Peterbean Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 On 10/04/2021 at 5:13 PM, BuzzzFuzzz said: I was recently planning on taking some gear over to them for repairs... But, I was advised by a good friend to take them elsewhere, as they now outsource their work. They often send stuff to a guy in Watson, who does it at weekends. I cant recall his name right now (I live in Watson too) but he's around the corner from Pat Turner, who no longer does repairs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterbean Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 Having been in Canberra , mostly, since 78, this conversation brings up lots of memories. Lots of admiration here for Pat who was a great bloke (and hopefully still is). Another bit of Cull snobishness there was the special room. None I knew had ever been in there, but its what they used for Paul Keating, and other VIPs, if there were. That probably means they missed out on lots of sales. I spent a bit of time in Sydney in Neutral Bay etc, and discovered a shop there run buy 2 guys- both Julians, one now sadly passed away- who had worked at Duratone, and they sold Shahinians too. I bought my Tannoys- 15" Golds- there for $500! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony1 Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 17 hours ago, Lansche plasma guy said: Geoff Forgy at the Music Room who was a true gentlemen and a great Classical Music and Jazz lover. They had the bipolar Mirage speakers, large Duntechs (Black Knight, Crown Prince, Princess) and Audio Definitions which looked like Duntechs but wrapped totally in cloth Music Room Bunda St - was a nice new shop, I audition Sonique speakers coupled to some lovely sounding valve amps for about $22k being a real lot of money at the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pigpen Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 16 minutes ago, Alpine Electrocats said: Having been in Canberra , mostly, since 78, this conversation brings up lots of memories. Lots of admiration here for Pat who was a great bloke (and hopefully still is). Another bit of Cull snobishness there was the special room. None I knew had ever been in there, but its what they used for Paul Keating, and other VIPs, if there were. That probably means they missed out on lots of sales. I spent a bit of time in Sydney in Neutral Bay etc, and discovered a shop there run buy 2 guys- both Julians, one now sadly passed away- who had worked at Duratone, and they sold Shahinians too. I bought my Tannoys- 15" Golds- there for $500! I think the shop in Neutral Bay with Julian (over the road from the Oaks) was Audio - 1 from memory. I lived in Neutral Bay from 1988 - 1993 and would often visit Audio - 1 before popping over to the Oaks - I found visiting the Oaks before Audio - 1 more expensive for some reason...... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterbean Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 1 minute ago, Pigpen said: I think the shop in Neutral Bay with Julian (over the road from the Oaks) was Audio - 1 from memory. I lived in Neutral Bay from 1988 - 1993 and would often visit Audio - 1 before popping over to the Oaks - I found visiting the Oaks before Audio - 1 more expensive for some reason...... yes, a great spot. My sister had a fabric store down the other end of NB. I think the sax player from INXS was up the Oaks end then 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pigpen Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 Audio - 1 was a great little store as they did not mind if you popped in for advice and a listen without spending a cent. In the end I think quite a few of my mates purchased a lot of gear of varying levels over the years from them. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterr Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 1 hour ago, Alpine Electrocats said: They often send stuff to a guy in Watson, who does it at weekends. I cant recall his name right now (I live in Watson too) but he's around the corner from Pat Turner, who no longer does repairs Possibly Bill Crampton (?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterr Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 (edited) 18 hours ago, Lansche plasma guy said: Impact records used to have Klipsch La Scalas hanging from the walls throwing out the tunes and sounding wonderful (mainly rock / metal) Abel records used to have Michael Brown's concrete Audiospheres hanging from the walls and sounding wonderful (mainly classical music) For everyone who worked at Duratone the Shahinians were our favourite speakers which we happened to sell and they sounded awesome, along with many other high end brands. They sounded like a real orchestra in the room much of the time unlike anything else we had heard before or since (with rare exception). The biggest Allisons were very good also along with the stacked Quads and many other one off orphan speakers that stayed in the shop decade after decade still advertised at the new price. In one corner upstairs was a pair of immaculate DQ10 Dahlquists, in another Tasmanian built electrostatics that looked like Martin Logan CLS's, Altec 19's, Soundwaves, bossendorfer, the dalek looking polished stainless steel pod speakers with massive spikes from New Zealand, Spendors, Tannoys, Lowthers in various cabinets, Magnat with the round plasma omnisphere that made us all feel like throwing up and passing out after a couple of hours when demonstrated in one of the tiny audio rooms upstairs and on and on. Orphaned amps littered the shop from Metaxas (MAS in the early days with some of the marble fronted pre and power amps), Micrex (which became Supratek), early Quad 33/303, 405's, Rotels (when some of them were stuffed with black gate caps), Nakamichi cassette decks etc. Had nothing but wonderful experiences with Duratone. Many people became part of the Duratone family and were treated as long lost friends when they would return (even if not buying anything). They used to have a trade in program where anything you bought from them you could return within (i think 3 months) for a full refund if you were upgrading. Kept many of us on the upgrade path for many years (case in point B and W 110i full refund to Allison 6, Allison 4, Allison 3, Allison 1, Allison one with subwoofer control unit and the list went on and on for many many years). The Music Room opened many years later upstairs in a couple of small rooms before moving to a huge ground floor retail shop in the city for a few years. Geoff had been in the Public Service but always loved music and so opened a shop. Geoff Forgy at the Music Room who was a true gentlemen and a great Classical Music and Jazz lover. They had the bipolar Mirage speakers, large Duntechs (Black Knight, Crown Prince, Princess) and Audio Definitions which looked like Duntechs but wrapped totally in cloth. The earlier Osborns where there sounding fast as lightning if a bit aggro with the yellow kevlar cones and continually blowing up tweeters (these were fixed much much later and were reliable after that) Peter Stein at ME was a frequent visitor at the shop when i was there with his gold plated ME mono block amps. Musical Fidelity's big F series amps were driving the Mirage