Hi-Fi Honesty

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Lurcher300b
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Re: Hi-Fi Honesty

Unread post by Lurcher300b »

Daniel Quinn wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2019 12:18 pm That's today.

Tommorow you may learn something that results in a better sound.

Knowledge is not static
Yes of course, that's why I asked
What was it you know when you made the Claymore that you didn't when you made the Magnum?
Its very easy to fall into the habit of describing something as new and better when in fact its not, it just different (for any number of reasons), which is exactly what the thread is about. Very little in audio electronics is fundamentally different unless the last version was broken, but its easy to allow the marketing head to take over.

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Dr Bunsen Honeydew
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Re: Hi-Fi Honesty

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Exactly - well said.

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Re: Hi-Fi Honesty

Unread post by Geoff.R.G »

This thread has been an interesting read. I am not terribly surprised that the Hi-Fi industry is in decline, I couldn't begin to afford what some pieces of equipment retail for nor would I have any desire to do so. It seems to me that for may years it has been more about the equipment than the music. Time to go back to basics without the "bling", flashing lights and fancy displays. Ditch the remote control and listen to the music.

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Re: Hi-Fi Honesty

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''Kick out the Jams''
Kevin.

No Valves - Technics SL1210/Jelco/DL103 (vdh) - Phono2 - P50SA - A70's - Cubettes
Valves - Cambridge CD - World Designs Pre3 - WAD 6550 - Troels Gravesen CA18rnx speakers.

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Colin Wonfor
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Re: Hi-Fi Honesty

Unread post by Colin Wonfor »

Geoff.R.G wrote: Wed Mar 27, 2019 3:23 pm This thread has been an interesting read. I am not terribly surprised that the Hi-Fi industry is in decline, I couldn't begin to afford what some pieces of equipment retail for nor would I have any desire to do so. It seems to me that for may years it has been more about the equipment than the music. Time to go back to basics without the "bling", flashing lights and fancy displays. Ditch the remote control and listen to the music.
No bling on NO no TQ cool.

Well it happen yesterday we sent a Q20 to a customer with Tannoys, and he hated it. He said no bass and the dynamics were not there. Great another challenge. To make Tannoys work on a Q20 yippeee busy again.
It can be done so imagine it.

mikeyb48
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Re: Hi-Fi Honesty

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Colin Wonfor wrote: Thu Mar 28, 2019 8:42 am
Well it happen yesterday we sent a Q20 to a customer with Tannoys, and he hated it. He said no bass and the dynamics were not there. Great another challenge. To make Tannoys work on a Q20 yippeee busy again.
Strange, drove my PMC 21's brilliantly ( they ain't easy to get bass out of with their 5.5" drivers ) when we tried it at Ali's.

Send one to me to test and I'll let you know it goes with Tannoys ( Berkeleys ).

:mrgreen:

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Lindsayt
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Re: Hi-Fi Honesty

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_D_S_J_R_ wrote: Tue Mar 26, 2019 8:22 am
Last time...

The Isobarik was NOT square and ugly, it was rectangular, quite deep for a speaker box and a good pair drove a suitable room rather well. The KEF drive units aren't in the slightest bit bland - quite the opposite in that period and I still respect the Concertos if raised off the floor a little - have you even heard a pair? NOTHING like the stuff they made in the 80's! Early 'Briks had twin crossovers, so a three ohm load in the midrange that most domestic amps of the late 70's couldn't handle. Top firing mid (and tweeter). Sound familiar?

One magazine 'raved' about it, Chris Frankland. A shame Paul Messenger can't be persuaded to come here and put you right on many of these things - Lord, he hung around this scene enough at the time (and I'm not criticising either). Can't say any more - not worth the headache I'm getting. As for upwards facing drive units, all the Cubes do this, but even more so...
You're being pedantic by correcting my square and ugly comment with "rectangular". Compared to my other vintage speakers from Bozak, EV and Sansui, they are square. If you like, take my comment about them being square as in the 1960's hippy cliche "square" as in uncool.

Part of the reason for Briks being an April Fools joke is that, not only were they highly expensive, they were also hyped to sell with expensive Naim amplification.

Whereas the classic JBL, EV, Altec speakers of the time sounded fine with modest amplification because they're not a stupidly awkward load and they're better sounding speakers with better sounding drivers in them.

Those Kef drivers in my Briks are bland compared to other better classic drivers available at the time. The likes of the lightweight Altec 15" and 12" woofers, EV T350 tweeters, Altec 802-8G upper frequency drivers, etc.

Popular Hi-Fi, What Hi-fi, Hi-fi Answers all recommended Briks as the best speakers you could buy when I was a lad. Other magazines may well have raved about them too, but those were the only hi-fi magazines bought by my family at the time.

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Dr Bunsen Honeydew
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Re: Hi-Fi Honesty

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

Compared with the Yanks we were brainwashed into mediocrity, starting with BBC design, and yes Kef drivers were a large part of the problem especially when you think that Goodmans, Celestion Richard Allen were producing FAR better made and consistent drivers, but the bullshit took over the market which seems to be our constant problem.

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Re: Hi-Fi Honesty

Unread post by _D_S_J_R_ »

This is supposed to be a thread about HiFi Honesty, so apologies if my honesty isn't quite the same as some of yours, based on different perspectives and experiences...

By the late 70's in the UK, US speakers weren't so cheap any more and I suspect many of the better larger models didn't come over here along with so much else that stayed in Germany if imported into Europe. JBL L150's cost double the price of any competitors I believe, EV only marketed or promoted one model here I think, to the domestic market, the three way with wood faced tin-can phase plug on one driver and external active eq box (potentially good) and KLH were out of it by then, the models too damned coloured, as were the very few JBL's we had available on the domestic market. I did have a huge soft spot for the funky sounding JBL made budget range by Bolivar, but to say things like this were streets ahead of any UK offerings is incorrect in my experience. The market was moving away from big boxes anyway by this time I seem to remember.

By the way, very few amps could actually drive Isobariks in the early days and I honestly don't think they were designed that way just to flog Naim (bolt up 250 is NOTHING like the CB model post 1980, but most today won't know that perhaps?). In fact, little short of a Crown/Amcron DC300A could drive the Ariston version in the early 70's before Naim got started! Oh and one more thing, you hadn't heard late 70's passive Isobariks until you thrashed a Quatre/QMI Gain Cell into a pair - 800WPC into 2 ohms.. Bloody 'ell they rocked, although it appears this amp was run on a knife edge and most have now ceased to be...

Don't know how I can add more, as my experiences demming, owning three different pairs and selling the effin' things seem so much at odds with other opinions and experiences..
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way...The time has gone, The song is over, Thought I'd something more to say...

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Dr Bunsen Honeydew
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Re: Hi-Fi Honesty

Unread post by Dr Bunsen Honeydew »

The first post explains how our market was manipulated. The sad thing is you still think what was in fact crap was good, because that was the way of things and anyone saying the King is nude was called mad. The sat on non musical fart of the BBC followed by the squarking noise of the flat earth shite was all you had and your ears and brain is still bent by it. The good British companies both in speakers and turntables were *literally* killed by you people in the flat earth shops and the brainwashed stooooooooooooopidity of it. You are the ONE voice defending it because you were part of it, and you are very welcome to put your POV, but it gives the rest of us who see through the bullshit opportunity to ram home THE TRUTH!!
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