A Visit to Mik Bhavnani - Unique Audio UK

[108CY]

There's an old saying : "A neat desk is the sign of a sick mind".
If that's the case, this room must belong to one of the healthiest minds on the planet.

Mad as a hatter that's me.

 

[Bobvin]

some of us have to live in the real world. but can look from afar on those few who don't.

Mike, with all due respect, I don’t think you can get away with calling your rig and room “real world”. I am happy to say in our short acquaintance you are a most gracious and welcoming individual, who by no means puts on airs, but to the overwhelming majority of audiophiles your room is way, waaaaayyyy, beyond real world. “Other-worldly” is much more like it!

 

[marty]

Mad as a hatter that's me.

In case some don't understand the reference, the term "mad as a hatter" is derived from the fact that many hat makers did indeed get sick from the mercury vapors in the solutions used to cure felt. If you are indeed mad, I hope its from ingesting something far less toxic and more enjoyable than mercury vapor!

 

[Lagonda]

I have to say, Mik, I am literally over the moon with the Sati. I didn’t really know what to expect of its performance - I expected power and command but didn’t expect such speed and dynamics. Weird how your eyes imagine a priori how something will sound until you try it. The attack, speed, bass texture / depth, insight is literally at reference level. Thanks a lot for your advice and support to get this TT.

Going back to the arm pairing. I get what Peter was saying - you expect to see a big 12” arm on here or maybe a LT arm. I would be scared of trading some speed and authority in this special V for a more majestic 12” sound. I know I am stereotyping but I usually hear a slightly more laid back and effortless sound with 12” arms, which certainly has its own beauty. But in this instance the immediacy, speed, and outright authority is very addictive especially for my music choices.

There is something special about a very heavy platter with a very powerful smooth motor, authority AND speed

 

[jeff1225]

Mad as a hatter that's me.

Mik,
What speakers do you use the Thomas Mayer amps with?

 

[Audiophile Bill]

There's an old saying : "A neat desk is the sign of a sick mind".
If that's the case, this room must belong to one of the healthiest minds on the planet.

A beautiful mind.

My wife gets ratty with me in my audio lair too. There are things everywhere but I just keep telling her that the creative environment can’t wait for tidying and that silliness. I have experiments to be done lol.

 

[bonzo75]

Mik,
What speakers do you use the Thomas Mayer amps with?

Those are for decor

 

[Audiophile Bill]

There is something special about a very heavy platter with a very powerful smooth motor, authority AND speed

Absolutely right. On the latter, I was very surprised how strong that motor is. It yanks the platter to speed in a couple of seconds. One of those motors where your finger gets smashed out the way. For measurement people I was super excited to adjust the speed and hit 33.33 +/-0.00% on the RPM app. My latest combined w/f last night with some tweaking was 0.10 again with RPM. These are stupendous measurements actually when you look at RPM wold rankings.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

Those are for decor

The funniest thing ever that had me in stitches as I left Mik’s. I opened his front door to leave and saw a vintage Quad 303 amp next to the floor - I said “what is the Quad for then?” He replied “it is my door stop.” Lol

 

[Lagonda]

Absolutely right. On the latter, I was very surprised how strong that motor is. It yanks the platter to speed in a couple of seconds. One of those motors where your finger gets smashed out the way. For measurement people I was super excited to adjust the speed and hit 33.33 +/-0.00% on the RPM app. My latest combined w/f last night with some tweaking was 0.10 again with RPM. These are stupendous measurements actually when you look at RPM wold rankings.

My recent experiments with motors indicate that the power and smoothness is more important than absolute speed stabilit, but having both is superb !

 

[Lagonda]

The funniest thing ever that had me in stitches as I left Mik’s. I opened his front door to leave and saw a vintage Quad 303 amp next to the floor - I said “what is the Quad for then?” He replied “it is my door stop.” Lol

I use Krell for that

 

[Audiophile Bill]

My recent experiments with motors indicate that the power and smoothness is more important than absolute speed stabilit, but having both is superb !

Makes sense unless you have perfect pitch. As you insinuate the wow/flutter is critical - wavering piano notes sound crapola.

 

[spiritofmusic]

My SOTA Eclipse/Condor on it's way Bill.
Looking fwds to go from +/-0.3% tt to 0.03%.
I'm expecting 10x better sound Lol.

 

[108CY]

Those are for decor

I have loads of speakers suitable but sadly no room or interest so decor is right.

 

[christoph]

Imagine how you are under achieving then

With 6 running systems?

 

[PeterA]

My SOTA Eclipse/Condor on it's way Bill.
Looking fwds to go from +/-0.3% tt to 0.03%.
I'm expecting 10x better sound Lol.

SME is around 0.03, perhaps 0.02.

 

[Audiophile Bill]

SME is around 0.03, perhaps 0.02.

SME 30 is actually the best measuring deck in the hifi news database ever.

 

[bonzo75]

With 6 running systems?

Your living room has a lot of space

 

[ack]

Utterly stunned by the "system" pictures, and the subsequent responses... unless they are in jest

 

[spiritofmusic]

Tasos, I had the totally surreal experience of visiting someone's small bijou country house, to sit on a futon sofa in an approximate 15x10 room, 6' away from...a single mono configuration WE replica horn!
Mik's place is blessed sanity compared to that.