
spiritualized lazer guided melodies
spiritualized pure phase
spiritualized ladies and gentleman we are floating in space
spiritualized electricity
spiritualized electricity
spiritualized i think I'm in love
spiritualized stop your crying
spiritualized let it come down
spiritualized out of sight
spiritualized do it all over again
spiritualized do it all over again
spiritualized amazing grace
springfield, dusty dusty in memphis
squarepusher feed me weird things
squarepusher go plastic
squire, john time changes everything
stateless the bloodstream EP
stendec a study of 'and'
stephen malkmus stephen malkmus
stone roses, the fools gold
stone roses, the one love
stone roses, the i wanna be adored
stone roses, the waterfall
stone roses, the i am the resurrection
stone roses, the turns into stone
stone roses, the love spreads
stone roses, the second coming
stone roses, the ten story love song
stone roses, the begging you
stone roses, the the complete stone roses
stone roses, the garage flower
stone roses, the the very best of
stone roses, the sally cinamon
stone roses, the elephant stone
stone roses, the made of stone
stone roses, the the stone roses
stone roses, the she bangs the drums
stooges, the the stooges
stooges, the fun house
streets, the original pirate material
streets, the a grand don't come for free
strokes, the is this it
sugababes three
sugababes angels with dirty faces
sugababes one touch
sugar copper blue
sun ra lanquidity
super furry animals love kraft
super furry animals fuzzy logic
super furry animals radiator
super furry animals ice hockey hair
super furry animals outspaced
super furry animals guerrilla
super furry animals mwng
super furry animals rings around the world
super furry animals phantom power
supergrass road to rouen
supergrass i should coco
supergrass in it for the money
sylvian, david blemish
sylvian, david brilliant trees
system of a down mesmerise
t. rex electric warrior
t.power the self evident truth of a intuitive mind
talk talk it's my life
talk talk the colour of spring
talk talk spirit of eden
talk talk laughing stock
talk talk asides besides
talk talk the party's over
talking heads fear of music
talking heads remain in light
talking heads the best of - once in a lifetime
talking heads stop making sense
tangerine dream phaedra
tape milieu
teardrop explodes, the kilimanjaro
tears for fears sowing the seeds of love
tears for fears songs from the big chair
tears for fears the hurting
teenage fanclub a catholic education
teenage fanclub bandwagonesque
teenage fanclub thirteen
teenage fanclub grand prix
teenage fanclub songs from northern britian
teenage fanclub howdy!
television marquee moon
theboylucas out on the wires
this is… tunng mother's daughter and other songs
this mortal coil it'll end in tears
tiefschwarz misch masch
timbaland tim's bio: life from da bassment
timbaland & magoo under construction part 2
timbaland and magoo welcome to our world
timberlake, justin justified
tonetraeger this is not here
tortoise millions now living will never die
tortoise standards
tribe called quest, a people's instinctive travels & the paths of rhythm
tribe called quest, a the low end theory
tribe called quest, a midnight marauders
tribe called quest, a beats, rhymes and life
tribe called quest, a the love movement
tricky maxinquaye
tricky pre-millenium tension
tricky nearly god
two lone swordsmen """tiny reminders"""
u2 the joshua tree
u2 achtung baby
u2 zooropa
uncle tupelo 89/93:an anthology
underworld second school in the infants
underworld dubnobasswithmyheadman
underworld beaucoup fish
upsetters 14 dub blackboard jungle
various the definitive sound of atlantic soul
various blue break beats volume 3
various blue break beats volume 4
various sky presents the breaks
various groovin' high
various help
various ready steady go!
various the stax story; the hits
various the stax story; kinda blue
various the stax story; finger snappin' good
various the stax story; live!
various xen cuts
various rough trade shops post punk vol 01
various "trojan 12"" box set"
various trojan roots box set
various trojan 'tighten up' box set
various trojan dub box set
various lost for words, a 17 track leaf label sampler
various trojan dancehall box set
various (artificial intelligence ii)
various (artificial intelligence)
various trojan ras reggae box set
various impressed with gilles peterson
various switches
various greensleeves sampler 4
various grime
various kompakt 100
various dfa compilation #1
various dave godin's deep soul treasures volume 4
various 300% dynamite!
various moaning, groaning, crying
various dfa compilation #2
various shockout
various run the road
various pump up the volume
various artists brazil: bahia
vek, tom we have sound
velvet underground, the white light/white heat
velvet underground, the the velvet underground
velvet underground, the & nico the velvet underground & nico
verve all in the mind
verve she's a superstar
verve gravity grave
verve a storm in heaven
verve blue
verve slide away
verve, the this is music
verve, the no come down
verve, the on your own
verve, the a northern soul
verve, the history
verve, the history
verve, the bitter sweet symphony
verve, the bitter sweet symphony
verve, the the drugs don't work
verve, the the drugs don't work
verve, the urban hymns
verve, the lucky man
verve, the lucky man
vibert, luke yoseph
villalobos, ricardo alcachofa
vitalic ok cowboy
wainwright, rufus want one
wainwright, rufus want two
waits, tom swordfishtrombones
waits, tom rain dogs
waits, tom mule variations
waits, tom real gone
waits, tom bone machine
waits, tom closing time
walker, scott tilt
walker, scott scott 4
walkmen, the bows and arrows
waterboys, the this is the sea
waters, heather shadow of you
weezer weezer
welch, gillian soul journey
welch, gillian time (the revelator)
west, kanye the college dropout
white stripes, the elephant
white stripes, the white blood cells
white stripes, the get behind me satan
who, the who's next
wilco being there
wilco summerteeth
wilco yankee hotel foxtrot
wilco a ghost is born
wiley treddin' on thin ice
wilson, brian smile
wire pink flag
wire chairs missing
wire 154
witness scars
witness audition
witness before the calm
witness hijacker
witness """under a sun"""
wolf, patrick wind in the wires
wolf, patrick lycanthropy
wolf, patrick wind in the wires
wonder, stevie innervisions
wonder, stevie talking book
wonder, stevie songs in the key of life
wonderstuff, the if the beatles had read hunter…the singles
wu tang clan enter the wu tang 36 chambers
wu tang clan the w
xtc skylarking
yellotone the file junction
yo la tengo summer sun
yo la tengo i can hear the heart beating as one
yokota, susumu grinning cat
yokota, susumu over head
yokota, susumu sakura
yokota, susumu the boy and the tree
yorkston, james and the athletes just beyond the river
young gods, the only heaven
young, neil after the gold rush
young, neil harvest
young, neil and crazy horse rust never sleeps
young, neil with crazy horse everybody knows this is nowhere
zappa, frank/the mothers of invention freak out!

