Obscure British audio companies

I remember Heybrook very well. I once demonstrated a Naim 32/250 (chrome bumper series) connected to a pair of Heybrook HB3’s with excellent results. I believe Heybrook were based somewhere in the Plymouth area.

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Royd made some excellent speakers. In the dealership where I worked the Royd A7s were commonly chosen as part of a budget system with a Rega Planar 2 and an integrated amplifier usually by Creek or Ion Systems (which I believe arose from the ashes of Nytech). The Royd Eden was a budget alternative to the ubiquitous Linn Kan. It was heavy, because Joe Ackroyd put a large piece of metal in the base to add to the perceived value. It sounded very good.

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I used to have an Albany amp, looked and sounded great

Also had a Sugden at one time

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I wouldn’t have considered Royd to be obscure, at least in the UK. They were very popular with Naim users back in the day. Pity they fizzled out when Joe Ackroyd died. My Apex are still going strong too.

Heybrook likewise, not a huge brand, but quite widely respected for what they achieved.

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Ouch.

Nene Valley Audio (NVA )

Would love to listen to their products.

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LFD amps. I’m not sure if they are still in business.

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Bowers & Wilkins is another company. I believe they make mostly loudspeakers.

Obscure?

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Marston Audio Research had a decent DAC with outboard PSU some years ago. Wonder what happened.

I have an NVA headphone amp somewhere!

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I do and still have a pair (passed on to my son). Beautiful speakers with the Tonigen ribbon tweeters and a switch near the terminals I could never work out.

I bought mine new at half-price from Buckingham Palace Audio(?) in 1990. Reason I got them so cheap was one had fallen over and knocked a chunk out of the walnut veneer on the side.

Got them home and called my local french polisher who came round to fix them. When he showed me what he had done I couldn’t believe it - he’d painted in the walnut grain and built up then relacquered the sides - perfect. Then I asked him how much thinking I got them for half price so a £100+ would leave me well in pocket. He said oh £5 will do it! I said here’s a £20 keep the change.

Then followed many years of pleasure.

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I bought an integrate amp from a company I think was based based near Salisbury. Nytech. The sound was superb.
A lot of ex-RAF guys with electronics expertise down that way.

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Have we had Lentek yet?

There was an integrated amp and the S4 monitor loudspeaker. This is about all I remember about the brand from Hi-Fi Answers c1978 but I think both products were highly respected.

I remember the Nytech receiver well. I believe the company was formed by Richard Hay who had previously worked for Arthur Radford (Radford were seen as the alternative to brands such as Quad in the 1960’s). Richard was then involved with Ion systems based in Newtown Powys.

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Ah definitely not so obscure in this house…:wink:

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The Audiolab 8000A had its roots in the old Lentek, IIRC - Derek Scotland and Philip Swift.

I rather liked the Myst amps. They were beautifully built and sounded rather good too.

And I have a soft spot for Quantum too. A friend had a Quantum pre/power with a Sondek and a pair of Heybrook HB2s - hearing Grace Jones’ Slave to the Rhythm on that system was a knockout!

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Oh no I didn’t…………. :smiling_imp: :grin:

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Moor Amps based in Dorset

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Alchemist, makers of the kraken integrated amp. Those fins look like they could be painful to touch by accident.

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