Archive through May 09, 2005

Gold Member

Username: Rick_b

New York
USA

Post Number: 1102
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Thursday, April 28, 2005 - 10:43 am:

The 2005 Cream Reunion Tour will not be coming to the United States. Official word has it that Ginger Baker has 40 year old arrest warrants, and will not take the chance of being arrested or detained in the U.S.A.. The warrants are for possession of pot.

I wish this was a joke.

Relevant Product Info

Gold Member

Username: Myrantz

The Land Dow...

Post Number: 1806
Registered: Aug-04

Posted on Thursday, April 28, 2005 - 11:26 am:

Rick,

We're sending our boss over to talk to your boss about forgiving past trangressions by aging rock stars. We did it for Mr Cocker so I don't see why our Johnnie can't convince your George to be equally compassionate for ol' Ginge' - after all, it's getting near dawn for him and the rest of us. LOL!

Gold Member

Username: Rick_b

New York
USA

Post Number: 1103
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Thursday, April 28, 2005 - 11:58 am:

Rantz,

Trust me, the last time I saw Mr. Baker with Cream, pot smoking was the least of his problems. LOL!

Gold Member

Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 3583
Registered: May-04

Posted on Thursday, April 28, 2005 - 02:42 pm:

1253 - Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, propounds Nam Myoho Renge Kyo for the first time and declares it to be the essence of Buddhism, in effect founding Nichiren Buddhism. And you thought I'd forgotten.

1789: Mutiny on The Bounty. The event, not the movie.

1945 - Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci are executed by members of the Italian resistance movement. Still no word on Italy's 60th government?

1945: Dachau concentration camp, near Munich, is liberated.

1953: After overthrow of democratically elected government, the CIA installs the Shah of Iran, beginning a 25-year dictatorship in that country.

1967: Heavyweight boxing champion Muhammed Ali is arrested for refusing military induction.

1996 - The world's worst 'spree killer', Martin Bryant, kills 35 people, and wounds another 18 at the Port Arthur massacre in Tasmania, Australia.

Feast day of the following saints in the Roman Catholic Church:
Saints Theodora and Didymus
Arthemius
Saints Vitalis and Valeria
Patritius
Luchesius
Louis Marie Grignon of Montfort
Peter Chanel Didn't know Pete had made it to sainthood? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Chanel

Gold Member

Username: Rick_b

New York
USA

Post Number: 1104
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Thursday, April 28, 2005 - 03:10 pm:

2005-Rick was denied membership application with the Hanoi Hi-End Audio Club.

Gold Member

Username: Rick_b

New York
USA

Post Number: 1105
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Thursday, April 28, 2005 - 06:37 pm:

Come on guys! That was some of my best material. NO ???????

Gold Member

Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 3584
Registered: May-04

Posted on Thursday, April 28, 2005 - 06:40 pm:

Hanoi?

Gold Member

Username: Myrantz

The Land Dow...

Post Number: 1808
Registered: Aug-04

Posted on Thursday, April 28, 2005 - 06:48 pm:

Rick,

Next time, don't apply in uniform.

Hope this helps.

Gold Member

Username: Rick_b

New York
USA

Post Number: 1106
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Thursday, April 28, 2005 - 07:15 pm:

Jan,

If you look thru the AMP section, you will see the thread. I assumed you would and made the post.

Rantz,

I'll have to work on that. I'm still partial to khaki and woodland camo (especially tiger stripes). LOL!

Gold Member

Username: John_a

London
U.K.

Post Number: 3049
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Friday, April 29, 2005 - 06:40 am:

Rick,

I expect Hanoi Hi-End Audio Club recognised you from your excellent cameo in "The Deer Hunter". You should have told them it was only an LP destatic pistol.

Jan,

I have met a number of Iranians and all think things went distasterously wrong after the death of the Shah. Mind, they are all refugees. Personally, I think theocracy is an overated system of government.