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 21 September 2005 20:31 (twenty years ago)

NEW ORDER...NOW!!!!!

― biz, Wednesday, 21 September 2005 20:45 (twenty years ago)

six months pass...

La di da di da, I've biwired my speakers, moved them back closer to the wall, bought new headphones... I love audiogeek shit.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 09:39 (nineteen years ago)

someone tell me the benefits of bi-wiring - pls?

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 09:57 (nineteen years ago)

Biwiring is a bit of a con, really. Not that I didn't do it myself 10 years ago (and continue to do it cos, well, I've lost the jumper bars from my back of Heybrooks). Just another of those audiophile crazes that never fully went away.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 10:01 (nineteen years ago)

"my back of Heybrooks"? Jeez, I need a coffee.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 10:04 (nineteen years ago)

I think the notion behind biwiring is that you're somehow keeping the HF and LF signals separate between amp and speaker but, of course, as you're not using an active crossover and separate amps, you're not doing this at all. There may be something to be gained (ha!) from providing a greater gauge of wire to the speaker or some other subtle benefit, but mostly it's just a way of selling more cables.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 10:24 (nineteen years ago)

Also cutting shit out of your thumb with a Swiss army knife while sorting out the new cable is great!

I reckon the placebo affect is worth £30 - I was definitely noticing better treble last night. Of course whether it was there before or not isa different matter, but it also meant I could move my old speaker cable to my mini system.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 11:10 (nineteen years ago)

I don't want a placebo effect w/ my stereo

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 11:18 (nineteen years ago)

Fair enough - if you do enough searches for this stuff on the web, you'll find people who are almost convincing about back-EMF and separate grounds for yr speaker terminals and other fairly obscure explanations for sonic improvements from biwiring.

