and my new hi-fi tables are...

Italian Jocks: i suppose there forming process is headbutting, and the finishing touch is olive oil.

Off the Wall
Has anyone tried the Scottish delicacy Fried Pizza !!!

naheed...

Fried Linn anyone?

Andrew

Andrew Randle
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Hi Andrew,

Glad I could help. Enjoy the new stands and post some pictures when you get them:-).

Best,
John

Believe it! You're right about it originating from Glasgow.

Go and get your deep fat frier out and give it a whirl...

Photos please

Andrew

Andrew Randle
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Strange to see you posting on this forum, but welcome.

Prices. The turntable table was £150 and the 3 tier equipment table was £160. I'm still waiting for the delivery (they said they have run out of stock on the 3 tier and it'll take 2 weeks) so I can not comment on performance yet. Prices have been fixed since 1993 (!!!) - partly because they don't advertise.

The thing is, I really really like my fully-welded Sound Org 2-tier table, but they don't make 'em like that anymore. The Audiotech is fully welded and similar to the Sound Org in design. Also, some modifications have been made to the original Italian design. This includes the use of carbon-steel instead of mild-steel (which Alan said everyone else uses...).

Alan was great and gave me some fantastic tips on installation.

Cheers,

Andrew

Andrew Randle
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Let me know how you get on with your new racks, at least the boards won't bend like the Sound Org. ones! ;o)

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Yep, you're right about the boards bending on the Sound Org table. Oh well, it does the job well enough.

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Yeah, Manaland was washing it hair so hey ho.

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I've had the same problem tonight. Their server could be down.

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One of the guys who work for Alan actually slagged off Mana

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I've seen the quote (Linn Forum) that "Mana sounds worse than putting it on the floor". Maybe they heard the same show demos as me (London 2000, 1998, 1997) - Vuk and Hooch said the correct setting up of Mana requires time to settle and shows are not conducive. Vuk's experiences of Mana at show demos was the same.

Anyway, I needed the tables at a reasonable price as I'm saving intensely for the NAP 250.

Andrew (going to Japan tomorrow on business for 1.5 weeks!!)

Andrew Randle
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i have hear several people talking about the mana effect being immediate as soon as the supports are properly tuned. now i am hearing these supports actually need to settle down to weave their magic. and this is being offered as an explanation for allegedly poor sound heard at hifi shows.

now, which is which??

given that poor sound was also heard from rooms not using mana supports, i am tempted to conclude that the reason may be nothing to do with mana's needing to settle down at all -- perhaps another problem entirely -- (poor mains??). in fact i further suspect that if the support "settles down" after what sounds to me like quite fine tuning, then they need further tuning surely??

just a thought... when i get a chance to try the sound frame, will report accordingly...

not a single "h" word !!!

enjoy...

ken

Problem is, they do tend to play their demo's too loud - which was quite amusing. Recently, they seemed to have turned down the volume in their demos.

I'm sure the choice of the L-profiled metal is for a reason.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
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I have two systems, the main one in the lounge and the secondary one in the dining room. The main one is housed in a large solid oak entertainment center and the secondary one is on a sound organisation rack.

I purchased a CDX for the main system a few months ago and I also bought a Mana sound frame (I think that is what it is called) which is a small platform that could be placed under the CDX which could be hidden from view inside the wooden structure.

The improvement in sound was good but not earth shattering but it was worth the money so I kept it.

Yesterday, for some reason, I decided to place the soundframe on top of the sound organisation rack in the dining room. I replaced the sound organisations glass pane with a specially cut to size MDF board and then placed the Mana platform on top of that. I then replaced the cheap little CD3.5 back on the Mana.

Now here is the rub.....It sounded bloody fantastic......I was glued to it for two hours just playing music. The improvement was vast. I can only suppose that the Mana was not 100% efficient being mounted inside a wooden unit but it excelled on top of the metal sound organisation one.

For a while I was tempted to reconsider my decision to buy hutter later in the year for my main system. Two reasons have made me decide, however, to continue with the Hutter.

1. The appearance of Mana...no need to elaborate. I just could not live with it.

2. Hutter does sound musical. You got to hear it to believe it.

This proves to me, at least, that stands are important and really do get the best out of your system, but you do need to investigate all options and that ain't easy.

Best of luck chaps in deciding where you go from here.

Regards

Mick...a little more pro Mana than before

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John Clark who posts here did not find my Naim system to his liking when he first heard it despite the fact that I feel it is very superior to his Arcam! Two points worth noting are that his Arcam now sounds vastly better on phase five Mana than it did on Quadraspire and he is now talking about buying Naim ;o)

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Superiority - well, yes, Naim kit is very nice indeed, but at this point in time, based upon what I have heard, I'd rather stick with my Arcam on Phase 5 than move to Naim on Quadraspire

As it goes, yeah, the QS made the Arcam gear sound 'nice' and a bit 'more tea, vicar?'. At that stage, the Naim system (which I liked, but I did not like the Kans - Godawful speakers that I feel compelled to buy from you just to save the rest of the planet ) and I felt that it did a great many things superbly but let itself down. You have moved to different speakers, and I believe if you put a pair of Sonus Fabers on the end of your Naim, you would have a fantastic sounding system!

FWIW, Arcam gear may not sound too brilliant off of Mana, but it responds exceptionally well, although the only reason I still have my 10/10P pre-power combo is that (a) Naim don't do a DD/DTS enabled preamp to the best of my knowledge, and (b) moving from my Arcam to a entry-mid level Naim pre-power (such as you have) would probably give me the equivalent improvement
to a phase of Mana or two. The Mana is cheaper, so whilst I still have the space, I'll up the Mana and get some Naim if it comes along at the right price...!!!

On another note, I need to get new speakers first - I auditioned Sonus Faber Signums yesterday - gorgeous speaker, great dynamics, fast (with a Copland CD+integrated amp on a QS rack - I will book a proper home dem at some point in the next month or two), and whilst in the shop (Music Mill) I noticed that they used a Mana rack to demo their most expensive gear, even though (when questioned) the guy admitted that they don't sell it (remember that, at this point, I hadn't mentioned I had a Phase 5 setup )

Hang on in there Mick, you won't regret it.

Bob.

I'm sure Naim at Phase 5 will be gobsmackingly good, but I've yet to hear it. It will be interesting to hear Hooch's kit at some point - he's at, what, Phase 13 or something?

ANyway, about the speakers... I'm still interested in the Neats, but I'm not sure I want to take the chance and have them send up a pair only for me to either not like them and then have to pay for return carriag, or feel in some way obliged to buy them... I'd rather hear them in a dealer, first of all, to get a rough idea of where they are coming from. The Sonus Fabers I heard are somewhat special... they've speed, accuracy, they don't seem to be coloured, are very musical and look great too. They're a fraction more expensive than the Petites, but not so much that it matters.

John

many thanks for your reply. i have no problem with the "settling in" theory, though i do not believe this affects the music too adversely.

however, there are 2 opposing tendencies in the case of mana (so i hear). once set up, and "tuned", it will work for a while, but will/may require re-tuning after some time. is this your experience? the other tendency is the one you mention -- improvement with settling in.
which effect dominates the other? suppose the de-tuning effect dominated?? this is not an anti-mana post. i am considering ordering a sound frame, as i mentioned earlier on. when i do, i will report. its just that my system right now sounds so good (to me) i am in no particular hurry....

enjoy...

ken