Member
Post by sjk on May 22, 2018 19:46:59 GMT 12
Hi guys, I have come to this forum seeking help. I have recently moved to an apartment and in the process decided to move away from a "Big" HiFi and AV system to something more practical and suitable for apartment style living. Before I ask for help I thought it would be appropriate to introduce myself. I gained an interest in HiFi at a very young age when I lived in Scotland and when I started work in my late teens I spent more than a "normal" proportion of my income on both cars and HiFi gear. When I moved to NZ in 1993, my journey continued and I met a couple of very good friends who both worked at Axent Audio in New Lynn. Both these guys have become great mates and one eventually became my mentor and employer. Towards the end of the 90's my interest in HiFi led me to write “reviews” for the ill-fated Tone magazine and I was a regular contributor there for a number of years. This of course fueled the fire and I became even more "passionate" (AKA manic) about HiFi. Eventually I worked in the HiFi retail sector for around 18 months before one of the aforementioned guys offered me a job in commercial AV. I consider myself being like a piggie in S@#@ working with the technology I love whilst allowing me the opportunity to help people access this fantastic medium. When I moved into retail, I had to step away from Tone and introduced the other good mate I mentioned above to Parkside Media. That guy has continued to write and review HiFi till this day. I'm firmly of the belief that HiFi components are not always better because other people say they are, in many cases "better" can only be defined as something I like more than something else. Thank goodness we all like different things. Here is a snapshot of my HiFi journey thus far. And if you'd like to follow the next stage, please stay tuned.. 1st HiFi; Mostly a gift from dad when he realised the only way to keep me off his system was to give me his old gear; Goodmans 110 Tuner amp B&O Dimension 8 speakers Systemdeck 2x turntable Later moving to Mission Cyrus 1 integrated and Tannoy 611 speakers and adding Meridian 206 DAC and Denon Pro grade CD player as transport After moving to NZ Plinius M12P Pre SA250 Mk1 Power amp Dynaudio Contour 1.8 Mk2 Micromega T-Dac and T-Drive CD Combo Later adding a range of Sony and Denon HT processors and Dynaudio Contour Centre and Audience rears. Panasonic PTY102T 3 gun projector. Moving to a new home saw a change to; Denon AVC-10SE receiver, KEF reference on wall THX speaker system, Pioneer DV-505 DVD player and Toshiba 56” rear pro TV Stepping up in the mid 2000’s I changed to Musical Fidelity A3.5 Pre and Power amps, Dynaudio Contour 3.4 speakers. Contour centre and Kef Rear speakers and Velodyne Sub. Then another change to Pioneer 65” Plasma (THX Model) Denon DBP-2012 Blu Ray, Integra 80.1 Processor, Parasound Halo A51 5Ch power amp. Dynaudio Confidence C4 front (no sub required ) This was my system when I decided to move to an apartment. C4’s are not particularly apartment friendly .. Through this I have also owned many sets of Tannoy’s and I guess I may have missed a detail or three. Now I’m starting fresh. I have been very lucky to buy a pre amp and power amp from Gary Morrison, some of his ex-demo and pre-production Pure Audio stock that I pounced on as soon as I could. I also purchased a Nad M51 DAC, Mac Mini (Audirvana) and a Musical Fidelity A3.5 CD player. Funnily enough, I ended up buying the CD via trade me from a guy that bought it from me, also on trade me many years ago. My latest purchase is a fantastic Aura Turntable. This leads me to the reason I have been introduced to the forum. The Aura is an earlier version and has been unused for some time. It could definitely benefit from a little TLC, bordering on refurb. I’d welcome some input from interested parties to how I should approach this. I have little or no turntable experience. I’m currently saving for some speakers and have a few options to consider but I’m in no rush. I have other hobbies that are also a burden on time and funds and neither come easily. Thanks for reading and well done if you made it all the way through, Steve. 
