Celestion Ditton 15 XR test on Sony F235R amp and Technics SL-220 - on Record Counting Crows
Testing fresh arrivals running some difficult music (read further :-)
Both amp and speakers are fully original. The record player just had minor maintenance (cleaning pitch controls). For testing purposes we used our own Shure M95ED element (not for sale), because we are familiar with the performance of this particular element\cartridge and we like it.
Review
Let's start with the obvious: the amp is a really basic amp (nothing much special), but in extraordinary good original condition. Furthermore just a straight forward and well performing amp with 30W max power.
The record player ws a bit wobbly (speed controls were dirty), but after some minor cleanup work it does the job and does it well. It runs steady and is easy to operate as a semi-automatic. The default cartridge does the job, but when you want to listen to more details (like with the Counting Crows), we would recommend a more personal cartridge. A minor issue is the light whistle it produces at take off (something to work on next few days).
Then the speakers (the whole reason for this test). We wanted to test what they were capable of and therefore we used a record which demands setup which can drive details, intensity and volume at the same time. We hoped these speakers would make the difference since the reviews you can find online are nearly all very good. And for the biggest part we can confirm this. What makes this record hard to drive is the musicality of all the different instruments combined with vocals which are really clear, but can become sharp and hard to listen to with the wrong equipment.
With these speakers we had a hard time to select the song from the double album and wound up filming a small and clear song. It shows the passive bass at work and is filmable (you know; on the amateur phone :). All in all we're impressed and kinda smitten by the details are comfort it creates listening to any music where vocals are combined with a musical band. Having said that; we also played some more modern styles of music and are not particularly fond of the rumble it creates when plying hip-hop for example. Listenable, but not our taste. Probably because of the bass-drivers running in overdrive.
Anyhow: When you don't play too much boom-boom music these speakers do a spectaculair job and probably will keep you glued to the chair listening to all the clear details. We love em!
Set-up
Amplifier: Sony Integrated Stereo Amplifier TA-F235R (30W)
Record Player: Technics SL-220 (with Shure M95ED)
Speakers: Celestion Ditton 15 XR (60W 8Ω)
On Record: Counting Crows - August and everything after - Perfect Blue Buildings (DGC, 2017 - Side B LP1)
https://www.discogs.com/release/99972...
Disclaimer: This video was shot with a simple mobile phone camera (nothing special), which influences the actual sound on display compared to the RL-experience.