pumpkinstrokemarrow

First thought was to visit the second hand amplifier shop in Fife Road, Kingston whose proprietor had previously told me that he could do me something for £100 or so. Arrive at Fife Road all full of beans to find out that he has shut up shop; a pity as he would have been happy to talk to me about my modest requirements in language I could understand. No talk of sub-woofers or super-wafters. Can't think of anywhere else of that sort in the vicinity so reduced to new.

First port of call John Lewis, which is splendid for laptops and televisions but does little or anything in the way of free standing amplifiers. Clearly the fashion for free standing has waned, not worth their while any more.

Second port of call Sevenoaks Sound, where I learn that I could spend vastly more than I had in mind. An assistant offers me their bottom of the range offering, a Marantz PM6003 Amplifier for £249. Start to get used to the idea that I am going to have to spend a bit more than £100. But I havn't got a clue what a Marantz is, so I decide to go home and think about it. Maybe ask Mr G. what he thinks.

Third port of call Audio-T, where I am taken in hand by a smooth and helpful salesman who is not in the least put out by my observing that I appear to be in the wrong shop, a shop intended for people who spend more on their hifi than I spend on my car - that is to say tens of thousands. Looks very sad when I explain that my elderly Tannoys are not a matched pair but he does recognise the Pro-Ject Debut turntable which it turned out I had bought from Sevonoaks Sound some years ago for the princely sum of £109 and which has done very well. He could also sell me one from the same gang but which costs considerably more. Arranges for me to come in for a demonstration of his bottom of the range offering in the amplifier department, a Rega Brio for £328.95. Looks a lot neater and smarter than the Marantz. Also not as deep and would actually fit sensibly on the surface intended which is only 11 inches deep. My budget is gradually easing up.

Go home to check out Rega with Mr G. who tells me that the Rega Brio is a really spiffing value entry level amplifier. So far so good. So off to the demonstration armed with some select discs. Including the Haydn Op. 20 No. 1 quartet which I have recently become very fond of. Slight hum to be heard because their Pro-Ject turntable needs an earth, like mine, and the Rega Brio does not oblige. But not to worry. Sir can have a phono box which will sort that out. Which it does. Sound terrific. Can we try unmatched speakers to see how bad that is? Certainly sir. I am not sure that I can tell the difference. Salesman looks very sad again. If sir can't tell the difference then he might as well stick with his ancient unmatched Tannoys. Wouldn't do for me though, looked but not said. Decide not to be bounced into instant sale and ask from a shopping list which has now moved from £328.95 to £484.81. Hopefully including VAT.

Ponder awhile and decide that this is rather a lot. Decide to take a peek at Ebay, something which I do not do very often and requires me to go and look up what name I am registered under. Zillions of amplifiers on offer. But how on earth to choose? I haven't got a clue. But then I come across a helpful gent. selling something called an Ariston AX-910 with a starting price of £15 with auction expiring in about 4 hours. Quick consultation with Mr G. who tells me that this is a reasonably ancient bit of kit but which was considered a perfectly decent entry level amplifier in its day. Put a bid in and the thing is mine for £17.73 plus £14 postage.

Large parcel arrives a few days later. Amplifier plugged in. Loudspeaker cables tidied up. Sound fine but not much volume. Trundle down to Maplins to buy 4 banana plugs (a bit of jargon I had picked up from Audio-T) to make a proper connection between the loudspeakers and the amplifier. This sets me back £8.36 - half what I had paid for an entire amplifier. These are now installed and there does seem to be more volume. Quite enough for my purposes anyway. And sound better, I think, than that it replaced. Lot more crackle from ancient discs now audible being the down side.

But all in all, not unhappy with the outcome. Retromainia get £31.73 and the audio outfits who are not in my league lose out. At least for now.