Perhaps next Thursday will be the final cure for the UK's eight-year dose of TB. If not, there may be nobody else to vote for by about 2009. It is getting close to theocracy; the moral certainty that you know better than everyone else how they should live their lives. That is why the guy withheld information, and manufactured imaginary "intelligence" about WMD. He still knows he was right to do that, that is the chilling part. If I were rich, I would send copies of "Animal Farm" to everyone standing for election.

Gold Member

Username: John_a

London
U.K.

Post Number: 3050
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Friday, April 29, 2005 - 06:45 am:

For anyone interested: International Campaign Against Mass Surveillance.

Gold Member

Username: Myrantz

The Land Dow...

Post Number: 1811
Registered: Aug-04

Posted on Friday, April 29, 2005 - 08:45 am:

John A

TB is no different from our JH except they are from opposing sides. But, even if they were wrong, they were right imo. In fact I think they were so right, they should have been right a long time ago.

But here we go politics again. What happened to the audio forum?

Gold Member

Username: Rick_b

New York
USA

Post Number: 1107
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Friday, April 29, 2005 - 10:29 am:

What Audio Forum? I thought my post of 4/26 9:11am, wrapped up the Forum portion of the program. What else is there to know?

Gold Member

Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 3589
Registered: May-04

Posted on Friday, April 29, 2005 - 11:26 am:

Why you want to go back to Hanoi? For the Pepsi and KFC?

Gold Member

Username: Rick_b

New York
USA

Post Number: 1108
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Friday, April 29, 2005 - 12:20 pm:

For the Annual Jane Fonda Film Festival! LOL!

Gold Member

Username: Rick_b

New York
USA

Post Number: 1109
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Friday, April 29, 2005 - 12:24 pm:

Talk about your wide open doors......LOL!

PS-I did enjoy the Buddhist reference yesterday.

Gold Member

Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 3591
Registered: May-04

Posted on Friday, April 29, 2005 - 02:42 pm:

What do they show? The five minutes of her in the '70's siting on the anti-aircraft gun or the five minutes in 2005 where she asks why no one told her she was not doing the "smartest" thing?

Gold Member

Username: John_a

London
U.K.

Post Number: 3051
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Saturday, April 30, 2005 - 03:27 am:

Long ago I had a poster of her in the '60s, sitting on a rock at the sea shore.

BTW, and not wishing to pre-empt Jan, today is the 30th anniversary of the fall of Saigon. Which now, as Ho Chin Min City has fast food retaurants, and does not look at all as if Communism won.

Gold Member

Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 3595
Registered: May-04

Posted on Saturday, April 30, 2005 - 01:06 pm:

John - Remember the American people were warned by L.B.J. that once Viet Nam fell to the Commies, the Domino Effect would be the fall of the entire continent of Asia. The Reds would then soon be attacking the shores of the U.S. of A. As you say, it looks as though Pepisco and Exxon are communist companies.

In somewhat related news, just for those who care (everyone else please skip the following), Ahmad Chalabi - "convicted embezzler, suspected Iranian spy, double-crosser of America, purveyor of phony war instigating intelligence" and scumbag supreme - is the new Iraqi oil minister. He is in charge of the second most expansive reserves of oil in the world at a time when the energy companies are reporting record profits and prices are at record levels.

YEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!

In a just released 92 page addendum to the Iraq Survey Group report on W.M.D., the conclusion is there were no weapons; nyet, nada, no way.

Mr. Blair seems to still be having problems with the legality of the Iraq invasion.

On this 30th anniversary of the end of the Viet Nam "conflict"; news from the Pentagon that the Iraqi insurgents are growing "increasingly desperate" is of little comfort to some.

Gold Member

Username: John_a

London
U.K.

