Ted Heath

Heath had integrity. He presided over difficult times and called a general election when he thought he'd screwed up.

His point of departure upon our entry to the EU (as it has become) was shaky and weak, but that can only be blamed on his predecessor twats who didn't join from the start. We suffered from our island-bound insular mentality that ultimately resulted in our membership to the EU being borne from the begging bowl and not from a shot-calling position we may have been able to assume if we'd been there from the beginning.

The biggest mistake the UK made was to vote insular-Labour in 1945 - especially as Churchill had a welfare state plan anyway.

Thatcher then brokered our much-deserved rebate, and to be fair to Mr. Blair he has set a condition for its re-negotiation against the Common Agricultural Policy (whereby France was a net-beneficiary from subsidies, compared to ourselves as net contributers despite France having higher GDP than us!)

I once met Ted Heath, which is more than I can say for any other Prime Minister (ex- at the time), and was indeed pictured with him in the local newspaper (a photo I still have) along with my best mate, whose Dad was a shop steward in the docks at the time!

Ted was our local MP and came to my school to give the Inaugral 'Lawrence Blundell Commerative Lecture'. I can honestly say it was the most tedious speach I have ever attended, and I've been to a few (Patrick Moore the previous year was splendid). I did, as a 6th former, have the opportunity to chat with him afterwards but, being narsacistic, remember only my own question and not the answer!

I feel like there should be a point this this ramble, like he dropped into the conversation "Did I prefer Hutter or Mana or maybe a Fraim?", but there isn't it was long ago and I had a rather splendid Music Centre, Phillips I fancy at the time.

Guy

So no f*cker knows what equipment the man had?

G

graham

You seem a bit of a crosspatch at the moment.

Would you like to talk about it?

Nime,

Perhaps it was just a bad day at the office...

Sorry, chaps.

Funny old day, yesterday!

G

He had Quad ELS 57. I use mine with a Naim NAP250 but I doubt he did...

The only time I can remember hearing a pair Quad fireguards was in a tiny room crowded with furniture in a gardener's cottage at a stately home. The most realistically reproduced piano I've ever heard. From the hall I was certain there was somebody playing in there until I was invited in to see the system. Original Quad valve amps and tuner too.

Isn't it odd how the goalposts keep moving? A Quad pre-power amplifier, SME3009, Shure V15, Garrard 401 turntable system was once considered the most desirable hifi in Britian. At least it was in our house.

I wouldn't be surprised if Ted didn't have such a system at one time or another. Given his interest in music, wealth and being the right age group he was likely to be an early adopter of British High Fidelity equipment.

Nime

The system you mention would easily outperform 99% of the so-called "music systems" out there, and would give many Naim systems a run for their money.

Incidentally, when was the last time that you listened to a refurbished pair of ESL57s? They can still wipe the floor with any current speaker, at whatever price.

G

Argumentative git! That's the last time I try to be helpful!

Did you even read my post? Which part of "praise" do you not understand?

Nime

I'm not sure if your post is intended for me. I certainly didn't mean to be argumentative or to cause offence in any way. I was just musing that, in some cases (the ESLs being a case in point), not much has improved in the last 50 years.

Graham

quote:

Originally posted by graham55:

not much has improved in the last 50 years.
Graham

Can't really agree with that. Dynamics, real bass, maximum SPL, loudspeaker drivers, speaker colouration and stereo? To name a few.

What hasn't really changed is the continuing use of boxes for loudpseakers. You only have to listen to most speakers in mono to hear the obvious colouration. The straightjacket of flat veneered panels seems to have become a fixation for most manufacturers.

Not that I recommend a compete return to the folded horn Tricolumns and Paralines. But there is an uncanny resemblance in my SVS subwoofer to what I was desperately trying achieve nearly 50 years ago. Except that suitable and affordable drivers simply weren't available back then.

Nime

What's great (amongst other things) with the Quad ESLs is the lack of boxes. After all, that's what Naim tried to achieve (and failed) with the FL-1.

And so, if one's prepared to listen, there's a complete soundstage before your ears. My question remains: have you heard a properly refubished pair of ESL57s recently? I have three pairs in my system and really don't have to worry about "bass", "dynamics", "colouration" or "stereo". You'd have to tell me about maximum SPL, but I think you'd be wrong. They run the current Naim speakers into the ground.

Graham

I have already said that I have only heard ESL57s but once to the best of my knowledge.

I'm surpised you have chosen to stack two pairs and reserve a pair for rear surround duties. Surely 3 stacked pairs would be even better? Law of diminishing returns? Is there an image of your stacked pairs in the public domain?

Nime

It may be that a stack of three pairs would be even greater than the current stacked pair, but I live in an old converted warehouse and the rear pair, which sit above and behind the main listening position, release an amazing sound into the whole space. The Naim AV1 is a great processor for this purpose.

I don't have a digital camera, so can't post pictures. But you'd be welcome to come and listen, any time.

Once again, I apologise for any unintended offence yesterday.

G

I was not aware of any offense any more than you were aware of my futile attempts at humour.

Thankyou for the kind invitation. But please do not tidy in readiness for a visitor. I haven't been back for years and the attraction of doing so grows ever weaker with the passing of time.

Regards
Nime

quote:

So no f*cker knows what equipment the man had?

I read an article in HiFi Choice in the early 90`s

I believe he used Quad amps (45-405 I believe) and Quad Electrostatics. I seem to recall he also used Spendor speakers

laurie

Laurie

I could just imagine Ted with an LP12/SME3009/ShureV15MkIV, plus Quad44/405MkII and ESLs.

Quad always used to let it be known that Alfred Brendel, Nigel Kennedy et al used their products, and I don't recall Ted ever being mentioned. But, there again, he was a grumpy old sod (Badger in Wind of the Willows, anyone?), so he'd probably have told them to bugger orff.

Graham