Don’t tend to use speakers so much nowadays but these were hidden behind the tv and plugged in to a small Sabaj class D amp which was connected via optical output from the TV. They were hidden due to dogs and grandchildren running amok. We’re now, sadly, down to just the one dog and the grandchildren are at an age when they should behave a little better.
Saw these Kanto stands on Peter Tyson when I bought my Mojo 2 a few months back and thought they would do at £120. Anyway had a bit of spare cash this month so went to buy them only to find they had been reduced to £60, so happy days.
It is quite nice to get some room filling music, just via Tidal and bluetooth, rather listen on headphones most of the time.
Put a pair of Sovtek 12AX7 LPS into the Leak ST20, replacing some possibly matched but differently branded valves. Left the ancient Mullard ECC83 in first position because I dig the wiggy flash. No conclusions particularly; possibly a little crisper?
So although the photo of the TEAC cassette deck I posted 3 weeks ago looked tidy on the surface, it was really filthy and also a risk to any tape that you put near it.
Its had a week of tlc including changing the voltage to 240v, the mechanism and heads thoroughly cleaned, and also many years of tobacco grime removed from the fascia, switches and most noticeably, from the top plate which was really disgusting.
New to me, another pair of KEF Reference Threes, the same mk2 as my previous pair, in the same finish. They came up for sale locally and wanted something finished as the DIY projects taking much longer and not making much progress right now.
The ATC SCM10s are being rotated in/out in the living room with my Goodmans Axiom 301s.
I’ll need to find a more suitable amp for the KEFs, using a cheap XTZ A2-300 as I have it spare but it’s not the best from my experience so far with the ATCs.
Previously I was using my trusty Bryston B60R, which worked well sound wise but felt they needed a bit more power, and the Denon PMA-2000IVR worked very well but it was a heavy beast and those big amps are getting older and more difficult to service (like the Sony TA-F770ES for example).
As I have the ATC CA2 Pre, I might try something Hypex NCore if a Nord (or similar) comes up for sale, or you know, as usual, if something random takes my fancy one evening off eBay after a beer or two…
My previous pair worked really well in our old house, but could never get them to work in our Lounge (below), and our Library was just a spare room (with damp issues) at the time so I did not try them in there.
If you want KEF but with larger drivers (these Threes have 2x 8" inside for reference) then the larger model Four has 2x 10", as does the 107/2.
The 105 models have a single 12" or 2x 8" bass depending on the revision, and the 104/2 has 2x 8" in a bandpass/coupled cavity similar to these Threes.
Over the last couple of months I have had @Jim 's two box Aurorasound Preda TBSP (True Balanced Signal Path) preamp playing in my system. I have been using an Aesthetix Calypso Signature for around 7 years now and always found it a wonderful sounding preamp. I wasn’t looking to change and if so certainly not to something solid state however the Preda has been an undeniable improvement in a variety of ways. Anyway it seemed a shame for it to be sitting idle at Jim’s so a deal was done
Just got to figure out how to get another box in the rack.
I appear to have won these on eBay, didn’t expect to at all. Perfect for the bookshelf second system I’ve been planning for the dining room. Should go unnoticed.
Amplifier suggestions welcome, if anyone has anything suitable. Wondering if something like a Marantz PM4 would have enough to drive them.