Post Number: 3057
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Saturday, April 30, 2005 - 02:56 pm:

Jan,

Just possibly I agree with My Rantz about the invasion itself. However, there is no question Mr B withheld caveats in a legal analysis of the case - suppressed them even from his own cabinet. He now says the expert legal source must have changed his mind (wonder why?) between March 7 and 17 - "not my mistake" is becoming our PM's guiding principle, and he is running out of fall-guys - he will recruit some more if re-elected.

Anyway, one could argue about the decision, even if it were not "legal" - whatever that means in an international context.

What, in my view, is completely unforgivable is the manufactured case for WMD "poised ready to strike". It was designed to scare, and it worked. It blo_dy well scared me, and I was somewhere else. And he knew it was empty spin: he employed an unelected former tabloid journalist precisely to doctor official press releases in that way (said press officer also subsequently had to resign - who's next?).

When a weapons' expert and official inspector who had actually been to Iraq dozens of times said, quietly, anonymously, to a a journalist "this is not what I've seen" he was sought out hounded, persecuted, named, publicly humiliated, and paid for the indescretion by taking his own life. Plus his press contact, who raised the question of whether the misinformation had come from No. 10 in the most qualified and circumspect way (I heard the interview, about two minutes at around six in the morning) was bullied, and one of the most important independent news sources, the BBC, threatened and cajoled into toeing the line. All for raising the possibility that TB might just, knowingly, be exaggerating the threat. Subsequent events prove he was doing just that, actually much worse - making it up - and all the fire from No. 10 was because of vanity: he wanted to maintain an appearance of integrity despite having systematically and knowingly misled the entire country. On the biggest of issues - whether to go to war. And just to get his own way. (And someone else's of course - any deals cut at Camp David, do you think....?)

Blair should have resigned on the day Kelly's body was identified - he knew full well who he was, and why he killed himself.

This guy should not be merely voted out, he should be put in trial for treason, plus manslaughter. Watergate was a lesser issue, in my opinion.

I feel better now. Thanks for reading. Sorry, anyone who is not to bothered. From where I sit, it matters.

Back to audio, please.

Gold Member

Username: John_a

London
U.K.

Post Number: 3058
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 07:11 am:

Apologies for the last post.

I have been looking at specs and reviews for (SA)CD players.

Coming up is a nice-looking machine the Musical Fidelity kW SACD which can be switched between valve and solid-state output, but it is going to be around �4,000.

There is a Marantz SA-11S1 which is also pricey (�2,000) by my standards. The review in HFN in May points out it has no "default" CD setting - you have to choose between three digital filters, one of which gives a "valve-like" sound. The lack of a default CD setting means "A/B comparisons between the CD and SACD layers of hybrid discs are inevitably coloured". But the reviewers seem contradict themselves: "the CD performance may well incur a degree of euphony, regardless of the filter setting" and "CD-only replay can be euphonic, thanks to the proprietary filters". What does this actually mean?

Both of the above have over-sampling.

This leads me into thinking I can might get better CD performance from a dedicated CD player, as Rick, for example, has always advocated.

So I come down to more affordable propositions such as the Musical Fidelity X-Ray v3 or the Shanling CD-T80 with a valve output stage.

Correcting for different recordings, mixes, filters, and thinking of stereo only, just to make the comparison: does SACD in itself give better sound that CD?

I know friends here have said "Yes" but I cannot pull a clear statement to that effect out of professional reviews.

On these hybrid SACD/CD discs - is it THE SAME programme material in each case, with any difference in sound quality arising only from the two formats?

It is no good taking a favourite disc into a dealer for a demo if one does not know whether one can make a true comparison, since there is no "control experiment".

I am getting slightly weary of audio reviewers. I reckon to understand English fairly well and have a basic understanding of the technology, but half the time these guys seem to be playing with words (e.g. "Euphony"). For example, I read, about the Shanling, in HFN, a reputable magazine:

"What immediatly strikes you is the bass, which has excellent timing".

How can a player do anything at all to the "timing" of any part of the audible spectrum? DO other players advance or retard frequencies below some threshold? What does this guy actually MEAN?