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Post by Owen Y on May 22, 2018 20:02:23 GMT 12
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Member
Post by sjk on May 22, 2018 20:43:44 GMT 12
Thanks Owen,
I have just posted a thread under restorations which describes the current state. I have a woeful cartridge that prevents me from saying yes, but when I'm not being distracted by sibilance, the sound is fantastic. I'm a little worried that I've created a problem with the spring suspension as the upper marble plate was sitting hard on the lower plate at the rear (below the arm post) corner when I returned from seeing Neil at Turned On. I have some pics that I took earlier and I'll see if I can work that out.
Cheers again.
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Post by michaelw on May 22, 2018 23:31:59 GMT 12
welcome steve ! and another pureaudio owner joins the dark lantern, kudos ! which models did you get ? 
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Member
Post by sjk on May 23, 2018 7:07:37 GMT 12
Hi Michael, its good to see your still active in the audio community. I have the Control Pre and Duo 2ch power amp. I think they are outstanding. 
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Post by deano1974 on May 23, 2018 7:23:59 GMT 12
Welcome Steve and thats a great system and im sure with the guys help the Aura will be back to full singing operation in no time
Manager & Product specialist at Rapallo AV & HI-FI
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Post by Owen Y on May 23, 2018 10:04:01 GMT 12
Did Gary paint the Aura to match for you?? 
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Member
Post by sjk on May 24, 2018 8:55:07 GMT 12
Funny, when I was looking for new gear and had the opportunity to buy some Pure Audio I was very excited. I have always regretted selling my Plinius M12P and SA250, even though they were early versions they were very good indeed. I have always been a fan of Gary's work and have read his comments on various forums over the years (Stalking I think is the modern term). In my view always makes sense.
When the Duo arrived (1st) I was so impressed with every element. Gary then offered me the pre and I was hesitant at first because I had bought a NAD M51 and my intention was to stay in the digital groove (intentional pun).. Gary sent me the pre for a listen about the same time I got my hands on the Aura. As soon as I saw all this amazing Kiwi gear on my cabinet I was completely hooked, there was no turning back. As you say Owen, this lot looks like they were made for each other. It's hard to believe the Aura is so old..
I'm using borrowed speakers at the moment and have only had a 2 hour session with a pair of appropriate speakers. So my journey begins.. again. I'm in no rush, I have a completely mad TVR car that takes a fair bit of my time and I need to balance my needs with my wife's desire to travel. So I'm in t for the long run and going to enjoy every step.
Cheers guys.
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Post by michaelw on May 25, 2018 0:32:28 GMT 12
what are you using for a phono preamp ?
didn't you try a pureaudio vinyl ?
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Member
Post by sjk on May 25, 2018 8:01:57 GMT 12
Hi Michael,
I borrowed the AT headshell with Shure cartridge and a Project phono stage as I needed these to be certain there were no significant issues with the Aura. I think the cartridge is very close to death and the output is not really acceptable. So my 1st call will be to buy a cartridge and headshell for the Dynavector. I'm looking for something that will keep me going in the short to mid term. My budget will be low, and I've seen some Japanese websites that look to have reasonable Denons at OK prices, but I don't know if they are trustworthy.
I cant see me ever getting up the scale as far as the Pureaudio vinyl, I was more looking for a Dynavector Mk3 or 4. If I ever get to the point where I'm totally captured by vinyl and I have no higher priorities then I'll talk to Gary again, but I would expect any pre-production kit will have been sold through by then.
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Member
Post by sjk on May 25, 2018 8:12:29 GMT 12
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Post by michaelw on May 25, 2018 9:03:59 GMT 12
I cant see me ever getting up the scale as far as the Pureaudio vinyl, I was more looking for a Dynavector Mk3 or 4. If I ever get to the point where I'm totally captured by vinyl and I have no higher priorities then I'll talk to Gary again, but I would expect any pre-production kit will have been sold through by then. my advancing years had you confused with a "steve" who chronicled his pa vinyl experiences on various forums. come to think of it i think he was in wellington.
the old system was certainly big in every respect. those big dyns eat up space.
cartridges ? a dynavector comes to mind.
or the venerable denon 103, good sound, cheap as !
