Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 28, 2020 19:25:12 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Feb 28, 2020 19:36:31 GMT
Is that the cart from that Kilian fella?
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 28, 2020 19:48:38 GMT
Is that the cart from that Kilian fella? It is.....HA103-SEL |
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Post by electronumpty on Feb 28, 2020 19:51:30 GMT
Is that the cart from that Kilian fella? It is.....HA103-SEL Cool , 1st impressions? Looks very square! |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 28, 2020 20:09:30 GMT
Cool , 1st impressions? Looks very square! It is very square and to be fair, the cantilever is really thin so as you cue up the record, it's quite hard to find it at first, especially as my eye is drawn to the large wood body However, first impressions are very favourable. Thing is, I want to tweak the loading a little. The recommended value is 70-100ohms but I'm still here on 220ohms. I'm not having any issues at that value mind, but it's worth checking the correct value out. It needs 28 hours on it according to paperwork, so I'll give it that and then have a proper listen |
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Post by jimbo on Feb 28, 2020 20:43:39 GMT
Looks Interesting and can't wait to hear your thoughts!
Looks nice on your tonearm.
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Post by electronumpty on Feb 28, 2020 21:03:55 GMT
Cool , 1st impressions? Looks very square! It is very square and to be fair, the cantilever is really thin so as you cue up the record, it's quite hard to find it at first, especially as my eye is drawn to the large wood body However, first impressions are very favourable. Thing is, I want to tweak the loading a little. The recommended value is 70-100ohms but I'm still here on 220ohms. I'm not having any issues at that value mind, but it's worth checking the correct value out. It needs 28 hours on it according to paperwork, so I'll give it that and then have a proper listen Sweet, I like the colour of the wood ,nice and dark. What's the cantilever made of? |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 28, 2020 21:09:35 GMT
Looks Interesting and can't wait to hear your thoughts! Looks nice on your tonearm. well i have been listening pretty much continually since 18:00, after a quick break to visit my niece on her birthday. I have spent about 4 hours with it in use today and id say in the last hour, it's starting to open up. It's 100% a big step up from the Kb....as much as it hurts to say that. If you have an hour on Sunday, feel free to pop over. I will have about 10 hours on it by then and will have lowered the loading a bit too. I'll only have an hour or so available but you are welcome to have a listen to it whilst it's fresh out of the box. |
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Post by stevew on Feb 28, 2020 21:51:24 GMT
Looks Interesting and can't wait to hear your thoughts! Looks nice on your tonearm. well i have been listening pretty much continually since 18:00, after a quick break to visit my niece on her birthday. I have spent about 4 hours with it in use today and id say in the last hour, it's starting to open up. It's 100% a big step up from the Kb....as much as it hurts to say that. If you have an hour on Sunday, feel free to pop over. I will have about 10 hours on it by then and will have lowered the loading a bit too. I'll only have an hour or so available but you are welcome to have a listen to it whilst it's fresh out of the box. Ohh.. interesting! Bet that’s a relief. What’s the biggest difference? |
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Post by sq225917 on Feb 28, 2020 22:03:18 GMT
Nice.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 28, 2020 22:04:52 GMT
well i have been listening pretty much continually since 18:00, after a quick break to visit my niece on her birthday. I have spent about 4 hours with it in use today and id say in the last hour, it's starting to open up. It's 100% a big step up from the Kb....as much as it hurts to say that. If you have an hour on Sunday, feel free to pop over. I will have about 10 hours on it by then and will have lowered the loading a bit too. I'll only have an hour or so available but you are welcome to have a listen to it whilst it's fresh out of the box. Ohh.. interesting! Bet that’s a relief. What’s the biggest difference? At this stage the HA103-SEL is demonstrating a marked improvement in the placement of singer, guitarist etc in the soundstage. It's like everything has a lot more room exist in. The big thing i noticed was its incisive nature. Its detail retrieval is better than an soon to be ex wife during a divorce battle. No stone unturned kind of thing. Except it aint as vicious or nasty as that soon to be ex wife, its foraging and bringing it to the surface in a deliberate, but controlled way. It's quite an easy thing to get that wrong and become a bit smooth, a bit......BBC toff type. This thing rocks though. A bit late in the day for it, but it walloped The Who - Live at Leeds out, no problem and yes, i was playing air drums etc. I am loving it and i sincerely hope it doesnt change too much over then next 20 hours, as how it is now, suits me perfectly. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 28, 2020 22:05:37 GMT
Thanks  |
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Post by jimbo on Feb 29, 2020 7:06:12 GMT
Looks Interesting and can't wait to hear your thoughts! Looks nice on your tonearm. well i have been listening pretty much continually since 18:00, after a quick break to visit my niece on her birthday. I have spent about 4 hours with it in use today and id say in the last hour, it's starting to open up. It's 100% a big step up from the Kb....as much as it hurts to say that. If you have an hour on Sunday, feel free to pop over. I will have about 10 hours on it by then and will have lowered the loading a bit too. I'll only have an hour or so available but you are welcome to have a listen to it whilst it's fresh out of the box. I will send you a message Oli regarding pop round for a listen. Glad it has worked out well reading your early thoughts. We all get used to listening to something until we hear something better? |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2020 7:12:12 GMT
Its detail retrieval is better than an soon to be ex wife during a divorce battle.  |
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Post by stevew on Feb 29, 2020 7:31:12 GMT
Its detail retrieval is better than an soon to be ex wife during a divorce battle. Guilty, m’lord. |
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Post by macca on Feb 29, 2020 8:30:50 GMT
If it is better than that KB job you had before it must be amazingly good.
