Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Stereo Now

Here's a hifi retailer with a refreshing attitude to selling his wares. Check out Stereo Now and see what i'm oinking on about.

Roksan Xerxes Winging its way to Hifi Pig's Sty

Well things have been a little digital around the sty for a while now, ever since i sold the last of my slightly modded Technics 1210s. I had been saving up to build some Horn loudspeakers, but when I saw an original Roksan Xerxes advertised recently I just couldn't resist.

The Xerxes is a turntable i've lusted after since I was a teenager but never managed to actually get around to owning myself. The Linn Sondek LP 12 was another turntable I lusted after at that time too and a couple of those have seen themselves in and out of the pig pen over the years. The turntable comes with an Audio Origami modded Rega R200 arm and the seemingly ubiquitous Denon DL110 cartridge. It also looks very beautiful in its rosewood plinth and matching power supply.

I managed to speak to the original owner of this particular turntable and he reckons I will certainly not be disappointed with its performance. Can't wait 'til it arrives. I spoke to the dealer that sold it me earlier on in the day and he's packaged it up this afternoon so it should arrive here just after the weekend.  Great dealer by the way who couldn't have been more helpful so here's a free link through to his site - he also does some fabulous looking Linn Sondek LP12 upgrades, Rega Planar 3 upgrades as well as his own range of stunning looking turntables.

More to follow once the Xerxes has landed.

Hifi Wigwam Show 6th March.

This is something i'm actually going to hop on a plane and fly back to the UK for. If you've never come across the Hifiwigwam forum   then it's time you sought it out and participated in it. Of all the hifi fora i've come across this is the one that doesn't take itself all that seriously. Mind, it's not for the faint of heart and there's a fair bit of argy bargy goes on. However, even if you're a mere piglet where hifi is concerned there's plenty of folk on the forum who are willing to share their not inconsiderable knowledge.

At the Hifi Wigwam Show expect horns, expect conventional speakers, expect turntables, expect CD players, expect valves, expect solid state, just don't expect this to be anything like the Hifi shows that you may have attended in the past. Oh, expect the bar area to be full.

The Show will take place at Scalford Hall near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire on Sunday 6th March 2011. Tickets are available on the door for a tenner which I think is tremendous value when you consider the number of systems you'll get to enjoy. More information here


The Hifi Wigwam Show itself will be a unique collection of over 40 hifi sytems put together and proudly exhibited by their owners. It's a very rare opportunity the audiophile gets the opportunity to listen to such a wide and varied cornucopia of hifi systems in one place. The whole gamut of hifi will be represented at this show, without the usual pressure from industry sales folk telling you that their new turntable or CD player is the best thing since pre-packaged swill.

Wheelchair access is only available on the ground floor, but we are assured that this is something that will be looked into for the 2012 show. 

Here's what the organisers have to say about it



"Nicknamed the 'Pie-Fi Show' due to its superb location just outside the town of Melton Mowbray, this truly world class event in the annual hi-fi calendar offers visitors a unique opportunity to listen to an amazing variety of superb, 'real life' music systems.
From classic to modern, from computer source to vinyl, from Arcam to ZTZ, and from budget to no expense spared - just about every possible way to reproduce music can be heard here. Best of all, the lack of any commercial constraints means that these systems have been assembled without any compromises.
And unlike most shows, you're welcome to bring your own music... and hear it like never before" 

As an aside I am a little concerned that some of my cousins may well be in the pies that will no doubt be consumed in their hundreds.