My HiFi - 30 years (ish) and counting…

[Messiah]

Linking to my other thread (HERE) my Home Cinema gear has been moved to the Living Room which means my loft now solely houses my HiFi.

Whilst I have owned various gear over the years (mainly Cyrus, Mission, Pioneer, Monitor Audio & AVI ADM 9.1s) this is the HiFi that I value the most. Why? (you may ask...). This is where it all began around 30 years ago.

Growing up (in the 80's) my Mum always had the radio on using some type of ghetto blaster. In my teens (early 90's) I had my own Alba stereo system. I was quite happy with this system (as I didn't know anything different) UNTIL I went round a friend’s house and he played some Prodigy on his Fisher stereo system. Then I heard it. Bass! I was blown away. Imagine listening to The Prodigy (as I did a lot at that point) and never hearing the bass! The journey had begun....

Knowing absolutely nothing about HiFi I trotted off to a local 'HiFi' store (would later learn there were much better shops around) and whilst they had various set-ups, what caught my eye was a Kenwood 3020SE that had won a What HiFi award (never heard of What HiFi at that point of course).

Picked up a Kenwood brochure and went over my finances and whilst the 3020SE was £200 I could afford (via finance) to get the £350 5050R. More expensive so must be better, right! Combined this with the 3060 CD player and some Jamo D165s (awful) and the journey had begun. (Fortunately my Mum was willing to be a guarantor on finance as I was not old enough to get it myself).

The Jamo's were later swapped for some Mission 734's and after a few other Mission speakers later I ended on the 750LE's, which until recently, were still in use.

Now I am sure, like most people here, I could go on for ever about the various changes I have made over the years but this HiFi has always stuck with me. There have been many years that it was never used due to the other gear I had but this system is always the most nostalgic for me.

Currently it consists of:

Kenwood 5050 Amp
Kenwood 3060 CD Player
Kenwood 3060 Cassette Deck
Kenwood 3050 Tuner.

To bring it all a bit more into the modern era I have added an iFi Audio Zen Blue 2 to enable me to stream Spotify and I have changed the speakers to Q Acoustics 3030i.

(With regards to the Q Acoustics - I always go the What HiFi Sound & Vision show and whilst I hear a lot of great gear, one year (I think it must have been 2019) I was just really impressed with the Q Acoustics. I just found I could sit there and listen to them for ages - really impressive).

If you have stuck with me to the point then I thank you!

 

[Al ears]

Linking to my other thread (HERE) my Home Cinema gear has been moved to the Living Room which means my loft now solely houses my HiFi.

Whilst I have owned various gear over the years (mainly Cyrus, Mission, Pioneer, Monitor Audio & AVI ADM 9.1s) this is the HiFi that I value the most. Why? (you may ask...). This is where it all began around 30 years ago.

Growing up (in the 80's) my Mum always had the radio on using some type of ghetto blaster. In my teens (early 90's) I had my own Alba stereo system. I was quite happy with this system (as I didn't know anything different) UNTIL I went round a friend’s house and he played some Prodigy on his Fisher stereo system. Then I heard it. Bass! I was blown away. Imagine listening to The Prodigy (as I did a lot at that point) and never hearing the bass! The journey had begun....

Knowing absolutely nothing about HiFi I trotted off to a local 'HiFi' store (would later learn there were much better shops around) and whilst they had various set-ups, what caught my eye was a Kenwood 3020SE that had won a What HiFi award (never heard of What HiFi at that point of course).

Picked up a Kenwood brochure and went over my finances and whilst the 3020SE was £200 I could afford (via finance) to get the £350 5050R. More expensive so must be better, right! Combined this with the 3060 CD player and some Jamo D165s (awful) and the journey had begun. (Fortunately my Mum was willing to be a guarantor on finance as I was not old enough to get it myself).

The Jamo's were later swapped for some Mission 734's and after a few other Mission speakers later I ended on the 750LE's, which until recently, were still in use.

Now I am sure, like most people here, I could go on for ever about the various changes I have made over the years but this HiFi has always stuck with me. There have been many years that it was never used due to the other gear I had but this system is always the most nostalgic for me.