Almost every audiophilic tweak I've ever made to my system happened in tandem with fairly major changes (Cardas/van den Hul rewire of my Rega tonearm at the same time as actually upgrading the cartridge and phono pre-amp), so I've never been able to tell whether these things, in isolation, made a difference.

What I'd really like to do is finish the decorating, flooring, rewiring and heating installation so I can actually unpack the bloody things and plug them in.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 11:20 (nineteen years ago)

I can imagine that might help, aye.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 11:22 (nineteen years ago)

I need a good pre-amp for my phono

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 11:39 (nineteen years ago)

I read on some audio equipment board that my pre-amp sounds best when the volume dial is in the high-noon position, and that I should adjust the levels on my power amp so that when the pre-amp is at 12 o'clock, the overall volume is at my preferred listening level. The justification for this is something about the pre-amp sounding better when it was more current running through it. Does this make any sense, or am I silly for doing this?

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 22 March 2006 22:23 (nineteen years ago)

I need a good pre-amp for my phono
How much do you want to spend?

The current issue of Stereophile is their (for some wierd reason twice-yearly) recommended components roundup. They break 'em down on performance and price, but usually ignore phono stage priced below $300.

I have a NAD PP2 and it's decent, and cost less than $150. My father in law has the Grado (P1?-- they only make one) and swears that it has some synergy with his Grado cartridge. He usually is right in such determinations....

― Sparkle Motion's Rising Force, Wednesday, 22 March 2006 23:05 (nineteen years ago)

well, since the rest of my system is NAD, I might as well go for NAD. I have to admit my ignorance though: I don't really know what is the purpose of pre-amps (apart from the fact that my phono needs one)

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Thursday, 23 March 2006 08:44 (nineteen years ago)

The signal from a record player is much lower than from a CD player, so in order to play it back through an amp at a decent level (i.e. equivalent to your other sources) you need an extra stage of amplification to boost it. Some amps already have a phono stage.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Thursday, 23 March 2006 09:43 (nineteen years ago)

Oh yeah, this is my system now;

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/GOAL017shrunk.jpg

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Thursday, 23 March 2006 09:44 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, that's what I thought. I currently use one of those tiny 'boxes', I guess a mini pre-amp, but ever since I upgraded to better components and speakers, the phono isn't cutting it.

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Thursday, 23 March 2006 09:54 (nineteen years ago)

It's not just the extra level of amplification - look up "RIAA curve" on Google.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Thursday, 23 March 2006 10:30 (nineteen years ago)

Skipping 14 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Most of the MM carts listed (again, using MusicDirect & Acoustic Sounds catalogues as my guide) seemed considerably pricier--and a good cartridge certainly isn't cheap. I got a package deal with my Table & tonearm so I have a high-output Dynavector 10x5 MC cartridge, which sounds terrific, but I lack a reference for comparison.

As I mentioned upthread- the only other hifi cart I've heard at length is a Grado Symphony (also high-output MC) on a 20 year old AR table. It sounded fantastic.

― Sparkle Motion's Rising Force, Friday, 24 March 2006 18:32 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, I'm familiar with a few high-output MCs (which can be used into MM pre-amps) - a friend of mine used to use a Denon and another a Sumiko BPS.

Of the 50-odd carts on the budget page at Needle Doctor, I reckon only five or six are MC. There are a few expensive MMs around (Shure, possibly?) but the high-end is overwhelming MC, I think.

Here's my aging cart (still boxed up on the Gyro upstairs). It could do with a dust...

http://static.flickr.com/6/9909037_15d1ce39af.jpg

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Friday, 24 March 2006 21:48 (nineteen years ago)

That Blue Point Special is supposed to be a knockout.

Have you ever cleaned that stylus there? If so, with what? I'm at the spot where I'm feeling that I probably should give mine a cleaning.

Hey I might as well ask-- what's your TT/arm setup?

