Audiophiles hifi appreciation thread old and new

I had a pair of TB2s years ago but the room was tiny about 1/3 the size of what we have now, needless to say they were not a good match.
Lb1’s are a bit smaller though.

The LB1's are quite slender. Imaging is good. They are probably the only small PMC's that have a decent reputation albeit from the days of CD mastering.

I found they liked a powerful amp even at low volumes to control the bass properly.

Came very close to buying some ex demo Whalfdale Dovedales this week. They would def really test my relationship, but I keep dreaming of bigger driver dynamics. It may be only a matter of time…

Im going to be selling my PMC Gb1i soon. Not stand mounts but a petite floorstander :)

Not for me I’m afraid, no matter how good they sound.

I might be interested in those, give me a shout when you go ahead. Cheers.

I can’t bring them forward into the room with more then 30cm behind.

Perhaps something with some passive radiators? The Technics speakers I have are designed to be just 10cm away from the wall. They've also got more extension on the low end than a ported speaker going down to 42hz for a regular sized bookshelf.

My Project 1 has finally kicked the bucket after 24 years and two cartridges. What can I get these days for <£300 in a similar vein aesthetically and quality wise?
I don’t like how the Audio-Technica AT-LPW30 looks.
I also don’t like the glossy finish on some other Projects I’ve seen.
Am I getting the Rega Planar 1?

What’s broken? You can probably get a new motor or service the bearing.

First the power adaptor broke so I got a new one, then I noticed the motor suspension belt had perished so I replaced that, then turned it on and the motor doesn’t turn, it just kind of twitches when I turn it on. The lid hinges are also fucked and I can’t seem to fix them. I like fixing stuff to a degree but I’m pretty fed up with this!

It’s probably time to move on then!?

2nd hand Technics and a can of contact cleaner.

Really? What models should I look out for? I don’t need pitch control, just something simple, solid and minimal-looking. I actually hadn’t considered buying 2nd hand, I’d be super interested but would need even more advice! I run through an 80s Arcam Alpha amp with phono stage.

Go for 1970s and early 1980s direct drive technics, not the dj models (1200) as they have usually been thrashed. SL 150 is a good one to look out for, but I'm not familiar with the full range.
Avoid auto return ones and anything with a p-mount cartridge.

As @timmah! says probs avoid the SL1200/1210 (unless it's mk1 as it has no pitch control)

SL1300&1600 -are automatic
SL1400&1700 - are auto return
SL1500&1800 - are manual

You might struggle to find a SL150 in budget, but they're a nice turntable. The ones from the 1970s are pretty indestructible, but make sure everything is intact on the suspension. And if you get one do clean any contacts with contact cleaner.

Anyone running a reel to reel player/recorder? I’ve just picked this up and it needs a little work but I’ve wanted one for ages on and off, this came up locally for a reasonable price. Might be a minefield but might be ok. Should be awesome when it’s playing though.

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Half way through cleaning this one up. Worked fine once I got new drive belts on but needs a deep clean to get it fully functional. Would be great to have one that did big reels, my work has a cupboard of old classical recordings on 10”.

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https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/176252875789

looks reasonable for the price.

Used RP3 worth considering.

@hangedup there's a ton of decent Japanese turntables on eBay, Technics isn't the be all and end all, they just had the patent for the platter to be integrated with motor.

Hitachi
Pioneer
Denon

If you're going to look at Sony do have a look at their common faults and how easy they are to maintain. I've drilled into Sony's history, and they've made some interesting design choices, if a bit over engineered.

Some options for you. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/156031295932?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=PGnMcEtaSlO&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=LNdRm01jSiW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/134952177080?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=juUmC2rBQHi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=LNdRm01jSiW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/364796206964?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=mmzuldbaqay&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=LNdRm01jSiW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/204699070930?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=l7UgbHL3R7a&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=LNdRm01jSiW&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

I'm selling my Monitor Audio GX300 speakers, I still have the original boxes and all packaging, but slightly concerned about them going in the post.
I'm looking for recommendations on couriers to use for posting big heavy speakers. Any one in particular to use or is it just a case of going on Parcelmonkey?

You legend. I’m really into how the SL-150 looks, from some videos on YouTube of funny old men playing Led Zep.
The Denon looks wicked but just too big for where I’m putting it.
Really appreciate the help everyone

I'm pretty sure the 150 is just a 1500 with a removable tone arm, all those 1200 through to 1800 are very similar in style.

If it's any consolation I've got a 1301 from 1970 and it still works perfectly.

If there's anything negative to be said, the suspension is a bit of a pain to adjust and needs a long socket, and like with a lot of kit from that era the installed cables are junk.

Nice one that looks sweet. Would love to have access to a load of 10” reels. Turns out they’re quite hard to find