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Post by Owen Y on May 25, 2018 10:03:21 GMT 12
Not to distract anyone from the conversation around the Pureaudio and Aura, here is a couple of pics from my previous setup.  OMGosh! I feel a little better about my own behemoth lspkrs now 
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Member
Post by sjk on May 25, 2018 11:50:59 GMT 12
I really loved those C4’s, but my room really wasn’t big enough. Although the did everything well, they went “next level” when they were in a space where they could really shift air. One day when my wife was away I moved them into a bigger room and used an Audiolab M-Dac with the Parasound. Playing one of my favorite “reference” tracks literally reduced me to tears. They also had the ability to deafen the neighbors without showing the slightest hint of colouration. Obviously the Parasound had immense grip. Yup, I need something a little less imposing now... C1's, Special 40"s, Maggies (Hmmmm), the new Proac DT8" seem to be winning a few hearts.. Gary sent me a pair of speakers from Brigadiers Audio which were damaged in transit but my gosh there were good. They didn't quite hot the mark for me in some regards (Poor things trying to replace C4's). Maybe something DIY. projectgallery.parts-express.com/speaker-projects/back-loaded-horn-design/
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Post by Owen Y on Aug 23, 2018 9:49:23 GMT 12
Steve sjk - did you ever pursue the above labryinth-type horn speakers posted above? I built something like that back in late 90s....  They ended up with a new owner in Wgtn.... 
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Member
Post by sjk on Aug 25, 2018 0:05:15 GMT 12
Hi Owen,
Nope I didn’t go down the DIY route. I had a few options and in the end decided to save for a while so the options could be considered without budget constraints. As a fil in, I bought some Kef ls50’s but they just didn’t suit me so I ended up returning them.
For the horn speakers I priced up the hardware, the Perspex panels and the rest of the gear would have been around $3500, and I thought it was too much to spend on a gamble.
I’ve been talking to Gary M and I’m waiting for the brigadiers Mu2’s to come back to me. When they arrive I’ll try to listen to the Dyn special 40’s sis by side and see how that goes. Another option is that Tim Lambert is a good mate and he’s offered to help me build some speakers. I really respect Tim’s input and his dads speakers were pretty awesome.
I’m also really excited about a phono stage that I’m trying to get for my Aura. I’ve bought a Denon DV-103 and clear audio stability head shell. Just a few things left to buy before I start buying some records 😋
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Member
Post by sjk on Aug 25, 2018 0:09:52 GMT 12
I still love the single driver sound. I don’t know if you’ve heard Gary Pierc’s speakers but they are pretty special. I often left his house thinking why Di his DIY horns do so many things so well. In some ways better than my dynaudio C4’s, to be honest it really annoyed me .. 😂
How did you find the horns and why did you sell them? They look really nice 👍
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Post by Owen Y on Aug 25, 2018 10:55:54 GMT 12
Hi Steve sjk - I thought that the labyrinth horn design above, is ideal for CNC cutting (as some others have done), but the acrylic sides could be changed to plywood to save cost. Of course the visuals would be less interesting  Also, achieving good air-seal against the side panels would be less tricky (with wood). As you can see (below) my Mauhorn required a lot of precision work on the internal baffles & a CNC would solve this - and also smooth curves with accurate expansions, would be more easily possible. 
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Post by Owen Y on Aug 25, 2018 11:02:20 GMT 12
In the end, I wanted to move on to larger horns. The Midrange fibreglass tractrix horns were the first step (in combination with the Mauhorns).... 
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Post by foveaux on Aug 25, 2018 16:22:33 GMT 12
Welcome Steve Enjoyed reading of your audio journey, you're on the cusp of something very special/unique with the Aura... Re: a phono NB: Hold tight, believe me, there is something superb coming along for both 'you' and 'me' from Gary...
"I see music as a lifetime affair." [Rory Gallagher]
"Free - I miss that band, but when I look back, we were very young" [Paul Rodgers]
850 posts
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Member
Post by sjk on Aug 26, 2018 7:49:17 GMT 12
In the end, I wanted to move on to larger horns. The Midrange fibreglass tractrix horns were the first step (in combination with the Mauhorns)....