― Sparkle Motion's Rising Force, Friday, 24 March 2006 21:52 (nineteen years ago)

I've never cleaned it properly - the occasional hesistant dab with the brush that came in the box to dislodge a fluff build-up - but I've not used any of the specialist fluids.

I've heard the Sumiko BPS through a wonderful system (Wilson Benesch tonearm/Michell Gyro SE TT through Chord amplification and Wilson Benesch ACT speakers) and it sounded great.

My own Ortofon is on a Michell Gyro SE/Rega RB300 (with Cardas/vdH rewire); NVA pre-amp, Audiolab amplification, Heybrook speakers. All, along with the Copland CD player, Nak tape deck, etc have been packed up since late January (and most of my records were packed in
November). These pix are all I have...

Gyro foot:
http://static.flickr.com/8/10090868_ed916db09a_m.jpg

Copland knob:
http://static.flickr.com/7/10090869_254273cc8a_m.jpg

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Friday, 24 March 2006 22:09 (nineteen years ago)

You're out of my league.

So are you unpacking the system anytime soon?

― Sparkle Motion's Rising Force, Friday, 24 March 2006 22:19 (nineteen years ago)

Ha, not since we discovered we have to do a complete rewire (which I can't afford...but I could afford it without recourse to a loan if I sold the hi-fi...)

We have houseguests the week after next so it's going to have to be the little B&W shielded jobbies next to the telly running off the Cyrus II amp and iTunes from the laptop. Better than nothing.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Saturday, 25 March 2006 20:44 (nineteen years ago)

So I've got £300 and am considering new speakers. If I do, I'll try and upgrade the amp by end of year too.

Suggestions?

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Thursday, 6 April 2006 09:04 (nineteen years ago)

B&Ws! It took me a while to decide what to complements my NAD system with and these seems the most suited to my taste (ie. not too shiny sounding)

― Le Baaderonixx de Benedict Canyon (baaderonixx), Saturday, 8 April 2006 15:23 (nineteen years ago)

After a lot of thought and research I plumped for a new amp - Cambridge Audio Azur 640A V2 - and it's like my ears have been syringed. Fucking marvellous. The Tannoys are much better than i ever gave them credit for. I'm gonna get an Atacama rack next month.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Saturday, 15 April 2006 08:37 (nineteen years ago)

Spent the weekend rearranging and fitting a rack in.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/IMG_4822shrunk.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/DSC00007.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/hi-fi040shrunk.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/hi-fi013shrunk.jpg

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Monday, 24 April 2006 09:25 (nineteen years ago)

You do realise you'll need a dedicated mains spur for that lot now, y'know?

(Seriously, I'm exceedingly dubious about fancy hi-fi racks for anything other than turntables and maybe valve amps, but it does look very nice and neat.)

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Monday, 24 April 2006 10:27 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...

And so, I finally unpacked it...

http://static.flickr.com/67/195320839_6a41382884.jpg

Very compromised setup, but there we are...

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Saturday, 22 July 2006 12:03 (nineteen years ago)

Do you write about hi-fi, Michael?

― Mark (MarkR), Saturday, 22 July 2006 14:51 (nineteen years ago)

Good God, no - only here!

The hi-fi press is appalling, anti-scientific garbage for the most part (or has been for the last 20 years, since the digital/solid-state hegemony sent all the tweakers scurrying into bizarro territory). I find most of the hottest areas of debate pretty tedious and depressing and my own status as an audiophile is extremely shaky (there was a 2-year period in my mid-late 20s when I could afford this stuff, was really into reading about it and had lots of free time to spend listening to it; since then all this gear has almost been a burden).

Right now, I'm being bombarded with reggae from two doors down (birthday party BBQ, Carnival-sized PA in the garden) and what sounds to my untutored ears like hiplife from across the street. Add to this our Irish neighbour who likes to blast Willie Nelson and Conway Twitty at 5:30am and I wonder what the point is of having a fancy stereo in this environment. This is supposed to be a quiet suburb, ferchrissakes!

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Saturday, 22 July 2006 18:44 (nineteen years ago)

(OK, I've made that Flickr pic public so you can click through to my photostream now...if you wished to).

