Systems We Are Haunted By

Most haunting round earth experience...

Win Labs/Bruer Type 8/Koetsu Rosewood/Audible Illusions Pre/various tube and ss amps/Janis subs/stacked ESL57s/Decca ribbons. Basically a knockoff of the famous Mark Levinson HQD system minus the 24" Hartley subs and six pack of class A space heaters. Playing the then new Cat People soundtrack, specifically Bowies 'Putting out Fire (With Gasoline)' in the dealers home living room. No dope. No booze (bastard). Huge sound that blew my mind despite the usual over abundance of soundstage at the expense of timing. The mids and highs were some of the best that I have ever heard. I have often dreamed of hearing this setup with a six pack of 135s and suitable upstream boxes. Dealer deported to Hong Kong for illegally harbouring refugees.

Most haunting flat earth experience...

First time listening to LP12/Ittok/Asak/32/?-Cap/NAP 250/Isobarik DMS at the local (at the time) Linn/Naim dealer. No dope. No booze. Blew my mind no matter what we played on it. Giant wall of sound with pace and timing that even an atomic clock would admire. Led me to relentlessly pursue what came to be known as PRaT. I have often dreamed of hearing this setup with a six pack of 135s and suitable upstream boxes. Dealer should be deported to hell for dropping Naim.

Craig

Craig,

Been in the shop lately? I think the train has arrived in hell, all the nice round earth stuff was nice and clean, warm and used. The Naim is long gone, cept for a lonely nait. Even the Linn boxes are unplugged in the corner. The speakers Linn speakers seem to get used tho....

Going camping this weekend in Port Burwell, drop down for a visit if your about. ( Lots 138-139 in Leander campground, Port Burwell Provincial Park )

As for my defining experiece. A demo ( by invitation ) years ago at the above mentioned shop. Linn / Naim years.
Started with Basic? TT and moved up the line thru LP12 into passive? isobarik system. May have been the same demo as Craig. I did not have the pleasure of his acquaintance at the time. So, ??

The system just blew me away. First time I had ever heard 'briks, the power was awsome. Bass, deep, tight and FAST, and only when it was supposed to be there, no background bass drone !!

Was hooked, would still like a pair, if I ever have the room ( and front end )

regards,

michael

LP12 / chrome bumpered nait / Kan on Stands in the mid 80's!

That was *the* experience.

A few days later I asked the same dealer to show me the best of the best. It was a top-range naim with LP12 and DBLs (or Shahinians?), I think it was active because I remember lots of boxes (but none of them with chrome bumpers). Total cost was about ATS 800.000 (UKP36.000 or EUR58.000).

I was totally astonished!

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What are the systems and demo's that stand out as something really special in your memory?

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Pog's system, and I haven't even heard it. But everyone who has...

Joe

Live music!

Other than that the demo when I wisited naim years ago with a trip organised by RPM from London in a double decker bus! It started with a Rega, nait, some inexpensive speakers and worked up to the full active 52 SBL job. I remember the diference the 52 made (the last thing added) and it was stunning.

LP12/Ekos/Lingo/Arkiv/Kairn/Klout/Isobariks (final version)

That was at the Sound Organisation in York when Simon was there. The system was a knock-out, the back wall opened up and the music was there.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
Currently in the "Linn Binn"

Went with my wife to visit my friend who had LP12, 62, hi-cap, 250 and sbls. We had no hi-fi, and I couldn't think of any way that I could persuade Joanna that spending more than a few hundred quid was worthwhile.
Onto the LP12 went a brand new Carol Kidd album. That was it! The smile on her face said it all, and she even liked the appearance of the boxes! I felt like the luckiest man alive.Still do.
Tony

First time I heard the Sennheiser Orpheus (just launched, around 1990ish?, at a hifi show) - I probably wouldn't find them so impressive these days, but back then...

The Nait-2 - could a £150 amplifier sound this good? Surely shome mishtake...

First time I heard a DNM-based system - wow, forget the rest, I had found my holy grail...

Experiencing my first LP12 - having been used to nothing more exciting than an integrated Sony tt up until that point

The first time I tried Mana - could a stand really improve my (then) humble kit so much?

The first time I tried Nordost SPM - it changed the way I thought about cables, elevating their importance from 'also ran' to 'as important as getting the right amp or source component'.

Etc.

TC '..'
"Girl, you thought he was a man, but he was a Muffin..."

i was buying my first "proper" system about 8 or 9 years ago and was doing a dem between a rotel and a pioneer cd player ( i ended up with the pioneer), when the dealer asked if i'd like to listen to something more expensive. on went a proceed cdp, mark levinson pre, krell power amp and a pair of martin logan aerius speakers. i was listening to some choral music on the system (think it was the tallis scholars) which was recorded in merton college in oxford, where i have actually heard a number of live performances. the sound coming from the speakers just seemed to hang in the air, and i'll never forget the illusion of the space of the performance hall. all very round earth i know, but the sense of "being there" was very impressive.

when i started looking to upgrade the pioneer kit about 3 years ago, i listened to just about everything but naim. my dad has naim kit, and i just never thought of buying it for myself, for some strange reason. went to the dealer where he bought his kit to listen to some linn equipment, and was pretty underwelmed. with another half hour of my appointement to go, the dealer asked if i minded if he put some naim kit on. no harm i thought, and so he plugged in a CDX / 72 / 140. i was gob smacked. for the first time at a demo i was listening to music rather than hifi.

subsequently bought a 72 and 180, and inherited a CDi off my father when he upgraded to a CDS2, (cheers dad!). the system is sounding great, and i can't see myself buying any other electronics than naim...

cheers

matt

LP12/Ittok/Asak/NAC32/SNAPS/NAP250/Isobariks in the Linn room at one of the first Hifi Shows at the Penta Hotel, presumably early 1980s. Perhaps 20 years ago this year? The track that clicked was The Motels/Total Control.