- Confused, London.

Gold Member

Username: Myrantz

The Land Dow...

Post Number: 1812
Registered: Aug-04

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 09:26 am:

For a guy who raved about a T760 and a T533 which by most standards are mid-fi gear, you sure are asking a lot from a pending sacd/cd player. If you want to aim for perfection then that is going to be related to a vast sum of money. You are obviously looking for someone else's answer to your question of whether sacd is better than cd, because you've had mine, Kegger's and Larry's several times and seem to have taken them all with a grain of salt.

Try having an audtion John. Get your favourite cd - one that is available on sacd - and test with some reasonable gear in an audio shop. Also use a recording that has some variety of instrumentation so you have a decent reference to compare - then form your own opinion - after all, is that not the advice you give everyone else when considering new equipment. Sheeesh!

Larry R

Gold Member

Username: Larry_r

Naples, FL

Post Number: 1046
Registered: Oct-04

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 10:49 am:

John A. - back from five days of bad Rock music, worse beer and friends who take coupon-clipping and "get it free" to ridiculous levels. Sigh.

Haydn, anyone? Yes, thank you!

Anyway - Key West was an "interesting" experience, and even had some good moments! A butterfly sanctuary and a day-sail on an old schooner topped the list. The Conch Republic celebration was a sudsy, dance-filled parade, though our friends remained poker-faced throughout. Sad, these people who think only of saving money, and little else!

Anyway - John - if possible, you must take a favorite - preferably hybrid - disc into a shop and just listen. Forget, please, all about "scientific double-blind testing" for now. Just listen.

Some SACDs have divine sound, others are lesser productions. Just as CDs. But overall I have found that SACDs give a fuller, richer, more dynamic and "near-natural" sound. IMHO, of course, sir!!!

If I were you, sir, I'd forget about super-esoteric players, and get something akin to a Denon 3910 - about $1,000 USD. Anything "greater" than that will probably be a waste of money for you.

And a good day to all. . .

Gold Member

Username: John_a

London
U.K.

Post Number: 3059
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 12:48 pm:

Thanks, My Rantz.

I do not doubt you, but there are professional reviewers who think there is no difference that cannot be attributed to mixing, different filters and so on. There is running correspondence on this in HiFi News. Their Andrew Harrison seems generally very sceptical, raising issues such as ultrasonic noise and the sound-degrading filters and other tricks employed to counteract it. And he is not alone.

Then there are readers who write in to say, much like you guys, somthing along the lines of "Well I hear it and it is great; my wife agrees" and they have just bought a Musical Fidelity Trivista or something, and their CD playback is now in a new league, too. The March issue has a rejoiner to such a letter:

Andrew Harrison comments: To clarify my position on SACD, I feel that while some discs and players can give results better than that from CD, I find it difficult to endorse another flawed format that is being peddled with as much mendacity as CD in its early days; especially when, in my experience, the actual results are so hit-or-miss.

I did not bring my back issues from before January, but there was a pioneer from an independent manufacturer with a letter late last year who was clear that he thought that the CD format was enough to record anything that anyone can actually hear, because of this Nyqvist sampling theorem. Vested interest, perhaps, but then there is plenty of that on the other side, for example Linn blows its SACD horn

So, yes, "Let your ears decide". What source to use, though, to make the comparison? I shall have to find a trusted dealer. At least there is a range of good dealers around where I am, now. One has an ex-demo Denon A11 which is universal and highly rated. Perhaps I'll try that. But I already have DVD-A.

Yes, too, Larry. Thanks. "Just listen". "But overall I have found that SACDs give a fuller, richer, more dynamic and "near-natural" sound." That is a strong recommendation, and I know you mean it. But, as I said, if I get a hybrid disc, how can know any difference I hear is in the format alone? I shall even have to go back and check I am not imagining things with two-channel DVD-A. Part of my original impression, very positive, of DVD-A was a result of using the "Ext 5.1" inputs, and I did not realise at the time that it made a difference. And then again, how can one directly compare CD sound with DVD-A sound, everything else being equal?

