The virtues and rewards of buying australian made hi fi components

[HarbethRob]

Until recently I had never really owned australian made gear with the exception of Watmough speakers some years ago. I was  admiring of ME amplifiers owned by a friend.

 

Recently I bought a Holton power amp and have been very impressed (increasingly so as it listen more and more). 

 

More recently I have purchased several pieces by Mark Houston of Retro Thermionic based in Victoria I believe. First I asked Mark to make me a Mimic Carbon MM phono stage.  That was loads of fun with Mark sending me photos as he built it. Next I bought a Parley hybrid tube solid state made by Mark specifically to drive low impedance solid state amps such as the Holton  (the parley was bought used off this site). These are my impressions of both components. Not reviews - just a few thoughts.

 

The MM phono stage is  excellent.  I have another highly regarded tube phono stage in the $4,000 area and I enjoy the Mimic Carbon just as much. I am not going to reveal the cost of the Mimic (you can contact Mark) but it is a fraction of the cost of my other unit. The Mimic has a nice analogue personality.  I am not going to make claims for it other than it is a delight to listen to.  It is rich, warm, detailed and highly enjoyable - not lean, analytical etc I have to confess my bias here - I hate analytical cold sounding hifi gear. 

 

The Parley preamp next. I was surprised  the moment I turned it on and listened. This is a very simple design and highly effective. Clean, powerful, fast,  big dynamic  sound with lovely tube warmth. Easily drives the Holton. 

 

The combination of the MM phono stage and the preamp is lovely. Dense, rich substantial sound made for flesh and blood human beings - not the analytical, stripped bare type of sound. 

 

Quite a lot of gear as come and gone from my place (sometime very quickly!) - the Holton, and Retro stuff is staying.

 

The third and final bit of Australian gear - keenly waiting for one of Earle Weston's Topaz tube amps. 

 

I am really glad that I decided to buy some Australian made gear. It is exactly the sound that I have always been looking for and it was always there in my own backyard.

 

Cheers,

 

Rob

 

 

Edited April 8, 2018 by HarbethRob

[Snoopy8]

Couldn't agree more. We have our own HiFi components which compete with the best in the world. 

 

I am proud and delighted to have SGR active speakers, Gieseler DAC and PSUs, Thor power filters, Thoroughbred power interface.  And Stuart, Harry from SGR and Clay Gieseler are nice people who provide excellent support. 

[BATMAQN]

49 minutes ago, HarbethRob said:

The MM phono stage is  excellent.  I have another highly regarded tube phono stage in the $4,000 area and I enjoy the Mimic Carbon just as much. I am not going to reveal the cost of the Mimic (you can contact Mark) but it is a fraction of the cost of my other unit. The Mimic has a nice analogue personality.  I am not going to make claims for it other than it is a delight to listen to.  It is rich, warm, detailed and highly enjoyable - not lean, analytical etc I have to confess my bias here - I hate analytical cold sounding hifi gear. 

 

If you were thinking of going to a moving coil cart combine the Mimic with his Salix MC stage thats freaky awesome for the price @mwhouston asks for.

Edited April 8, 2018 by BATMAQN

[stevoz]

A lot of audiophiles are no different to ordinary Australians in that they tend to underestimate their home products or don't get the required ego boost from buying a less known 'name'...... I have Aaron speakers, ok not top shelf but for the money, I doubt any overseas brand would better them and if and when I have the money, I will be getting SGR's......

Australian ingenuity is as good as anywhere in the world and our audio gear is no exception.....which, if supported by us, will not suffer the same fate as our world class car industry. Aaron is now gone.....a victim of the above mentioned Australian buyer ignorance. I recently bought a Mitsubishi 380 Platinum after my Supercharged AWD Magna died (my fault, not the cars) and it is a stunning motor car. It was cobbled together on a shoestring budget from the Japanese/American Galant by an Oz division on it's last legs in a last ditch effort to save the SA factory from closure. It ultimately failed in this quest but the car they produced was a brilliant and underappreciated vehicle and under the trying circumstances it was built, it is one of the best cars Australia has produced.

This country has engineering ingenuity and manufacturing talent to burn but it's consumers still tend to look overseas in a misguided search for excellence and our governments don't seem to give a rats for local R & D and manufacturing. It would also help if local audio companies promoted themselves better and let the Australian public know that they're out there and making products that are up there with the best from overseas, word of mouth is not enough......more bragging, less humility. Is the Linn company humble? No, they're up themselves......but it works.