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Saturday, 22 July 2006 18:48 (nineteen years ago)

Dude -- is that the Working Holiday singles box at the left end of the top shelfspace?

― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 22 July 2006 22:08 (nineteen years ago)

Also that looks like an octodildopus on the floor.

― nabisco (nabisco), Saturday, 22 July 2006 22:09 (nineteen years ago)

Yes, it is the Working Holiday singles box! It's Pam's. Very neatly packs out that cube and stops Ava playing with the 10"s.

The creature on the floor is Zoops!. It drives me out of my mind.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Saturday, 22 July 2006 23:01 (nineteen years ago)

two months pass...

Ok, I'm back with a question I had a year ago. How can I tell what cartridge my cheap Technics uses? It's an SL-23. There seemed to be a bit of confusion when I asked this the first time around

― Baaderonixx in the year of the locusts (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 16:50 (nineteen years ago)

"There seemed to be a bit of confusion when I asked this the first time around."

*scrolls up*

"The creature on the floor is Zoops!"

Ha.

Neophyte to hifi myself, though. Sorry I can't help.

― Hoosteen (Hoosteen), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 17:15 (nineteen years ago)

Turntables are totally not my area of expertise. It's probably moving magnet. Just get a new one that doens't cost too much after asking in a decent shop, I'd say.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 17:26 (nineteen years ago)

Yeah, thanks. It was a MM. I figured it out by googling my stylus..

― Baaderonixx in the year of the locusts (baaderonixx), Tuesday, 3 October 2006 19:37 (nineteen years ago)

I think Michael should write about hi-fi.

I love this thread.

I am going to take some pictures especially for it. I feel someone needs to redress the balance.

What is on the telly?

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 10:42 (nineteen years ago)

This Life at a guess.

Michael should definitely write about hi-fi. Maybe a few of us should band together and start a new hi-fi magazine. Becuase it's sure to be a viable proposition for a publisher in this digital age...

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 11:21 (nineteen years ago)

I don't think I should write about hi-fi as I don't really know anything about it.

Not sure what's on the telly - ITV3 didn't show This Life reruns, did they? EXIF data tells me I took the pic at 8:04pm, 20/7/06. I bet Koogy can tell us what was on at that time.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 13:28 (nineteen years ago)

I ask because the one at the front 'looks like' you and the one at the back 'looks like' me. So it must be BIG POOFS or something.

Knowing about something should not be a requirement for writing about it. I am always not writing about things because I don't know about them, and I think this is a WASTE.

Let's face it, who knows about anything? It's just that some people are lucky enough to think they do.

― PJ Miller (PJ Miller 68), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 14:36 (nineteen years ago)

Agreed.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 14:47 (nineteen years ago)

I ask because the one at the front 'looks like' you and the one at the back 'looks like' me. So it must be BIG POOFS or something.

Or Whatever Happened to Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads?

Just to shroud myself further in a big blanket of excuses: I shouldn't write about hi-fi because (i) I feel slightly embarrassed and irked that, in the realm of knowing anything about anything, it's *that* that I'm supposed to know something about, (ii) I'd gladly trade however many lonely evenings I spent knocking back bottles of Leffe whilst bathed in SuperFantasticStereoSound back in the late '90s for the CASH I spent achieving said sonic nirvana, (iii) what is there to write about, gear-wise, when you're never likely to buy another bit of gear?

But, y'know, there are interesting areas, I suppose, in audio generally. The gestalt listening experience and the vinyl ritual, euphonic distortion, psychoacoustic modelling, recording techniques (analogue "performance" and digital "construction"), audio memory, this peculiar striving for fidelity...

There must be a pamphlet in it. Big font. Lots of pictures.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Wednesday, 4 October 2006 15:15 (nineteen years ago)

Does anyone want to buy my Grado SR60s for £50?

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Friday, 6 October 2006 07:33 (nineteen years ago)

two weeks pass...

I've just taken the lid off the Marantz in my office, given it a dust, had a poke, put it back, run it through an old Marantz PM310 amp and my HD595s, and... no sibilance. I'm gonna take it home and test it with the recordings it was particularly bad on. I love that CD player so much.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Friday, 20 October 2006 15:07 (nineteen years ago)

Argh, still popping once it's at home. Still, the headphone out's still good.

