What extinct Hi Fi manufacture do you miss the most?

Quad, UK 

Clive B posted:

For me it would be Armstrong. I had a friend at school whose father had an Armstrong 621 (pictured above) and I thought it was the coolest thing on the planet. It was 40wpc which in the late 70s was quite a powerful amplifier, particularly given its diminutive size. I eventually managed to save enough money from my Saturday job to buy one, but it must have had some fault as I seem to recall that I took it back and bought a Japanese amplifier instead.

I still think it is a beautiful looking design. 

Gosh. I remember that amp.  A very good friend of mine bought one at the about the same time that I bought an A&R A60. He was seduced by the outputs specs.  Within a week or two I drew his attention to how Crime Of The Century sounded on his system compared to mine where his was comparatively light on the bass lines. He quickly traded in the Armstrong and went a bought an A60.  

Hungryhalibut posted:

Pcd posted:

Tandberg ,had a cassette as in the first post picture plus ARC speakers.

Interesting that you mention ARC. I had a pair of their 050 speakers and they were really excellent. You could pull off the crossover and run them active with a Nytech. I used them with a Meridian 101/103D though. 

 

HH, very interesting re ARC speakers I live between Bristol and Bath about 37 years ago I worked at a garage very close to Chew Magna where the late Richard Hay the owner of Nytech Audio manufactured his range of electronics.

I became quite friendly with Richard and visited his house on numerous occasions to listen to various systems ending up owning a full active Nytech and ARC 202 set up. I was using a Systemdek at the time but Richard wouldn't sell me a system till I upgraded to a Linn LP12.

If I remember correctly ARC who I believe were based in Manchester had the 050,101 and the 202 with as you said with the removable crossovers on the back excellent speakers indeed.

Who would you have thought back then we would have SL speaker cables and the like ?

I remember when the 135s were introduced, at twice the price of the 250. I was told that Naim were amazed people bought them as they were so expensive. My first LP12 was £249 and I bought it by saving up during my gap year by working at B&Q. I got it on my 18th birthday, and every single penny I saved up myself. And the Rega arm cost £43. 

Pcd posted:

Hungryhalibut posted:

Pcd posted:

Tandberg ,had a cassette as in the first post picture plus ARC speakers.

Interesting that you mention ARC. I had a pair of their 050 speakers and they were really excellent. You could pull off the crossover and run them active with a Nytech. I used them with a Meridian 101/103D though. 

 

 

Who would you have thought back then we would have SL speaker cables and the like ?

Quite - QED79 strand (or twisted RS56 strand as the cheap option) and speakers on stands with castors...

Revox.

Since my teenage years I always loved the design and uniqueness  of the brand but the golden years are long gone.

Tony2011 posted:

Revox.

Since my teenage years I always loved the design and uniqueness  of the brand but the golden years are long gone.

I agree I owned Revox for years. Back in the years they where a great audio experience...

Leak

Purely because it's the first hi-fi that I remember. My father had it driving a Quad ESL during the sixties into the seventies. I remember how I used to enjoy just turning the knobs when it was off and feeling how well damped they were. 

Stevee_S posted:

Leak

Purely because it's the first hi-fi that I remember. My father had it driving a Quad ESL during the late sixties into the seventies. I remember how I used to enjoy just turning the knobs when it was off and feeling how well damped they were. 

Good call, Steve. My first proper pair of speakers were Leak sandwich. I remember them fondly.  

MDS posted:

Stevee_S posted:

Leak

Purely because it's the first hi-fi that I remember. My father had it driving a Quad ESL during the late sixties into the seventies. I remember how I used to enjoy just turning the knobs when it was off and feeling how well damped they were. 

Good call, Steve. My first proper pair of speakers were Leak sandwich. I remember them fondly.  

I do remember my Dad parking the Quad ESL in the loft and switching to Leak speakers, would they have been Sandwich? I can't remember but it rings a bell Mike. 

The ones that did promotion like this.

Richard Dane posted:

Nakamichi.

Back in the early '80s as a young student in the States I quickly discovered that Nakamichi was the name in Cassette decks. You didn't have to be an audiophile to know that the best tape decks in the world were made by Nakamichi - they were the best and nobody was going to argue with that. If you wanted to swap Dead bootlegs then it had to be recorded on Maxell UD XLII or XLII-S on a Nakamichi, otherwise it just wasn't good enough - despite the fact that really the performance of a Nakamichi was somewhat wasted on what were often fairly lo-fi multi-generational dubs taken from what were fairly ropey masters.

