Cloney Audio Show 1981

[JAW]

Wow! That brings me back, not earning much and drooling over gear (so what's changed?). I remember hearing The Model by Kraftwerk at the show through a Linn, Meridian 101 and Meridian M2's. I was blown away by how I could hear the precision,sharpness and punch of the bass line, and the also black silence in the backgound. I was also very taken with the Nytech/ARC system, it appealed to me because it was modular. You could by the Nytech tuner amp and ARC speakers and as money allowed buy a second power amp and a plug in module to fit onto the back of the speakers to make an active system. The Isobariks and Sara were legend, as was the Naim 250. Looking at the prices they seem steep, I think that I was earning about 40 or 50 quid a week then.
Considering the price they fetch on eBay now the Rogers LS3/A were good value. Actually, maybe it's time for a clean out here - I've a Rega 3, Meridian M2's, Naim 250 and A&R A60 kicking around the house!!!
Thanks for that Ciaran!

PS According to the price list at the recent show they moved to Blackrock in 1986.

[cybot]

Thanks for that Ciaran :-) I remember the guy in Laskys going gaga over a Nad amp that could drive anything. He was even trying to drive something with the volume on full!! I cannot, for the life of me, remember the exact make! Was it a Nad 3020? It was :-)

Looking at the date on the price list (1981) that was the year I got the Linn LP12, trading in my Rega 3, which I only had for a few months. Incidentally I still have that original Linn which eventually morphed into the Pink Link/Ekos set up I have today....which I rarely use, sad to say, prefering the sound of my beloved Nottingham Analogue....

[Rocker]

Wonderful post Ciaran.

I first heard of Cloney Audio [in the 1970s] from a British Hi-Fi magazine feature on Dublin Hi-Fi shops and it described Noel as the doyen of hi-fi. Sad to think that Cloneys is the only shop featured that survives to this day. Cloneys was located in Leeson Street [a basement shop] then and I bought one of the magazine favourites, an A&R A60, from Noel who accepted my Trio amp in part exchange. My abiding memory of that day was of a middle aged gentleman sitting intently listening to music from a pair of Quad 57s. The source was a Linn LP12 which impressed me no end but it was totally and absolutely way out of my price range. I had to stick to my Trio KD1033 for a good few years until I could afford to upgrade to a Rega Planar 2. When I had used the Planar 2 for a year or so, Noel suggested that I try a used Supex m/c cartridge as the Rega arm was suitable for it - this needed the HA 10 head amp. That combination worked very well and I used that Supex and the Rega arm in the first LP12 I got some time later.

Not sure when Cloneys moved to Leinster Mews but before they moved to their present location, they had a shop in another part of Blackrock. I remember it being a long narrow place, a technician serviced and setup my LP12 there.

Memories……….

[DaveF]

Fascinating thread lads. But I'm only a gossun so my introduction to hifi was Lyric Hifi (Lower Stephen Street) back in the early noughties! They sourced an Arcam CDP for me through Cloney's on one occassion so that was the first time I heard of Cloneys.

[Sloop John B]

and to think I bought a Naim NAP 250 for £1000 in 2006!


It would be very interesting to compare a set from 1981 with one from today at an a adjusted for inflation price point.

that NAP 250 sounded good in 2006.


SJB

[Ciaran]

According to the price list at the recent show they moved to Blackrock in 1986.

It says they moved to the current building in 1986. As Rocker points out, they were in another premises in Blackrock (across the road from the current one) for a few years before that, though I can't remember how long.

I'm glad you're all enjoying the nostalgia: what other evocative hi-fi documents have we lurking down the back of the sofa?