The Listeners Part 3 – Meet Chris

The pursuit of the perfect system. For all of us who call the world of HiFi home, it’s a quest we know intimately. It’s often lifelong, with no true final destination. 

Us HiFi lovers rejoice in this liminal space – how can we squeeze ever more joy out of our music? Truly, how close can we take ourselves to the ecstatic reality of the original recording, whilst housed in the comfort of our own living rooms? These are the questions that drive us – both enthusiasts and engineers alike. 

That’s what drove us to establish The Listeners; our multi-media series where we meet the people whose lives and music are made more meaningful, with the help of Kudos Audio. In Episode One, we headed to Newcastle to meet Harry Husaini, and his mighty Titan 808 Loudspeakers. Then, in Episode Three we ventured out to Lincolnshire to spend an afternoon in musician Steve’s home studio, where we discovered his beloved T88’s, among many other musical treasures.

For Chapter Three in our ongoing series, we made our way to Cheshire, to meet Chris. Chris first came to our attention for his glowing review of a pair of Titan 505 Loudspeakers submitted to our website. Then, not long after the release of SIGAO DRIVE, Chris sent another bit of feedback our way. He had recently become one of the very first adopters of our unpowered active crossover, and kindly sent us three succinct words of feedback…

We wanted to find out more about Chris’ system, and the journey that culminated in the happy inclusion of our Titan 505s and SIGAO DRIVE in his home. Chris was only too pleased to speak to us. We started at the very early stages of his HiFi adventure – with the first system he purchased, and how that sparked a passion for precision audio that would never diminish to this day. 

Humble Beginnings

“I guess I’ve been at this for about 50 years now”, Chris tells us from his living room in Knutsford. “I can date that pretty accurately, because when I got my National Insurance number at 16, I worked in a concrete factory for six weeks…the intention there was to earn some money that I had never had before.”

Chris was already demonstrating a passion for record collecting – something his parents began to recognise, too; “I persuaded my dad to take me on the train from Cambridge down to Tottenham Court Road in London, where I bought my first record deck.” That first record player was a Garrard SP25 MkIV – a popular purchase for emerging young enthusiasts at the time. A hand-me-down amplifier from a family friend provided, “all of about 10 watts per channel”, and this system was completed with a pair of headphones purchased using the last of Chris’ summer job funds. “So that was how I started at age 16, with a set of headphones, a donated amplifier and the best but most affordable deck that I could buy.”

It proved more than enough to ignite a flame of excitement in a young man passionate about music. From there, Chris dived head-first into a world many of us have come to know well – buying and exchanging records with a growing friendship group united by their love of bands. So what was he listening to? In Chris’ words, his tastes have always been “fairly eclectic”, and growing up in Cambridge at a shining moment for British contemporary music afforded him opportunities to attend some pretty incredible live performances. “Looking back, I suppose I was in the right place at the right time to get hooked on music”, he tells us.

“I remember listening to quite a lot of Pink Floyd. Growing up in Cambridge, I first saw them when I was 13, playing in a tent on The Meadows during the Syd Barrett era. At the time, I had no idea what they would go on to become.” His appreciation for Pink Floyd continued as they entered their more commercially successful periods throughout the 70s and 80s. So what else was making its way onto Chris’ record deck at the time? 

“I listened to Deep Purple, The Who, and a whole range of other bands, including Lindisfarne and Fairport Convention. Folk, Blues, Prog…As I said, my taste was always varied. My friends had records too, and we often shared them around.”

Cambridge has long been an exciting place to experience music – that meant Pink Floyd weren’t the only well-known names from music history that Chris would experience before their explosion into the mainstream. 

“In Cambridge, we had a stall at the market where you could buy records, from a place called Andy’s Records.” That stall was run by a man named Andy Gray – a name that will remain pleasingly familiar to many music lovers. Andy’s Records went on to become one of the biggest music retailers in the country during the 70s and 80s, before sadly declining through the 90s and 00s.

Surrounded by music, and a group of equally ardent friends, Chris slowly began to look at how he could tease more from his musical experience, by incrementally improving the performance of his system. It’s a process that I’m sure many readers of this blog will recognise. 