Currently it consists of:

Kenwood 5050 Amp
Kenwood 3060 CD Player
Kenwood 3060 Cassette Deck
Kenwood 3050 Tuner.

To bring it all a bit more into the modern era I have added an iFi Audio Zen Blue 2 to enable me to stream Spotify and I have changed the speakers to Q Acoustics 3030i.

(With regards to the Q Acoustics - I always go the What HiFi Sound & Vision show and whilst I hear a lot of great gear, one year (I think it must have been 2019) I was just really impressed with the Q Acoustics. I just found I could sit there and listen to them for ages - really impressive).

If you have stuck with me to the point then I thank you!

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Looks good.
Enjoy!

 

[jjbomber]

Kept in immaculate condition. Well done.

 

[Messiah]

Kept in immaculate condition. Well done.

I try. I am almost fanatical about keeping things in top condition.

Although saying that, I had to get it repaired last year as one channel had developed some distortion. It was certainly not in top condition internally!




Looked better after!

 

[JDl]

Linking to my other thread (HERE) my Home Cinema gear has been moved to the Living Room which means my loft now solely houses my HiFi.

Whilst I have owned various gear over the years (mainly Cyrus, Mission, Pioneer, Monitor Audio & AVI ADM 9.1s) this is the HiFi that I value the most. Why? (you may ask...). This is where it all began around 30 years ago.

Growing up (in the 80's) my Mum always had the radio on using some type of ghetto blaster. In my teens (early 90's) I had my own Alba stereo system. I was quite happy with this system (as I didn't know anything different) UNTIL I went round a friend’s house and he played some Prodigy on his Fisher stereo system. Then I heard it. Bass! I was blown away. Imagine listening to The Prodigy (as I did a lot at that point) and never hearing the bass! The journey had begun....

Knowing absolutely nothing about HiFi I trotted off to a local 'HiFi' store (would later learn there were much better shops around) and whilst they had various set-ups, what caught my eye was a Kenwood 3020SE that had won a What HiFi award (never heard of What HiFi at that point of course).

Picked up a Kenwood brochure and went over my finances and whilst the 3020SE was £200 I could afford (via finance) to get the £350 5050R. More expensive so must be better, right! Combined this with the 3060 CD player and some Jamo D165s (awful) and the journey had begun. (Fortunately my Mum was willing to be a guarantor on finance as I was not old enough to get it myself).

The Jamo's were later swapped for some Mission 734's and after a few other Mission speakers later I ended on the 750LE's, which until recently, were still in use.

Now I am sure, like most people here, I could go on for ever about the various changes I have made over the years but this HiFi has always stuck with me. There have been many years that it was never used due to the other gear I had but this system is always the most nostalgic for me.

Currently it consists of:

Kenwood 5050 Amp
Kenwood 3060 CD Player
Kenwood 3060 Cassette Deck
Kenwood 3050 Tuner.

To bring it all a bit more into the modern era I have added an iFi Audio Zen Blue 2 to enable me to stream Spotify and I have changed the speakers to Q Acoustics 3030i.

(With regards to the Q Acoustics - I always go the What HiFi Sound & Vision show and whilst I hear a lot of great gear, one year (I think it must have been 2019) I was just really impressed with the Q Acoustics. I just found I could sit there and listen to them for ages - really impressive).

If you have stuck with me to the point then I thank you!

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Nice setup. I had an Alba system but I always knew it wasn't very good because one of my very close friends, who's Father was a very well off Solicitor and partner in a firm of corporate lawyers in Holbern, London had a 'proper' hi fi system. All I remember was his Rotel amp and his Wharfedale speakers. This was early 1980s. Incedentally, I lived half a mile down the road from the Prodigy guys and knew them in the 1990s.

 

[Messiah]

I lived half a mile down the road from the Prodigy guys and knew them in the 1990s.

Oh wow!

Loved The Prodigy (still do). Never got to see them Live. Have a friend who did who said they had speakers the size of bus shelters and the bass would blow people back. (Whether this was an exaggeration I cannot say, lol).

 

[Geoff P.]