My first taste of a Nakamichi came from my neighbour who let me use his LX-5.  Next was a roommate who had the then-new BX-1.  Both were so much better than my own Technics.  I knew I and to have my own and so I traded the Technics for a BX-2.  My roommate moved on from the BX-1 to an RX-202.  That was a really cool deck with it's unidirectional auto-reverse and so when I realised that I was going to need a Nak back home in the UK for the holidays, I worked the summer picking hops and apples to scrape together enough to buy my own RX-202.  I was helped by the fact that a very strong pound that year mean't that Nak prices were at an all time low and the local dealer had just received their latest delivery which included a bunch of RX202s.  I kept that 202 for many years in spite of moving up to a BX300 and then a Cassette Deck 1.5.  Since then I have collected lots of different Naks of one sort or another, from an original 700 to my absolute dream Nak, the ZX-9, the deck that Nakamichi built to make their own recordings.  

What a wonderfully focussed company.  You always knew that when you had a Nakamichi, even a basic one, it was going to sound good.  Nakamichi we miss you.

Oh God I wanted a Dragon almost as badly as I wanted Debbie Harry, and I'm still tempted now just so that I would know I managed to get one, and that applies to the Dragon too.

I'd have to say Heybrook though, because I had a set of HB1s that were just brilliant for the price and I loved them

The only audio product AGI ever manufactured was a wonderful, built like a tank, Model 511 Stereo Amplifier which I used for 21 years teamed up with a Quad 405 amp.

Where to start? IMF Loudspeakers, TLS50. Anyone remember them? Another impressive transmission line design from the time was the Cambridge R50. Both used Kef drivers. Then there's the Tannoy Dual Concentric series. They had so much more clarity and precision than other speakers from that time, as I recall. I used to work in Lasky's in Tottenham Court Road on Saturdays and school holidays in the 1970s and so had the privilege of arranging my own demos!

Also reinforce Richard's perceptions of Nakamichi. I remember the first time I heard the Nak Dragon 1000. Such clarity it was stunning. It was difficult to believe that it was a cassette machine. The 600 slopey cassette, pre- and power-amp were impressive too. Happy days.

Nakamichi is a good shout because they did that particular technology the best. Times moved on technologically,  but they were the best at what they did.

DNM were superb hair-shirt minimalist pre-amps. I used a 3 Series twin with a chrome bumper 250 despite warnings not to and it was superb with an LP12, Ittok, Karma front end. The best available (then) Naim preamp was the NAC32 and didn't get remotely close.

Pink Triangle's da Capo DAC was a beauty in its day too. Worked a treat as my CD front end with a Roksan Attessa transport for several years before CDS2 usurped it. 

james n posted:

 

I miss Royd (although the brand is back in a somewhat different form) - Joe Ackroyd made some marvellous speakers and could do some amazing things with those little bass units 

Plus One.

Your'e not wrong there. I've bought a pair of spare mid/bass drivers for my RR1's. The RR1's are definitely keepers.

Yes, IMF TLS50 and Thresholds of the past made a stunning synergy.

Counterpoint tube preamps.

Marcopolovitch posted:

Cambridge R50

For a while my sister ran a pair of £75 R40s that I found for her, with her Nait 1 . Could probably have done with a 72/ HC/ 250, though, to this day, it's a combo I've not heard.

C.

Tandberg, long gone tuner 3011,but still have fasett speakers in storage (originally had them "mounted" in the back of a 76 corolla lift-back facing forward. also still have (recently serviced) tcd-340a cassette,serves no real purpose today,but still lovely to look at and use. Early kenwood and even old lafayette- fun to see,when it turns up now and again. Revox and to a certain extent jadis and early vac- such beautiful tube equipment. I tried once before to ask what ppl. (on this forum) thought was the best looking equipment- never mind the sound, which is even harder to judge. One more ,old luxman (although the current stuff is stunning to look at too).

Nice story Richard. Thanks for sharing. It's a wonderful thing to read about the sacrifices that we make for the passion that we love. I used to fantasize about having the Yamaha KX-580 SE deck many years ago after reading the reviews on hifi mags (I can still remember the model of this deck, and this goes on to show my strong passion to own this thing). In the end the purchase did not materialise.

