A LUCKY HIFI PIG READER WON HIMSELF AN AVID INGENIUM PLUG&PLAY TURNTABLE

Gyula Weeber was the lucky winner of the HiFi Pig High End Munich 2022 competition in which he won a fabulous AVID Ingenium Plug&Play turntable. We catch up with Gyula and find out how he is enjoying his prize!

Gyula Weeber is a 36 year old Business Consultant from Hungary who lives in Taipei, Taiwan.

Gyula and his prize!

HiFi Pig (HP): Tell us a bit about yourself and your audiophile journey, are you just starting out or have you been info HiFi for a long time?

Gyula Weeber (GW): In Budapest, I grew up in a musical family. Since elementary school, I’ve been studying music as well as playing instruments. I believe that having a good audio listening experience is critical. My first piece of HiFi gear was a Philips headphone and a Tesla all-in-one receiver (record player with double tape deck). I later upgraded my computer audio with an AE Aego-M system near the end of high school. My brother still uses that today.

After I moved to Taiwan, I used an Audioengine A2+ as my main source of audio enjoyment. I decided to get a proper stereo for my 30th birthday in 2016. My father used to tell me the story of how he spent six months’ salary from his first job to buy his Pioneer deck (which was a big deal in mid-1980s socialist Hungary). Inspired by his commitment, I set a reasonable budget and started looking around, went through a lot of reviews and visited several local dealers to collect ideas. I’d been thinking about getting a PSB speaker with British electronics for a while when I happened to walk into an Usher showroom by accident. I saw them in US magazines and thought they were way out of my price range, but my girlfriend persuaded me to look into them because they were a Taiwanese brand.

I immediately fell in love with the Dancer Mini 2’s. I returned two more times, each time spending 1-2 hours listening to them, thanks to the very friendly staff. It is a true beast of a speaker, total overkill, but I figured it was better to invest big. I bought it along with the Usher AU8500 amplifier because they offered me an unbelievable deal.

The AVID Ingenium Turntable

HP: How long have you been reading HiFi Pig and how did you find out about us?

GW: I believe I first visited your website around the time covid began, when I first started thinking about upgrading parts of my system and came across an Audiobyte Black Dragon DAC which I knew nothing about until I found your review. I kept reading and following the page because I liked the comprehensive style. When I decided to get a new amplifier, I wanted to learn more about the new products companies were launching at the shows, so I became a more frequent reader. I really liked how you covered the HiFi Shows – obviously, the Munich High-End was my favourite.

HP: How has winning this turntable affected your HiFi goals? What does your system consist of?

GW: It had a significant impact. I was already looking for a new amplifier, so a good phono amp was added to the list of requirements. I was also looking to simplify things, so I settled on an integrated amplifier with good phono and, ideally, a modular DAC. After listening many, many amplifiers I chose the Hungarian HEED Audio’s new flagship model, the Lagrange, because it met all of my requirements and allowed me to introduce the brand in Taiwan. It has an excellent phono stage and a DAC that is comparable to my Schiit Bifrost2. My previous source was a Bluesound Node 2, which I recently sold because the finish of its plastic housing had started degrading. I upgraded to a Project Streambox S2 Ultra.

Gyula has been inspired to upgrade his system after winning the turntable

When the turntable arrived, I realized I would also need an audio rack to properly store it. That meant I’d have to buy new, longer speaker cables as well. So, I’m just about finished configuring my setup.

Oh, and after numerous suggestions from various vinyl enthusiast groups, I replaced the cartridge in the Avid with a TAD Excalibur Green – a high output MC cartridge based on the Hana EH but specifically designed for Rega tonearms. It turned out to be a good choice, there’s been a significant improvement.

HP: Are you a vinyl addict or hardcore streamer…or a bit of both?

GW: I was definitely a streamer. I had no records of any kind when the turntable arrived. I hadn’t considered opening the Vinyl Pandora’s box until I received the Avid. I just started to set up my record collection, signed up to Discogs etc… Long way ahead!

In the summer I visited London and was so impressed with the love for vinyl there, the cool stores and the available selection. I got myself two albums just to remember that feeling.

HP: What’s your favourite kind of music, favourite band/performer and favourite album?

GW: I’m a musical omnivore. I enjoy orchestral music from the likes of Max Richter, Christopher Tin, Hans Zimmer or Fazil Say to name a few. Listen to a lot of jazz by Dominique Fils-Aimé, Stan Getz, Nina Simone or Tom Waits etc. I like to get lost in lyrical ballads by everyone from Brel to Cohen, Paolo Conte to Serge Gainsbourg. As well as more popular genres from the likes of Saint Motel and Meute.

My absolute favourites presently are:

Max Richter: Vivaldi Four Seasons Recomposed

Dominique Fils-Aimé: Nameless

Saint Motel: My Type

HP: How did you feel when you found out that you had won the AVID Ingenium turntable in the HiFi Pig competition?

GW: I simply couldn’t believe it. Linette’s message arrived while I was at a friend’s house making DIY USB audio cables. I’ve never won any giveaway item before, let alone anything this significant. At the same time, I was a bit nervous because I knew I’d have to learn a lot about how to use it properly and that I’d have to change my current setup to be able to use it.

I want to express my appreciation to HiFi Pig and Avid for hosting this competition and making it possible for someone like me who lives a long way from the UK to take home the prize.

HP: What was the first record that you played on it?

GW: I have two answers for this question – the first I wanted to play since I knew I had won was Dominique Fils-Aimé’s album Nameless – which arrived much later than the turntable and obviously I couldn’t wait. The first I actually played was the reissue of the M83 Hurry Up, We’re dreaming album. It’s a mellow sounding and impressive-looking vinyl.

HP: How has winning this turntable affected your HiFi listening? Has it made you more a fan of vinyl?

GW: It’s a never-ending adventure. I’m trying to limit the number of albums I buy on a whim, while also purchasing specific albums to compare with streaming. I’m patient, and so far I’m enjoying the convenience of streaming while also enjoying the occasional pleasure of analogue music. Will this change in the future? I have yet to discover…

HP: What are the next upgrades you have planned for your system?

GW: I’ve been through a lot of upgrades recently so for the mid-term I’d like to settle a bit and keep discovering, getting acquainted with every aspect of the system that I have now. Having said that, I may feel the need to fiddle with the speaker cables and component arrangement.

HP: If money and listening room space was no object, what would your dream HiFi be?

GW: I could really enjoy a full Avid system so wouldn’t have to worry about the synergy of components – with an additional Sonnet digital setup.

Another speaker I fell in love with would be a Fischer & Fischer with slate cabinet. I haven’t heard a speaker that I like more. Regarding the amplification, I would go with Boulder or Sugden. For turntables, I’ll stick with Avid – still a lot of room to upgrade within their range.

Thank you Gyula, we hope you continue enjoying your new Avid turntable and reading HiFi Pig for many years to come!

Read our review of the AVID Ingenium Turntable here.