BTW June Gramophone introduces reviews of downloaded audio, and looks back to March 1983 when the entire issue was given over to the new CD format, despite there being only about 10 discs on sale, mostly dire by today's standards, and certainly no practical improvement over LP at that time.

Gold Member

Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 3596
Registered: May-04

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 02:53 pm:

"Much of the music we enjoy today was originally performed and enjoyed in the round. The modern concert hall stage and �stereo presentation� is not the only, nor the best way for music to be presented. It is just one that we have grown accustomed to over the last 100 years as technology made the construction of cheap, large-span concert halls possible and widespread.�"

Really? I guess that would depend on what your defintion of "much" and "cheap" is? First, I have heard that Ivor has changed gears somewhat from the early days of Linn and I suppose the picture on the linked article is proof of the fact. Though the photo on the then linked article to Super Audio CD news: http://www.superaudio-cd.com/news/newsitem.php?id=64
is much more the recollection I have of Tiefenbrun.

And, John, right on that site you will find the answer to all your questions:

"Find out everything you want to learn about the Super Audio CD Format!
Start with 'why SA-CD' for the basics, continue with 'SA-CD in Plain English' to get acquinted with the features, and download a complete technical overview at 'Detailed Information'.

Please check our FAQ section in case there are any questions left , or send an inquiry to info@superaudio-cd.com if this doesn't provide you with the information you are looking for."

SO! There!

There you have it; "everything" you want to know!!! And a FAQ if you are still terminally stupid!

***********************

"he thought that the CD format was enough to record anything that anyone can actually hear, because of this Nyqvist sampling theorem."

Nyquist Theorem? You're kidding, of course! The Nyquist theorem, presented in pre-digital days of 1928, assumes the representation of a signal. It does not theorize the accurate playback of that signal.

http://search.yahoo.com/bin/search?p=nyquist%20theorem

Oh, well, what to do? Some people think LP's still sound the best. Everyone has an opinion and a few other items.

********************************

"the Musical Fidelity kW SACD which can be switched between valve and solid-state output"

"you have to choose between three digital filters, one of which gives a "valve-like" sound."

I'm sorry, I thought we were after the sound of music. Does anyone else think this implies the manufacturers have decide there is no such thing as the sound of music and will simply give us "what we want" instead? Though he has to be respected for his engineering efforts in audio, the major contribution Tiefenbrun has long been given credit for has been the marketing of audio. Ridiculous claims of the days before an LP12 appeared aside, Ivor changed the way audio is discussed in terms of selling a product. I think much of what has been put in the last few posts should require a very large shaker of salt (apologies to Mr. Buffet [the singer, not the corporate swine]).

****************************

"Correcting for different recordings, mixes, filters, and thinking of stereo only, just to make the comparison: does SACD in itself give better sound that CD?

I know friends here have said "Yes" but I cannot pull a clear statement to that effect out of professional reviews.

On these hybrid SACD/CD discs - is it THE SAME programme material in each case, with any difference in sound quality arising only from the two formats?"

Hybrids can vary from the same mix on both two channel layers to a different mix for both. Sometimes the mix is the old stereo redbook mix along with a new mix for DSD. Occasionally the CD layer will have a new mix from the redbook that has been available. Artistic integrity, you know!

Of course none of that means anything when you really are just interested in whether the disc's sound rates a *, a **, a ***, a ***1/2 and so on.

"It is no good taking a favourite disc into a dealer for a demo if one does not know whether one can make a true comparison, since there is no 'control experiment'."

John, your making this the search for the best subwoofer cable!

***********************

"How can a player do anything at all to the "timing" of any part of the audible spectrum? DO other players advance or retard frequencies below some threshold? What does this guy actually MEAN?"

