What was the last bit of gear you bought?

The RP8 is significantly cheaper than the LP12, so I don’t really think that’s affecting its sales that much. The rp10 and planar 10 probably are.

There’s just a lot right about it, for us. Price/performance/simplicity. And despite how light the platterless tt is, it actually exudes a nice, quality, feel.

1 Like

New exdem pair Neat Iota in fab red. From Midland Audio Exchange, John Roberts top man. On a bookcase shelf amongst the Rolling Stones. ![2020

3 Likes

Got a 6 level (base +5) Fraim a few weeks ago. Still in garage waiting assembly and removal of my 16 year old DIY rack. Want to clean carpet during changeover so now also waiting on my fixing carpet cleaning machine (just a blockage I think).
Not sure yet whether Fraim will be replacement or fill in while refurbishing old rack.

1 Like

A black box has arrived in my study system.

Most of my listening in here has been via FM radio or Tidal through Chromecast Audio into Rega DAC. Occasional CD listening was from the Bluray player into the DAC.

Have been very happy with whole system for many years but working from home over last couple of months has seen me play a lot more CD’s recently and I wondered about adding dedicated cd player/transport in, whether I wanted any further ‘fidelity’ in here.

There was also a niggling, practicality factor in that in common with most bluray players there is no onboard display, such that track picking when wanted was a bit of a pita in terms of either counting presses of the skip track button on the bluray remote or having to switch telly on and stand in front of TV to get to track(s) I wanted!

So bought myself an Audiolab transport and very happy I am too. At first it was apparent that CD replay was much improved in terms of detail, timing and musicality, though that Audiolab signature ‘brightness/clarity’ that I was aware of from hearing other kit of theirs over the years was also quite prevalent. However, now the unit is settled in, it’s far more subtle these days and actually I find in combo with Rega’s more analogueish finesse, it’s a very fine thing!

Ultimately the traditional move of swapping the bluray player back in confirmed the benefits of a dedicated transport and the Audiolab is now firmly in place🙂

13 Likes

ND555 - sounded better than my already superb NDS out of the box. After over 10 days simply amazing.

10 Likes

I just bought a Uniti Atom. It’s replacing my office system, which was an Arcam AVR300. The digital board failed years ago, so I just used it as a 2-channel integrated amp. I have a Logitech Squeezebox Touch and an Arcam rDac that I used as a Roon bridge for it. However, the AVR300’s digital volume control is failing quickly, so I decided it was time for a replacement.

I was going to audition a BlueSound Powernode 2i. It’s the right price in any case. However, a dealer ex-demo Atom came up for sale at a great price. It still has all the plastic protection covering it and was never sold at retail. It was more than twice my budget, but a good enough deal that I stretched my budget and purchased it this morning.

I should have it late next week. It will be used with an old pair of Dynaudio Audience 52SE speakers mounted on my home office wall behind my desk.

4 Likes

I have an Atom as my second setup in the lounge room, it’s a pretty impressive half case sometimes I think it almost sounds as good as my main system.

3 Likes

I had an original UnitiQute (not the 2) about 10 years ago. Then I added a 250-2 and started a new Naim journey. The Atom will be nice but it will be just for the office system for a while. I look forward to getting it, and also saving some space getting rid of a big AVR and two smaller devices.

2 Likes

Just got a very very late model (Dec 2016) Superuniti BT for the bedroom and I have to say paired with my old (circa '92) Acoustic Energy AE1’s on a pair of early AE stands (that weigh about 35kgs each) this sounds absolutely marvellous. Wonderful Tidal streaming over my Mesh WiFi so very minimalist. :+1:

12 Likes

Have you ever had to replace the foam bits on your AE1s? I have a pair of 1990 vintage with kippered foam and need to replace but have been told not possible to get done properly (I also have the proper matching finned stands! Never been able to part with them but not quite sure what to do with them)

I brought these to replace a pair I had foolishly sold about ten years ago, then regretted doing so…and this pair had excellent cone rubbers.

I’m pretty sure kits are available to re-foam yourself and there are numerous ‘how to re-foam a speaker’ videos on YouTube.

If you don’t feel confident enough then I’m sure the likes of Falcon acoustics or Wilmslow would do it for you (at a price) or maybe contact AE direct at Ciresester as I’m pretty sure they offered a repair service too.

Great sounding speakers (really boogie these chaps) and go pretty low too (amazing for their size). Just goes to show if you get it right why change things.

They really seem to match the Superuniti I got very well and for a minimalist bedroom system look pretty good too…

I too was looking for a pair of matching AE1 fluted stands but they seem to go for silly money so these came up (at a rather more reasonable£50) and actually pre-date the fluted type. VERY heavy…got some sobaphane pads under the speakers and swapped out the fiddly M6 spikes with rubber feet as it’s carpet with concrete floors (full of underfloor heating pipes too).

So cheap system…just over two grand with the speaker cables (made and delivered in under 24 hours by hificables.co.uk who did a really neat job).

Get your AE1’s refoamed and use them…great speakers and will look (and sound) brilliant on top of your stands.

Gaz

5 Likes

Def not up to trying it myself. Will do some research. April 1990 I bought them (stands and speakers together). I don’t really have anywhere to use them unless I sell my SBLs

1 Like

Tim.
Do a Bedroom system…re-foam then add a Superuniti like me. As I said this seems to my ears at least to sound fabulous. :+1:

Also Tim if they are currently buggered why not have a go re-foaming but order two sets in case you screw up and can get a professional to do it with the second set.

Utter tosh to with supposed issues re-foaming. It’s not nuclear science just fairly basic physics and engineering.

1 Like

I love them as well…heard them in this part on the woods with a Creek system…divine… :+1:

Quite a bit of snobbery over AE1’s with the press suggesting a dated design lacking against newer (this century) bookshelf speakers. Tosh again…these are cracking speakers for people into the music rather than into ‘sounds’.

Naim 250.2 just warming up… hope it’s more fat bottom girls than slow and lardy

3 Likes

Exposure 3010S2 monos. Finally.

3 Likes