Just wondered though if when you found out the KB was knackered and a replacement of similar/better quality was going to cost so much did you not think about abandoning the whole vinyl thing? Even for a minute or two? The cost of replacing the styli was one of the things that finally did it for me.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 29, 2020 8:32:52 GMT
well i have been listening pretty much continually since 18:00, after a quick break to visit my niece on her birthday. I have spent about 4 hours with it in use today and id say in the last hour, it's starting to open up. It's 100% a big step up from the Kb....as much as it hurts to say that. If you have an hour on Sunday, feel free to pop over. I will have about 10 hours on it by then and will have lowered the loading a bit too. I'll only have an hour or so available but you are welcome to have a listen to it whilst it's fresh out of the box. I will send you a message Oli regarding pop round for a listen. Glad it has worked out well reading your early thoughts. We all get used to listening to something until we hear something better? I always knew there was better, I'd heard it. The Vienna was always a step ahead of the Kb but I thought the only way to make that step up was to get a Vienna. The focus was to wait for one to become available or get the Kb as close to it as possible. After all, the Vienna was my reference cartridge. What has happened is fate has taken me off that path and diverted me down another. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 29, 2020 8:40:05 GMT
If it is better than that KB job you had before it must be amazingly good. Just wondered though if when you found out the KB was knackered and a replacement of similar/better quality was going to cost so much did you not think about abandoning the whole vinyl thing? Even for a minute or two? The cost of replacing the styli was one of the things that finally did it for me. Yes I did. *hangs head in shame* I didnt have to go bonkers and buy the HA103-SEL, I could have picked up a Goldring 2500 for a lot less than the price of the HA. Thing is, I had been teetering on the brink of going digital only for some time. The Bigbottle Alan loaned me, made me decide that actually I did want to keep vinyl. Then Angus brought his Prototype Avalon and a few weeks later SQ brought his paradise down and I was reinvigorated. I decided to build a Bigbottle, an Avalon and a Paradise, and see how far I could get with Vinyl......then the Kb dies. Yea, with the build costs, the new cartridge costs, I did think "sell it all and buy a big DAC" The deciding factor was the intriguing possibility of listening to this cartridge. I took a gamble. Its paying off. I was until 01:30 listening to vinyl (quietly lol) |
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Post by macca on Feb 29, 2020 9:00:24 GMT
If it is better than that KB job you had before it must be amazingly good. Just wondered though if when you found out the KB was knackered and a replacement of similar/better quality was going to cost so much did you not think about abandoning the whole vinyl thing? Even for a minute or two? The cost of replacing the styli was one of the things that finally did it for me. Yes I did. *hangs head in shame* I didnt have to go bonkers and buy the HA103-SEL, I could have picked up a Goldring 2500 for a lot less than the price of the HA. Thing is, I had been teetering on the brink of going digital only for some time. The Bigbottle Alan loaned me, made me decide that actually I did want to keep vinyl. Then Angus brought his Prototype Avalon and a few weeks later SQ brought his paradise down and I was reinvigorated. The Paradise does present a convincing argument for sticking with vinyl, no doubt about that. Even I've come close to pressing the button on one - more than a couple of times! But then there's the cost of running a high quality MC with it to consider. Sometimes you can't really put a price on this stuff though, life's too short to deny yourself the things you really enjoy. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 29, 2020 9:24:02 GMT
Yes I did. *hangs head in shame* I didnt have to go bonkers and buy the HA103-SEL, I could have picked up a Goldring 2500 for a lot less than the price of the HA. Thing is, I had been teetering on the brink of going digital only for some time. The Bigbottle Alan loaned me, made me decide that actually I did want to keep vinyl. Then Angus brought his Prototype Avalon and a few weeks later SQ brought his paradise down and I was reinvigorated. The Paradise does present a convincing argument for sticking with vinyl, no doubt about that. Even I've come close to pressing the button on one - more than a couple of times! But then there's the cost of running a high quality MC with it to consider. Sometimes you can't really put a price on this stuff though, life's too short to deny yourself the things you really enjoy. I agree with that 100% The Paradise is exactly what I hoped it would be, which is why I decided to build one. Thing is, you dont have to spend huge sums to get great vinyl replay. The Kb you heard was £500 and Aqvox is about the same. £1k puts you at a really good level by anyone's standards. |
