Building a Hi-Fi system: interview with Michel, a loyal maPlatine.com customer
Michel is one maPlatine.com’s most loyal customers. He has been passionate about music and the Hi-Fi world for many years now. In this interview he tells us the story of how he built up his Hi-Fi system and record collection.
– What first sparked your passion for that High Fidelity sound?
I started to get into Hi-Fi in the 1970s, and I carried my passion into the ‘80s, too. But I have to admit that my love of vinyl got rather lost in the business of everyday life over the next few decades. But then when I retired in the 2010s I was able to dive back into my record collection, and my passion was rekindled!
– How has your Hi-Fi system changed and developed over the years?
My first Hi-Fi system included a Thorens 125 MKII turntable, which was very good, but eventually I had to give it away because it stopped working. I also had a Marantz amplifier, from back when the company was still American, and that was also very good! And to go with all of that I had a pair of Elipson speakers. I kept this setup for a very long time, but when I started to become interested in analogue again and found the maPlatine.com site, I wanted to start again from scratch.
– What do you look for when choosing Hi-Fi equipment?
My main priority has to be making sure the equipment is reliable and of a high quality. Good value for money! Expensive products aren’t necessarily better.
– What does your current Hi-Fi system look like?
The main body of my current setup is made up of the Cambridge Audio 800 series. I have the Azur 851E preamplifier and the Azur 851W power amplifier. These are both excellent products with multiple inputs, and my favourite thing about them is that they are analogue-only. I find Cambridge Audio equipment to be very reliable and I am completely satisfied with it. It is highly musical, without any distortion or unwanted noise. I think that these amps make an exceptionally musical pair! I also have a Pro-Ject X-Tension 12CC Evo turntable fitted with an Ortofon Cadenza Black MC cartridge. It hardly even needs saying that this combination is simply ideal! I also have a Lehmann Black Cube SE II phono preamplifier. For headphone listening, I have a pair of Grado RS1e headphones and a Linear headphone amp by Lehmann Audio. Perfection! 
Of course, none of this could work without speakers. I have a pair of Sonus Faber Venere 2.5 tower speakers, which are highly musical and beautifully designed, with a distinctive Italian charm. 
For cables I use Transparent, namely the Musiclink Plus phono cable and Musiclink Plus interconnect. I also use cables by Wireworld, Cardas and Audioquest. To listen to my CDs, I have a Pro-Ject CD transport connected to a PS Audio Nuwave DSD DAC, and this works amazingly. Listening to CDs is never the same experience as vinyl, but with the PS Audio DAC you get a pretty close approximation. It transcribes every detail of the CD perfectly, without any alteration. You just can’t beat the combination of a good transport and a good DAC! 
– Could you tell us a bit about your sound quality?
This Hi-Fi system delivers a very neutral, clear and dynamic sound. The reproduction is bursting with detail. The bass is well-defined and powerful, without ever being excessive. There is no hint of hiss or noise. You could almost hear a pin drop…
– Do you have any plans to upgrade your system further?
Well, I’m currently considering buying the McIntosh MP100 phono preamplifier, but I don’t know if it will actually be better than my current Lehmann Audio phono preamp. I’m also thinking about the wiring of my Hi-Fi system. At the moment I use bi-wiring, so maybe I’ll try switching to mono-wiring at some point as that can also be good. But for the time being it’s pretty good as it is! 
– What is your favourite genre of music?
I listen to a bit of everything! From American and British rock bands (Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Queen, Pink Floyd, etc.) to singers like Johnny Hallyday and Elvis Presley, as well as female French and American singers. I have eclectic taste!
– How many records do you think you have in your collection now?
I must have at least a thousand records in my collection now, and they’re all 33? LPs. My shelves are full to the rafters!
– How do you maintain such a large record collection?
In terms of maintenance, I am pro-record cleaning machines because they provide excellent suction, which is particularly useful for my dirty old records from the ‘70s that really need a good clean! I recently bought a Clearaudio Smart Matrix Pro Silver record cleaning machine from maPlatine.com. Otherwise, I have a Pro-Ject brush and Furutech SK-III brush, but I mostly use these to clean my CDs. If a little bit of dust is still left on the vinyl, the stylus picks it up and I just clean the stylus when the record is finished, which seems to do the trick! 
I also keep all of my records neatly standing upright and inside lined record sleeves. I think all of this is enough to keep records intact for a long time! And I have some great sounding records from 30 or 40 years ago to prove it!
– When did you buy your first ever vinyl record? And what was it?
I think it was in the 1970s when I was a student, a Rolling Stones record, but I can’t really remember… I also used to buy a lot of film soundtracks back then. Then later on I started buying a lot of classical and jazz.
– Which of your records means the most to you? Why is it so important?
I don’t feel particularly attached to any record over another. As a general rule, when I buy record that means I like it!
– Are there any records you haven’t yet managed to get your hands on that you’re actively looking for?
Not really, no, because these days I can find a lot of the records I want on websites like Amazon. Amazon has a wide selection of records and CDs – in my opinion, it’s the biggest collection around! Of course, it’s not the same as a real record shop where you can talk to an employee, but unfortunately there aren’t any record shops near me anymore. And I’m always a bit wary of car boot sales because there are a lot of scratched records around, so I prefer not to buy from them, even if it’s a song I really like.
– We have a ‘Records of the Month’ recommendations section on our website. If you had to recommend two of your records, which would you choose?
It would be difficult to choose just two! Some of my favourites include records by the Allman Brothers Band, an American rock band who were very popular in the 1970s, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. People either love it or hate it, but I would definitely recommend it! Otherwise, I also like Canadian group The Band, Queen, The Rolling Stones… I recently bought the vinyl of the Rolling Stones concert in Havana and it’s amazing! 