HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

Hannson.UK wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 2:29 am

CN211276 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2023 12:34 am

Hannson.UK wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2023 12:23 am

Do you have any evidence to support your accusation?

From what Richard Dunn posted on this forum and I respect his opinions. It is in the archives along with a telephone conversation he had with Ivor about it. He was seriously affected by the distorted market along with others manufactures. It is well known that Ivor was a backer of the Conservative party leaning to the right.

You still haven’t provided any evidence for your assertions. BTW I’m no Linn fan boy. I don’t own any of their products, but let’s keep the discussion factual.

CN has referred to something that someone else posted, and stated that he respects the person who posted it (and he presumably believes what was posted)..

Readers can make their own minds up about whether they share his opinion, and whether they believe what was posted.

Hannson.UK wrote: ↑Thu Dec 07, 2023 2:29 am

CN211276 wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2023 12:34 am

Hannson.UK wrote: ↑Tue Dec 05, 2023 12:23 am

Do you have any evidence to support your accusation?

From what Richard Dunn posted on this forum and I respect his opinions. It is in the archives along with a telephone conversation he had with Ivor about it. He was seriously affected by the distorted market along with others manufactures. It is well known that Ivor was a backer of the Conservative party leaning to the right.

You still haven’t provided any evidence for your assertions. BTW I’m no Linn fan boy. I don’t own any of their products, but let’s keep the discussion factual.

viewtopic.php?f=3&t=49993&p=190954&hili ... er#p190954

The search function is pretty good on this forum.

That thread is one of the very last that RD was active on, he never concealed facts.

I liked the simplicity of the recommendations of popular HiFi and their Haymarket sister What HiFi - in the eighties in my early twenties I had no idea of what might be good or not good, had hardly any money to spend, bought all my HiFi on HP, so the front end first approach that trickled down from Linn was at least a starting point. Would I be correct in saying that for every Linn Naim dealer there was an alternative dealer in town stocking Ariston Heybrook , Pink Triangle etc ? , well that was true in Tonbridge and they got my money ( ahem I mean the HP companies money ) cant say that the choice was all about quality of music, I actually loved the dems that the Linn Naim dealer did for me, and they made you coffee, but I just couldnt afford their stuff - so got Ariston RD80 SL as my first serious TT and then later a Townsend Rock II, but TBH if I was going to buy a turntable now I would still have an LP12 on the list of those to look out for on fleabay. Any rancour I might have about Linn's influence on the market would just be with the benefit of hindsight ......... I couldnt afford their stuff ..... but the systems hiearchy approach - did help me ( I think ... )

Popular Hi-fi and What Hi-fi were simple in their recommendations, In both meanings of the word.
Simple in terms of not complicated. Simple in terms of on a par with what the village idiot would come up with.

For a £500 system, slightly over budget, Popular HiFi would always recommend:
LP12 - £340
Rega arm - £35
Grado cartridge - £12
NAD 3020 amp - £89
Wharfdafle Shelton Speakers - £65

This would out perform any other system, whatever the cost, fronted by another TT.

Ivor laughed all the way to the bank.

CN211276 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 2:18 pm For a £500 system, slightly over budget, Popular HiFi would always recommend:
LP12 - £340
Rega arm - £35
Grado cartridge - £12
NAD 3020 amp - £89
Wharfdafle Shelton Speakers - £65

This would out perform any other system, whatever the cost, fronted by another TT.

Ivor laughed all the way to the bank.

On 2nd thoughts, the village idiot would have seemed like a genius compared to what Popular Hi-fi were recommending.

Lindsayt wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 3:59 pm

CN211276 wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 2:18 pm For a £500 system, slightly over budget, Popular HiFi would always recommend:
LP12 - £340
Rega arm - £35
Grado cartridge - £12
NAD 3020 amp - £89
Wharfdafle Shelton Speakers - £65

This would out perform any other system, whatever the cost, fronted by another TT.

Ivor laughed all the way to the bank.

On 2nd thoughts, the village idiot would have seemed like a genius compared to what Popular Hi-fi were recommending.

There is an extreme example which comes to mind. Someone asked for cassette deck suggestions. The LP12 was recommended on the grounds that it would produce the best recordings what ever the cassette deck.

It should probably be remembered that we weren't all born experts, and 20/20 hindsight is a wonderful thing. I'm pretty sure I'd have "trusted" multiple reviews back in the seventies, long before the internet, and forums like this..

slinger wrote: ↑Sun Dec 10, 2023 6:29 pm It should probably be remembered that we weren't all born experts, and 20/20 hindsight is a wonderful thing. I'm pretty sure I'd have "trusted" multiple reviews back in the seventies, long before the internet, and forums like this..

Indeed. It's what I did back in the early 80's though to the mid 00's. Trusted the magazine reviews and recommendations.
It's what thousands of people did.

If the reviews had continued to be objective and based on limited the sort of measurements they did in 1970, I probably would have bought a better sounding system for less money.

If the reviews had been more of a meritocracy when they became subjective, it's certain that I would have bought a better sounding system for less money.

Now that we have the internet and bake-off events the world of hi-fi has become more of a meritocracy and the level of expertise in terms of how different kit sounds amongst enthusiasts has increased by a lot.
2020 or 1919 hindsight is very much a thing in the world of hi-fi forums. But, as shown by the example of the gentleman referred to in the opening post of this thread, some people have only 1212 hindsight because they've got Linn / Popular Hi-fi tinted spectacles on.