Wow the A400 certainly brought back many fond memories. Jimmy hughes from hifi news said : it loves music with a vengeance….haha The A400 matched especially well with the Rotel 965bx cdp & Mission 760i or 780 spks. It was the budget system to die for in the 90s.
The Wharfedales are a great little speaker that goes for very little on eBay these days and will fit in nicely for anyone starting their first system, great review
As I think I may have told you, my first system, in 1986, was Marantz CD65, Quad 34/306, Kef 102 with Kube and, I think, QED cable, but might have been Audioquest. No fancy interconnects. I'll bet that still sounds very competent as indeed does your debut system. Thankfully there's still a vibrant budget sector to get young audiophiles started, including headphone systems, which are often a gateway. Great video again Kev, thanks.
Sanyo music center , belt drive turntable, cassette deck and tuner, with separate speakers £162 from Dixons 1982. On credit, payed from my £26.10 first year apprentice Plumbing and Heating Engineer wages. Loved it, had it in the attic till about ten years ago 😔🏴
My first system back in 1977 was a Sharpe SG400 music centre,a great all in one system with the potential to get better sound with a few simple mods. It had a belt driven sprung subchassis turntable that sounded great when I changed the cartridge to a Grado and changed the supplied three way speaker's for a pair of Celestion Ditton 15XR's. Happy memorie's indeed.
My first system from Lasky's hifi store , Trio cd , amp and Mission 70 mkII and from the small number of cd discs available : Simple Minds ; Once upon a time . Those Missions were incredible ! I worked in a few hifi stores and visited many factories : the best was Tag McLaren when they acquired Audiolab , and yes we were treated to a factory floor tour of McLaren racing cars !
My first amplifier was a second hand Pioneer SA-706 that my Uncle gave me. I think it would have been the mid 90's and I kept if for years until probably 2002. I had a quite a few amps after that, Audiolab monoblocs, Arcam A49 amp and Naim. Wasn’t really happy with any of them and have now a Yamaha A-s3000 integrated so eventually ended up back with a Japanese amp! Really enjoying the videos Andrew Norfolk
That systems sounds really good!!! Wow! Well recorded both systems. The A400 is good too. Was not expecting that! Second hand speaker stands can be pretty inexpensive.
The newest edition to my sound equipment (well the unit is over three years old already from new), is a Panasonic SC-UA3. This is a portable HiFi on the go and this thing absolutely leaves behind all my other HiFi sets in the dust ! 😊
II have just got a pair of Diamonds 2s , linked up to my Quad Vena Play for a compact footprint they are very entertaining and extremely house friendly.
Key word for Diamonds (I have version 1) is FUN! Love these infections little things and my pair are now used on my office desk. I had LS35A’s on the desk but with poor D class amp with internal DAC they sounded flat (and boring). Pick the right speakers for the right system and it will rock!
I'd like to see a direct comparison between the 3020 and the A400. There is probably one out there but you appear to have experiences of both of them which could prove enlightening, and entertaining.
Brings back some memories. My second ever set-up was a Rotel RCD 965BX, Pioneer A400 and Cyrus 780. Loved it, had it a long time too. I'm still unsure to this day as to how far we've really progressed with hifi over the last 30 years, especially at the budget end?
Love the video, I have just got my A400 and Mission 761s out of the attic and they still work beautifully. I am looking to buy a budget turntable to use with them... Any recommendations? Should I buy one with a preamp built in?
Top man Kev’. You made me think back about my boot fair purchases as a kid watching this video. I remember having a pair of them Amstrad speakers that had a hole that simulated a port, and the 8 inch driver must have had a magnet the size of a 50 pence piece, I kid you not. That was driven by a hitachi music centre that was a fairly decent 15 watt, and would batter them to death, awful things. I picked up some GEC speakers with Goldman’s cones later, until I pestered my dad for his old Rotel RA314 after acquiring some Glendales from school that needed tweeters and a recap. My first 15XR’s were acquired from a neighbour of a friend who wasn’t in, and I made an offer as they were not connected, something like 15 pounds, that was it then……………..
@@dittonworks I wonder if that was the same as the Goldman’s Quartet, that was a sealed unit, and when broken apart, it had the tiniest magnet on a Jamo unit.
Hi Kevin thanks for your memories.. Hifi World's David Price did something similar with his first system . Dual 505, Nad 3020 and Kef Coda 2 speakers then progressed with his second, third system etc, to hear the marked changes. Was that you on Steve Guttenberg's channel 'viewers system of the day'?
