Blimey Pluto I didn't even know you were on this part of the site, yes the Tripath units are so good that one could charge many hundreds for them. The speaker kits I was going to recommend were 'Wilmslow Audio'.
However I do know that they do many designs of speaker kits and are probably the leaders, possibly a transmission design. Not sure on that.
Hello John & Pluto, Wilmslow Audio eh, is that the W/A from Wilmslow the area, if so its only about 12 miles from here. I,m going to check it out later today, you recommend Tripath trasmission line,my only concern is this, i dont have a clue about anything electronic,and i dont think that this guy i know would be of much help,so before i commit myself,i,m going to check if W/A build these kits for you,or do they give advice to complete novices. Thanks John,Thanks Pluto........i,ll keep you informed........Dave
Now most of these kits seem child's play to put together; even if you buy the cabinets fully assembled, the prices offer a vast saving compared to similarly designed commercial units. The point about buying the assembled cabinets is that you get exactly what the designer intended. The actual assembly of the complete unit is a relatively unskilled task that can be undertaken by anybody who isn't a complete klutz.
But this brings me to an area of concern. The vast range, the low prices, and above all, the apparent lack of any kind of demonstration facility (at least nothing obvious stated on the web site) lead me to think -- are these kits 'designed' on the basis of a great deal of theory, but little real testing? Compare this huge range of kits to the business run in the States by Siegfried Linkwitz, who sells, essentially, one type of loudspeaker in various states from total kit to fully built - a speaker that has evolved over the years to become something that has been described as the best medium-sized speaker available today. Linkwitz himself is no slouch at the underlying theory. There aren't many engineers who are responsible for what is now considered to be a standard topology of active filter design.
So, I can't help but wonder to what degree the myriads of designs sold by Wilmslow have been, to some extent, thrown together compared to the 'life's work' concept of Siegfried Linkwitz. It should be very easy for a company like Wilmslow to offer the option of active crossovers, yet they appear not to. It is my opinion that this route offers more advantages to speaker designers than practically anything else currently in the armoury. So the fact that Wilmslow appear not to offer this approach reinforces my belief that they are putting kits together out of drive-unit manufacturer's reference designs, a very hit and miss approach to loudspeaker building. But, as ever, I would dearly love to be proved wrong.
Right on Pluto, funny thing in life is that we all go down lanes in life, research aspects, and actually, want to be proved 'wrong', I wonder why, do we really all want to be proved 'wrong' no I don't think so, bottom line is that we really want so be proved 'right', but such is the 'English way', actually being 'right' is in itself somehow 'wrong'.
Wake up world, right is right, get something wrong and it is a mistake.
Whether this is your Hi Fi equipment decision, or who you choose to live your life with, all these matters are your 'choices'.
Our choices determine our future, our choices determine where we are, our choices determine what we may be.
Bottom line is, they are all 'choices'.
Yes and all yours, no one else makes these decisions, no one forces them on you, no you make them, for your own reasons, therefore they are all your own choices.
What I'm trying to say here is that we all have the choice, if one chooses to spend a fortune on cables then that is their choice, that is their choice, if one wants to find Hi Fi nirvana - that is their choice, and very possably, how you go about it is again 'your choice', personally, probably different from my choice, but then I'm different.
Personally I have noticed that 'technology' changes are far more significant, twice now I have clearly heard/seen the change, Tripath amplification, (warm, valve like, full bodied etc.), upsampleing DVD (able to read the credits), an area deep to me, as these are now so readable, check out 'Fifth Element', understand the beauty, see the credits, then come back and tell me 'I am a complete asshole, as that is what I believe you to believe.
To Dave yourself, every time I enter this site I am greeted with the CHORD COMANY logo, are you really saying that you have no affiliations with said company, does that logo, just 'pop up' without your knowledge, I think not, so if you have an affiliation with a cable company then PLEASE MAKE IT PUBLIC, certainly before the 'cable test meeting.I am seriously concerned about your rational here, and underneath your real beliefs, not to mention your real intentions, but as in all the truth is all I care about.
