Oh, they do go much louder than my neighbours permit, but given the sheer amount of people dealing with blown drivers with Royds (e.g. http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/42775-replacement-drivers-royd-rr2.html#post493930) it's more a case of 'gently gently' as I can't get another pair. Pretty sure this is due to the ultra-minimal crossovers leaving the drivers open to getting hammered. To be honest it's a bit of a non-issue for me as they're more than loud enough in my room at quite reasonable volumes. On the other hand I know my Argon3s could take 200W continuous all day long...
Talking to Colin (@Brain_Dead) about why the SECAs can drive the Royds so loud, he said that it's partly because they have very high damping factors, so don't lose control of the drivers so bashing them into bits (I'm sure he put it more learnedly than that).
He also mentioned something to me about a likely source of replacement Royd drivers a while back. Did he mention that to you @Alan? And, more to the point, do you remember what it was? :-)
That's great news. Join the 'Royds Do Go Loud Club'.
The RR3s are absolutely frightening with the Iridium 20. As you may have seen in another thread, when Colin came round with it, we had the RR3s and their stands rocking because of the sound and bass levels, and with no distress from the Royds, only from the flat, the neighbours and our ears.
With the Green Goddess the bass isn't so powerful, so no rockin' Royds (wasn't that a Jackson 5 song? :-D ).
Stu(pinda) recommended I have a look here. I've been on a few fora and am still trying to find somewhere that offers the right balance between enthusiasm and outright stupid evangelism.
Anyway, my hi-fi is:
Firebottle OTL / Quad57 / REL Quake / Firebottle Phono / Origin Live based TT with OL modded RB250 and Technics EPC205 / Pioneer PD7700 CDP. (With Creek Passive when I'm feeling lazy and want remote control)
Plus another four systems of varying quality in various rooms. None of the equipment has been bought new and I doubt I've spent more than £2000 in total over the 40 years I've been into music. The same can't be said for the software though, I hate to think what that has cost.
Music: Baroque, classical guitar, jazz, blues, rock, classical, pop in about that order.
I forgot to add the Mac Mini that does duty when I need background music - dinner parties, using the exercise machines, that sort of stuff - still use iTunes and BitPerfect which I find perfectly adequate.
Whilst we are doing the lists stuff I could add:
Pioneer A757 amp, Pioneer CT737 cassette, Phillips CD608, Musical Fidelity A100 amp, Arcam Alpha amp, Marantz CD62, Marantz CD63SI, Leak Stereo20, Sugden C51 Pre and tuner, Quad FM4, Rogers Ravensbrook, Pioneer PL112D, KEF101, JBL TLX16, Wharfdale Diamond 7 Pro, and a few other homemade speakers.
Hi - I was drawn here since I have recently landed a rather lovely Inca Tech Claymore for very reasonable money on that auction site. I seem to have developed a small infatuation with UK integrated amps of 80's/90's vintage, since purchasing an Onix OA21s for a kitchen system a few years ago. Absolutely lovely driving a pair of B&W CCM 663 ceiling speakers. It is fed by a Squeezebox Touch and all nicely concealed in a cupboard much to my wife's joy! The Onix was great from the get go but really shines since getting a full service this summer from JS Audio Repairs.
I recently put together a small study system based around some very cheaply purchased Rega Kytes, another SB Touch and a CB Naim Nait 2. Again having recently recapped the Nait, it is a great little system. The Claymore once serviced, will have a shot at dethroning the Nait or more likely share duties, as the mood takes me.
My main system has been predominantly Naim since first getting the hi-fi bug in around 1990.
What started as Marantz CD, NAP 72, Hi-Cap, 250 & Epos ES14s. Has slowly evolved through CDS1 and CDS2 to 52, 135s, SBL, mana supports. To where I am now SB Touch/Teddy Pardo PS/ Chord Hugo, NAC 552, NAP 135s, SBL, mana + SME 20.2 with an aging Lyra Clavis DC (retipped once) + Prefix.
My that's alot of kit - no wonder the Mrs is usually annoyed with my hi-fi hobby. Never mind.