Two that come to mind are the BIC Cassette decks from the 70s/80s and the Aura amps of the 90s. The BICs were two speed decks that gave Naks a run for their money. More complex than they needed to be, but at double speed phenomenal sounding. I severely regret selling my T3M in the early 90's to pay for...the Aura Va100II amp. These are just beautiful pieces of industrial design, sleek looks, minimalist - soundwise a little ponderous and full sounding, hence the move to Naim...

regards,

Giles

Another vote for Royd. So much pleasure for so little outlay. Brilliant designs.  

Richard Dane posted:

Nakamichi.

Back in the early '80s as a young student in the States I quickly discovered that Nakamichi was the name in Cassette decks. You didn't have to be an audiophile to know that the best tape decks in the world were made by Nakamichi - they were the best and nobody was going to argue with that. If you wanted to swap Dead bootlegs then it had to be recorded on Maxell UD XLII or XLII-S on a Nakamichi, otherwise it just wasn't good enough - despite the fact that really the performance of a Nakamichi was somewhat wasted on what were often fairly lo-fi multi-generational dubs taken from what were fairly ropey masters.

My first taste of a Nakamichi came from my neighbour who let me use his LX-5.  Next was a roommate who had the then-new BX-1.  Both were so much better than my own Technics.  I knew I and to have my own and so I traded the Technics for a BX-2.  My roommate moved on from the BX-1 to an RX-202.  That was a really cool deck with it's unidirectional auto-reverse and so when I realised that I was going to need a Nak back home in the UK for the holidays, I worked the summer picking hops and apples to scrape together enough to buy my own RX-202.  I was helped by the fact that a very strong pound that year mean't that Nak prices were at an all time low and the local dealer had just received their latest delivery which included a bunch of RX202s.  I kept that 202 for many years in spite of moving up to a BX300 and then a Cassette Deck 1.5.  Since then I have collected lots of different Naks of one sort or another, from an original 700 to my absolute dream Nak, the ZX-9, the deck that Nakamichi built to make their own recordings.  

What a wonderfully focussed company.  You always knew that when you had a Nakamichi, even a basic one, it was going to sound good.  Nakamichi we miss you.

Those were the days! 

Wine, Roses, and Music! 

Allante93! 

Marcopolovitch posted:

Where to start? IMF Loudspeakers, TLS50. Anyone remember them? Another impressive transmission line design from the time was the Cambridge R50. Both used Kef drivers. Then there's the Tannoy Dual Concentric series. They had so much more clarity and precision than other speakers from that time, as I recall. I used to work in Lasky's in Tottenham Court Road on Saturdays and school holidays in the 1970s and so had the privilege of arranging my own demos!

 

+1 for IMF. I had TLS50-2s from new in about 1976 (I remember Lasky's, but these were from round the corner at KJ Leisuresound!). I kept for about 14 years, replacing the surrounds on the mid drivers shortly before that, then had the Mk 1 or 2 version of what became the RSPM - kept from about 1990 till last year.  The TLS 50s went to my brotherin-law in 1990, and returned to my house last year when said brother-in-law was offered my RSPMs. One of my sons now uses the TLS50s in his bedroom, which I recapped on their return home (he'd have happily had the RSPMs but they really did not fit, literally!). Having said all that, PMC (which is what I have now), are doing a great job of continuing TL development, more of a son of IMF than their true heir, TDL, became.

I auditioned the Tannoy Arden at the time of buying the TLS50s, but though they beat most of the other competition I preferred the IMFs - however the dual concentrics live on, for example in the wonderful but too huge to contemplate Westminster Royals.

Johnell posted:

Rola Celestion.  

I don't know of any hi-fi enthusiast that lived in Ipswich in the 70s and 80s who didn't know somebody, either directly or indirectly, that worked at the factory and could get "cheap speakers".  I tried various models over the years but even with the discount, I never could quite stretch to the SL6/600 ranges. In hindsight that was probably a good thing because I reckon they would have shown up my front end and amps pretty badly.  

Full history here: http://www.bygonetones.com/the...ry-of-celestion.html

But Celestion are still going, albeit now they mainly make guitar amplifier speakers - and very nice they are too!