Nytech Audio

Yeah they've been knocking around for a few years now. I think the chap that started this off used to repair a lot of the old kit and went from there. Looks good but as you say, doesn't have the character of the old designs, particularly the lovely CTA 252XD. Richard Hay made some interesting kit.

Thanks James I very nearly bought of their old pre/power amps a couple of years back just for the nostalgia but I've never actually heard one.                                                                                                               

Might be fun to try if you see some come up again Bob, especially with your latest setup. My first exposure to 'proper' Hi-Fi was a friends Dad at school who had an LP12, Nytech CTA252 and ARC101 speakers (on the obligatory castor stands and with QED79 strand cable). Nytech eventually became ION systems and some of the DNA I think is still in the Heed range of kit. They also worked with ARC, mainly around the activation of the ARC speakers as this was at the time when AR Cambridge, Nytech, Meridian and Naim were offering active amp setups.

There is a Nytech / Ion systems appreciation thread in the pink place which is a very good read. Must go and have another read myself as they were interesting times.

James

My first amp was a slope fronted Nytech CA202 and it was a sweet little thing. After a dem, it was chosen in preference to a Creek 4040. The Nait1 was just out of budget (first system). The little Nytech's only real issue was that it would run out of steam at higher volumes, even with my efficient MA speakers. The CA252 was much better in this regard - also out of budget. Always really liked the distinct styling of the fascia and also the slider controls. I traded it in for a Linn Intek, which in hindsight, was just a hateful thing.

Would be interesting to hear that new unit.

I still have a Nytech CTA252XDII Receiver that I was given, in nigh on mint condition in its original box.  I've long been meaning to get it properly serviced, however, at some point someone tried to change the caps and bodged it - hardly surprising as it's a bit of a service techs nightmare inside with very little room anywhere to properly get at anything.  I keep telling myself I'll get it done.  Someday...

Apart from that I used to have a lot of Ion kit (Ion was the successor to Nytech), the Obelisk 1, 2, 3, 3x + X-Pak, and the FMT tuner.  The Ob1 was Ok, nothing special though.  Things got rather good with the 2 and the 3 - not much to choose between them in sound, so the 2 is probably the better buy these days.  The star by far though was the 2-box Obelisk 3x with the X-Pak off board power supply. A fantastic amp. Oh, and the other star was the tuner - it seemed to use Magnum Dynalab sourced parts - very cute too in its shoebox case.  I should dig them out of their boxes someday and put up a picture here.

It never ceases to amaze me how much stuff we accumulate over time. Richard, precisely how many sheds, garages, barns, warehouses, aircraft hangars of kit do you own?

Yetizone posted:

My first amp was a slope fronted Nytech CA202 and it was a sweet little thing. After a dem, it was chosen in preference to a Creek 4040. The Nait1 was just out of budget (first system). The little Nytech's only real issue was that it would run out of steam at higher volumes, even with my efficient MA speakers. The CA252 was much better in this regard - also out of budget. Always really liked the distinct styling of the fascia and also the slider controls. I traded it in for a Linn Intek, which in hindsight, was just a hateful thing.

Would be interesting to hear that new unit.

Oh that sends me back.

Around about 1984 -1985 there was a shop in my hometown which rented out records and sold alot of blank cassette tapes.....I wonder why   .I was a regular customer but I always remember the system they had it was a LP12 with a Basik LVV arm and a Audiotechnica AT 95 cartridge a Nytech CA 202 and Mordant Short Pageant Loudspeakers.

Sounded great very punchy.

Always loved the minimalist styleling of the early Nytech kit but never owned any

Yetizone posted:

My first amp was a slope fronted Nytech CA202 and it was a sweet little thing. After a dem, it was chosen in preference to a Creek 4040. The Nait1 was just out of budget (first system). The little Nytech's only real issue was that it would run out of steam at higher volumes, even with my efficient MA speakers. The CA252 was much better in this regard - also out of budget. Always really liked the distinct styling of the fascia and also the slider controls. I traded it in for a Linn Intek, which in hindsight, was just a hateful thing.

Would be interesting to hear that new unit.

Ooh - I had one of those.  It was pretty good.  Pity about the slider volume and balance controls - their tracks got dirty quickly.

Loki posted:

It never ceases to amaze me how much stuff we accumulate over time. Richard, precisely how many sheds, garages, barns, warehouses, aircraft hangars of kit do you own?

Loki, stuff come and goes.  I only have the Ion Ob3x +X-Pak and the tuner now, and they come in nice little boxes...

A few posts in, it's surely time that the ARC 101s get an honorary mention

Christopher_M posted:

A few posts in, it's surely time that the ARC 101s get an honorary mention

They already have

james n posted:

Christopher_M posted:

A few posts in, it's surely time that the ARC 101s get an honorary mention

They already have

Apologies James, second coffee needed

Talking of ARC, I always liked the little Atoms. Never heard a pair but they looked like they'd be a lot of fun (and the ION JC-1 version was supposed to be superb).