Hi Messiah - like you, I take great delight in keeping my old gear going for as long as possible :
TD166 mk2, Denon DRA-455 receiver, Marantz CD5400 and, like you, Mission 750LEs.
Bought mine in 1999, but a lightning strike on the house in 2001 blew out the bass drivers ( amongst other electricals ). Could have been worse - a neighbour had a hole blown in a central heating pipe -messy !
So, two new drivers from Mission ( for less than £50 ! ), and we were back in business. They are still immaculate in light 'Primavera' and still in use. Perhaps my ageing ears have lower expectations these days, but they still sound the biz to me.

 

[Messiah]

They are still immaculate in light 'Primavera' and still in use. Perhaps my ageing ears have lower expectations these days, but they still sound the biz to me.

I used to have Mission 754F and a second pair of 750LE in Primavera - lovely finish.

I wish my 750’s were in immaculate condition. They have done some rounds with others (family & friends) whilst I had other gear, and were not always taken care off as I would have.

Still, they are 95% good and have only needed the odd going over with a black permanent marker to cover up some marks. 😊

Sound wise they are great and until recently I was still using them. But, could not help feel that ‘something’ was missing so replaced them. I will still keep hold of them and possibly use them elsewhere.

 

[Cricketbat70]

Linking to my other thread (HERE) my Home Cinema gear has been moved to the Living Room which means my loft now solely houses my HiFi.

Whilst I have owned various gear over the years (mainly Cyrus, Mission, Pioneer, Monitor Audio & AVI ADM 9.1s) this is the HiFi that I value the most. Why? (you may ask...). This is where it all began around 30 years ago.

Growing up (in the 80's) my Mum always had the radio on using some type of ghetto blaster. In my teens (early 90's) I had my own Alba stereo system. I was quite happy with this system (as I didn't know anything different) UNTIL I went round a friend’s house and he played some Prodigy on his Fisher stereo system. Then I heard it. Bass! I was blown away. Imagine listening to The Prodigy (as I did a lot at that point) and never hearing the bass! The journey had begun....

Knowing absolutely nothing about HiFi I trotted off to a local 'HiFi' store (would later learn there were much better shops around) and whilst they had various set-ups, what caught my eye was a Kenwood 3020SE that had won a What HiFi award (never heard of What HiFi at that point of course).

Picked up a Kenwood brochure and went over my finances and whilst the 3020SE was £200 I could afford (via finance) to get the £350 5050R. More expensive so must be better, right! Combined this with the 3060 CD player and some Jamo D165s (awful) and the journey had begun. (Fortunately my Mum was willing to be a guarantor on finance as I was not old enough to get it myself).

The Jamo's were later swapped for some Mission 734's and after a few other Mission speakers later I ended on the 750LE's, which until recently, were still in use.

Now I am sure, like most people here, I could go on for ever about the various changes I have made over the years but this HiFi has always stuck with me. There have been many years that it was never used due to the other gear I had but this system is always the most nostalgic for me.

Currently it consists of:

Kenwood 5050 Amp
Kenwood 3060 CD Player
Kenwood 3060 Cassette Deck
Kenwood 3050 Tuner.

To bring it all a bit more into the modern era I have added an iFi Audio Zen Blue 2 to enable me to stream Spotify and I have changed the speakers to Q Acoustics 3030i.

(With regards to the Q Acoustics - I always go the What HiFi Sound & Vision show and whilst I hear a lot of great gear, one year (I think it must have been 2019) I was just really impressed with the Q Acoustics. I just found I could sit there and listen to them for ages - really impressive).

If you have stuck with me to the point then I thank you!

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That looks fantastic. I started down the proper hi-fi route in 1991 as a 21 year old. My first amp a Denon PMA250 MK2 is still going strong and used at work. My original speakers B&W Vision DS2 have been stared under my son's bed for the last 20 years but we're used yesterday at an after funeral gathering at a local function hall. I've had various Denon and Aiwa tape decks that have died. My current set up is based around a Yamaha AV receiver. I will post on this forum at some point but it's ended up a right Heath Robinson affair.

 

[Stuart83]

Linking to my other thread (HERE) my Home Cinema gear has been moved to the Living Room which means my loft now solely houses my HiFi.

