Tír Na HiFi

jaybee wrote:your AI is fairly cosseting and warm?

Not especially, no. Of course, it all depends what you're playing it through, but if you put the AI out of its comfort zone it just sounds thin and strained.

jaybee wrote:that's interesting....

I had the new mark IV Ariand FV34B with volume control on my shopping list for 2013 along with a new TT

I thought the EL34 was the king of warm valvey goodness?

Would you say it is bright or that the arcam is dark?

My impression is that the Ariand sounds more pronounced in the mid-range and is more exciting/dynamic/faster attack, while the Arcam has a "warmer" tuneful bass, easier listening, more laid-back overall .
Also the Arcam is a 100W amp and I am probably driving the 40W Ariand harder in my setup.
On top of all that I have a very poor memory for tonal character and it has been a month since hearing the Ariand. I hope to have it back and working by the middle of next week and will know better then.
The age of the Arcam, at about 15 years, may also be a factor, if it is possible for a solid state amp to mellow.

Also, I did not expect such a nice sound from the Arcam and I think to some degree that:
sound quality = hi-fi system/expectations
Thus the lower the expectation the better the SQ

Mark.

Diapason wrote:

jaybee wrote:your AI is fairly cosseting and warm?

Not especially, no. Of course, it all depends what you're playing it through, but if you put the AI out of its comfort zone it just sounds thin and strained.

did you ever use it with your system Audio's? or were they paired with the primare alone?

jaybee wrote: did you ever use it with your system Audio's? or were they paired with the primare alone?

Yeah, I think I used it with the SAs for a while and it worked quite well. I think I did anyway!

Have I ever owned a Primare? God, my brain is shot!!

didn't you have an i30....

could have sworn you were remembering it fondly in the Esb doldrums....

I had the I32 on loan for a while relatively recently, and I absolutely love that amp. Class D it may be, but I thought it sounded glorious.

that was it.... did you have the one with the gorgeous display....

every other display I've seen since looks like a Texas Instruments calculator in comparison....

This year felt very long in terms of HiFi:

In came:
Focal 1028Be speakers.
Dynavector P75 Mk2 Phono stage
Origin RB300 weight upgrade (that was bought 7 years ago I think, but never got around to installing)
Hopefully soon: Dynavector 20x2 L Cartridge

For the HT:
ELAC 2030 Sub
B&W LRC60 S3


Out went:
Eminent Technology LFT8 Speakers
Dynavector10x5 Cartridge

The biggest improvement of course was the speakers. They are still breaking in but I think they are nearly there, sounding better every day.

For the new year I would love to upgrade my turntable and speaker cables. Not sure the financial controller will sanction this though.... ;)

I hadn't given any thought to 2013. Domestic rearrangements almost led to speakers being changed for something less imposing but that's been sidestepped. As we will lose a home cinema in the attic there'll be a nice "lazy-boy" recliner or two for the man cave ad I'll need a new dirty big fuck-off TV to compensate - doesn't count as hifi to me. There will be an infocus projector, 2 metre wide screen and biggish B&W floorstanders up for sale
In the back of my mind I'm thinking I might dabble in computer audio in the coming year but then again... I might not. I might vow to use my vinyl setup bit more instead! A preamp? Again maybe... maybe not. Things sound good the moment so why mess it up?

Ivor wrote:... Again maybe... maybe not...

Nice when decisions clear cut, decisive...but then again...

All the same I'm glad the Quads are staying.