Author Topic: Kmh364 Stupid Question: Any Audiophiles On This Site? (Read 852 times)

kmh364 · « **Reply #15 on:** October 31, 2004, 06:54:58 AM »

Thanks for all the replies, guys. Now for the separates the men from the boys question:

Who here still listens to an analogue front-end (i.e., turntable) and maintains a vinyl library?

I'm still dying to replace my 25yr-old Thorens TD-115 Swiss (W. German-made, actually) turntable with a VPI Scout/ScoutMaster or TNT JR. (made in New Joisey!) and re-kindle my love for vinyl all over again. Sumiko will even give me a $75 trade-in allowance for my old Blue Point MC phono cartridge if I step up to a new Blue Point II or Blue Point Special - EVO III!

Vinyl is alive and well, if you know where to look...you just need a VPI-17 record cleaning machine for all those garage sale specials, LOL!

kmh364 · « **Reply #16 on:** October 31, 2004, 07:15:02 AM »

BTW, for all our BeNeLux club members out there:

What does Ah! Njoeb Tjoeb mean?

It's a Dutch company that takes Marantz or other Mass-market Mid-Fi CD players and mods. them with tube circuitry to get a more Hi-Fi (re; analogue) sound out of them.

I think it means something like Ah! those tubes (valves)....Am I right?

lbpesq · « **Reply #17 on:** October 31, 2004, 10:17:15 AM »

I still have my old AR turntable hooked up, though admittedly it gets very little use. I have a 200 CD changer that I love to put on random and let it go. You can get some very interesting set lists that way, sometimes almost creepy.

The AR is a simple as it gets - belt drive and one switch only: on/off. No automatic return at the end of the record. Want to play a 45? Take off the turntable shell and move the belt to the smaller pulley. Low tech at its finest!

Bill, tgo

adriaan · « **Reply #18 on:** October 31, 2004, 12:29:53 PM »

Ah! Njoeb Tjoeb - as you already guessed, tjoeb is just a phonetic spelling for tube. WHen I googled for it, it suggested Ah! Njoe Tjoeb so yes, it must be simply Ah! New Tube.

Never heard of them, but then I don't read up on audio. Apparently this is the Ah! Njoe Tjoeb website: http://www.hifi-notes.com/index2-nl.htm

dnburgess · « **Reply #19 on:** October 31, 2004, 05:52:40 PM »

My audiophilia preceeded my gearophilia - but not by long. I was working in a hi fi store at the age of 14 so that I could afford to buy my first electric guitar - a second hand SG (which is presently being restored).

I use developments in hi-fi technology as a guide to music instrument technology. e.g. The hi-fi world pretty much decided (with a few notable exceptions) a long time ago that 3-way speakers with mutiple small woofers represents the best set of trade offs. Hence I checked out Acme speakers.

Another example - switch mode amplifiers don't seem to have caught on in audiophile land - and I'm sceptical about them in bass applications. I prefer the sound of my PSS Audio power amp to my QSC. (But the former is so heavy I hardly ever take it out of the house, usually using an Acoustic Image Focus - 600W into 4ohms weighing 4lbs - the convenience is so amazing, its worth the trade off most of the time. I guess audiohiles seldom have to lug their gear.)

For serious listening my main source is a Pioneer universal player - SACD sounds great. One day I'll get another turntable and record cleaning machine.

David B.

jacko · « **Reply #20 on:** November 01, 2004, 05:37:15 AM »

To answer the first question, I'd like to be an audiophile but can't quite afford ?20000 front ends. To answer the second question, most of my collection is on vinyl and as kevin said vinyl is alive and well - you can still get 90% of new releases on lp if you try really hard. My set up is...
Elite Rock turntable c/w Excalibur tonearm . -latest Townsend version is air suspended and comes in at ?7500 - it's not that one ;-)
Marantz CD63 KI sig Cd player - best sub ?500 player in it's day.
Arcam alpha 9 preamp and Arcam Diva P90 power amp.
Living Voice Auditorium speakers.
Plus a rotel tuner and an old nakamichi cassette player.
here's a photo of my living room, as you can tell, Mrs J has alot of say when it comes to ideal speaker placement ;-(

nick_bassman · « **Reply #21 on:** November 01, 2004, 06:18:59 AM »

Here is a taster for you guys. I used to run a Voyd Reference/Helius Cyalene/Audionote IO vinyl front end but couldn't really justify having such an expensive front end when at the time it wasn't so easy to pick up releases of new stuff I wanted. Who knows I may venture back to vinyl land. By the way Jacko, nice system those LV speakers are great. more detailed pictures to follow on mine. Oh by the way the silver Sony kit is my wifes Home Theatre stuff !

kmh364 · « **Reply #22 on:** November 01, 2004, 06:31:55 AM »

Very nice, mates. Thanks for sharing the pix. I had pix of the current system, but I can't seem to find 'em. I'll have to look a little harder.

son_of_magni · « **Reply #23 on:** November 01, 2004, 12:39:05 PM »

Thorens T.T. and an Ah Tjoeb CD feeding an AVA PAS III preamp, then into twin SC150 (150 watt each) Transcendent Sound mono blocks (EL509's) which drive Ohm F speakers. For some supplimental rear enhancement I tap off the PAS III into an ST70 and that drives some smaller old speakers that weigh a ton, I forget what brand.

