I've been into stereos and HIFis since I was young. I remember being so excited that my dad was getting a full separates system, Technics no less, with a CD player, when I was about 13. Before that we'd had a JVC amp and record player, which was also awesome to have, although I cringe at how I treated it, and my mum treated the records. My dad still has the system, which has worked without at hitch (except the speakers mysteriously blew, ahem) ever since.
I bought my first separate CD, amp and speakers from Richer Sounds in my first year at Uni (the degree I actually finished). Cambridge Audio amp, and I want to say Sansui CD, in 1994, progressed to the Arcam Alpha8R and Rotel RCD-951, the latter my old schoolmate Phil now has, and has also worked flawlessly. Next was where things began to get serious, and I got onto HiFi proper, with the Densen B-100amplifier.
I'd seen one of these in a HiFi shop in Watford, since closed, and the chat I'd had with Hamish, the Scottish sales-man, who, when asked about the next amp he might recommend if I were to upgrade, he pointed to the sleek, black slab, with two fuck-off great big gold knobs sticking out the front. Hamish explained how it was incredibly natural sounding, not colouring the music at all, giving a smooth ,honest representation, bring the 'Air Guitar Factor', Densen's advertising nailing it.
That was it. I didn't need to hear it. I wanted it. I lusted after it, reading every bit of literature I could find, and dreaming, one fine day, of owning some of their top end gear.
Fast-forward to 2004, and I was living in Streatham, or St.Retham as my roommate Dave and I preferred, and a B100 came up for sale second hand in Elephant & Castle, just down the hill on the way into Town. I snagged a pretty good bargain, from a Portuguese guy, winning the auction to my orgasmic delight.
I remember riding on the top deck of the bus on the way home, holding it on my lap, stroking it and cooking sweet nothings, barely able to contain myself.
The difference it made when I got it installed was immediate and unmistakable, and the more I listened, the more apparent it became that this was simply a fantastic bit of kit.
ThomasSillisen, the HeadHoncho, had gone with the zero feedback design, removing a built-in negative feedback loop that hindered the feedback design (the clue, etc.).
Whatever,it sounded bloody great, and that was it, I was never buying anything but Densen again, of that much I was sure. I subsequently found aB400PLUSCD on Gumtree, and absolutely adore to this day, the aesthetic of the two slabs atop each other.
Then, a pair of bi-wire Transparent Audio Super speaker cables came up. They were 12ft, way longer than I needed (at the time), but I didn't care. I mean, I knew there was no way they would fall in my budget, but I watched that auction like a hawk. I don't remember exactly what happened, but I remember something like being in touch with the seller after a time waster, or something, and him letting me have them for ｣650,seeing as it was Christmas. The came over from the USA, and to whoever sold me those, I prostrate myself at your feet, good sir.
Putting those into my system was like a magic trick. They separated the sound-stage, making it effortless to tune into any specific part of the band, whilst keeping everything beautifully, naturally together. It was, and still is, miraculous.
My friends, and anyone else I told, were obviously incredulous that I would pay this much, for what? Cables??? Speaker cables?? Their systems didn't cost that much.
What did you do on Friday, they would ask. I stayed in and listened to music, I would say. Yeah, but what did Ii do? I sat in the sweet spot of my speakers, and listened to music, mostly whole albums. Cue more eye rolling. But, when the opportunity arose to get them into that spot, the understanding would dawn.
At this point, my speakers were the B&W DM3s, handed down from my dad's uncle Jack from new, to my dad, and then on to me. We had had them in the family home since I was early 20s, but lying on their sides, because mum wouldn't have them standing up. They looked dreadful, you see. Eventually my dad gave in to pressure to get rid of them, and I have had them ever since. They are absolutely wonderful, with quite incredible clarity and warmth, and the synergy of my system has coalesced the idea of letting the music simply speak that runs through each component manufacturers beautifully emotive, and I love the pleasure I can bring to people by playing them music.
Then, the pièce de résistance, the Densen B400XS, their flagship CD player, retailing at a cool £2500. Ebay again providing a rich vein, and I was again in the throes of ecstasy at emerging victorious. The guy selling was no other than David Vivian, of HiFI and Car journalism fame. Unfortunately he turned out not to be wonderful to deal with, tarnishing the experience, but the player was the final piece in the puzzle, it's trick of countering another bit out of the normal 24 on the CD (yeah, you wot m8?) making the music, live tracks especially, like being there. The buttons were silver, but I switched top /front plates, so the buttons still match those beautiful big knobs. The sweet spot is my happy place.
I recently came across GR-Research (Heeey Everybody, welcome back) on YouTube, and has given the impetus to replace the capacitors andresistors on the speaker crossovers (cheers Danny), which has lifted a veil you'd never have known was there (Jantzen Audio superes 10Wresistors, up from 5, and StandardZ-cap and Cross-cap capacitors, forthe geeks).
I am now using, however, a Denon PMA-250SE amplifier and DCD-615 CDplayer, from you guessed it, as the Densen gear ran into issues that require a service back in Denmark, the cost of which I've been delaying for quite some time, but am in the process of finally getting sorted. I'm also going to get an internal phonostage fitted, as I've a load of vinyl I haven't played in decades.
Seriously looking forward to spinning the black circle again(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3oMcrqDn_4).
Have been listening to this set while I typed one of the legendary TA boat parties. If you know, you KNOW (shout out to Sarah&Warren, Andy, Jody, Nick, Danny et al.)