Oh, John, John, John!!! Go back and read on the topic of upsampling, jitter and anything on tubes that has been discussed in the last year. And forget that best sub cable idea; they all sound alike! Have you been talking to Gregory Stern?

What I want explained is this from a review of a Speakers Corner reissue of Lou Reed's "Transformer".

"Speakers Corner LP unloads with a larger soundstage, funkier bass frequencies and improved percussive width."

OK, I can grasp the larger soundstage. But the frequencies, not the notes and playing, are funkier? And what the heck is "percussive width"? Does that have anything at all to do with the sound of music?

***********************

Just go listen, John. The shops are reptuable if they have been there for awhile. Let them demonstrate what they feel is the best example of SACD. (Don't tell them you own the Best Speakers in the Known Universe; you'll intimidate them.) If you are not convinced, don't buy anything and come home to read some more confusing reviews.

Gold Member

Username: Jan_b_vigne

Dallas, TX

Post Number: 3597
Registered: May-04

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 02:57 pm:

Larry - Glad your back. Yes, I have a friend who clips coupons and searches out the triple coupon days at the groceries. He constantly asks if I know how much he saved at the store. As if I should have any idea. He is quite the proud parent when he displays the two gallon jug of Miracle Whip he got for $0.35. I keep telling him I've not seen coupons on lettuce and apples.

Gold Member

Username: Myrantz

The Land Dow...

Post Number: 1813
Registered: Aug-04

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 03:20 pm:

John A

"But I already have DVD-A."

so

"but I already have a cd player."

Like cd's John, sacd and dvd-a can fluctuate in sound quality (as Larry stated). You only need to read the reviews on highfidelityreview.com to notice sound quality ratings among others. I agree with Larry about the 3910 - personally, if was on the market again I wouldn't go past it for the money - apart from being rated for its excellence in dvd-a, sacd, and cd playback it has many extra benefits and the lfe crossover choices is one to regard highly. There is nothing available that comes near to this offering for the same money (Marantz has some new models that I cannot compare as yet).

Also, getting a two channel sacd player now may be ticketyboo while you are in this funny stereo mode John, but to me it would be like buying a Ferrari with a MG motor. Anyway here a couple of reviews I rate a little better than some if you care to read them.

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_12_1/denon-dvd-3910-dvd-player-1-2005.html

And for this you need Acrobat reader:

http://www.homecinemachoice.com/cgi-bin/displayreview.php?reviewid=5316

Larry,

Glad to hear Mer and yourself are back safe and sound in Swampville from your trip to Campville.

Gold Member

Username: John_a

London
U.K.

Post Number: 3060
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 05:44 pm:

Thanks, guys. I've read the reviews, MR. I shall have to try a Denon 3910.

Guess I'm reading the wrong magazine. Will be back. HFN is obviously for Luddites and conspiracy theorists. Though, if truth be told, I never cared much for the pronouncements of Ivor Tiefenbrun MBE, it all seems like self-serving ballokks. Linn systems seem to be for people who have lots of kash and who krave the envy of their friends with such things as SA-KD. Either that or they are taking the Mikk.

Yes, "upsampling" not "oversampling". Sorry about that.

"I thought we were after the sound of music"

Yes. Well, I am. I am going to listen to some, while trying to ignore the funkiness of the bass frequency percussive width timing. Not to mention the slam and depth of the midrange drive.

Here's to euphony, which I think is Latin for "sounds good to me".

Gold Member

Username: John_a

London
U.K.

Post Number: 3061
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 05:46 pm:

Jan,

Take a look at the latest post on What does Sony do different?

Gold Member

Username: Rick_b

New York
USA

Post Number: 1110
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 09:07 pm:

Larry,

Welcome back.

Gold Member

Username: Rick_b

New York
USA

Post Number: 1111
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 09:14 pm:

John,

You are so close my friend. Settle on a format, then choose the best player for that format you can afford or justify. Add a tube/valve integrated, and I know you will leave this earth a happy man.

