The search for sound

Many of my friends have asked me why do I like vintage amplifier and why do I keep changing my gears. These are the questions that I have asked myself too!

When I first started with hifi, I used modern tube amplifiers (Mini Houston, Unison research with dali Manuet 2 speakers) and I was immediately attracted by the sound from tube amplifiers.

When I came to Hong Kong, the sound of vintage Quad II immediately captured my ear and from then on I have started to like and listen to vintage amplifier using the famous LS3/5a speakers. In my view, items produced in the past were using better quality component as there were "luxury" item made to last. In modern days, many of the items were all mass manufactured lacking the "soul" and the lasting quality.

The reason for my changing of amplifiers was due to my eagerness to search for the best condition possible vintage gear. I sold my first pair of Quad II very cheap as the transformers have been replcaed by modern type. From then on, I have began the process of upgrading and testing of different classic amplifiers, pre amplifiers and speakers with the common theme of being vintage.

I was lost at the world of hifi for a period where I was virtually buying any well know vintage brands available at the market ( Quad II, Pye, Leak, Mcintosh, Fishers etc) and sucked into the rat race competition. This has resulted in my apartment being filled with vintage gears. Along the process, I can sense lots of red eye and white eyes treatment from audiophiles that I have thought were my friends. I began to see the growing competition among some audiophiles who like to "win" and own the most.

Fortunately, I have managed to meet Alan who has pointed to me the important of finding my own hifi direction as the gears are merely tools helping us to reproduce music. With that in mind, I have began streamlining my vintage gears all over again but this time, the objectives & criteria are very clear in my mind:

• The vintage gear must be strong in producing vocal as almost 90s% of my CDs collection are vocal music - e.g. Western Electric 755a & Ls3/5a speakers
• The vintage gear must be in its best condition possible despite the age where quality is more important then quantities - Leak 12.1, Tannoy Cantebury, Marantz 7, WE 124, Radio Craftsmen etc
• It must be a real classic item and flagship of the era - example Fisher 50C, Western Electric 124, Leak 12.1
• It must have collector values and investment potential where prices will escalate with time (examples Leak 12.1, WE 124, 755a, Marantz 7, etc)

With the above simple rules, I am able to cut love many of the other nice vintage items which have note been able to meet the criteria set to other collectors and keep those with the most numbers of "ticks" following the criteria set as above. Using the excel sheet, I am able to work out my top "must have" lists and using that to guide me in my hifi journey. The list of criteria acted like the "map" and my ears and eyes are the "compass".

However, many of the real vintage and classic items such as Leak 12.1, Western Electric 755a and WE124 are so rare that luck often played an important part too! Nevertheless, if one keep searching, one will be able to find them. There are so many pessimist saying that it is impossible to find these items which I have managed to prove them wrong : )

Will I continue to hunt for new items? The answer is yes, of course! The wishlist for 2007 are a pair of 12 watts Brook 12A power amplifier and the Western Electric preamplifier. However, to get the Brook 12A, I will have to adhere to the "one out one in" policy as I do not wish to fill my whole apartment with items that I seldon use and of course the itemmust be in its best condition possible.

For those who wished to build their own "ultimate hifi system", all you have to do is to keep searching and you will be able to find them. Remember "Just do it" and "Impossible is Nothing", taglines from Nike and Adidas..