The Passion Grows

“I had a very good friend who was always a few steps ahead of me in terms of Hi-Fi equipment”, Chris explains. “There was a bit of friendly competition—though we weren’t especially competitive—and I certainly didn’t have the budget he had.”

Where his friend often opted for good-quality second-hand gear, Chris preferred to research things carefully, reading What Hi-Fi and the many popular trade papers of the time, whilst visiting shops that sold the latest equipment. Again, a trait emerges that many enthusiasts will instantly recognise in themselves: “Back then, I was almost obsessive. I knew the specifications of everything—outputs, connections, wattage, where things were made, and so on. It probably sounds boring now, but at the time I enjoyed it. These days, fifty years later, I just want something I can plug in and play.”

As Chris made his way to university, his modest listening system started to see incremental improvements, where they were affordable. “My first serious setup started with a Leak amplifier, which I bought during university and used for years. Not long after, I added a pair of Wharfedale Linton speakers. They probably weren’t the best, but I was proud to own them.”

Over the intervening years, audio playback began to evolve significantly. Unsurprisingly for a self-professed gear obsessive, Chris was only too happy to embrace every change as it came. First came a more technically proficient Technics record deck, then a JVC tape deck when cassettes began competing with vinyl, followed by a Denon CD player when CDs entered the mainstream. “I never really took to tapes”, Chris tells us, “they always seemed unreliable—but CDs reignited my enthusiasm.” Chris appreciated the ease and reliability of the CD format. “Compared to vinyl, they were easier to store, didn’t warp or scratch, and worked well even on modest systems. Since almost everything I owned on vinyl was available on CD without noticeable loss in quality, I gradually stopped collecting records.”

Chris hasn’t owned a record player in two decades, and though friends tell him it’s worth reconsidering, Chris’ eyes remain steadily pointed forward in musical playback terms. “Streaming has changed everything, though I only really embraced that when I bought my current system.”

Evolving the system, and introducing Kudos

“After fifty years of experimenting with different manufacturers and combinations, the biggest turning point came about five years ago, just after lockdown, when I discovered Acoustica in Chester, a Hi-Fi dealer not far from me.”

Acoustica has established an excellent and well deserved reputation in the North West, becoming a go-to showroom for enthusiasts right across the region. They are passionate believers in the power and potency of British-made HiFi. It’s no surprise then, that the team at Acoustica had two major brand recommendations when Chris started enquiring about upgrades. Naim Audio, and Kudos Audio. 

First came a suite of Naim Audio electronics. An NDX 2 Streamer, a NAP 250 Power Amplifier, and an XPS Power Supply replaced a collection of Roksan components Chris had used for a number of years. The improvement, from Chris’ perspective, was vast. Loudspeakers, however, proved a little more difficult to get right. After experimenting with a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 804 D4’s, “which sounded great, but proved a little too power hungry and powerful for the space they were in’, Chris made a reconnaissance trip to the always-reliable North West Audio Show, in hope of a little sonic inspiration. 

“I heard the flagship Titan 808s on demo at Acoustica around 2023 — they were fantastic, but too big for my room and far beyond my budget.” At NWAS, Chris was introduced to Derek Gilligan, Kudos Audio MD, and had the chance to speak with him in detail about what he was looking for. There was certainly room to find an appropriate model for Chris’ needs within the Titan range. In Derek’s own words,“…the intention with the Titans is to fit as much of that ‘808-ness’ into as small a box as possible.” This is certainly a sentiment that seemed to resonate with Chris. 

“After speaking at length with Derek, I borrowed a pair of Titan 505s from Acoustica, and found they suited my room absolutely perfectly. They offered that incredible high quality of the Titan 808s, and the 707s and 606s I heard the show, but in this more compact form that I needed here at home. I’ve been delighted with them ever since – I’ve never looked back really.”

What was it about the Titan 505s that proved so successful in his home? “Unlike the speakers I had in situ before, you don’t need to drive them like crazy to get the very best out of them. They perform really remarkably well even at fairly low volumes…it’s quite residential around here so I haven’t had the nerve to really let them loose just yet!”