I also have a strong recollection of the 6-pack Naim/Isobarik system used during the Naim factory open days in about 1985/1986. The track was something by Martin Simpson from 'Sad or Highkicking'. I'd have to go and look at the record to recall the title.

Perhaps Isobariks aren't so bad after all?

Paul

I am still haunted by the linn stand at the Novotel last year, but for all the wrong reasons.

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Originally posted by Paul D:

The funny thing is that the friend I went with and I only went to the Mana dem to confirm the fact that the stuff couldn't possibly work. We were firmly in the light and rigid camp at the time and I was even contemplating a carbon fibre top for my turntable support. I've never had the courage to tell John Watson this so please lets keep it to ourselves.

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So what's it worth not to cross-post it then?

BTW never mind JW, what is fox going to have to say about it I wonder?

Regards
Steve

LP12, Nait 1, Heybrook HB3. Round at a Friend of a Friend who was working for Radford's in Bristol at the time (c.1982). Before this I thought my parents Dual 505/NAD3020 system was as good as it got.

duncan

While I was in picking my first Naim system (92R, 90.3, Credos) the dealer wouldn't let me leave without listing to a Theta transport & DAC, Audio Research Pre & Power system into big Martin Logans.

It sounded very good indeed and got me thinking about valves which is why I eventually bought my current amp.

Regards
Steve

I first heard an audio system that shocked me into believing sound could be better than my Dual 505, mid-price Rotel amp and Celestion DL4 speakers in O'Brien's Hi-Fi in Wimbledon Village in 1988. It was a Pink Triangle TT with Incatech amp and Linn Kans. I was amazed such a sound could come out of such small speakers.

Peter

Hearing Avante Garde Duos on the end of a decent turntable and amps. Scale and dynamics to challenge the real thing. Truely there was an orchestra in the verrrry large demo room.

- GregB

Insert Witty Signature Line Here

A friend at Uni - LP12/Ittok/K5/Nait 1/small speakers

I couldn't get over the sense of being part of the music rather than just hearing it. Set me off on the road of upgrades, so he's got a lot to answer for.

Steve.

Basis Debut, Graham, Koetsu, 52, 2 x 500 and Wilson WAMMs. Effortless and involving.

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Originally posted by nodrog:
I was amazed such a sound could come out of such small speakers.

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When I was contracting in Holland I had a room in an apartment over there. Being into music I always travelled with a little system, at the time this was an Arcam Alpha 1 CD, Arcam Alpha 5+ amp and bi-wired Mission 731LE's. One of the consultants who shared the apartment with me (a Swiss chap) just could not believe the sounds coming from this little setup, and in particular from those tiny little speakers. He was talking about going and buying some but unfortunately I don't know if he ever did!

Regards
Steve

"We were firmly in the light and rigid camp"
Paul D

How far did you get? I used to deal Sound Organisation supports back in the 80's and their literature recommended having a single support for each component. After getting used to that kind of setup it was very hard to accept the compromise of adding the bottom shelf and another component to one of their supports. We demonstrated this effect to many of our customers and most of them went with that kind of setup. I would go as far as to say that I would prefer a passive DMS system with everything on dedicated SO tables to an Active PMS system where the pre-amps and amps were not on dedicated supports.

Back in the early/mid eighties in the States S.O. was the only real player in the Hi-Fi support arena. What Hi-Fi shops or individuals had their systems setup in this manner back then? I would bet few.

A friends Linn LK280/Spark driving my Isobariks properly for the first time...To much higher levels, and with more"drive", "balls" and "slam". Rather embarrasingly, I gingerly sold my NAP250 and hunted down a Linn LK280/Spark...and made over £200 on the deal, which paid for a stageline for my Jecklins. One Question.....
Why no-one tried this????

This isn't a surprise. Similarly, SBLs aren't the perfect match for Linn amps.

Andrew

Andrew Randle
Currently in the "Linn Binn"

The first time I really heard decent musical reproduction was a couple years ago at soundzeros - I believe that he had at that time an LP12/Armageddon/CD3-5/72/Hi-Cap/140/Spendor 1/2e. This was shocking after living life assuming that a Sony 200 CD changer was the ultimate source. Martin Denny and Yma Sumac have never sounded better. I've been hooked ever since.

Erik

Although not in the top league overall one demo showed me what you can get.

Linn LP12/Ekos/Troika, Exposure X, Arcam 3? speakers (Not totaly sure of the name now, stand mounts)

The impressive part was the first real insight into PRaT. It was great fun to listen to. Then a dealer offered me a 62/90 for the same price as the Exposure.

Another was the first LP12 dem when initially I was not overly impressed so he changed amps from a budget Onkyo to an A&R A60. suffice to say I ended up with both the LP12 and the A60.

Milan

1) the first "hi-fi" system I heard: ElectroCompaniet Emc1, YBA delta intégré, Martin Logan SL3 loudspeakers.
2) a fabulous Gryphon CDPlayer/Nac52/Supercap/nap135/NBL
3) .... my system??? It is always magic!! (CDX/Nac102/Supercap/Nap180/Diy Siare speakers.


Charles