Question Suggestions for foundational parts of a longer term vinyl setup

[Entrigo]

In my experience, it's got to be worth a go with hearing aids. If you're in the UK, then places like Specsavers do tests for free, but if you had a test at the hospital, then they'll likely just reaffirm the results of that test.

I've worn mine for the past 8-10 weeks now and as my audiologist said at my follow-up last month, "you just have to wear them to get used to everyday sounds; they don't work stuck in a drawer. The more you rehear and relearn sounds, the less strange they'll seem". I was tested again and there's no change from 6 years ago. I undoubtedly hear better with them than without, and the huge bonus is that they do not interfere whatsoever with listening to music through headphones, so I've opened up a whole extra layer of detail there.

In my specific case, I was being a bloke, being vain, I was too quick to dismiss hearing aids after a rough start with them and I was probably hiding from the truth a bit. If specialists tell you your hearing is dodgy, then they're right. I knew my hearing wasn't great but the stigma of hearing aids deterred me to the point of shooting myself in the foot by not wearing them. I just had to put my big boy pants on and the funny thing is that a few people have since taken me to one side to ask about them, the whole hearing test process etc., as they too have been struggling with their hearing!

I can't comment on tinnitus (the audiologist at whichever specialist you visit probably can), but if you spend a mid-range amount of about £1,000 you'll get a small, rechargeable pair and they will make a difference. But you WILL get surprised by the racket when you put a coat on for the first time, step on that creaky floorboard, do up your flies.....

Pleased to hear it is working out for you.

Yeah, it's pretty much the same here "I'm 50, I'm too young for hearing aids", "it will look stupid", "I can do without" etc...

Will need to follow this up anyway as I should have heard from them. Definitely on the radar.

 

[RTHerringbone]

Neat Petite Classics 10% off at Doug Brady. Hmm.

Hmm indeed.

Yeah. I'm not missing out on this. Neat Petite Classics arrive next week - probably Tuesday or Wednesday.

When I listened to them last year I loved them at the Audio T demo room and they outshone the other options I compared them to. I didn't bite the bullet then because my KEFs sounded great in the demo room too and I wasn't 100% sold on the incremental value I'd see.

However, I *knew* that these were always going to be my (for now.....) end-game part of the downstairs set-up, and 10% off adds up and caught my eye. So I went back to Gumtree to try and shift the LS50 Meta. Plenty of interest and a few enquiries and cheeky offers, but nothing quite good enough to swing the deal.

I've just had a chat with Doug Brady and they initially shied away from a Trade-In as their view was that the LS50s hold value and usually sell at ~75% of RRP, so they thought they couldn't offer a tempting enough price. I dangled a carrot a fair few quid above the highest offer I had privately on Gumtree and they've gone for it, so I just pounced because there's no need to hold fire on a deal which I'm happy with, and which should see Doug Brady easily able to flip the Meta's for an easy bit of money too.

 

[Revolutions]

Starting 2026 as you mean to go on? I like it 😎

 

[skinnypuppy71]

Yeah. I'm not missing out on this. Neat Petite Classics arrive next week - probably Tuesday or Wednesday.

When I listened to them last year I loved them at the Audio T demo room and they outshone the other options I compared them to. I didn't bite the bullet then because my KEFs sounded great in the demo room too and I wasn't 100% sold on the incremental value I'd see.

However, I *knew* that these were always going to be my (for now.....) end-game part of the downstairs set-up, and 10% off adds up and caught my eye. So I went back to Gumtree to try and shift the LS50 Meta. Plenty of interest and a few enquiries and cheeky offers, but nothing quite good enough to swing the deal.

I've just had a chat with Doug Brady and they initially shied away from a Trade-In as their view was that the LS50s hold value and usually sell at ~75% of RRP, so they thought they couldn't offer a tempting enough price. I dangled a carrot a fair few quid above the highest offer I had privately on Gumtree and they've gone for it, so I just pounced because there's no need to hold fire on a deal which I'm happy with, and which should see Doug Brady easily able to flip the Meta's for an easy bit of money too.

Absolutely fantastic speakers......and they'll take a couple of amplifier upgrades along the way, mine really started singing with the Electrocompaniet eci6 mkii.

 

[RTHerringbone]

Starting 2026 as you mean to go on? I like it 😎

Yeah, in a roundabout way I was a bit inspired by your decisive action in your downsizing thread. Difference circumstances here, but I still use it as justification 😆

Absolutely fantastic speakers......and they'll take a couple of amplifier upgrades along the way, mine really started singing with the Electrocompaniet eci6 mkii.