I have a pair of Diamond 3's here, currently building external crossovers for them using high grade capacitors (this makes the xovers soo big they wont fit in the box!😄) hence the need to mount them external. Will let you know how they go once finished. Is that MK3 diamond tweeter any good? looks like it came from the more expensive TSR range?
@@cremersalex wow that’s awesome.. I thought that was a great amplifier, had the matching SADC too. Used as integrated and as Pre for SET mono blocks. Totally crap 💩 remote control but fortunately my Pioneer A/V remote worked the A-A9 too.
I had drinks last night with Peter Qvortrup and he told me about the pioneer 400 and how technics hired him to design an amplifier that would beat it. He had a lot of trouble convincing HQ that there was not going to be tone controls or loudness control 😊
I think I've got those wharfedale with the three-way been in storage for 20-years don't know what to do with them... where working 20-years. ago I wonder how they two compare to the B&W DM12? that's another one I've got in storage never listen to them
A400 beautiful sounding amplifier. But dislike the PCB and component tracks are very poor. Kind of non repairable. Built quality of A400 could be better.
Wow the A400 certainly brought back many fond memories. Jimmy hughes from hifi news said : it loves music with a vengeance….haha
The A400 matched especially well with the Rotel 965bx cdp & Mission 760i or 780 spks. It was the budget system to die for in the 90s.
The Wharfedales are a great little speaker that goes for very little on eBay these days and will fit in nicely for anyone starting their first system, great review
They are very good for anyone starting into Hifi
M’y first system was a Mission Cyrus amp, NAD CD player and JPW Sonata on stand design made in Portsmouth. Great f
As I think I may have told you, my first system, in 1986, was Marantz CD65, Quad 34/306, Kef 102 with Kube and, I think, QED cable, but might have been Audioquest. No fancy interconnects. I'll bet that still sounds very competent as indeed does your debut system. Thankfully there's still a vibrant budget sector to get young audiophiles started, including headphone systems, which are often a gateway. Great video again Kev, thanks.
Sanyo music center , belt drive turntable, cassette deck and tuner, with separate speakers £162 from Dixons 1982. On credit, payed from my £26.10 first year apprentice Plumbing and Heating Engineer wages. Loved it, had it in the attic till about ten years ago 😔🏴
The a-400 was a great amplifier, one of my friends still has one, in mint condition, nice video👍
My first system back in 1977 was a Sharpe SG400 music centre,a great all in one system with the potential to get better sound with a few simple mods.
It had a belt driven sprung subchassis turntable that sounded great when I changed the cartridge to a Grado and changed the supplied three way speaker's for a pair of Celestion Ditton 15XR's.
Happy memorie's indeed.
Great video Kevin, brought back memories of my first hifi system. Back when hifi was mainstream and everyone was into it.
Thanks for watching Richard.
Thanks for sharing your journey!! I had the Pioneer amplifier as well… sweet memories… 🍌😍🍌
Sounded really good
My first system from Lasky's hifi store , Trio cd , amp and Mission 70 mkII and from the small number of cd discs available :
Simple Minds ; Once upon a time . Those Missions were incredible !
I worked in a few hifi stores and visited many factories : the best was Tag McLaren when they acquired Audiolab , and yes we were treated to a factory floor tour of McLaren racing cars !
My first amplifier was a second hand Pioneer SA-706 that my Uncle gave me. I think it would have been the mid 90's and I kept if for years until probably 2002. I had a quite a few amps after that, Audiolab monoblocs, Arcam A49 amp and Naim. Wasn’t really happy with any of them and have now a Yamaha A-s3000 integrated so eventually ended up back with a Japanese amp!
Really enjoying the videos
Andrew
Norfolk
What a coincidence. In my first system, I used a pair of Wharfedale speakers and I drove them with an A&R A60 amplifier. They give me fond memories.
I think Wharfs were the route for many people, pretty good and fairly cheap
Vocals killing it on the LS3/5as
That systems sounds really good!!! Wow! Well recorded both systems. The A400 is good too.
Was not expecting that! Second hand speaker stands can be pretty inexpensive.
The newest edition to my sound equipment (well the unit is over three years old already from new), is a Panasonic SC-UA3. This is a portable HiFi on the go and this thing absolutely leaves behind all my other HiFi sets in the dust ! 😊
You can still get the diamond 9s from richer sounds for £59, I bought them on sale years ago for £39, first speaker I ever bought, lovely memories
II have just got a pair of Diamonds 2s , linked up to my Quad Vena Play for a compact footprint they are very entertaining and extremely house friendly.
