Mark's Audio History Page
  This is the history of how my system has grown/evolved. I'm putting it here not to shout about what I've got but as an illustration of how a system can grow, and also as a record for myself.  
  ~1971   Hacker mono record player, built in Garrard AP6, with a stereo ceramic cartridge. Linked to a ferguson mono reel-to-reel to give Stereo.  
  -   Garrard SP25 mkIII, Goldring G850 cartridge, Keletron KSA1500 amp used with one 4ohm speaker or TTL headphones.
Suprise suprise this channel burnt out! 		 
  -   Amp replaced (under warranty) with mk II version, and Ferguson speakers bought.  
  - Due to parental system upgrade, Mordaunt-Short MS077 speakers added (3 way bookshelf), and cartridge upgraded to G800.
Fathers new system is Pioneer PL12D, Shure M75ED, IMF TLS50 speakers, Linsley-Hood DIY amp, and Akai 4000DB reel-to-reel tape deck.		  
  -   Two Garrard SP25 mkIV turntables with Shure M75 6/S cartridges, (budding DJ). SP25 mkIII & G800 replaced by mkIV and M75 6/S.  
  -   Garrard SP25 mkIII & G800 sold, replaced by Rotel RP1500 (used with M75 6/S). RP1500 is/was a belt drive turntable, a bit like a Rega!  
  -   Shure M95EJ used in RP1500  
  -   Teac A170 cassette deck, (bought direct from Teac)  
  1977   Trio 15w+15w reciever and Yamaha HP3 headphones bought for use at collage.  
  -   DIY (not by me) Linsley-Hood based 75W Power Amp, and pre-amp  
  16:Jun:1980   Ortofon VMS20E and ADC LMG1 headshell (£31.45).  
  10:Jul:1980   STD 305S turntable & Haddock GH228 arm, (£131). RP1500 sold for £45. STD was nearly a Linn LP12 alternative, suspended sub chassis belt drive, Scottish.  
  Sep:80   Nad 3020 amplifier (£86), 4020A tuner (£90), and Sennheiser HD430 (£39).  
  28:Nov:80   Aiwa AD6700 cassette deck, (£249).  
  19:Sep:81   SME III (secondhand £80.50), reaction to Hadock arm being too fiddly to set up and use.  
  24:Nov:81   Heybrook HB2 speakers, chosen in preference to Linn Kan's.  
  10:Oct:81   A&R P77 cartridge (£39)  
  System at this point is STD/SME/A&R front end, Nad 3020 being used as a pre-amp, feeding Linsley-Hood 75W power amp, and HB2 speakers on reference stands, speaker cable ranged from QED 79 strand to solid core lighting cable......  
  22:Sep:84   Audiolab 8000A (£275), auditioned aginst Rotel pre/power, using Pink Triangle turntable and Celestion SL600 speakers.
  
  26:Sep:84   Pink Triangle, (rosewood plinth), (£459) Linn Lttok LV II (secondhand £205), used with A&R P77. Pink Triangle used on custom made, by local blacksmith, table, painted in pink Hammerite!  
  23:May:85   Ortofon MC20 Super, moving coil cartridge, (£125).  
  23:Oct:87   Rotel RCD820BX CD player (£349), it took me a long time and the second generation of players (oversampling) before I got a CD player.  
  -   Panasonic Video NV-F65HQ, (NICAM).  
  22:June:93   Akai GX-95 mkII (£305.95) cassette deck, can't really justify this but I always wanted a 3 head cassette/tape deck.... Does make very good recordings though.
What I really want is a reel-to-reel, something like a Revox A77 or B77, although I'd settle for an old Sony TC377 or Akai 4000. 		 
  System at this point is Pink Triangle/Ittok/MC20 Super front end, Audiolab 8000A, and HB2 speakers on reference stands, speaker cable is lighting cable. With Akai GX-95mkII cassette deck and Nad tuner (fed from roof aerial).  
  -   Target TT2 turntable shelf for Pink Triangle.  
  -   Marantz CD63 CD player & Denon TU215RD tuner (RDS). CD used with Chord interconnect. Auditioned SE version of CD63 but didn't think the extra worth it, plan was to use with an external DAC at a later stage.  
  May:99   Phillips widescreen TV, 28PW6322  
  12:Jun:99   Musical-Fidelity X-DAC, (£144 including TosLink cable). I admit it I was influenced by the looks.
During the evening listening to the new DAC the Audiolab blew up! back to the NAD 3020. I've had the Audiolab repaired, by TAG-McLaren, but haven't used it since. Eventually I'll hook it upto the compter to transcribe LP to CD. 		 
  19:Jun:99   What a good excuse to re-vamp the system and move into surround sound! A visit to Audio-T in Swindon results in:
  • Yamaha DSPA592 (£200)
  • Mission 702e speakers (£199.90)
  • Mission 70c1 centre speaker (£99.90)
  • Yamaha NSE103 rear speakers (£50)
  • Musical Fidelity X-LP (because the Yamaha doesn't have a MC phono input)
  • QED QNECT2 used from DAC to DSPA592.
    		•  
      :Dec:99   Sony MZ-R55 (blue) Mindisc  
      :---:99   Phillips VR700 video  
      19:Feb:00   Mission 70ds rear speakers (£179.91), bought at Bristol HiFi show  
      plans   Musical Fidelity PSU for X-LP & X-DAC, switch box between X-LP/X-DAC and amp, better cables, better power cables, build hi-fi rack, sub-woofer......  
      spring:01   Pioneer 626D DVD, chipped for multi-region  
      System at this point is Pink Triangle/Ittok/MC20 Super/Musical Fidelity X-LP, Marantz CD63/Musical Fidelity X-DAC front ends. Yamaha DSPA592 AV amplifier, Denon TU215RD RDS tuner. Mission, 702e (front), 70c1 (centre), & 70ds (rear) speakers. With Pioneer 626D DVD, Phillips VR700 VHS video feeding a Phillips 28W622 28" widescreen TV.
    Goto Current System for a diagram of how it all fits together.
         		 
      -   about this time I set up a system for my daughter (10yrs old), consisting of, Rotel 820BX CD Player, NAD 3020 amp (still going strong) and the Yamaha NSE103 speakers. Also using the old Hi-Fi stand, now in silver, to house the Hi-Fi and support her TV-Video combi.  

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    Last updated: 15:Mar:2002
    This page designed & maintained by Mark Palmer mark@jumare.freeserve.co.uk