The end of the week, and the end of my first full weeks stint of early morning system checks (07:00 am start).
Currently yawning my head off.
Another action packed weekend approaches. Haircuts for small boys, removing the last really awkward piece of shed roof, a Barney Bodger temporary plastering job to a wall that's gradually crumbling away, Xmas present wrapping ready for posting, and a visit to see Santa at our local riding stables.
Speaking of Santa, my Christmas present from the family arrived via one of his little helpers yesterday - a nice new NAD C542 CD player to replace the ageing hi-fi component that gave up the ghost last year.
I gave it a quick test, without hooking it up to any speakers or amplification and it looks like it's working OK. Need to dust off the amplifier and speakers, find a child-free zone and give it a sound test, before putting it away until Xmas day.
4 comments:
NAD. Still got NAD? Have you still got the 3020a? Show's what a bargain it was, even though it cost most of your grant about 20years ago :)
Yes I've still got the 3020A, and the B&W DM110 speakers.
The speakers have survived 20 years of musical abuse, having half-finished cans of beer stood on them at parties, and being used as plant pot stands by my mother. The cloth on the speaker covers was used as a cat-scratching post for a few years, so they need recovering.
I haven't really had them out for use since the kids arrived on the scene, since they're a bit top-heavy on the old speaker stands - will they survive the onslaught of children? I'm considering flying them from the ceiling or wall, if I can find suitable mounts.
The volume pot on the NAD has gone a little crackly when you turn it, so the pot probably needs replacing. Somebody has suggested that carefully cleaning away 20 years of human skin debris (aka dust) and other electro-statically attracted matter may help. Otherwise the amp is fine. I've often thought about using the feature that lets you separate the power-amp from the pre-amp and driving it with a higher rated power amp, but I've never got around to trying this.
Still a good punchy bassy sound for driving rock music. I've still got Dual Cassette Deck, which really doesn't get used these days. I've also still got the Dual CS505-2 turntable which still works, although the stylus and drive band are long overdue replacing (if they're still available). Occasionally I get the vinyl out for a nostalgia trip.
The new NAD CD-player get's good reviews for it's price range, so having had a good experience with the amp I decided to go for it.
What I'd really like is a nice warm glowing valve amp - for the looks as well as the sound.
Try some switch cleaner on your knob. RS catalogue should have some. ;)
I saw a 505 in a second hand shop the other month & was really tempted, not that I have space for a turntable. It's just that it was a bargain price & I knew it was a good piece of kit.
Don't go for the valve amp. I shared a house with a bloke (A sound engineer) who had a valve amp & the tone is far too rich. Like eating 17 Christmas puddings one after the other. I wasn't really that keen. Mind you he also bought albums for their production rather than the tunes.
Sound Engineer:"Listen to the production on this"
Me:"So what. It's Michael Jackson & the tunes are shit."
Sound Engineer:"Yeah but listen to the Production. Listen to the Production..."
LOL! sounds like a load of old tosh to me ;-)
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