Hello John & all on this site.NO i,m in no way connected to the Chord Company, never have been, and never want to be. I am a freelance photographer, have been for a long ,long ,very long time,i dont know enough about electronics to work for an electronics company,mind you after listening to some products from said company, i do wonder.No John i dont work for Chord or anybody else, ok.............Dave
I presume you were aiming the Chord Company comment at me John. It's an advert - companies pay us to put their adverts on the site, it's how we get funding for the site and the method by which the rest of the hi-fi and AV press get the majority of their funding. The extent of our 'affiliation' with the company is that they advertise with us, as do many other companies. This does not buy them favourable reviews or determine how much editorial coverage they receive and no, they will not be featured in the cable test on 16 November.
John F - oh dear - I don't know what they put in your speccy brew last night: an extra large dose of vitriol by the sound of it.
You appear to have completely misunderstood the underlying meaning of the term "I would dearly love to be proved wrong". This has nothing at all to do with any innate belief in the merit of not being correct. It is merely a sarcastic retort to suggest that it would be nice if I was wrong but, alas, I fear it is likely that I am correct.
While looking through the Wilmslow Audio web pages I was thinking to myself that almost everything seemed splendid value for money. I've not actually seen the stuff, so cannot say what the mechanical quality is like but let's assume it's good.
The problem lies in the distinction between a competent loudspeaker and a good one. There is an even larger gap between a good loudspeaker and a great one. This is why there are so few really top notch speakers.
I would love to hear a selection of Wilmslow's kits, properly assembled. Because on paper they appear thoughtfully designed and well manufactured. But knowing as I do some of the labour involved in making the transition from a good speaker to a great one, it seems likely that any company offering as many different models as Wilmslow would be unable to push their designs into that area of diminishing return where the final 10% of achievement takes 90% of the time. But I would dearly love to be proved wrong.
Hello John & Pluto. Ive just got off the phone with Wilmslow Audio,was speaking one of their engineers,Terry, who,s informed me that they do demo,s of their large range of speakers, and that i could if i wished, take my Krells along with me.Their factory isnt in Wilmslow, but in Leicester, which is only a couple of hours from here,i,m surprised though, that they dont open on a Saturday. Pluto, they said that they have most of their models on demonstration,and that they would build them to any requirement,even transmission line,of course i expect certain people [person ] to be sceptical about this,but thats life.....will keep you informed..................Dave....................Hello Dave Oliver. I,ve got to say that i really do enjoy this site,some of the comments from the members,really do brighten up a dull boring day,you should put some into print.........Cheers mate........Dave Mellor
David M - did they say if their demo facility is in Leicester or Cheshire? A drive to the former would be bearable (from London) - the latter, not so sure
Hello Pluto, yes,i was told by Terry to bring along some C.Ds or my entire system,they would hook it up with whatever speaker system i wanted,or use their own high quality system, and yes, its in Leicester, their Cheshire branch closed down 12 years ago,why not give them a ring,they are really helpfull,and John if youre reading this, NO i dont work for them either i just like to give credit where credits due,and these guys deserve praise...........Take Care Pluto............Dave....PS dont forget that they DONT open on a Saturday........Good Luck Mate
Hello Pluto, just got back from Matlock,been doing some insurance work,and had a pleasant message on the old answer phone,seems that the people who demonstrated those TDL Studio Referance 100 now want to sell them,and whats more amzing is the price they are asking for them,so tomorrow morning i,ll be off to go and get them with my £250 ,no mate i shit you not,i,m still going to check out W/A though,think i owe them the courtesy of going as planned,who knows what that will bring. Now then will you do me a favour,seeing as you live in London,can you tell me if the Cornflake shop has re-opened, and if so where is it,i was told that it had re-opened at Stamford Bridge but cannot find said place on the map,i also cannot find said shop on the web, so i,m begining to think this tale is exactly that,......a tale,hope i,m proved wrong,...............take care mate..................Dave M
can you tell me if the Cornflake shop has re-opened, and if so where is it
As far as I can tell, it's in Windmill Street where it ever was! The Cornflake Shop web site gives no indication of any alternative location. Good luck with your speaker acquisition; you might well bag a bargain!
To Dave Mellor, the Chord comment was never directed to you, good luck with the speaker search, sounds like you have found a winner... good.
The Tripath I mentioned is an amplifier, not a speaker. nevertheless something worth listening to, I believe now marketed under the name 'ICEPOWER'.
To Dave Oliver, all my Chord stuff was a bit of 'inquisitive' research, and a bit of a wind up, however I did think that they were just advertising.
O.K. on the change of date/place whatever will probably be able to make it, as I am now a retired old 'piss head' with nothing else to do.
