In 2014, I added a Khozmo volume attenuator to my Croft preamplifier and found it to be one of the most worthwhile upgrades I'd ever done. Fast forward to 2022 and things have certainly developed. Khozmo has developed one of the best passive preamplifiers I've heard.
The Entreq Tellus II Infinity Line is one of the most intriguing additions to the Tannoyista system I've ever had the pleasure of owning. It has no moving parts, no mains cable and is encased in beautifully finished solid wood.
The A80 stabiliser card is something you wouldn't think about upgrading. But Sepia Audio has made something really special which has to be experienced on such a legendary machine.
The Studer A80 is one of the most famous reel-to-reel machines in the world. Renowned for its delicate transport and amazing reproduction quality, its time on this earth is now legendary.
From Pink Floyd, Paul Simon, Queen to My Bloody Valentine and beyond, the A80 is still being used to record with and to also remaster classic albums at Abbey Road.
The electronics inside the A80 is discreet but also wonderfully simple compared to the later more advanced machines such as the A820 or the smaller A807 and A810.
Trident Studios was a recording studio in London. During the late 60s and all through the 70s and 80s and 90s, Trident Studios was one of the most unique recording studios in the world. The legacy of this studio is now legendary. Today the studio is no more, in fact, it's now a very upmarket townhouse which is sad to see.
But the ghostly reverberations of the studio still ring loud in our music and culture today, and in many ways just as loud as Abbey Road.
Within a small window of time from 1968 to around 1977, Tridents control room setup included 4 Lockwood Major monitoring loudspeakers for hearing back mixes. That amazing window in time included some of the most prolific artists using the studio such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Queen, Lou Reed, T-Rex and others.
This is the story of two of the actual loudspeakers used to make those amazing albums.
There's nothing like hearing BIG speakers. The amount of energy and spatial energy is totally immersive. Back in the early 90s, I used to work in a small studio where we used such speakers. The sound was totally astonishing. Of course, a studio control room is treated to a vast degree but even with a typical living room space, you can still get a lot of the magic.
So, in 2013, my love for large loudspeakers began. At that time, I was using some Lockwood Universal loudspeakers which were pretty good but when I had the chance to move to the ultimate beasts, I just had to do it. So in 2015, I sold the Lockwood Universal cabinets to go bigger and, yes... much better. Bring on the Lockwood Majors.
In 2009, I bought a Thorens TD-124 turntable. Since then it's become a highly regarded and converted turntable. It's certainly earned its noted soubriquet 'legendary'. It stands out as one of the top audiophile decks in sound and design. Needless to say, this little deck consistently captures the hearts of many including myself.
This review is a look back at my experience of owning the TD-124.
If you're serious about vinyl then this has to be one of the most important additions to your deck you will ever make. It doesn't matter if you own a £50,000 deck or a sub £1000 deck. The Funk Houdini and the Funk Achromat have to be on your purchase list.
Designed and handmade in Great Britain, the Tannoyista crossovers give these classic Tannoy Monitor Gold loudspeakers a refreshed sound without losing their magic, uniqueness and dynamics.
Each set is unique and numbered. Housed in a solid oak dovetailed casework and employing point to point wiring they are upgradable and adaptable to your system using some of the very best components available today.
The Croft modified QUAD II monoblock amplifiers in conjunction with my Tannoy Monitor Gold loudspeakers. A classic combination.
In 2009 my amplification setup consisted of a Chord CPM2600 Integrated amplifier bi-amped with firstly an SPM600, and then the Chord SPA1032.
As you may know, Chord amplifiers are extremely high quality and the CPM 2600 working as an integrated alone is a wonderful package. The build quality is second to none with thick aluminium construction and very heavy.
All images are Copyright Tannoyista 2021