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Saturday, 21 October 2006 06:31 (nineteen years ago)

If the headphone out's working, wouldn't it just be the optical/coax out? Is that a lot to fix?

― jackl (jackl), Saturday, 21 October 2006 14:31 (nineteen years ago)

The digital outs are fine too, it' the analogue left/right (specifically right) channel that's popping. It might be easy enough to fix if I knew anything about electronics and insides of CD players.

ihttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v236/njsouthall/IMG_6038.jpg

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Sunday, 22 October 2006 06:31 (nineteen years ago)

Sorry; I've been known to tinker with a soldering pen in my day, but this is way out of my league...

― jackl (jackl), Sunday, 22 October 2006 14:34 (nineteen years ago)

However - and not to derail the conversation - why wouldn't you just use the digital? I've always been under the impression that you get better quality from them anyway...am I sorely mistaken?

― jackl (jackl), Sunday, 22 October 2006 14:36 (nineteen years ago)

I presume Nick doesn't have a DAC in his amp; the Marantz onboard DAC is a good one anyway.

― Michael Jones (MichaelJ), Sunday, 22 October 2006 14:42 (nineteen years ago)

Aye, I'd need an amp with a digital in. The Marantz is an "extra" CD player anyway, I'm just eager to find some use for it. A headphone amp with its own DAC might be an idea for the future...

― Sick Mouthy (Nick Southall), Sunday, 22 October 2006 18:35 (nineteen years ago)

three years pass...

Yo.

I've had the NAD CD521BEE for a few years, initially partnered with a Denon PMA250 amp and a pair of Tannoy R1s, but I've upgraded the amp to a Cambridge Audio Azur 640A V2 about three years ago, and the speakers to B&W 685s a few months ago.

So now I'm thinking I should push upwards with a CD player, and go for something in the £300-£500 range to get more out of the 685s, and also so I can move the 521BEE into the back room system where I can partner it with the equivalent age / price NAD amp and a pair of Q Acoustics 101s.

Any recommendations? You know that I listen to, and obviously I prefer a warm sound to a bright one.

Audiolab 8000CDE, Rotel RCD06, and NAD C545BEE are all things I've liked the look of from brief googling.

Any advice Jonesy?

― Sickamous (Scik Mouthy), Thursday, 22 October 2009 15:43 (sixteen years ago)

As you may know, I am of the opinion (thesedays*) that there are only very marginal gains to be made upgrading yr CD source and the NAD is supposed to be very good indeed. So I wouldn't know what to steer you towards. I'd personally go for something that could wirelessly stream lossless audio as well as play silver discs, if there is such a thing.

(* - it's 11 years since I bought the Copland, so let me off, yeah?)

― Michael Jones, Thursday, 22 October 2009 15:59 (sixteen years ago)

my geeky answer it this -
keep current CD player as transport
look into www.sonos.com
get an external digital-to-audio converter with two inputs
connect digital outputs of disc player and sonos to this DAC

alternately, some of cambridge's CD players have digital inputs, so you can buy one of those (i think 740 is cheapest with this feature but i might be wrong) and add sonos some other day if it interests you.

― Shh! It's NOT Me!, Thursday, 22 October 2009 16:06 (sixteen years ago)

digital and speakers have probably improved the most over the last decade, while a good amp is always just that. that being said, overinvesting in digital only makes sense for people who have loadsa money. otherwise, something like Sonos + DAC is a more prudent choice i think.

― Shh! It's NOT Me!, Thursday, 22 October 2009 16:10 (sixteen years ago)

If you're considering a wireless multi-room set-up, another alternative is Squeezebox.

― Brad C., Thursday, 22 October 2009 19:31 (sixteen years ago)

I've got over 2,000 CDs in the same room as the main hi-fi, and a system wired up directly from my iMac through a DAC in the next room that handles digital music (plus the B&W Zeppelin, with an 80gig iPod on it loaded from the iMac), so any kind of multi-room Sonos streaming system is unnecessary. I really am just after a replacement CD player.