Whilst I have owned various gear over the years (mainly Cyrus, Mission, Pioneer, Monitor Audio & AVI ADM 9.1s) this is the HiFi that I value the most. Why? (you may ask...). This is where it all began around 30 years ago.

Growing up (in the 80's) my Mum always had the radio on using some type of ghetto blaster. In my teens (early 90's) I had my own Alba stereo system. I was quite happy with this system (as I didn't know anything different) UNTIL I went round a friend’s house and he played some Prodigy on his Fisher stereo system. Then I heard it. Bass! I was blown away. Imagine listening to The Prodigy (as I did a lot at that point) and never hearing the bass! The journey had begun....

Knowing absolutely nothing about HiFi I trotted off to a local 'HiFi' store (would later learn there were much better shops around) and whilst they had various set-ups, what caught my eye was a Kenwood 3020SE that had won a What HiFi award (never heard of What HiFi at that point of course).

Picked up a Kenwood brochure and went over my finances and whilst the 3020SE was £200 I could afford (via finance) to get the £350 5050R. More expensive so must be better, right! Combined this with the 3060 CD player and some Jamo D165s (awful) and the journey had begun. (Fortunately my Mum was willing to be a guarantor on finance as I was not old enough to get it myself).

The Jamo's were later swapped for some Mission 734's and after a few other Mission speakers later I ended on the 750LE's, which until recently, were still in use.

Now I am sure, like most people here, I could go on for ever about the various changes I have made over the years but this HiFi has always stuck with me. There have been many years that it was never used due to the other gear I had but this system is always the most nostalgic for me.

Currently it consists of:

Kenwood 5050 Amp
Kenwood 3060 CD Player
Kenwood 3060 Cassette Deck
Kenwood 3050 Tuner.

To bring it all a bit more into the modern era I have added an iFi Audio Zen Blue 2 to enable me to stream Spotify and I have changed the speakers to Q Acoustics 3030i.

(With regards to the Q Acoustics - I always go the What HiFi Sound & Vision show and whilst I hear a lot of great gear, one year (I think it must have been 2019) I was just really impressed with the Q Acoustics. I just found I could sit there and listen to them for ages - really impressive).

If you have stuck with me to the point then I thank you!

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I had a similar experience growing up.
My fathers hobby was TV-video repair and anything else he got hold of electrical which inevitably became hifi of the older vintage.
He would regularly repair things for people and scour boot sales etc for hifi separates in the early 90s.

He came home with some jem's that people back them thought out of date rubbish as was the way when the "all in one" systems came out from Aiwa, sharp etc etc that I came to hate.
Armstrong 521s, a leak stereo 30, a few trio amps, a sansui 501, Sony, Denon, wharfdale Lintons and diamonds honest the list is endless.

He would regularly hand them to me through the loft hatch of his come repair rooms everytime I wasn't happy or wanted a change.
It became more of a father son hobby to scour the bootsales and share the bounty.
A bonding exercise if you will.

My love for music was there from being very young and my farther nurtured it but the big hifi didn't come until I was 12.
He was an avid reader of what hifi magazine and went full swoop on the award winning budget range of the day.

A pioneer a400
Aiwa 3 head tape deck with Yamaha slave deck.
System deck iix
Aiwa tuner with outdoor Ariel
Marantz cd 52 mk2
Tannoy m15s then mission 763i

I heard that and my mind was blown.😯

I immediately started saving for mission 760is the bookshelf award winner for my bedroom and once arrived never had them off with a sansui au 501 then Denon and Philips cd 610 .
I got into djaying running decks through that set as an early teen and they were literally wore out via the rubber surround cracking after yrs of over loud abuse thus being replaced by the tannoy m15s.
It led to me spinning records for yrs as a part time DJ in my late teens early 20s in the dreaded rave scene.

Once I moved into my own place I kept with old Mish mashes of all kinds from all over to many to mention, some bad some really good like the mission mx3s and Cyrus one amp.

After another move now in my 30s i decided to get a Yamaha rs202d thinking it would do for streaming in the bedroom which only started the bug off big again.

