Shortest: Armstrong 621 amplifier. I had longed for one of these amplifiers for many years when I was at school. When I finally managed to save enough money to buy one (~£120 IIRC), I got it home and found a problem, so took it back to the store (probably) the next day and swapped it for a similarly priced Technics SU-7300. The Armstrong amplifier remains one of the most attractive amplifiers I’ve ever seen.
Longest: Naim Nait 1, which I’ve owned since about 1985. It’s only ever been serviced once and is still in use in a bedroom system.
Corry, I read your answer 2/3 times because it was interesting. I cant diagnose the reason for poor sound from the Roksan, ( some minor change may have been made after you bought yours, I really did not know Arm and Cart not avail ) but i can say with optimun set up on both
Linn Ittok Troika the sound is 50/50. A friend has Roksan through a UK. valve amp a nice combination. Really the difference between a medium price T.T. we are talking Motor units here and a really expensive one is simply down to the reproduction of the bottom octave that is what you pay for. So unless good big floor standers are involved you dont need the best big dollar T.T. KANS can be absolutely amazing but only on 10% of records.
Cambridge CD3 lasted a week or two and without doubt the most boring piece of hifi I’ve ever heard. I was young and bought it purely based on a magazine review.
Murmur’s comment reminded me, about 30 years ago I realised that it was getting pretty close to impossible to buy most of the new music I wanted on vinyl, so I decided I needed a CD player. After auditioning a few I chose a Micromega Solo, took it home and played the 3 CDs I then owned. I found the top end unlistenably harsh, tried again the next day, same, so went back to the Sound Org. I tried another couple of players I’d listened to and realised I’d chosen the Solo because compared to those it was clearly better, but really for me it wasn’t listenable over long periods. So I did an extended listen to a Micromega Trio, found it lovely and musical, and that went home with me.
So a Micromega Solo for 2 days.
Longest is the original Rega Planar 3 / RB 300, bought in 1983. I replaced it with a used LP12/Ittok LVII in 2004, but loaned it to my son who still uses it.
Shortest was my first Naim system (CD 3.5 /NAIT 3) which was upgraded 18 months after its purchase. A friend of mine upgraded his system and offered me a good deal on his 102/140. I upgraded the CD 3.5 to a CDX2 at the same time.
Other than about three Cambridge DACs that were all returned for the same reason, the shortest bit has to be a Rega Fono , bought to accompany a Rega Aethos and a Clearaudio Emotion, out of it’s depth with the turntable. Eventually I paired the TT with a Graham Slee, they went together like roast beef, Yorkshire Pudding and gravy, yummee and a good glass of red wine
The longest piece is a Naim NAT 03, still in the rack but producing both good sounds and a hum ( when switched in). Had it for 25 plus years. Suspect the hum is down to cable mismanagement but time to move on
I have a ND5 XS 2 on trial at the moment and it sounds very, very good
The Roksan wasn’t poor by any means, it just wasn’t entirely to my taste, and, with the RB300 and F5, seemed to exacerbate an imbalance in the system.
I found Kans to have a strangely addictive quality. While trying to rectify things I tried a pair of Ruark bookshelf speakers. I forget the name, but they were well regarded at the time. They immediately filled out the sound and gave a more balanced presentation, but were beyond boring compared to the Kans. From that point on, my mission was to get the best out of the Kans - retain that edge-of-the-seat connection to the music while minimising the relentless, fatiguing quality they seemed to have. I never quite succeeded in that.
A couple of days ago I had a rare opportunity for a long listening session, and I listened to 3 LPs on the trot. I would have listened to more, had circumstances permitted. I realised that that was something I rarely did with the Kans - one or two sides would usually be enough. My source and amps are quite a bit better than they were then, and that’s surely a factor. It would be interesting to slot the Kans back in for week and see how I get on with them.
Delightful amp. My brother had one back in the day, with a Rega 2 in front and a pair of nondescript 1970s Sansui speakers behind it. Within its limitations, one of the nicest systems I’ve heard.
When i sold my Kans i had them sitting a top my 1 mt high Floor standers running Naim NAC 32 and NAP 110 amp. A young guy came and i played him W.Nelson Stardust! he said he did not like W.N. but that sound just knocked him out, he bought them on the spot. The reason they only play 10% Records is their F/ Response and Presence presentation is wildly out so you have to find material that fits in with it. I really think they are just Toys. The only reason Linn made them was as added fuel to their Sales Pitch that only the front end mattered and the Speaker was the least important element in the chain a reversal of the truth.
Shortest was a high output moving coil cart by Audio Technica supposed to be able to use it with mm phono stage, sounded very thin and quiet, that stayed for a day or so. I traded it back in for Heybrook HB2 speakers which I sold in 2017 at the time of our last house move.
Longest is my 1982/83 Heybrook TT2 turntable with Linn basik V arm, I still use this so 38 years and still going strong.
I can contribute with a couple of items with lengthy ownership credentials. The first is my Pioneer SX-1050 which I purchased new in 1977 for about $700, quite a lot of money in those days, equivalent to something over $3500 In today’s dollars. I used it until almost 1990 when I imported Quad ESL-63 speakers from England along with Quad amp and preamp which displaced the Pioneer. It stayed tucked away in a closet for about 25 years. Then about four years ago I retrieved it out of the closet.,
I put the SX-1050 to good use in my TV system because I didn’t much like the audio from the Arcam SR-250 AVR I bought. I set it up so the Pioneer does all the audio while the Arcam is relegated to video switching responsibilities. I liked the Pioneer so much I decided to have it refurbished about a year ago. I think it sounds great and I hope it’ll be good for another 40 years.
The Quad ESL-63 speakers get honorable mention since they’ve been in continuous use since before 1990. I had them completely refurbished three years ago and I will probably have them planted in my grave with me. (Just kidding lol).
Longest: Pioneer tuner TX 5300, still proudly working. It comes from mid seventies, and was a Christmas present from my parents.
Shortest: honestly I don’t remember…
I used the Kans for over a decade and have a healthy respect for them, before moving on to some Art speakers. As much as I enjoyed their positives, and they were the right size for my first house, I felt they did shape the music I was listening to. Kept them for a further twenty years boxed in the loft before finally selling them. I didn’t need the money but it felt wrong to keep them unused.