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Member
Post by sjk on Aug 26, 2018 18:40:44 GMT 12
Owen your system looks amazing, it’s clear you know what you like and I bet you are immensely happy with your progress over the years. Ime in awe!
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Member
Post by sjk on Aug 26, 2018 18:52:24 GMT 12
Welcome Steve Enjoyed reading of your audio journey, you're on the cusp of something very special/unique with the Aura... Re: a phono NB: Hold tight, believe me, there is something superb coming along for both 'you' and 'me' from Gary... Yes I’ve been talking to Gary and I’m wishing away the next few weeks. I also have to say I’m really enjoying the Aura, more so than I expected. I’m keen to see how the subtle changes I’m making render improvements. Great fun.
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Post by Owen Y on Aug 26, 2018 23:05:56 GMT 12
Thanks Steve - it always remains a work in progress, unfortunately
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Pundit
Post by SL1210 on Aug 27, 2018 21:35:57 GMT 12
Greets from Hawkes Bay.
That is quite some experience you have so no doubt an asset to the forum.
I do have one consideration though regarding your Dynaudios. I have not heard Dynaudios but by reputation they are 'up there'. My idea, well it has been done before, is not so much as to make your speakers smaller - rather make your room bigger. I have done my own diffusers and 'black holes' but there must be several options out there. It may be that what you lose on the swings (the cost of these enhancements) is more than what you lose on the roundabouts (the step down from your speakers).
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Member
Post by sjk on Aug 30, 2018 22:57:07 GMT 12
Greets from Hawkes Bay. That is quite some experience you have so no doubt an asset to the forum. I do have one consideration though regarding your Dynaudios. I have not heard Dynaudios but by reputation they are 'up there'. My idea, well it has been done before, is not so much as to make your speakers smaller - rather make your room bigger. I have done my own diffusers and 'black holes' but there must be several options out there. It may be that what you lose on the swings (the cost of these enhancements) is more than what you lose on the roundabouts (the step down from your speakers). Hi, Gosh I'd love to work and live in Hawkes Bay, what an amazing part of the country.. Wise words indeed re room treatment, my goal was to build a great system then start on the room, but hey I never finished getting the gear together before I moved house. In may main HT room the furniture, paint and window coverings were all chosen because of their acoustic properties and it sounded pretty nice. Horizontal wooden blinds with heavy curtains covering 30% of the area, textured "thick" paint and heavy wrap round seating with book case type storage for media all helped. Many years ago I was lucky enough to experience a demo of some gear in Titirangi where the owner had built tube traps and spent a lot of time doing well planned room treatment - as far as HiFi was concerned his system was "Next Level". I've never forgotten that experience. I have since read a lot about treatment but have never actually done this topic justice. Having said that, if you start with a room with good proportions your part way there. My "Media Room (gosh I hate that term) was always a family room first and I wanted my kids to have access to a great experience when the watched TV or anything else. So, I'm saying that I compromised by putting family convenience before performance. The Dynaudio C4's could kick out massive levels of bass but despite their ability to do so, instead of sounding congested or muddled like some less capable speakers, they always just sounded effortless and full bodied. I know it's each to their own with music, my most enjoyable moments were with music videos, such as Phil Collins, the last final farewell tour. Playing concerts like this at volume levels that would upset the town down the road was... breathtaking literally. I would leave the room with my heart pounding at the sheer dynamics and presence. And there was not a hint of coloration or distortion, trust me I would spot any issues immediately:) I really miss having that capability, but there is no way I could go to 30% of that volume in an apartment block. I used to worry about disturbing the street! So now its all about detail and texture for me, is the sound believable? Having worked in retail HiFi and now in the AV industry for going on 15 years, I have some horror stories about rooms and environments that I'd love to bore everyone with. Maybe another thread, "stupid things customers do despite your best advice"... Anyway less of the rambling, you won't find an argument from me regarding the merits of room treatment. When I was renovating this place I talked to one of my supplier that brings in the Prime-acoustics room treatment gear. I showed my wife the video's and pictures of the panels, she was "Not interested" and there the conversion stopped:) I think if I start hoarding egg cartons she'd be on to me..
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