Tír Na HiFi

Great pics and report Modest.

Halvis - I see you liked the ATC's, which models were on demo/display? It looks like scm11's and 19's in the photo? Were there any larger ones?

Cheers
Matt

Ivor wrote:There seems to be a thriving HiFi scene north of the border, by "scene" I don't mean just in terms of sales but also the culture of hifi. Are there really so few hifi enthusiasts south of the border than we can't support multiple outlets? I find that very strange.

Its a bit of a shame alright. Unfortunately I cant see it getting any better down here. There are very very few of people my age that have any interest in hifi or are even aware or care what a half decent system can offer. There does seem to be more of interest in the Home Cinema side of things but not much in high end hifi.

I'm convinced Irish people have a natural suspicion of anything "better" or anyone claiming to enjoy anything finer than average. "It's a long way from high-end hifi you were raised", etc. For reasons unknown, this doesn't seem to apply to cars.

Matt wrote:Great pics and report Modest.

Halvis - I see you liked the ATC's, which models were on demo/display? It looks like scm11's and 19's in the photo? Were there any larger ones?

Cheers
Matt

Ivor thanks for the info on the Lyric room, the Rega kit did look the biz, shame I didn't hear it.

Matt, they had SCM50SL AT's in that room as well. I asked to hear these and the demostrator handed me the Ipad interafaced to a Naim streaming device with a load of music on. There was so much it was hard to choose, but I went for Depeche Mode - Policy of Truth in the end. I thought the track would flatter the speakers.

Playing the track it sounded much like my 35's at first, except more closed in, so was a intially a little dissapointed. About half way through the track there is a section of really low frequencies. Bloody hell, never heard it like that before. My 35's let you know there is something there thats all, this was full on. Played the same track when I got home and mine just hint at this bass section of the track. Very impressive, although if I had a pair I think the house would come down around me!!

I later found that they had been switched on for the first time that morning, so were not run in. This would account for the closed in sound I heard. I went into the room a few hours later and they were already sounding better, still not sure I heard them at their best though.

A pair of Focals sounded much more open next door, but a little bright. They sounded really extended. A lot of small speakers sounded pretty large to me, so there was some good kit there for sure.

I agree about the snake oil, some stuff was just plain incipid and didn't excite at all. Perhaps it just didn't demo well, as I guess its the long term listening tests that count. If it didn't sound initially impressive I just left the room, as I was short on time.

It was my first hifi show and I found it quite difficult to define what part of the system is having the greatest effect on the sound at times. Obviously, as you move from room to room you are hearing a completely different system in a different room. You have to just listen to the system as a whole I guess.

Thanks for the reply Jon

Yes the scm50asl's do have stunning bass with the right material and do sound closed in at first when new.
They are said to take 200-500hrs to fully run in.

I have about 180hrs or so on mine now and they are sounding stunning.

Cheers
Matt

Glad you enjoy the pics :)
I have some problems with Flickr site as it have monthly upload limit to 100 mgb so I put it on Imageshack :)
http://img600.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=r0014664.jpg
Sad that camera eats all my listening joy :( but some good impressions alright

Diapason wrote: For reasons unknown, this doesn't seem to apply to cars.

Oh I dunno. Cars, HiFi, suits, shoes, food.... the Irish seem to have a deep suspicion of anything post famine.

Great pics again.

Is that the rega Isis cd player in the last photo?
That cd lid/mechanism looks extremely well made

Matt wrote:Great pics again.

Is that the rega Isis cd player in the last photo?
That cd lid/mechanism looks extremely well made

Yes it's Rega Isis, before we start listening we could try to lift it from the rack,it's look small but weight 25kg :D
superb machine .

Thats a solid piece of equipment alright.
If it wasn't for its price tag id buy one for looks alone.
How did it sound? And did it have digital inputs?

Cheers
Matt