― Sickamous (Scik Mouthy), Friday, 23 October 2009 18:51 (sixteen years ago)

Ok.
In that case - get a Cambridge 640 CD to match your amp. Dont know what that costs in pounds but should be in the right price range IIRC.

Not really worth spending more on the source until you have better speakers. That is NOT to say 685s suck in any way! However, if you plan on slowly but surely upgrading your system as a whole over time, and want to stretch a little bit beyond the capabilities of the 685s in anticipation of better speakers, you should also be on the lookout for any deals on any of the FMJ series Arcam players. A used CD17, for instance.

― Shh! It's NOT Me!, Friday, 23 October 2009 19:25 (sixteen years ago)

a bit more detail:
I have not been as impressed with the Arcam DiVA stuff over time. It sounds good but not as reliable. They have discontinued that line.

Incidentally, I have never worked for a NAD dealer because all three companies I have worked for have dropped them due to high fail rates. High in this case is only a few percentage points, but certainly annoying to deal with when you sell lots of them. Most individuals will be fine with this choice.

― Shh! It's NOT Me!, Friday, 23 October 2009 19:28 (sixteen years ago)

Bought NAD components 9 years ago (dvd-player 6 years ago) and both CD and dvd player failed on me: laser problem (dvd player had it within two years). Very annoying. I read somewhere online that the lasers that were used in those series were of inferior quality and that the issue has been dealt with in later models. Regardless, I'll definitely never buy NAD again. Bought a Marantz DV 6001 earlier this year as their price was halved because of the arrival of the 7001 upgrade. It's a dvd/cd/sacd player and although the loading time is a bit too long I'm very happy with it.

― willem, Friday, 23 October 2009 19:45 (sixteen years ago)

Rotel RCD-06 for £240 in town. A change is as good as a rest...

― exploding angel vagina (Scik Mouthy), Friday, 30 October 2009 13:22 (sixteen years ago)

How does it sound? Superior to the NAD or just different? I havent heard the 06, but I have spent a lot of time with the 1072.

― Shh! It's NOT Me!, Friday, 30 October 2009 20:30 (sixteen years ago)

five years pass...

A few mentions of Cambridge Audio's Azur range on this thread, so, Azur owners, how did your stuff hold up?

My 6 (?) year old Azur 640C CD player has been really fussy about actually playing CDs for 3 years now but is now completely unusable. I've given it (and my CDs) the best clean I can without taking it apart but they still act really stuttery after a minute or so of playing, then keep pausing/skipping, then finally crap out entirely, and when I put them back in it just says "no read".

Kind of frustrating because I have a LOT of CDs but I've mostly stopped buying new ones, so it's hard to justify paying for a new CD player, or paying the price of a new CD player to have it fixed.

It sounds decent, if unspectacular, but I've not been too impressed with the build quality of my Cambridge Audio stuff:
- the connections on the back of the amp have always been a bit flaky, with audio cables and the power lead (the one which came with it) coming loose when brushed or sometimes not even touched - a few times I've been sitting at the other side of the room listening to something when the amp just turns off until I get up and reseat the cable;
- the power button needs a magic touch as it usually either refuses to respond or registers twice i.e. turns on then straight off again, and the other buttons can be fussy too;
- the remote control (even on a new set of batteries and with nothing standing in front of the receiver) only seems to register reliably from a very narrow section of the living room;
- the amp headphone out is tinny and the stereo balance seems wrong, though that last one might just be my aging gig-damaged ears, but it's way more noticeable from the CA amp than any other equipment

Sorry for such a long complainy post. Just ranting to myself really. Should've listened to my gut - I'd been suspicious of CA for a few years before getting these, since I'd bought a CA phono preamp which lasted approximately 3 weeks.

― undergraduate dance (a passing spacecadet), Friday, 3 April 2015 16:12 (ten years ago)

I actually bought some new CDs today in a fit of optimism after the last CD I put in it amazingly managed to get all the way to the end of. So now I've spent £30 on useless antiquated trinkets which I may as well just steal mp3s of from the internet if I want to listen to them.

― undergraduate dance (a passing spacecadet), Friday, 3 April 2015 16:23 (ten years ago)

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