Key word for Diamonds (I have version 1) is FUN! Love these infections little things and my pair are now used on my office desk. I had LS35A’s on the desk but with poor D class amp with internal DAC they sounded flat (and boring). Pick the right speakers for the right system and it will rock!
Great amp for a first system
I'd like to see a direct comparison between the 3020 and the A400. There is probably one out there but you appear to have experiences of both of them which could prove enlightening, and entertaining.
Brings back some memories. My second ever set-up was a Rotel RCD 965BX, Pioneer A400 and Cyrus 780. Loved it, had it a long time too. I'm still unsure to this day as to how far we've really progressed with hifi over the last 30 years, especially at the budget end?
The classic what hifi mid range system back then
Wow A400 with Rotel 965 cdp with Mission 780 was a classic budget system at that time. The A400 also went well with Mission 760i & rogers 2A/2.
Love the video, I have just got my A400 and Mission 761s out of the attic and they still work beautifully. I am looking to buy a budget turntable to use with them... Any recommendations? Should I buy one with a preamp built in?
LS35a killed it, Diamonds not bad though.
Top man Kev’. You made me think back about my boot fair purchases as a kid watching this video. I remember having a pair of them Amstrad speakers that had a hole that simulated a port, and the 8 inch driver must have had a magnet the size of a 50 pence piece, I kid you not. That was driven by a hitachi music centre that was a fairly decent 15 watt, and would batter them to death, awful things. I picked up some GEC speakers with Goldman’s cones later, until I pestered my dad for his old Rotel RA314 after acquiring some Glendales from school that needed tweeters and a recap. My first 15XR’s were acquired from a neighbour of a friend who wasn’t in, and I made an offer as they were not connected, something like 15 pounds, that was it then……………..
The most disappointing magnets had to be Jamo 265’s.. my mate had some and we took them apart, lmao smallest magnets 🧲
@@dittonworks I wonder if that was the same as the Goldman’s Quartet, that was a sealed unit, and when broken apart, it had the tiniest magnet on a Jamo unit.
Great vid
Hey Kevin - I just saw your system on Steve Guttenberg, the Audiophiliac, system of the day!!
Indeed 👍 I was quite surprised
The Wharfies are the Champs. The Ls3/5a are a myth. To my ears that is 🍻☮️
I using A-400 with Mission760
Hi Kevin thanks for your memories.. Hifi World's David Price did something similar with his first system . Dual 505, Nad 3020 and Kef Coda 2 speakers then progressed with his second, third system etc, to hear the marked changes. Was that you on Steve Guttenberg's channel 'viewers system of the day'?
Yes 👍 it was
I have a pair of Diamond 3's here, currently building external crossovers for them using high grade capacitors (this makes the xovers soo big they wont fit in the box!😄) hence the need to mount them external. Will let you know how they go once finished.
Is that MK3 diamond tweeter any good? looks like it came from the more expensive TSR range?
I think that HF unit is pretty good. I don’t mind diamond III 😁
I once had that amp together with Monitor Audio bookies.
Nine combo 👌
Thanks for watching
@@dittonworks Oh, and like you, I also had the Pioneer A-A9-J (MK I) tuned by AIR studios. What are the odds?
@@cremersalex wow that’s awesome..
I thought that was a great amplifier, had the matching SADC too.
Used as integrated and as Pre for SET mono blocks.
Totally crap 💩 remote control but fortunately my Pioneer A/V remote worked the A-A9 too.
I had drinks last night with Peter Qvortrup and he told me about the pioneer 400 and how technics hired him to design an amplifier that would beat it. He had a lot of trouble convincing HQ that there was not going to be tone controls or loudness control 😊
What beat it ?
I think I've got those wharfedale with the three-way been in storage for 20-years don't know what to do with them... where working 20-years. ago
I wonder how they two compare to the B&W DM12? that's another one I've got in storage never listen to them
I had Sony and delta 30 speakers over 40 years ago
Delta 👍
What is the exact watts of speaker per channel..
Hey Kevin, I saw your picture on Steve Guttenberg.
Yes 👍 system has changed a bit since then..
Did I see your system on 'Audiopholliac system of the day?!'
It did make me chuckle 🤭
I haven’t got some of those bits now
I did a double take..
A400 beautiful sounding amplifier. But dislike the PCB and component tracks are very poor. Kind of non repairable. Built quality of A400 could be better.
Digital to analog never mixes well.. put a record on and now we are talking ;)