Cheers!

Gold Member

Username: Rick_b

New York
USA

Post Number: 1112
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 09:20 pm:

I am sad to say that I lost my 45 year old Japanese maple tree this spring. It was truly magnificent, and a thing of beauty. I must cut it down. I will miss seeing it every day. I am truly heartbroken.

Larry R

Gold Member

Username: Larry_r

Naples, FL

Post Number: 1047
Registered: Oct-04

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 09:43 pm:

Rantz and Rick - thank you - I have mixed feelings about being "back." Key West still has vestiges of the "old" Caribbean I knew and loved too well - and even Mer caught the spirit of the place. I think we shall return the first of December, to celebrate Mer's birthday there - WITHOUT our coupon-clipping friends!!! (GRIN)
And Rick - sorry about your tree - they are a thing of beauty and a family member - I know!

Jan - yep - Mer and I nearly went nutz waiting for the pair to go through magazines and papers, and to clip out insignificant savings. They wasted perhaps a quarter of the day either looking for "a bargain" or trying to decide which place had a lower entrance fee, a free "something" for every person or a "two-for-one" deal of some sort. Aaarrrrrggghhhhhhhh!!!!

The woman even dragged poor Mer 16 blocks across town to get - true - an el-cheapo "free" canvas carry-bag. I just don't get it - and Mer says that's the LAST time Judy will hijack her for stupid "bargains" anywhere!!! (big foot down hard)

Well - I hope John A. gets through all his SACD-angst and settles on a player. You won't be sorry, John - but just don't get sucked into the super-priced models - I truly doubt that you could hear the difference - no insult intended, sir!

More anon. . .

KEGGER

Gold Member

Username: Kegger

Warren, MICHIGAN

Post Number: 2424
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Sunday, May 01, 2005 - 11:05 pm:

Someone STOP ME! I now have about 400 LP's! GEEZZZZ!!!

I've spent about $250 to aquire them with most in very good shape and stuff I
want to listen to and with the new table plus different cartridge things are
getting dialed in quite nicely, More to go I believe though.

The test we had setup was well, ok: Last night we had a shootout with what we thought
was an adequit test for both cd and LP. Squeeze the album choosen was singles being
on both LP and cd with having what seemed to be roughly the same recording quailty
and Equalization on both.

After all was said and done neither stood out from the other. To me that was a good thing!

The cd was a tad brighter and the album had a little more bass, very very very close!
Because of these slight differences the voice on the cd was a little more refined but
overall the Lp sounded a little fuller, I believe because of the bass. The cd was a
little cleaner sounding with the LP having the usual "well Lp sound I guess"!
Very very very very slight hiss!

So far I am looking at it this way, I now have another alternative source that
when it's clean and has been recorded well sounds just as good as another main source
I use plus the media is really really cheap! I went to Flip Side records by my house
and found a ton "way more then I'll ever buy" of LP's for either a $1 a piece or even
50 cents so you can grab some that maybe you wouldn't have tried before because
who's going to "try" something let alone many for around $15 a pop or so! Lp's you can.

So while I'm still early in this new venture I'm quite pleased with the result so far.

The clicks and pops to me are very annoying and the EQ difference on some records
is quite large but I've been tweeking my system to where the EQ seems a little better
and with a clean disk the clicks and pops are kept to a minimum. THe brand new disks I
have "bare in mind there audiophile grade 180 gram vinyl" are either completly
quite or extremly low noise and sound absolutly wonderful.

The police and black sabbath are brand new audiophile pressings that kick A$$!

Anyway's I think we can truly enjoy some awsome sounding music from all formats.
To me that's great and I want them all to use on a daily basis, pic my poisin!

See yu all and have a great day!

Gold Member

Username: John_a

London
U.K.

Post Number: 3063
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 - 02:39 am:

Kegger,

Sheesh. 400 is more LPs than I have bought in thirty years! You will never listen to all those!