[HarbethRob]

I do have moving coil carts so thanks for the tip.

 

The price thing is really interesting. Is there much of a correlation between price and sound quality? I went to a hifi shop recently and heard a combo worth about $50,000 that was utterly vomitous. High end french speakers - the music sounded like it was coming out of a highly amplified tin can, absolutely bleached of any beauty or harmonic richness. Is that hi fi?  $50,000? Wouldnt take it if it as left on the roadside.

 

 I was about to drop quite a bit of money on a tube pre and gave the Parley a go out of curiousity and because I really liked Mark's Retro Thermionic site and his aesthetic approach. Now I am going to give my bank account a much needed rest as I am so happy with the Parley. Mark just really enjoys making excellent products.

 

R

 

 

 

 

[Mani]

As for my self I grew up with aussie speakers such as krix and Richter . I own 2 pairs of legend speakers and redgum amp . At the moment I'm looking at holton amp I would love to hear it before I make the purchase I am currently living in albury anyone has the holton amp in that area I would to hear it. Mani.

[HarbethRob]

Yes, that is a hard one Mani. Dropping a lot of money on something that you have never heard - cuts across the old axiom try before you buy etc so it would best to hear one.

 

When I look back over my own experience with some high end gear I have to say that I have done pretty well out of buying without trying. I have needed to because of where I live.  Stuff I still love  red cinema camera ( a huge punt), the best mic preamp (pendulum audio), the best speakers (harbeths) and so on have all been bought on recommendations of people I trust. Also made a few expensive errors based on people shamelessly talking gear up.  I still  agree with listening first to audio gear - it is just so subjective.

 

I keep banging on about Holton power amplifiers and how good they are - I promise I dont know Anthony from a bar of soap and that he has not paid me . I just own one of his amps.  My only regret is that I did not buy his higher end stuff which I now see he has on special on his website for much lower prices eg Anteos or the monbolock he has on there. I would need to sell the one I have to do that.

[HarbethRob]

By the way, here are pictures of the MM Mimic Carbon II that Mark built for me.

[Al.M]

Is there a thread post celebrating local gear, if not there should be.

 

Here’s another product someone who owns several Seinheisser HD800 and Audio Technica ATH5000 headphones says this keeps up https://audiofly.com/shop/af1120/

Edited April 8, 2018 by Al.M

[Willmax]

1 hour ago, Al.M said:

Is there a thread post celebrating local gear, if not there should be.

 

Here’s another product someone who owns several Seinheisser HD800 and Audio Technica ATH5000 headphones says this keeps up https://audiofly.com/shop/af1120/

There's a thread going for Australia made stuff in general not just Hi-Fi stuff. It is over the chill out room sub-forum.

 

[Snoopy8]

4 minutes ago, Willmax said:

There's a thread going for Australia made stuff in general not just Hi-Fi stuff. It is over the chill out room sub-forum.

I tried posting there but OP wanted to restrict it to non HiFi great.. 

[Interface]

I would love to have a totally Australian made system. As you can see in my signature I’m about half way there. I’m not aware of an Aussie TT or cd player so I might not reach my goal. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

I am also very interested in Holton amps and eagerly await the arrival of the integrated amps.

It was suggested by @:) al     for me to submit my thoughts on the Elektra. I have not done it yet but it will happen. Let’s just say I’m glad I bought it.

The Mimic phono pre by @mwhouston  amazed me. Surely it would have to be close to, if not the best bang for buck phono pre out there.

I am very happy with the Orpheus Auroras @Kiat  A very easy listen and with the Elektra pushing them, amaze me with the amount of bass they can produce.

 I have ordered some xlr cables from @Bill125812   to check them out. Add Thoroughbred power cables into the mix as well.

Some of the rewards for buying Australian would be - dollars stay in Australia, keeps people employed, possibility of export and be proud to buy Australian. I must admit I’m feeling pretty virtuous at the moment.

I’m proud to have Aussie made hi fi gear and will continue to support Aussie made gear where I can.

Cheers,

Interface

 

 

(Good subject to put my hundredth post on.)