Generally listen to all sorts of music with the least emphasis on classical. Too many favorites to list but never far from the turntable or stream are Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Bob Marley,Miles, Michael Franks, Joni, Beatles, Bowie, Prog, Stones, Radiohead, The Verve etc., etc. I have enjoyed filling in the blanks and bits I missed along the way from Nick Drake, Durutti Column, Talk Talk, The Cure, Swans, loads of Jazz - not sure where I was the first time around for these bands, probably too wrapped up in Yes, King Crimson,Tull, Genesis etc., to notice that there was other worthwhile music being made. Anyway, it is a lovely and never ending journey enjoyed all the more on great systems.
I think your kitchen system beats mine - a pair of powered computer speakers of uncertain vintage and an Apple AirPort Express. I like the idea of ceiling speakers for the kitchen.
You have some overlap with my musical taste - loads of jazz. Ugly jazz, that is ;-)
When I was growing up, everyone was into prog, and I wasn't a great fan. Even less a fan of punk.
But I discovered something nastier sounding to assuage my teenage angst - free improv!
Well, at least one thing that 'any kind of' improv and Prog have in common is that I can only listen to either if I have the house to myself. A rare treat these days.
It's funny, I was having a similar conversation earlier today about how little I get to listen to my main system as I tend to want to play stuff that my wife hates!
Been into music since early Sixties and into Hifi since early Seventies. Music tastes vary with time, nowadays it is Classical Piano Mozart to Philip Glass and most in between. Jazz - comes and goes but Seventies Rock stays.
Over the years I have built speakers, record decks and loads of electronics and I built the very first TOCA in the mid eighties. Colin drew up the circuit and said - do the layout for that!
Spent the last few years fiddling about with computer music software & hardware, for example I built and ran a cMP2 (see ComputerAsylum) currently I am running XXHE on an Intel based pc.
Graeme, Welcome! I presume that your taking a soldering iron to every piece of hifi in your house resulted in benefits rather than the apocalypse that usually ensues when I do the same thing. Nice to have someone (else) here who knows what they're doing, compensates for the likes of me, and shifts our average competence score in an upward direction... :-B
I was attracted here by the Claymore mods and tranny replacement threads. Bought a Claymore new back in the eighties to upgrade from a Nad 3020B. Later worked in retail for approx 12 years, most of that as specialist HiFi. My HiFi grew into a huge luscious monster in that time but was later sold off. I purchased another Claymore a few years ago which has had a cap refresh, PSU caps and diodes upgraded, one extra input added, better quality selector switch, dodgy balance control replaced with fixed resistance and a RK27 pot. My main amp and DAC are DIY now and I listen mostly via PC files (flac & wav + the odd DSD & SACD file I've aquired) although I still have CD, LP and even cassette covered. Musical tastes? Top of the list is rock in its various guises but plenty of other genres too.
No, Col, you're thinking of that other CJ that worked in that place on Old Compton Street where you used to buy your Gimp masks and flippers :-B :o3 :-O
Comments
In any event. Love the music choices. Nothing "ugly" or Kebmo.
Will look into it.
Nice to see you again.
Welcome to Chews.
I promise to do my best to keep Colin under control, but as you'll no doubt understand, it's a difficult task 24/7 :-)
Haleluijah!
(Hope that strikes the right balance... :-) )
You have some overlap with my musical taste - loads of jazz. Ugly jazz, that is ;-)
When I was growing up, everyone was into prog, and I wasn't a great fan. Even less a fan of punk.
But I discovered something nastier sounding to assuage my teenage angst - free improv!
I presume that your taking a soldering iron to every piece of hifi in your house resulted in benefits rather than the apocalypse that usually ensues when I do the same thing.
Nice to have someone (else) here who knows what they're doing, compensates for the likes of me, and shifts our average competence score in an upward direction...
:-B
I was attracted here by the Claymore mods and tranny replacement threads.
Bought a Claymore new back in the eighties to upgrade from a Nad 3020B.
Later worked in retail for approx 12 years, most of that as specialist HiFi. My HiFi grew into a huge luscious monster in that time but was later sold off.
I purchased another Claymore a few years ago which has had a cap refresh, PSU caps and diodes upgraded, one extra input added, better quality selector switch, dodgy balance control replaced with fixed resistance and a RK27 pot.
My main amp and DAC are DIY now and I listen mostly via PC files (flac & wav + the odd DSD & SACD file I've aquired) although I still have CD, LP and even cassette covered.
Musical tastes? Top of the list is rock in its various guises but plenty of other genres too.