Rick,

Thanks. Good advice. Sorry to hear about the tree. How did you lose it?

Larry, yes, welcome back. I was an early enthusiast (1983) but late adopter (1988) for CD, despite all the razzamatazz. It will be ironical if Ivor and friends manage to get SACD accepted as the de facto 5.1 format.

Just to return to the surround vs stereo discussion. We left The Lord of the Rings set in the other place. Saturday we watched the TV broadcast, nicam stereo, of the Fellowship. Wonderful, atmospheric sound; clear dialogue. Not much missing, except floor-shaking bass. I only missed the surrounds when the ravens flew over the Misty Mountains, scouting on behalf of Saruman, but no big deal. I shall never, ever buy the "Sponsored by" brand of lager. What sacrilege.

BTW Latest Dr Who. Brilliant. Massively entertaining. Really.

Gold Member

Username: John_a

London
U.K.

Post Number: 3064
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 - 02:49 am:

Jan,

"Much of the music we enjoy today..." etc. is total garbage and typical Tiefenbrun imho. He cannot really believe that. Also "in the round" is nicked from The Sixteen, I'll bet. The idea of Linn technology bringing the endangered true art of music back to the exclusive ranks of its discerning customers. And through SACD!. Argh. Makes me want to buy an iPod.

Larry R

Gold Member

Username: Larry_r

Naples, FL

Post Number: 1048
Registered: Oct-04

Posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 - 08:50 am:

Kegger: congrats, old bean, you're catching up to the "old Lar." I once had more than 800 LPs - which some movers made to disappear years ago. Sigh. As I remember, I spent as much time cleaning and de-staticing and tweaking as I ever did listening! (grin)

Have ordered some new discs from Amazon - details on "Discoveries" when (if) they get here next week or so. . .

A good day to all. . .

KEGGER

Gold Member

Username: Kegger

Warren, MICHIGAN

Post Number: 2430
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 - 10:15 am:

Well John and Larry glad to see your both back and I agree 400 LP's is quite a lot
ecspecially in such a short time. But I figured the price was not going to get
much lower and I got great deals when I nabbed them.

I've allready listened to about 100 of them since I got the table. So they do get used.

I now have 2 working tables so the LP's get used in 2 rooms daily!

SEE yu! Good day peoples.

Two Cents

Silver Member

Username: Two_cents

Post Number: 592
Registered: Feb-04

Posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 - 11:31 am:

Kegger, I've got the same "problem." I've collected more lps than I have time to listen to them. They're so cheap. Last week, went into a thrift shop and walked out with 34 lps for $11, almost all in near mint shape. Then, there are the classic re-issues that cost $30 a pop, but are worth it for the clean vinyl and sonics. I suspect there's a certain faddish quality to vinyl these days, judging by the hip 20-somethings I run into at record shops.

If you're buying mainly used records, I would recommend getting an automatic record cleaner at some point. It makes life easier and gets rid of a lot of unwanted noise on those old records.

John A., when are you moving your Rega into the new pad?

Larry R., did you win the Hemingway look-alike contest last weekend in Key West?

Happy listening, all!

KEGGER

Gold Member

Username: Kegger

Warren, MICHIGAN

Post Number: 2431
Registered: Dec-03

Posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 - 12:05 pm:

2C:

"If you're buying mainly used records, I would recommend getting an automatic record cleaner at some point. It makes life easier and gets rid of a lot of unwanted noise on those old records."

Yep allready got a line on one my friend and hope it comes through as advertised.

I'm with yu on the cheap music, pretty plentiful.

Two Cents

Silver Member

Username: Two_cents

Post Number: 595
Registered: Feb-04

Posted on Monday, May 02, 2005 - 12:17 pm:

Kegger, I'd be interested in the cleaning fluids you use. So far, I've found the RRL Deep Cleaner to be the most effective wash. What kind of RCM are you getting?