[sir sanders zingmore]

2 minutes ago, Interface said:

I’m not aware of an Aussie TT or cd player so I might not reach my goal. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

Redgum make a cd player

 https://www.redgumaudio.com/product/rgcd2/

 

 

[Interface]

Thanks @Sir Sanders Zingmore I'll check it out.

[rantan]

2 minutes ago, Interface said:

Thanks @Sir Sanders Zingmore I'll check it out.

If you buy it for patriotic reasons then fine, but don't expect too much from the RG player. I don't want to say too much,but my money would be spent elsewhere.

[betty boop]

5 minutes ago, Interface said:

I would love to have a totally Australian made system. As you can see in my signature I’m about half way there. I’m not aware of an Aussie TT or cd player so I might not reach my goal. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

Hi interface, look forward to how found elektra in your setup. yeah as per sanders there has been the cd player in redgum and arthur at elektra did a dac at one stage not sure either still continuing on. 

 

but you have done well with the aussie pursuit in hifi and gee we have had some great brands now and in past something indeed can indulge in by looks ! 

 

I myself used to run a full aussie made AV setup once (full richter speaker set) completed with the elektra power amp added. though got replaced in time and my av setup seems more of a french - uk affair with some sprinkling of US, japanese, chinese and only a couple of aussies in elektra amps these days  

[Pops110]

21 minutes ago, Interface said:

I would love to have a totally Australian made system. As you can see in my signature I’m about half way there. I’m not aware of an Aussie TT or cd player so I might not reach my goal. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

I am also very interested in Holton amps and eagerly await the arrival of the integrated amps.

It was suggested by @:) al     for me to submit my thoughts on the Elektra. I have not done it yet but it will happen. Let’s just say I’m glad I bought it.

The Mimic phono pre by @mwhouston  amazed me. Surely it would have to be close to, if not the best bang for buck phono pre out there.

I am very happy with the Orpheus Auroras @Kiat  A very easy listen and with the Elektra pushing them, amaze me with the amount of bass they can produce.

 I have ordered some xlr cables from @Bill125812   to check them out. Add Thoroughbred power cables into the mix as well.

Some of the rewards for buying Australian would be - dollars stay in Australia, keeps people employed, possibility of export and be proud to buy Australian. I must admit I’m feeling pretty virtuous at the moment.

I’m proud to have Aussie made hi fi gear and will continue to support Aussie made gear where I can.

Cheers,

Interface

 

 

 

(Good subject to put my hundredth post on.)

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/continuum-debuts-first-new-turntable-more-five-years

 

 

http://www.continuumaudiolabs.com/

 

 

Here you go mate. 

Edited April 8, 2018 by Pops110

[HarbethRob]

From my perspective at least, I do not buy for patriotic reasons. I am afraid I am not much of a patriot!

 

I am commenting strictly on just how good the gear sounds

Edited April 8, 2018 by HarbethRob

[Snoopy8]

34 minutes ago, HarbethRob said:

From my perspective at least, I do not buy for patriotic reasons. I am afraid I am not much of a patriot!

 

I am commenting strictly on just how good the gear sounds

I bought Aussie gear not because of patriotic reasons, but because the gear sounded good. 

[sir sanders zingmore]

45 minutes ago, Snoopy8 said:

I bought Aussie gear not because of patriotic reasons, but because the gear sounded good. 

I reckon in many cases because you are often dealing directly with the manufacturer, the value is so much better too. 

You don't have import costs, distributor costs, retailer costs etc

[Raffinator]

Some mentions

 

Clay Gieseler’s range of DACs and power supplies

 

Joe Rasmussen and his various gear (for me the Oppo upgrades) but phono and amp mods as well.

 

[HarbethRob]

18 minutes ago, Sir Sanders Zingmore said:

I reckon in many cases because you are often dealing directly with the manufacturer, the value is so much better too. 

You don't have import costs, distributor costs, retailer costs etc

Yes. Highly significant.  Further, the value  tends to go into what is important -internal components and design.

 

Also, the manfucturer is much more likely to be open to adding options and making changes that may want. 

[audiofeline]

I've had no complaints with my Symfonia Opus-10 power amp, made and designed in Melbourne in the 1990's. 

[Ian McP]

Open Audio Designs

excellent sounding gear indeed!

https://www.openaudiodesigns.com/

[audiofeline]

Don't forget the wonderful turntable heritage of Melbourne and Hobart - The Commonwealth, Byer, Argo, Orpheus Silex.