HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

Ithilstone wrote: ↑Wed Feb 05, 2020 10:07 pm Eeeee and where is that two arm (MM + MC) posh TT you promised me to test new phono stages???

... just wait until Jerry has one to pass on.

The phono stages will be coming to the turntable, not the other way round...

savvypaul wrote: ↑Thu Feb 06, 2020 12:35 am The phono stages will be coming to the turntable, not the other way round...

It's not nice to keep all the goodies by yourself...

Firebug1 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 06, 2020 5:01 am

savvypaul wrote: ↑Thu Feb 06, 2020 12:35 am The phono stages will be coming to the turntable, not the other way round...

It's not nice to keep all the goodies by yourself...

Nah, he's spoilt enough, as it is...

Scratched a 35 year old itch...Monitor Audio R352.



I went to a hi-fi show in a concrete hotel, somewhere near Heathrow, in around 1985 (probably '84, given that I hadn't yet bought my Planar 3). At the show, I heard a few 'way out there' Absolute Sounds type electrostatics, plus a whole host of flat earth speakers. Almost at the end of the day I went into a nondescript room with middle of the road electronics (an A&R A60 rings a bell) and saw these '70s throwback' MA R352's. Real bass and believable tone...and, ironically, much better transients than the PRAT brigade. A bit rolled off, up top, but I could live with it.

My local flat earth dealership took me to the Rega and, shortly after, the LP12, and that needed speakers without bass, so I ended up with a pair of Kans and forgot all about the 352.

Anyhow, an apparently minty pair popped up locally (6 miles away) on ebay and a £72 bid secured. Tomasz isn't the biggest fan of the modded B&Ws, so he's already eyeing them for the workshop. If they're any good then I might bring them to the WAM show next month. They look promising - lightweight, high efficiency paper driver (that will explain the fast transients), reasonably simple crossover and benign impedance curve, extra internal bracing, 13kg a piece. Just read that they were designed by Robin Marshall.

How much fun can you have for £70? I'll let you know...

Well, hit me with your rhythm stick!
Nice one, Savvy.

Fretless wrote: ↑Mon Feb 10, 2020 9:58 pm Well, hit me with your rhythm stick!
Nice one, Savvy.

They seem to go for sensible money, likely because they would be a pig to ship (65 cms tall), iirc, they were around the same price as the Kans (which now go for £300 plus for any half decent looking ones).

The Cambridge CXC is going back - very noisy when reading discs and skips at the first sign of trouble. Maybe just a bad sample.

Only trouble I have had is with a couple of dual layer SACDs. And not noisy at all.

I bought it from Cambridge Audio's ebay shop - mostly open box refurbished items. Looking at their recent feedback, I don't think that 'test' is included in 'refurbishment'. Returned it through ebay, so no hassle, but CA haven't replied to the email I sent, last Friday, suggesting I try a replacement.

I guess they are cheap for a reason. OK if you get a good one.