Bipolars and the ME drove the Duntechs. These stores were all quirky in their own ways but none of them seemed to be too fixated on making a profit and most were in it for the love of music (or the audio gear). LPG Must be time to sell my Allison Ones and DCM Time Windows, both bought from Duratone Edited April 13, 2021 by peterr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterbean Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 5 minutes ago, peterr said: Possibly Bill Crampton (?) no, not Bill, not sure where he is but he is back in Canberra I think (an associate if his is trying to sell overpriced gear on local facebook) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterbean Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 2 minutes ago, peterr said: Must be time to sell my Allison Ones and DCM Time Windows, both bought from Duratone I had a pair of little Allisons, first thing I bought there, but they were stolen from my house a year later. Very cute speakers. I am in line for pair of the concrete speakers from a friend in a little while. I remember them selling the time windows too 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eman Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 3 hours ago, Alpine Electrocats said: They often send stuff to a guy in Watson, who does it at weekends. I cant recall his name right now (I live in Watson too) but he's around the corner from Pat Turner, who no longer does repairs Sid? Think he retired from doing the repairs at Duratone some 20 yrs ago so he must be getting on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterbean Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 47 minutes ago, eman said: Sid? Think he retired from doing the repairs at Duratone some 20 yrs ago so he must be getting on. That’s him! Now I mainly take straight forward stuff to Peter Montgomery in Hackett 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eman Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 1 hour ago, Alpine Electrocats said: That’s him! Now I mainly take straight forward stuff to Peter Montgomery in Hackett It's good to have this local huddle for contacts. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lansche plasma guy Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 5 hours ago, Alpine Electrocats said: I am in line for pair of the concrete speakers from a friend in a little while We sold the Audiospheres at Fayes other shop (Kingston HiFi). They are wonderful speakers!!!!!!! I still love my updated pair. Concrete spherical enclosures, super light paper cone main driver. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lansche plasma guy Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 7 hours ago, Alpine Electrocats said: Another bit of Cull snobishness there was the special room. None I knew had ever been in there, but its what they used for Paul Keating, and other VIPs, if there were. That probably means they missed out on lots of sales. The upstairs back room was locked most of the time because it had the most expensive gear, was the farthest from the front of the store, and there usually weren't enough staff to man that room. But if someone asked or if we knew they would like something in particular, we would take people up there. Paul Keating heard the small Shahinians (we didn't have the larger ones in stock at the time) and also some top B and W's and other speakers on his list. He loved the small Shahinians so much he immediately contacted the importer and purchased the top of the range model Shahinian Diapason with Double Eagle Subwoofer). Then loving those he bought the middle model (Obelisk) for another property. A man of usually superb taste. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pigpen Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 5 hours ago, eman said: It's good to have this local huddle for contacts. There is a lot of history and experience held within the collective memories of StereoNet members. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterr Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 5 hours ago, Lansche plasma guy said: We sold the Audiospheres at Fayes other shop (Kingston HiFi). They are wonderful speakers!!!!!!! I still love my updated pair. Concrete spherical enclosures, super light paper cone main driver. Duratone also sold the Audiospheres. For some time, they had some space in the building opposite the main store in Phillip. I remember auditioning some ' stacked' Audiospheres there i.e. one on top of the other, joined with a custom concrete middle section. Coral drivers (?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lansche plasma guy Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 And a pair of Pat's huge Audiospheres are used as planter pots in the garden just outside the shop! LPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterbean Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 Another thing about Duratone that some others might want to comment on is that it’s been suggested that the financial underpinning of the shop was that they were the importers of Lowe TV s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain starlight Posted April 14, 2021 Author Share Posted April 14, 2021 I know of the Kingston branch, but memory also tells me that very briefly there was a smaller store in Manuka as well. Does anyone recall this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterbean Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 15 minutes ago, captain starlight said: I know of the Kingston branch, but memory also tells me that very briefly there was a smaller store in Manuka as well. Does anyone recall this? Yes It was run by a guy I knew but I’ve completely forgotten his name When he left I considered a career change and running it, had discussions w Fay but decided not to for various reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bronal Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 (edited) 9 minutes ago, Alpine Electrocats said: Yes It was run by a guy I knew but I’ve completely forgotten his name When he left I considered a career change and running it, had discussions w Fay but decided not to for various reasons. I think you mean Rob Slazenger. Now living in Bermagui. The store was called Acoustic Images. Edited April 14, 2021 by Bronal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterbean Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 57 minutes ago, Bronal said: I think you mean Rob Slazenger. Now living in Bermagui. The store was called Acoustic Images. Thats him i wonder if he still has his Towshend Roc .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain starlight Posted April 14, 2021 Author Share Posted April 14, 2021 1 hour ago, Bronal said: I think you mean Rob Slazenger. Now living in Bermagui. The store was called Acoustic Images. He also had a radio show on artsound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterbean Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 3 hours ago, captain starlight said: He also had a radio show on artsound Yes, I was a regular listener, and won some great CDs on his giveaways Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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