Ive since hunted down another pair of mission mx3 for a second hifi remembering fondly how good they sound suffice to say I wasn't disappointed.
Also now having a back bedroom in a detached set of 2 bungalows I've decided to build a more modern main hifi out of all award winners which I have today but it still includes 2 of my favourite older separates.

The system my dad built out of award winners in my childhood themselves coming to me only recently.
The pioneer a400 still used today in a second set of mine.

The main hifi after a few swaps and changes is an-
Acram sa30
Q acoustics 3050i
Ifizen Bluetooth receiver
But after trying a few others the
system deck iix remains with a full service and new updated cartridge the goldring e3.
So too does the Marantz cd52 mk2 which I tried recently to improve upon.
After renewing the draw edject wheel/cog and belt found I missed its sound so much it's been returned.
(I'm looking into the cd transport) route now with the acrams inclusive dac😂
It's that bug again.

My second hifi is-
Marantz cd 6007
Pioneer a400
Yamaha rs202d
Both connected to mission mx3s with a amp switching box.

That's where I'm at since my first hifi from my father all those yrs ago.

I'm now looking in appreciation at getting my father a small set up for his small room, allowed by my mam in their new bungalow since he wasn't allowed a full size hifi my mam finding them "unsightly" 😲

It's annoying looking at some of the things my father repaired now sell for a good return like the nakamichi tape deck I used to use and abuse to tape DJ mixes with.
God only knows what happened to that.

 

[twinkletoes]

Oh wow!

Loved The Prodigy (still do). Never got to see them Live. Have a friend who did who said they had speakers the size of bus shelters and the bass would blow people back. (Whether this was an exaggeration I cannot say, lol).

I saw them live at the at Wembley arena in 08 the day is my enemy tour, I’d never heard poison in the same way since.

You literally felt it to your very bones.

We had a laugh that night but the light show, it was like close encounters of third kind steroids! Amazing

View: https://youtu.be/6eYXu99VmK0?si=kJ5OgBaYKvZ6O3MB


Then saw them at download nearly got shut down there it got wild! People climbing the rafters on the tent.

I want to try see the Foo Fighter as the garden in NYC but haven’t been successful yet. The dream may never come true though.

 

[Messiah]

Update time.

(If you don’t want to read it all, the summary is the Kenwood / iFi kit has been replaced with a Marantz PM7000n).

In terms of this thread, I was planning to go over my various changes through the last 30 years (don’t worry, there are not too many!) but I think that will take a while to put together so for now I am keeping it to the present.

Whilst I do enjoy the sound from this combo, I have 3 reasons to look elsewhere:

1. I was finding the sound (whilst good) could be inconsistent. Some days I would listen to it and it would sound great, other times I would listen (to the same tracks) and it would sound ok. I appreciate that there are a number of possible reasons for this but it did make me wonder whether the old components were simply suffering from being, well old, and that may have been impacting the performance.
2. The Amp and CD player have already been repaired once in the last few months. I feel that something new should give me some peace of mind for longevity.
3. These components will be going to my Mum’s along with the Mission 750LE’s. (Just so she can combine them with an old turntable and listen to her record and cassette collection).

I had already settled on getting the Marantz CD6007 / PM6007 combo but then I saw a few reviews / threads on the PM7000n. Long story short, went with the CD6007 CD player and PM7000n.

(Most of my listening at the moment is in the front room so the CD player is currently located there - plus the inclusion of streaming capabilities means I do not need it with the amp at the mo).

Hooked up the Amp today and initial impressions are good but I will need much more time to really decide on its performance.

Anyhow, here it is. (Ignore the Christmas tree, lol). The other components will be sold/moved elsewhere just leaving the amp and speakers. (Will perhaps get a different stand to combine with an old TV).

 

[Messiah]

Update time.

The Q Acoustics are being moved on. Whilst they are great speakers, I miss the detail and clarity I get from Monitor Audio. I also found the soundstage a little too contained (if you watch the review by Terry Ellis on Persuit Perfect System I think he has this spot on).

In come the Monitor Audio RX1. (Got these locally for £150).

It’s early days but the sound I am more accustomed too is back!