Top ten hifi of all time!

No 1. The LP12

Not to say this is the best but it is probably the most well known and most influential piece of equipment. Marketed superbly. The idea was not original, the concept was not even that original but the marketing was.

"Forget speakers their rubbish" he said! Source first gentlemen. Ivor truly was the worlds best salesman. Armed with his trusty turntable, I am absolutely convinced it was him and his passion and charisma that sold the LP 12 to the world.

Is it the best turntable in the world? no. Was it even the best turntable of it's time? probably not. It was just one mans vision to take his work out into the world and make it a success. You have got to love him for it. Success is no accident.

No 2 Quad electrostatics

Obvious really! You could possibly swap no 1 and 2 if you wanted. I wanted the LP12 at number one because it says so much about the audio industry. It is never really about sound, it is about sound but only if there is any money in it! Dealers don't like taking risks.

Anyway, these speakers are about sound and their approach was very different. Different is often good in the world of hifi. They where totally unique and offered something new.

They truly were high resolution and put quad firmly on the map. Detail and clarity that had never been heard before were suddenly in abundance. They were also very fast and precise, compared to the competition they were leagues ahead.

It is really strange to imagine Quad at the very forefront of technology as their current reputation is anything but cutting edge. We must remember a time when Quad were the watch word for innovation and forward thinking. What ever happens in this industry in the future the electrostatics must always be remembered.

No3 B&W Nautilus

There was a time when these where everywhere! Life style mags, television, even the average bloke on the street has probably seen these speakers somewhere. That they looked like Darleks didn't seem to matter to any of the numerous customers that lined up to buy them, they where a huge success

Ultimately these are very hi end, awfully difficult to drive and extremely picky about what they play, yet they are still the definitive hi end speaker system.

Only Wilson can claim to come close in terms of profile but B&w probably sold five hundred times more speakers than they ever did (or will)

To be honest I am not a fan I think they sound pretty bad, look pretty bad and personally feel there are much better ways to drop a few grand (Sonus Faber) I am in the minority however and the glowing reports keep flooding in for the next generation of darleks.

No 4 Michel turntables.

Remember clock work orange, what is that cool looking turntable?! Michel have churned out some fantastic designs. They are the absolute opposite of the LP12.

For starters they look cool! (yes I do think the LP12 looks crap and its fiddly!)The engineering is superb, they are easy to set up and they sound great. What more do you want.

The new generation look and sound as good as ever and are a bargain. Think of them as a piece of art or a sculpture that actually performs a function. Lets face it if you put one of these on your side board you will receive more than a couple of admiring glances.

No5 Leak stereo 20

These buggers are just not going to go away! Still sought after and revered. You only have to take a look at the second hand prices to see that there is something fundamentally right about this design.

Most people have owned one of these in their time, they sound more than a little soft by today's standards but even so there is something very pleasing about the sound.

N06 Naim Nait

I could pretty much repeat everything I have just said on no5 for a description of this little amp! Still sought after and currently sell for more now than they did when they were first available right after Stonehenge was introduced as wiltshire's new nightclub.

I have personally owned three of these. A Nait 1, a Nait 2 and a Nait 5. The Nait two was by far the best. It sounded cleaner and more alive than the others. You can pick one up for about £250, buy one today!

N07 Linn Isobaricks.

Horrible! Why so many people wanted these things is beyond me. Big and unbelievably ugly. They didn't even sound good. That's enough of that!

No8 Nad 3020.

Every ones favourite. What a great little amp this was and still is. Cheap and fairly powerful, it brought decent sound to thousands of living rooms for a very small amount of money.

This was my first ever hifi purchase, I got it when I was sixteen ( I am in my thirty's now) from richer sounds in Liverpool. I was chuffed to bits! I used it with a Marantz cd 42 and some jpw speakers. I actually still have the speakers now. I use them in my office; still working.

No9 Krell Ksa 50

The first big American amp I can remember. Big and heavy with big handles and a huge price tag, it was just what I always wanted!

Never actually owned one of these, not even sure exactly what they sound like. I just remember seeing them at Doug Brady's in Warrington and wanting one. He used to sell them with audio research pre amps and I think it was apogee speakers as part of his hi end recommended system. Scary prices.

Thinking about it he must have been doing really well for business back then! I wonder how many hi end systems are bought in dealers today, I'll bet not that many. It is a real shame that the average person seems so unconcerned with quality sound.

No10 Marantz cd63

What a machine this was. First cd player that didn't sound truly awful. The rhythm and pace of this little wonder could put many modern cd players to shame these days.

In the timing stakes this was just magic. Shame about everything else! Compared to today's best it is the treble that really stands out but to be honest music still sounds like good fun and you can forgive it for sounding a little bit ropey.

There we have it my top ten. Obviously I am in my thirty's and for people a bit older they may be thinking my list is biased towards more modern machinery and they would be right. Besides, the LP12 really does deserve to be top of the list even if you feel nothing else is right.

I just wonder if there will be some even more memorable pieces of hifi in the future, I hope so. Maybe in ten years time I will be including the i-pod in this list..... Over my dead body!