I have something like 200 LP's but I haven't added to that collection in the last 15 years. Maybe 150 CD's, mostly jazz, some rock, funk, classical.

Oh yeah, my other stereo is a Sansui G9000 feeding two huge Infinities...

(Message edited by son_of_magni on November 01, 2004)

kmh364 · « **Reply #24 on:** November 02, 2004, 04:00:09 AM »

Ohm F's! That's a blast from the past! Where's BKBarry when you need him...he used to sell those bad boys at the long-defunct NE chain Tech Hi-Fi back early in the US Decade ('80's) where I used to hangout as a punk-*ss long-haired PITA (well, the PITA part is still with me in full-force at least, LOL!).

Refresh my memory, are those the ones with the full range 360-degree transmission-line driver (upside-down cone) or are they the ones that were a full three-way dynamic system with a two (or three?)-way upward firing dynamic complement mounted on the top of the speakers?

How do you like the Ah! Njoe Tjoeb?

This site is great...ask anybody else what the hell a tube (valve) is, and you get dirty looks like you have three heads, LOL!

son_of_magni · « **Reply #25 on:** November 02, 2004, 12:48:51 PM »

The Ohm F's are Walsh type speakers. Originally they had 14 inch long cone shaped drivers that drive down into the big box. When I purchased them for $100 the drivers were blown. For about $1000 I got the new upgraded drivers and installed them myself. I believe the main cone still fires down into the cab, and there are two or three tweeters mounted at various angles to extend the high end and widen the listening sweet spot. The imaging is really dramatic.

I like the Ah Tjoeb, but is it worth the money? I really don't know, but it sure is fun to watch people's reactions when I say that I have a tube CD player.

dnburgess · « **Reply #26 on:** November 02, 2004, 02:22:17 PM »

I remember way back selling Infinity loudspeakers with Walsh tweeters - little silver ice cream cones on top of the speakers - was our reference system for a while. Didn't realise there were larger Walsh drivers or that they were still available.

kmh364 · « **Reply #27 on:** November 02, 2004, 02:35:34 PM »

Karl: Thanks for the history lesson...I forgot the transmission line drivers were named after Walsh. Those things were quite expensive back in the day. They did come out with smaller, less expensive OHM Walsh speakers, but the model numbers escape me (the driver looked like Abe Lincoln's top hat, not the dunce cone hat look of the F's driver.

The other Ohm's I spoke of are Ohm I's. They didn't image as well as the Walsh's, but they were bi-ampable and shook the floor (Ohm claimed over 120dB of dynamic range and 1000W of power handlling capability!). My rich buddy bought those and the Adcom GFA-1 cube power-amp with a Nikko pre-amp (all from Tech Hi-Fi)at my recommendation back in the day ('80 or '81)and they were AWESOME! I wanted that set-up in the worst way.

David: I remember those Infinity's, but can't for the life of me remember the model #. It sucks to get old, LOL! Where's BkBass Barry when you need him? He's a bigger Infinity nut than I am! Yes, SOM/Karl has what I believe are the first Walsh-type speakers, and they were designed and sold a quarter of a century ago! That driver is/was huge! I am not aware of any manufacturer currently producing a loudspeaker utilizing Walsh Transmission Line drivers.

Cheers Mates,

Kevin

kmh364 · « **Reply #28 on:** November 02, 2004, 02:39:24 PM »

Where are Susan and/or Mica? I was hoping that they would chime-in with what they listen to. I imagine Susan has quite the record collection...notice I said records, not CD's, LOL! I'm wondering what the wizards at Alembic listen to/through?

bassdr · « **Reply #29 on:** November 02, 2004, 05:18:27 PM »

Hey guys, where are the Linnies out there- I have been an audiophile and bass player for 30+ years. Just got my first Alembic- Essence 93K7816- perfect- ebay, $1225- you guys probably saw it. Happy as a clam. I had always been a Rick guy- 4001. Still have my 1979.
Linn LP12, Klyde, Tramplin, Cirrcus,etc
Perreaux SM2 preamp
aragon 4004 Mk2 am
Linn DMS speakers,
dynalab FT11 analog tuner
Magnavox CDB650 mucho modified CD player
Vandersteen subwoofer
Linn speaker cables
Audioquest Coral interconnects
3,000+ lp's
Let those who have ears listen Michael