To Pluto, having looked at 'cornflakes' site I'm not clear where they come from, what they do, what they are or even how they get their name, maybe missing something big time.
Hello Pluto & John.Got em,though the sellers did hike up the price somewhat,they said that it was £250 each,but after a bit of haggling i got them down to £200 each.Ive never heard of selling speakers individually,maybe its a welsh thing.Now then,ive been looking on the web for TDL studio ref 100 speakers,and the ones i have found look nothing like these,my question is this,which model are they? on the front badge it reads TDL REFERANCE but no number,so here,s a description, H.W.D.1420x380x420.they are five sided,have seven drivers but no speaker grilles,and no apparent holes for them, there are three ports for the transmission at the bottom,or maybe just one subdivided into three,but whatever model they are,the sound is awsome,i,ve just finished playing Canned Heat in concert on my Revox, i recorded it on that programme from the late 70s In Concert,and it sounded faneffingtanstic,going to sort some shelving out to put all my reels in.Ihave decided to sell my Futtermann and put the Roksan in the loft,and stop pissing about and get the Sugden,thanks for the info on the Cornflake Shop, i will be ringing them this week,ive got this humming sound coming from one of my Krell mono-bloc power amps,its not happening all the time ,just now and then,and always the same unit,and i need the engineers advice as to whether i need them servicing,as its the Cornflake Shop who services Krell,you,d think there would be somwhere in the North who would service them...........Take Care Mates.....DAVE
Hello John&Pluto,i have found out that these speakers are probably TDL Referance Monitor 4s,that they were originally built in the early 90s for around [ wait for it] £8000, i cant believe it.These monoliths cost more than my Krells and i,ve picked them up for £400,but they sound absolutley AWSOME ,ive played everything from Tchaikovski,s violin concerto No1 to Iron Butterfly,even AC/DC who are a bit tinny on CD sounded good,i,ve found out what the hum was on the Krell,it was a loose connection,from pre to power,after Andy had de-oxidised the cables.So alls well at casa mellor for now.Did you[Pluto ] go to W/A as said, if so how was it?.I rang them to say i wouldnt be coming and why,and they said if the TDLs need any kind of repair to contact them,as they have replacement drivers,for most speakers,not just their own.I,ve been in touch with my local Hi-Fi dealer who,s got a few CD players i can home demo,as long as i leave a deposit,one,s an Arcam which he says is pretty good,the other two are Krell & Sugden, i,ll let you know which one i decide upon.......Take Care..........Dave
Sounds like a result, good going well. Only yesterday I had Podium on the phone asking when I was going to visit, sounds like a good company, particularly as the reason for said visit is as much to meet the main man Shelley, as to listen to a new and different 'flat panel radiator' but at £3500, generally more your sort of item than mine. However with possibility of obtaining a one bed detached house in the pipeline and unhampered listening pleasure in the future, very exciting.
Hello John,who are podium? i,ve never heard of the company,this flat panel radiator sounds like one of those Quad Electrostatics,i had a pair about ten years ago,i just couldnt get used to the sound from them and so got rid of them. You seem to be under the wrong impression mate ,about my finances,ok a lot of my equipment is or was very expensive,but that was in the past when i did commercial photography ,[weddings , christenings even funerals ] but now that i do corporate photography and some insurance work, the moneys good,but not that good.So you,re buying a one bed house eh,for unhampered listening pleasure,what was hampering your listening pleasure in the first place?.Still it sounds like a good idea. Well i,m looking forward to listening to these three sample CD players that i will be picking up later to-day,the Arcam is a CD7,which i,ve never heard of let alone heard. will let you know how my listening tests go............Take Care John.................Dave
Hi Dave, Podium are a fairly new company based in Cambridge, the main design man Shelley is also a 'concert pianoist', so not only technical but musical.
Being now on floor one of a three story block means neighbours hamper my listening pleasure by complaining, but the house, not only detached but secluded behind shops, will become the ultimate. Good luck on the CD hunt, on my last desire for a new CD player I visited 'Music Matters' and heard a Quad player, then something at £4000, then another at £500. Could not hear any difference, got pissed with salesman and on the way home popped into Tesco and spent £24, on setting it up, again no difference.
I have always liked the Quad electrostatic sound, having had ESL57 in a bedsit, then ESL63 here, so the Podiums may suit, however they are not electrostatic.
