Bob,
Vermont was much nicer back when the cows out numbered the people...but then again, some of the newer residents (the flatlanders) in some ways are indistinguishable from the bovine.
I'm in the Air Force as a civil engineer (for another 2 months)--what do you do?
Mitch |
Mitch...when we were growing up there were fewer people here than cows. Now we are up to almost 600,000 residents ( a tall building's worth in NYC ) and most of the cows are gone, but we Vermont audiophiles had better stick together, 'cause I got more fingers than our total....and I don't have extra. I am on a first name and and coffee- with-milk-no-sugar basis with my UPS driver. |
Bob (aka snooker)
Born in Burlington (oh so many years ago)--moved around a bit, then returned to Vt (Northfield) as a 7th grader. Whole family is still in the state...I am the wandering one of the clan. I leave for Bosnia in 2 months to rebuild everything we bombed during the war...gonna be a hoot!
There is a user on the site (PCC) from around Portsmouth NH who seems to have a good line on stereo shops in that area if you are interested in a road trip...he must have good taste 'cuz he has M/L Aerius's as well...
You know, when ever I made a large, kind of impulse, purchase in the past, I'd inevitably get buyer's remorse (jeez, that was alot of money you did not need to be spending right now...). What is starting to scare the heck outta me is that when I've got some obscenely expensive cables headed my way, or some speakers that are gonna be really nice (but cost alotta coin), I don't have buyer's remorse--I just sit with my nose pressed to the window waiting for the big blue USPS or big brown UPS truck to pull up in my driveway (stole that thought from someone else on the site). Kind of a stereohponic pavlovian response. This is gonna be expensive...
Mitch |
Vermonter, start with a good digital cable, do the long speaker cable runs later. Harmonic Tech Cyberlink Platinum, or Acoustic Zen MC2 come to mind. If system is bright at all, try MC2, if neutral, try H.Tech. |
GROUNDHOG DAY. 35 or so years ago my first system consisted of some speakers and a Marantz 7 and an 8B. I thought it was the cats butt. Been thru DOZENS of amps since then. Last week I bought an 8B after hearing one at a friends house. The price has gone up a bit however. My first one was less than $300.00 and I can't even afford a 7 anymore. NEVER ENDS. |
Hey Vermonter,
I can totally understand your purchases!
Especially since my tax refunds also went to paying off my debt from residency and stereo stuff...
I'm single, and fortunately for me, my girlfriend understands (or at least tolerates, as long as she gets vacations/jewelry etc....) my stereo purchases! I wonder sometimes, since the new jewelry cost me almost as much as the subwoofer....are we really avoiding the WAF??
Oh well, I love the system, and she fortunately has my brother to compare to (who's got fortunes in equipment sitting in the boxes waiting for over a year for his house to be done!) so she's fairly forgiving!
BTW: My first stereo was a Pioneer Amp (65 wpc) with a Technics linear tracking turntable, Rotel tuner (surprisingly still in my system!) and Akai deck, I think the speakers were homemade, it was loud, that's all I remember of it! I guess it's like anything else, the more you experience, the better your taste becomes!
Happy listening! |
My first "stereo" was a Midas under-dash FM/8-track that I bolted under a bookshelf in my bedroom. Also on the bookshelf were a pair of non-descript 6x9 speakers in home-made particle board boxes. The system was powered by an old 12-volt battery/trickle charger directly below my room in the basement.
I upgraded the system a few months later with a quad unit and a couple more speakers. Laying with my head at the foot of the bed put my ears roughly in the center of the four speakers. Frankenstein (Edgar Winter Group, not Mary Shelley's) never sounded so good...
RLW |
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Mitch:
I had at one time a part time business restoring the R60-R69 series bikes with the Earles forks. I owned many of these personally, and my favorite was a 1957 R69. I've owned R75/6, R100RS and others during my time riding.
Today the back is not what it used to be, and lots of riding is not an option, however I have some good friends who pity this old ba*tard and let him ride their machines now and then. A 25 mile toot is about all my back will take these days.
Enjoy your beemer!
Paul |
Bob,
Nope, I live in Virginia now...grew up in Vermont and went to UVM...20 yrs in the Air Force has taken me all over the world, but I still call Vermont home.
Where in Vermont are you?
Mitch |
My first real stereo was a KLH model 20, followed by a Kenwood 80watt integrated amp with a huge pair of ugly black Technics speakers and an Akai R to R Tape deck. Big stuff for a college kid in those days. I really do fit the old adage...."the only difference between the men and the boys is the size of their toys".
Hey Vermonter, do you still live in VT? Do we have a local dealer other than AV Authority with some high-end stuff? Bob |
first stereo= jvc reciever, I think it was a technics turntable, speakers....JBL
All bought at Crazy Eddie, in Brooklyn, NY. Dad thought I was nuts to spend my bar mitzvah money like that......OH BOY if he knew what I was spending now! |
Glenn and Paul,
Thanks for the response...I've got Monster cables on the HT right now (Ugggh)...incremental upgrades are in order...running HT Pro Silways on the 2 channel setup now, but justifying that expense for multi-channel application of HT is a hard sell even for solitary me...
Paul--you have a Beemer? Me too...
Mitch |
I'll second what Glen said:
"Don't forget good cables".
I've got a Lexicon DC-1 on my HT system, and I've been through some speakers with it, including Martin-Logan, of which I'm still using SL3's as rear surrounds and a Logos center.
The thing never seemed to do two-channel right, until I went all balanced on my separate 2 channel system, and brought all the Transparent SuperXL single-ended I had and put it on the HT system. Shazamm! Much happier now!
Do save a little and "cable up" your new HT system. You won't regret it!
Paul |
Don't remember my first stereo. But i do remember my last home theatre up-grade. Don't forget good cables. The nice thing now is you can dismantle your exsisting system one piece at a time. The cool part is listening to the new system evolving. Nothing more fun then playing a disc you are familiar with each time you upgrade a piece or cable. Hereing the expanding sound stage as you reach for the max potential of your new primary speakers. Enjoy the music and apply for lots of low interest credit cards.
Glen |
