A Night In Surrey - The Odd Couple

Last night, the long awaited evening came when Malcolm Davey and myself were going to meet at Malcolm's house, drink a few beers, play some music (vinyl and CD) and compare our respective CD players (my CD5 vs Malcolm's CDX). Mrs Seagull drove the long journey from Hampshire into darkest Surrey and dropped me off at Malcolm's house (the Foo Foos were playing when I arrived - not live this time but on cd).

Malcolm's family were out and the next door neighbour didn't answer the door so volume wasn't going to be a problem

The system (I'm sure Malcolm will correct me if I've got this wrong):

LP12/Lingo/Aro/some expensive cart (on a M*** table of some sort)
CDX on Fraim
NAC82/dual hi-cap/NAP180 (amps on Fraim and PSUs on a Sound Org table)
Black NACA5 into SBL's (on M*** soundbases)

No magnetic Bagpi or cuddly sheep to be seen anywhere in the room.

We cracked open a takeaway bottle of Hogs Back Hop Garden Gold, very thoughtfully supplied by Mrs Malcolm, and settled down to an evening's listening...

Malcolm suggested that in the interests of stylus preservation that we play the records first before the beer effects kicked in then move on to CD. I'd never cued up an Aro before, I wasn't too worried about the LP's but I was about the arm and cartridge, I never realised my hands shook that much!

First up was 'Sleepwalkers' (off Godbluff) by VdGG, one of my favourite ever songs. I bought the Godbluff LP in October 1975 and its been through the mill a bit having been lent to all and sundry and played on all sorts of record players and has definitely seen better days. It was one of those jaw dropping moments, it had no right to sound as good as it did - I knew there should have been all sorts of clicks and pops throughout the 10 minutes of the song but there was just soooo much music. Jaxonsax and Hugh Banton on Hammond Organ were just brilliant and I heard things in the song I'd never heard before.

Next was side 1 of 'Head Over Heels' by the Cocteaus - I only intended to play a couple of songs but its one of those albums that just cry out to be played right through.

We polished off the Hop Garden Gold and cracked open some bottled beer (Young's Acclaim, very fragrant light beer and Wells Banana something or other, an unusual experience and one I'm not sure I'll repeat but you never know till you try).

After this was The Chameleons 'Script of the Bridge'. Again we played the whole side - Malcolm hadn't heard them before but has added them to his wish list.

Malcolm then started digging through his large, unsorted and very varied LP collection for some songs to play. (Malcolm could probably supply details I'm afraid my memory is a bit blurred).

A couple of the songs Malcolm had heard at various Hi-fi demonstrations, I could hear why as they demonstrated what a good system can achieve. (I must admit to listening to the hi-fi at this point rather than the music but it was impressive).

Time was getting on and the beer effect was beginning to creep up so we switched from vinyl to the CDX. I tried 'Make it Happen' by Electronic, the reason being this has VERY heavy bass synths which my system doesn't handle very well (a bit boomy). Malcolm's system just took it in its stride, so its back to the drawing board at home for me!

Other songs followed; The Smiths, something of Malcolm's, then 'Lufthansa' off 'Why Call It Anything' by the Chameleons (did I mention I like the Chameleons?). Malcolm's family had arrived home by now so the volume had to be turned down , as Malcolm's 'first born' had to go to college today and Mrs Malcolm had some Maths to mark.

WAF - what does that stand for?

Jury is out on the looks of the Fraim, it is a modern piece of furniture, curvy and would blend in with most modern decor (not mine at home - we've got dark oak in the lounge) but I'm not sure about it when you've got the Naim boxes sitting on it (which is after all the whole point of it). Malcolm says it has improved the sound of the system so that's what really matters. (I did have a brief listen last time I was round pre-Fraim but the main attraction that night were the Foo Foos playing live in the garden so I could not possibly comment.)

The M*** sitting next to it under the LP12 was obviously functional and whilst not completely pug-ugly in the flesh it wouldn't win many prizes for its looks (it wasn't phase 14 though, I suspect that multiple layers of the stuff would not be a pretty sight.) If I ever buy some it will have to be discretely hidden from view.

CD player comparison

Well, we finally got round to it. We agreed that the CD5 won the beauty contest, sleek and modern looking (Malcolm has olive and chrome bumper kit side by side for comparison, FWIW I like the chrome bumper look) vs 'industrial' for the CDX, NAC82 etc.

We then swapped the CD players. I was a little apprehensive at this point, would the CD5 live in this company (temporarily making Malcolm's system into a Mullet)? We tried Lufthansa in the CD5 sitting on the Fraim. When I auditioned CD players this was one of the songs I tried (Planet vs CD5 - CD5 won by a mile).

Malcolm reckons I've got a "cracking little CD player there", I had to agree. Yes the CDX gives you a bit more music and sounded somehow 'louder' but they've both got that Naim sound. But is it worth the extra dosh, and would I dash out and buy a CDX? Probably not, it IS better than a CD5 but not by as great a distance as some on the Forum have suggested. Both were soundly trounced by the LP12 (not surprisingly) but I could live with either CDP. Apparently both players can be improved by the addition of a PSU, it would be interesting to hear how close a CD5 with a *cap can get to a naked CDX.

Significantly, we left the CD5 playing for the rest of the evening until I had to pack up and go.

We polished off the evening with a bottle of Lightning (me) and a bottle of Tim Taylor's Royal Ale (Malcolm). I phoned home and Mrs Seagull dutifully came round to take me back home.

All in all very enjoyable evening, (mostly) good beer, good company and good music.

Beer festival at the local tonight (and tomorrow and Sunday) Did we ever mention the Prince of Wales in Farnborough? Mrs Seagull has already written off the week-end ) and its my birthday next week (will my liver cope?)