Who were the Hi-Fi high end giants in the early '60s??

PS: check out Steve Spicers Leak website. He has also written an excellent book about the company.

Can't remember the URL but key "Kiewa Valley" into a search engine and you will find it.

Steve S. is based in Australia and is quite an authority on all things Leak.

MarkM.

 

The ESLs were very common when I was in high-school but they didn't have a better than average reputation. I never played with one.

My Thorens came with a 12" SPU arm and cartridge. Amazing sound but not very good tracking and didn't sound much like tape. I ended up buying a Hadcock arm from England and using it with a Grace F-9 that sounded tonally accurate yet not bland. I wanted tonally accurate as my reference for mixing.

 

Hi Bob,

What is your opinion of your C-20? Which version do you have?

Thanks,
Jeffrey

 

I have a 1959, the first stereo preamp ever sold.

It sounds wonderful which is a heck of a statement about how far we've come...

 

Hi Bob,

So it looks like this one? They sound very nice, indeed!

-Jeffrey

 

Hi Clay,

Refering to your link - I must disagree with fellow members Michael W & Proufo. Where *correctly* mounted, (as noted by Bob) with the correct type of arm, i.e. Ortofon or EMT, a serviced Thorens TD124 or Garrard 301 is capable of giving many a modern TT a damn good run for it's money.

I order to find this out one has to actually live with such an example (my system is a mixture of vintage & modern). I can only speak from my own positive personal experience over the last 4 yrs.

I thoroughly recommend you look at the following for Thorens/Ortofon arm / Cart' details:

http://www.hifilit.com/

And also (possibly) the world authority on Thorens TT's - Dr Stefano Pasini in Italy:

www.stefanopasini.it

Have fun.
Cheers,

MarkM.

 

PS: Clay - do not sell either! Service them/get them serviced & use them!

MarkM

 

Surprised that the folks from Indiana didn't mention the pride of Elkhart. Don't recall seeing any Crown tube amps, but their open reel decks were regarded highly.

 

FWIW the Hadcock was a pretty large improvement over other arms. The Thorens TT however beats every contemporary product I've heard short of something really exotic like a Basis.

The 17.5 pound platter may have a bit to do with this!