Nobody would believe me if I said this was the last destination on this journey, so I won't even pretend it is. I'm really looking forward to getting them - midweek can't come too soon.

 

[skinnypuppy71]

Yeah, in a roundabout way I was a bit inspired by your decisive action in your downsizing thread. Difference circumstances here, but I still use it as justification 😆


Nobody would believe me if I said this was the last destination on this journey, so I won't even pretend it is. I'm really looking forward to getting them - midweek can't come too soon.

The little Neats should also sound very nice with the Nait 50....!Naim and Neat are excellent bed fellows, so I've heard.....I have owned A Naim Superuniti in the past but never had a chance to hear it with the Neats unfortunately.

 

[RTHerringbone]

I'm feeling quite smug about my impulsiveness there - the 10% discount has been pulled after just a week, so I've "saved" myself £200 (in spending rather more.....)

 

[RTHerringbone]

New speakers being delivered at some point on Friday 😎 👀

 

[Revolutions]

New speakers being delivered at some point on Friday 😎 👀

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been living vicariously through your journey over the last 12 months. You've got some lovely equipment, and almost especially your new speakers ❤️

 

[RTHerringbone]

I'm sure I'm not the only one who's been living vicariously through your journey over the last 12 months. You've got some lovely equipment, and almost especially your new speakers ❤️

Thank you! I do genuinely think this is it for me now. The upstairs headphone system is precisely as I want it and I hope the Classics round off the downstairs setup.

The Petite Classics were on my initial wishlist of "end game" speakers and are the final piece of that puzzle. The only meaningful changes I can make next are moving the system elsewhere in the house, and I'm working on ageing my kids to free up their rooms.

When I started I had a pretty decent idea of what I was personally prepared to spend on components and I've stuck to that. I think I'm in a place where I've probably got a good percentage of what I can reasonably achieve quality-wise and the law of diminishing returns probably kicks in from roughly here.

 

[RTHerringbone]

Haven't yet told my wife about this latest swap and the Petite's do look rather different to the LS50s. However, a big part of my main system focus was on supporting British manufacturers where I could, and I think I can pacify her with that.

She still thinks the whole system cost about 20% of what it actually did 😇

 

[skinnypuppy71]

Haven't yet told my wife about this latest swap and the Petite's do look rather different to the LS50s. However, a big part of my main system focus was on supporting British manufacturers where I could, and I think I can pacify her with that.

She still thinks the whole system cost about 20% of what it actually did 😇

Show me a man that tells the wife the honest cost of hifi components and I'll show you a liar.🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

[RTHerringbone]

Show me a man that tells the wife the honest cost of hifi components and I'll show you a liar.🤣🤣🤣🤣

I wonder how low people in general go? I imagine most people start at around 50%? The mad thing is surely we're kidding ourselves if we think they don't really know - surely they'd just Google the product and then find out the truth.

 

[Messiah]

She still thinks the whole system cost about 20% of what it actually did 😇

I expect there are many of us in the same situation. 😂

My kit always used to be half what I actually paid. 😁

 

[Revolutions]

I live alone & regularly tell myself my setup cost about 70% less than it actually did.

 

[skinnypuppy71]

I live alone & regularly tell myself my setup cost about 70% less than it actually did.

🤣🤣

 

[Entrigo]

Show me a man that tells the wife the honest cost of hifi components and I'll show you a liar.🤣🤣🤣🤣

Here I am!

Couldn't lie if I wanted to. She'd know... So I stopped trying. Luckily she is very patient 😂

Well, up to a point. When I floated the idea of selling the Technics SL-1300G I bought two months ago and buying a 1200GAE she wasn't very impressed.... And having now soothed the itch, she was absolutely right 🤣

 

[Fandango Andy]

New speakers being delivered at some point on Friday 😎 👀

I saw this thread pop back up and thought some threads refuse to die! but I see you have been been upgrading again.

Fantastic little speakers, hope you like them.

 

[RTHerringbone]

It's totally going to be a 4-5pm slot 🙄

 

[Fandango Andy]

It's totally going to be a 4-5pm slot 🙄

View attachment 10759

Yep, I had a 9am-1pm delivery timeslot on Tuesday, naturally they turned up at 12:45 and I didn't need to have been waiting in all morning!