I bought my first separate CD, amp and speakers from Richer Sounds in my first year at Uni (the degree I actually finished). Cambridge Audio amp, and I want to say Sansui CD, in 1994, progressed to the Arcam Alpha8R and Rotel RCD-951, the latter my old schoolmate Phil now has, and has also worked flawlessly. Next was where things began to get serious, and I got onto HiFi proper, with the Densen B-100amplifier.
I'd seen one of these in a HiFi shop in Watford, since closed, and the chat I'd had with Hamish, the Scottish sales-man, who, when asked about the next amp he might recommend if I were to upgrade, he pointed to the sleek, black slab, with two fuck-off great big gold knobs sticking out the front. Hamish explained how it was incredibly natural sounding, not colouring the music at all, giving a smooth ,honest representation, bring the 'Air Guitar Factor', Densen's advertising nailing it.
That was it. I didn't need to hear it. I wanted it. I lusted after it, reading every bit of literature I could find, and dreaming, one fine day, of owning some of their top end gear.
Fast-forward to 2004, and I was living in Streatham, or St.Retham as my roommate Dave and I preferred, and a B100 came up for sale second hand in Elephant & Castle, just down the hill on the way into Town. I snagged a pretty good bargain, from a Portuguese guy, winning the auction to my orgasmic delight.
I remember riding on the top deck of the bus on the way home, holding it on my lap, stroking it and cooking sweet nothings, barely able to contain myself.
The difference it made when I got it installed was immediate and unmistakable, and the more I listened, the more apparent it became that this was simply a fantastic bit of kit.
ThomasSillisen, the HeadHoncho, had gone with the zero feedback design, removing a built-in negative feedback loop that hindered the feedback design (the clue, etc.).
Whatever,it sounded bloody great, and that was it, I was never buying anything but Densen again, of that much I was sure. I subsequently found aB400PLUSCD on Gumtree, and absolutely adore to this day, the aesthetic of the two slabs atop each other.
Then, a pair of bi-wire Transparent Audio Super speaker cables came up. They were 12ft, way longer than I needed (at the time), but I didn't care. I mean, I knew there was no way they would fall in my budget, but I watched that auction like a hawk. I don't remember exactly what happened, but I remember something like being in touch with the seller after a time waster, or something, and him letting me have them for ｣650,seeing as it was Christmas. The came over from the USA, and to whoever sold me those, I prostrate myself at your feet, good sir.
Putting those into my system was like a magic trick. They separated the sound-stage, making it effortless to tune into any specific part of the band, whilst keeping everything beautifully, naturally together. It was, and still is, miraculous.
My friends, and anyone else I told, were obviously incredulous that I would pay this much, for what? Cables??? Speaker cables?? Their systems didn't cost that much.
What did you do on Friday, they would ask. I stayed in and listened to music, I would say. Yeah, but what did Ii do? I sat in the sweet spot of my speakers, and listened to music, mostly whole albums. Cue more eye rolling. But, when the opportunity arose to get them into that spot, the understanding would dawn.
At this point, my speakers were the B&W DM3s, handed down from my dad's uncle Jack from new, to my dad, and then on to me. We had had them in the family home since I was early 20s, but lying on their sides, because mum wouldn't have them standing up. They looked dreadful, you see. Eventually my dad gave in to pressure to get rid of them, and I have had them ever since. They are absolutely wonderful, with quite incredible clarity and warmth, and the synergy of my system has coalesced the idea of letting the music simply speak that runs through each component manufacturers beautifully emotive, and I love the pleasure I can bring to people by playing them music.
Then, the pièce de résistance, the Densen B400XS, their flagship CD player, retailing at a cool £2500. Ebay again providing a rich vein, and I was again in the throes of ecstasy at emerging victorious. The guy selling was no other than David Vivian, of HiFI and Car journalism fame. Unfortunately he turned out not to be wonderful to deal with, tarnishing the experience, but the player was the final piece in the puzzle, it's trick of countering another bit out of the normal 24 on the CD (yeah, you wot m8?) making the music, live tracks especially, like being there. The buttons were silver, but I switched top /front plates, so the buttons still match those beautiful big knobs. The sweet spot is my happy place.
I recently came across GR-Research (Heeey Everybody, welcome back) on YouTube, and has given the impetus to replace the capacitors andresistors on the speaker crossovers (cheers Danny), which has lifted a veil you'd never have known was there (Jantzen Audio superes 10Wresistors, up from 5, and StandardZ-cap and Cross-cap capacitors, forthe geeks).
I am now using, however, a Denon PMA-250SE amplifier and DCD-615 CDplayer, from you guessed it, as the Densen gear ran into issues that require a service back in Denmark, the cost of which I've been delaying for quite some time, but am in the process of finally getting sorted. I'm also going to get an internal phonostage fitted, as I've a load of vinyl I haven't played in decades.
Seriously looking forward to spinning the black circle again(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3oMcrqDn_4).
Have been listening to this set while I typed one of the legendary TA boat parties. If you know, you KNOW (shout out to Sarah&Warren, Andy, Jody, Nick, Danny et al.)
Attachments
![current_setup[1].jpg](/data/attachments/108/108305-5ac1a1148c7452459898e19b180f78b9.jpg?hash=X1SReUa7zn)
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Shame about the speakers, but these things happen (myetriously). I still have the KEF 104 speakers I bought in 1972 (or thereabouts) and they're just as wonderful as they ever were. Sadly everything else had to be replaced over the years and not always with better equipment. Nowadays I listen to digital copies of my old LP & CD collections, fed off a laptop, through a Rotel amp. I'm aware that listening to MP3s is a step down in quality but my ears aren't up to noticing it any more.