The JC-1 was superb but not really an Atom in the end but did evolve from it.

The prototypes started with an Atom enclosure with different drive units, the bass unit was hand made in house in somebody's garage in Poole, Dorset along with the assembly of the whole speaker using a Scanspeak tweeter (same model as the SBL) and a ported cabinet of similar dimensions to the Atom (the Atom was a sealed box).  They worked really well flat up against the wall though just like Kans did.

The designer was offered a job at Ion as production manager where the manufacture of the speaker continued in Wales, rebranded under the ION name.  They were originally called the JC-1 after John Chapman who had a Linn/Naim/Rega/Ion/Arc dealership in Bournemouth (formerly Russ Andrews Hifi).

Interestingly I recall Julian Vereker coming over to listen to them one day, I was leaving as he arrived.  He was so impressed with the JC-1 that he took a pair away with him and they were used as the speaker of choice at an upcoming show.  This was at the time where Linn and Naim were going their separate ways and Naim wanted to use a different brand of speakers to Linn and Naim had not started on their speaker journey at that time.

John went on to supply around 50 units to Naim and their employees.

I still have a 'breathed on' pair in the loft, In my view they wipe the floor with Kans even where Kans are strongest in fun and engagement.  I must get them down one day for a nostalgic listen.

I used mine mainly with Ion amplification, preferring it to the Naim 42/Hicap/250 that I had at the time.  I used an ION preamp (a special one-off based on the 3x + X-Pak) with the Nexus monoblocks.  These were an interesting design as they were modular, you could start with a stereo power amp and later add a second amp and move one amp module over to the 2nd unit, making 2 mono amplifiers.  These had more weight than the 250 and drove the JC-1's really well. 

I also had an active setup with a CA252 and the 2nd power amp with the active crossover driving ARC 050's.  That was a nice system fronted with an LP12. 

Richard

Loki posted:

It never ceases to amaze me how much stuff we accumulate over time. Richard, precisely how many sheds, garages, barns, warehouses, aircraft hangars of kit do you own?

If I had had the access to hifi that I imagine Richard has I would need a small country to store it in!

I worked in a garage in the next village to where the late Richard Hay lived and had his Nytech manufacturing facility. He was a very likeable character.

I visited his house and listened to different set ups on numerous  occasions starting with active brides driven my Nytech amplification source was an LP12 with a Grace arm and  Supex cartridge.

This was the late seventies early eighties the era the Flat Earth Society active speakers seemed to be very popular back then. Richard worked with ARC Speakers and I did in fact end up with a pair of Active ARC 202 speakers with Nytech amplification 602s if I remember rightly.

I did hear a pair of ARC 101s and thought they sounded a bit special Richard peeled back the foam grille revealing a set of ARC 202 drive units !!

The tuner section of Nytech was excellent I believe Richard had something do with The Endinburgh Wireless Company who made a tuner and this was a basis for the Nytech tuner.

In fact he let me borrow one of there tuners to try out it had the same footprint as the Naim Classic range but was slightly taller weighed next to nothing the internal components would fit in a couple of fag packets but it sounded amazing.

He moved to mid Wales and I pretty sure that is when he got involved with Ion Systems.

Fond memories indeed ?

Richard Dane posted:

I still have a Nytech CTA252XDII Receiver that I was given, in nigh on mint condition in its original box.  I've long been meaning to get it properly serviced, however, at some point someone tried to change the caps and bodged it - hardly surprising as it's a bit of a service techs nightmare inside with very little room anywhere to properly get at anything.  I keep telling myself I'll get it done.  Someday...

Apart from that I used to have a lot of Ion kit (Ion was the successor to Nytech), the Obelisk 1, 2, 3, 3x + X-Pak, and the FMT tuner.  The Ob1 was Ok, nothing special though.  Things got rather good with the 2 and the 3 - not much to choose between them in sound, so the 2 is probably the better buy these days.  The star by far though was the 2-box Obelisk 3x with the X-Pak off board power supply. A fantastic amp. Oh, and the other star was the tuner - it seemed to use Magnum Dynalab sourced parts - very cute too in its shoebox case.  I should dig them out of their boxes someday and put up a picture here.

Richard, the current Nytech service pretty much all original kit, or can supply repair / service kits. I just serviced my 202 after 36 years and can say Phil Ballam how runs current company was a gent to deal with. I now have my 202 with Squeezebox touch in bedroom system and really is very good.

i think the only show stopper in terms of parts is the slider volume and balance that can’t be sourced anymore.

the other interesting thing is that the factory devised a special sled to hold the 202/252 type amps as they fold open, but are best at different heights as there isn’t much play in cables connecting the boards. Still a bugger to work on though!