Owston - Saturday 9th June 2007

This was the second meet of the year, and a return to Owston. The thread associated with this meet is here. So on with the photos.

These were Steve S' third incarnation of open baffles I think, according tot he link above. Next to them are Scott's, hmm, not sure how you'd describe them, BIBs I think. They had a treated 4" (or was it 3") Fostex driver and the bass came out of the pipe at the top. I recall them being highly praised for their imaging. Looks like Steve's amp in the background.

A Goodmans 301 and Audiom 61 per side with his Lowther EX4s

Steve's amp - not sure what the valves are, think they might be DET25s...

This is apparently an Arcturus 180 rectifier. It was pretty rare 10 years ago, so even rarer now presumably.

Will's setup. Lenco GL75 I'd guess with one of his Schroeder-type arms, various DHT amps including 45s, and Jericho horns with a Fostex FF225F and Visaton supertweeter. 

A closer view

Nick's Quasars, still sans supertweeter, and 300B amp I think. Colin's electrostatic in the background, and possibly his turntable.

Nick's D3a phono amp with what looks like a 300B amp with an Aikido driver plus a pre stage in front. Note the large low ESR lytic cap bank. And what looks like my AE C core OPTs clipleaded.

Now then, I think these are Steve's old 300A valves. Quite something.

I should know what this is as most of it's mine. There's an old 70s JVC DD turntable on the floor which would have been used with PHONO II. At the front is C3g-2A3. At the back looks to be my WE91-style amps, and in front is Andrew I's 6080? Futterman OTL. Fostex 208Ez horns with T90A supertweeters. 

My C3g-2A3 amp with what looks like Sovtek 2A3s

I think this was Mick M's system. I'd guess Lenco GL75, PHONO II clone, 2A3 amp, and Fostex 206 drivers. 

Now, I think this might be Richard Cooper's stuff. The preamp had a small fortune's worth of Audio Note copper PIO caps.

And finally, a "close-up" of Andrew's OTL

Witham 2 - Saturday 20th January 2007

Following on from the previous few photos I have of Eggfest 4, I have a handful from the second time we met at Witham, just off the A1, organised by Martin, RIP. Peter Comeau, the then proprietor of WAD, made an appearance too. The original thread about the meet is here.

I seem to recall a plan being hatched in the bar later over more than a few pints of a road trip to AE in the Netherlands. Or maybe that was the next time? Anyway, here are the photos. There's only a few of them, but they're quite busy.

So, starting from the left are Ed's VoFos I think (or are they Ariels?), Fostex, erm, 206s? Next to them is Nick's Quasar with Fostex, erm, 167? and Eminence Beta 15?, but before supertweeter. At the back are Steve S' Lowther EX4 horns, later named "Angel horns" by Peter Comeau. In front are my WE91-style amps (see photo below). On the right, at the very back might be Nick's D3a phono stage, then Nick's Technics SP10, then my Garrard 401 in a rather heavy birch ply plinth and oak unipivot arm that I seem to recall sounded dreadful here. Think we took it off less than half way through a track. And at the front I think is Andrew I's Ongaku clone?

A close-up of my WE91s with passive control amp, sat on a huge lump of slate Paul had brought with him. Steve S' amp behind to the right (DET something?). Not sure what the other amp is. Two further speakers in the back corner. I think one is Martin's TLs (IPL?), the other Andrew's Heil air motion transformer speaker.



Nick's SP10 and D3a phono

Nick's 2A3 driven by C3g

Paul's Quasars, with Fostex 108Ez, Nick's Quasars, Andrew's Heil, Martin's TL, Ed's VoFo/Ariel, Steve's EX4 horn

And that's your lot. It was after this that Peter Comeau went off and investigated open baffles for himself.

Eggfest 4 - Saturday 18th November 2006

Following the previous meet this was known as Eggfest 4 - the fourth time we'd met at Eggborough power station. I took very few photos so this one's short and sweet.

I think this first amp was Spacehopper's (Sean). Nick helped with the design, and it's 45 output, possibly driven by a choke loaded 26??? Or maybe a 76?

Don't know about this one, I have no recollection

This might have been Mark's C3m - KR300B?

This is one of Will's prototype Schroeder-type arms

And that's your lot. Short and sweet.

Eggfest 4th June 2005

I've quite a lot of photos from old meets which I've been meaning to post for quite a while. In the early days I only took a few snaps for my own interest, so for this first post there's only a few.

Eggfest was the start of the larger meets, when a large room was needed because we couldn't all fit in to someone's lounge. So we used the function room at Eggborough power station, which was a lot larger than anyone's lounge!

Originally conceived by Steve Shiels and Paul Barker IIRC, the theme was boat anchors - proper large, heavy, uncompromising valve amplifiers. I have a vague feeling that this might not have been the first Eggborough meet though.

So here are the photos. My memory is a little hazy on a lot of the details now though - but it was 12 years ago...

This first photo is of James D's Quasar open baffles and Paul Barker's Ariels.

Here's a closer view of Paul's crossover

And this is James' crossover

I'm not 100% sure about this one but I think it's the power supply for Nick G's phone stage in the centre and his 211 amp at the back, Paul Barker's 212 amp and driver stage on the floor, and possibly Paul's Systemdek record player? Perhaps it's not a phono stage PS but driver stage PS?

Here's Colin Topps' electrostatic panels, with bass helpers. Looks like a WAD PP amp - 5881???

Slightly larger view

Mark Jeffs' (IslandPink) amps. Struggling with this one - looks like a KR or Emissions Lab output valve. 300B??? James D's portable CD player.

A closer view

James D's Quasar speakers with AER and Supravox drivers, Mark's amps and I think his phono in the middle

And here is Mark with Tony B in the background, I think

Colin's speaker with Nick's 211 amp on the floor. Not sure who's amp it is on the table, nor the valves it's sporting.

A closer view of Nick's 211 amp. The 211 output stage is on the floor, and the pre and driver stages are on the table - shunt regged 76 to 45 IT coupled to the 211.

Paul's Ariels with 212 output stage amp next to it, and the pre and driver stage next the 212

The 212s heated...

Now then, in many people's view this was the star of the show, and is still talked about today in wistful tones. Jonathan Noble's 45 amp. Built to pack into a suitcase when he travelled. I hadn't seen anything like it - under the top plate was a mass of resistors that looked like a spider had created it.

Paul's 212 amp again

Don't know about this one, think it might be Paul's again?

Mark's amps with Paul's Ariels

Nick's 211 amp

And that's your lot for this meet.