The Titan 505s have proved a perfect match for Chris, his home, and his system. And it’s safe to say he’s a total convert. “I’m a raving fan of Kudos Audio. Their build quality and sound have completely convinced me, and I’ve never looked back since.”

Elevating with SIGAO DRIVE

“Around the time I was trying out the Titan 505s, I started hearing bits and pieces about the development of SIGAO DRIVE. I was intrigued from the start.” Chris was on the lookout for his first opportunity to hear SIGAO DRIVE for himself, and that opportunity was presented by another premier North West retailer – Brian & Trevor’s in North Manchester – where he previewed a demo version of the new unpowered active crossover ahead of its official release.

“I’d recently upgraded my Naim gear again, trading the NDX 2 for the new Classic range: a 332 Preamp and 333 Streamer.” Another trip to NWAS 2025 was enough to sell Chris on one final addition – SIGAO DRIVE had to be a part of his newly evolved system. “I was sold – I absolutely needed it in my system.”

“From further demos, especially at the North West Audio Show, I also realised the significant difference between passive and active systems. Many describe it as “night and day,” and while that may be overstating it, the improvement is certainly appreciable.” 

That newfound appreciation for active listening is what really sold Chris on the prospect of SIGAO DRIVE. Chris became one of the very first members of the public to place his order. Even when SIGAO DRIVE’s release was slightly delayed over the autumn, Chris was only too happy to wait for what he knew would be a worthwhile product. “Some people may have been frustrated, but I admired that refusal to compromise on quality. When I finally received mine, I knew it was something Kudos was proud to put its name on.”

And what about his thoughts on how SIGAO DRIVE has affected his listening setup? “The improvement was immediately clear: greater detail, a wider soundstage, and much better separation of instruments than in the passive setup. Even friends have noticed it – one in particular, who now runs a valve amplifier system, has commented several times on how much more present and clear vocals sound through my system with SIGAO DRIVE.”

And so five decades on from a hand-me-down power amp and a record player purchased with summer job money, Chris has a stunning home system that now feels complete. Kudos Titan 505 Speakers driven actively with SIGAO DRIVE, two Naim NAP 250 Power Amplifiers, a Naim 332 Preamp with 300 PSU, the new Naim ND555 Streamer with 555 PS Power Supply, a Rega Saturn CD Player, Chord Co Signature XL Interconnects, and our very own Kudos KS1 Speaker Cables (“sonically the KS-1 cables seem to fit the system very well”).

It’s eight boxes in all – streamlined, powerful, and, after decades of change, a system Chris is content with. He finds himself deeply indebted to the team at Acoustica for everything they did to help him find the best system for his life and home. “They’ve been extremely supportive, patient, and sensible in their advice.”

Chris has invested significant budget and time into his system – a process that has required a full half-century of knowledge and tinkering to get exactly where he wants to be. But in the process, he’s built an enviable HiFi set up that is fully capable of delivering every day. Chris agrees wholeheartedly. “I’ve been lucky to build my system over 50 years of gradual upgrades and iterations, and now I’ve ended up with something I’m genuinely proud of. It impresses even those who aren’t particularly into Hi-Fi, and that’s very satisfying. Having a system that brings me this much joy every day is just a pleasure.”

So what would Chris say to others considering the addition of Kudos Audio loudspeakers – and SIGAO DRIVE – to their setup?

“My advice – whether the Titan 505 speakers or the SIGAO DRIVE – would unequivocally be to go for it. I love everything about the brand. There’s passion behind the business, pride in the design, and uncompromising quality. The engineering is excellent, the aesthetics are beautiful, and the sound quality – at least to my ears – has met every expectation. Yes, you need additional leads and amplification to go active, but if you’re serious about it, the investment is worth every penny.”

“I haven’t seen a bad review of the SIGAO DRIVE anywhere, and I too would endorse it without question. The difference between passive and active listening is huge — once you’ve gone active with SIGAO, there’s no going back. It makes me want to listen more and more and more.”

We’re sure Chris’ system will continue to bring him that same level of joy for many listening sessions to come. Our warm thanks to him for taking the time to talk to us.