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Post by sq225917 on Feb 29, 2020 9:27:40 GMT
I'm firmly of the opinion that a 1k cart gets you where you need to be, above that point there are flavours but very little in the way of really better.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 29, 2020 9:30:21 GMT
I'm firmly of the opinion that a 1k cart gets you where you need to be, above that point there are flavours but very little in the way of really better. Wasn't your cart £2.5k? |
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Post by firebottle on Feb 29, 2020 9:53:39 GMT
Yes but Simon likes Dandelion and Burdock  (probably) |
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Post by Deleted on Feb 29, 2020 10:08:41 GMT
I'm firmly of the opinion that a 1k cart gets you where you need to be, above that point there are flavours but very little in the way of really better. Having never heard a £1k plus cart or a similarly priced phono stage, I’d be interested in your thoughts about where you’d spend the funds if you could only have one and not the other. Take my position as typical of many: £500ish phono stage and an Audio Technics MC at £400ish. Which would you explore changing first? |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 29, 2020 10:11:59 GMT
Yes but Simon likes Dandelion and Burdock (probably) Hahaha I like Dandelion and Burdock Haven't had any for yonks!! |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 29, 2020 10:17:25 GMT
I'm firmly of the opinion that a 1k cart gets you where you need to be, above that point there are flavours but very little in the way of really better. Having never heard a £1k plus cart or a similarly priced phono stage, I’d be interested in your thoughts about where you’d spend the funds if you could only have one and not the other. Take my position as typical of many: £500ish phono stage and an Audio Technics MC at £400ish. Which would you explore changing first? Phonostages dont get REALLY good until you get over £1500 (Brand New, Commercial) unless you find a nice fella like me to knock up a Bigbottle for you lol Cartridges seem expensive at the minute. Carts I was seeing for £4/500 are suddenly up at £1000+ Personally, the phonostage can only work with what its given, and cartridges are so personal that I think that's where the most important money is spent I realise you weren't asking me, bit thought I'd chime in |
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Post by macca on Feb 29, 2020 10:53:35 GMT
The Paradise does present a convincing argument for sticking with vinyl, no doubt about that. Even I've come close to pressing the button on one - more than a couple of times! But then there's the cost of running a high quality MC with it to consider. Sometimes you can't really put a price on this stuff though, life's too short to deny yourself the things you really enjoy. I agree with that 100% The Paradise is exactly what I hoped it would be, which is why I decided to build one. Thing is, you dont have to spend huge sums to get great vinyl replay. The Kb you heard was £500 and Aqvox is about the same. £1k puts you at a really good level by anyone's standards. Depends on your definition of 'huge sums'. Once I was into it for about a grand and realised there was no option but to spend another grand to get a standard I thought acceptable, and another couple of grand to reach a standard I would call 'great' I made my excuses and left. I think most people would consider a £4K to be a huge sum to spend on something to play records. |
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 29, 2020 11:13:06 GMT
I agree with that 100% The Paradise is exactly what I hoped it would be, which is why I decided to build one. Thing is, you dont have to spend huge sums to get great vinyl replay. The Kb you heard was £500 and Aqvox is about the same. £1k puts you at a really good level by anyone's standards. Depends on your definition of 'huge sums'. Once I was into it for about a grand and realised there was no option but to spend another grand to get a standard I thought acceptable, and another couple of grand to reach a standard I would call 'great' I made my excuses and left. I think most people would consider a £4K to be a huge sum to spend on something to play records. I dont disagree but for £1.5k, I could put you a TT, Cart and Phonostage together that you'd never feel needed changing. Funny old world isnt it, Drop £2k on an amp and no one blinks, yet suggest dropping £2k on a vinyl setup and people start thinking playing vinyl is expensive. I love this hobby lol |
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Post by macca on Feb 29, 2020 11:29:28 GMT
So what would that be then?
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 29, 2020 11:40:23 GMT
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(probably)