This has been the busiest week in a year, with lots of gear leaving:
The
Heco P2001 speakers. These were caught the eye of someone who came to hear the
Audax speakers, loved them, and then realized they were too big. They were perfect. They really are as clear and neutral as ADS/Braun.
The
Soundstage hybrid tube integrated. In the end it sounds pleasant, but to me it's really a tube buffer with a volume control, not a serious piece of tube equipment. I should stick to the seventies.
The
Pioneer SX-838, a magnificent beast: rock solid high quality construction, very classic cool look, beautiful sound.
The
Kenwood KA-701 integrated amplifier. Another magnificent beast, with a look that reflects it's sound: a little cooler and more 'detailed' than some seventies icons, but never fatiguing.
The
EPI 100V speakers. Enough said. I feel great every time someone leaves with a speaker this good.
Marantz 2220B with dinged corner. Cliches are cliches for a reason. This is a fantastic, easily accessible example from the most iconic receiver line ever made. If you've never heard a Marantz, this is a brilliant way to see what the fuss is about.
Arriving today, a Thorens TD-165 with Nagaoka MP-11 cartridge, expertly set up by a good friend of this blog. He is an audio pro with years of experience setting up many fantastic but finicky tables. The suspension on this baby has been perfectly adjusted, and it sounds fantastic.
These speakers left quickly, snapped up by a friend of the blog. The mids blew while listening to Mozart (that's his story and he's sticking to it!), and I had the opportunity to get them back in a complicated trade. The original mids are a copy of the famous Braun midrange dome, and could be repaired, but I am cheap, and had 2 excellent Philips dome mids, that are a perfect fit and an improvement on the originals.
For many people, Herman Leonard's photos are what jazz looks like. He died yesterday at the age of 87. Check out this beautiful slideshow put together by the BBC, and his website.
I have a humble Dual CS 530 turntable. It more often came in silver. This charcoal version looks much better. The 'table uses more plastic than I'm usually comfortable with, but is well made where it counts, and is much less of a letdown after the Rega and Thorens turntables than I was expecting.
This sweet little set from Harman Kardon is competitive with the NAD 3020/4020 combination that I love so much.
The Sansui AU 505 is the sixth Sansui integrated I've had, and showcases everything I love about the brand.
I am learning more with each small veneer job. This went very smoothly, including removing the turntable from the plinth, and reassembling it. There was a metal strip about three quarters of the way up the front, to stop the original dustcover.I knew I wouldn't find a Thorens replacement easily, and went to one of my favourite buy/sell (not quite pawnshop) guys. He kindly sold me a clear cover and hinges from a beat up Luxman table that fits like it was made this 'table.
I was not expecting these to strip so easily. The old finish blistered and peeled in sheets. The speakers are really nice on first listen. The brochure is here.
