Jafox your welcome.
What happened to Jfox
There was once an active contributor to the Audiogon Forums who went by the name Jfox. He was a very knowledgeable audiophile who had a very fine system: Sound Lab A-1 speakers, Aesthetix Io phono, Calisto pre,and Cat amps. He was a fine writer who contributed a lot. Since around 2005, he seems to have dropped out of sight. Does anyone remember him and know what happened? I would appreciate hearing. Thanks, Tom
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07-04-14: JudyazbluesWow! Definitely the best literary reference of the day. I had to look this one up. Best regards, -- Al |
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07-02-14: Kitch29 That was an early Audiogon list that was sent so some of us old timers for comment. That's why my name was on it and got Swampwalker teasing me that I was "communicating with myself." Cornfedboy had some good things to say but he and I got into it more than once, so I understand your position. |
"Mapman, How do we help the new members cut through the noise?" Its up to the members/participants to help mostly it seems. Many seem to take it upon themselves to do so. There is power in numbers. It would be nice if A'gon had some quality control features to help avoid total nonsense, but I suppose that might entail a fine line in order to cross into censorship that is better left alone. After all its just audio/music. What's the worst thing that can happen? Bad sound? Empty bank accounts with little to show maybe? Hopefully less of both at least when all participate in good faith. |
Here is my take; since the system 'overhaul' many, many things changed. I have noticed in my posting on these forums that it takes sometimes 2 days for your reply to post? The old system was not like this at all. That is just 1 example. I am certain you guys have others as well. For the beginner- look into the old threads as there exists a plethora of intel. This will get ya pointed in the right direction. |
Mapman, How do we help the new members cut through the noise? This site has so much knowledge, and clearly a lot of us are still hanging around who helped develop the useful files, but finding them is nearly impossible. I have noticed many mid-fi newbies who are asking real questions and looking for real guidance, only to have there voices stomped down by the background noise. How can we help these people, they are the future of this hobby. Is there a way to have the site sort through the files and pull out the truly helpful threads and post them in a separate category? Any thoughts... I know the forums have never been a real priority to Audiogon management, so I doubt they will take on the task unless there is money in it, and that should never be the answer. |
"Just harder to do under the new system of controlling communication" What has changed in this regard exactly? Isn't it natural for people to move on to new challenges once old ones are conquered effectively? There will always be those who are interested in new developments in technology and how that might be leveraged effectively in a hobby like audio. That's a big reason why I stick around despite little real change in my setup for several years now. Then there is always the sharing of knowledge that benefits all, assuming an appetite. THings change. People change and move on, sometimes deciding to turn back. There is only so much mileage left in rehashing old generalized arguments however. Tubes, SS, vinyl, digital, power tweaks....what else can be said there except when a new product comes along to introduce a new wrinkle? Only those who still have a related proglem to address or are just interested in technology are likely to care. Hopefully, those new to the site can cut through the noise (not an easy task though) and find the useful information, of which there is plenty. |
Wow, look at all the A'gon veterans appearing here again. So nice. Many of us have gotten pulled into new priorities that override our audio system refinements. It was not that long ago that our audio systems had been overriding all other priorities. In time I think we ultimately miss those times of enjoying the sound quality that we worked decades to achieve. We return to the escape of music as before. And for many of us, the system sounds so impressive now that if we do even one update in two years, it is surprising. As JD pointed out, we all spent so much time trying out audio cables. I have no desire to ever again get into that. Cable threads of guys spending $10k on a cable majorly turns me off here now. Sadly, I recently had a component in one SoundLab back plate fail. The speaker works at low-mid volume but goes crazy when I turn it up. I was all set to send the plates in for major updates but I ran out of dough from all the updates I have recently done on the classic MB. So the speakers and the two 20A circuits to the living room and a new set of tubes for the amps will just have to wait a few more months. A change of priorities indeed. But I need to take JD out for a ride in the UN limo. I just wish I could somehow rewire all the audio cables in my car with Jade Ref's. I guess that only comes with AMG modded MB's. 8-) And yes I had a minor health setback early this year but that will change in 2 more months and things much better again. What I have gone through in 6 months can not even begin to match what JD has gone through for many years. |
Could we recreate this learning arena? I mean, with all these knowledgeable, friendly and helpful people still around? Many participants give a lot of help without getting much credit for it. People like Jafox, Albert, Ralph, Tvad, Charles and others. I think that the sense of community is very important. Together with respect and appreciation of difference. I live across the Atlantic. Here in Oslo (Norway) we have a music listening group that meets now and then, in the home of each participant - with the clear rule that we are NOT grading audio components. What interests us, beside the music, is how the sound can be improved in that room, without much added cost. This works well, and has made us listen more for what a system does well rather than the problems. The "my system is better than yours" attitude is not allowed in! For me, community and music overlaps. I feel much better, listening to a system, when I know about other members' experiences. Now, I smile a bit extra, listening to the amazing guitar work of Ritchie Blackmore on the new LP box (Rockpalast 95), knowing that thanks to advice from people like Jafox, Albert and Charles (in another thread here at the forum), I can stretch my preamp to the limit, using the best tubes. For me, the value of these discussions often lie in going the extra mile, trying some tweaks and modifications, testing out and reporting back. It becomes more interesting and valuable, when others do so too. |
Nice to hear that all is well, Grant. And good to hear from other voices from past. Interesting that Albertporter fondly remembers communicating w himself back when Audiogon was young. Either Texas has legalized recreational pot, or Albert apparently sampled too much at RMAF? To all the old (and young) farts who don't know it, jadem6 has also been through more than his share of health challenges over the 15 or 20 years that this site has been up, but his strength and good spirit (I almost said heart...) kept him going and now it seems as he is truly on the mend w his new heart. I, too, lurk more than post but then my technical knowledge is limited and my appetite for chocolate vs. vanilla debates has waned. Maybe age does bring wisdom, or at least less likelihood to waste our precious time on unresolvable arguments. I've got no quarrel with the commercial side of the site (other than that the transaction system is way too complicated). I only use it to acquire gear for trial. My system is pretty stable these days and luckily walking swamps pays pretty good if you're willing to put in 60 hour weeks when required. The moderation of the forums (fora) does seem a bit heavy-handed but not having seen it from the owner's/moderator's side I can't say for sure. |
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Jafox has moved back to Minnesota after a few years in southern California. Last I talked to him he was trying to transfer his engineering knowledge from So. Cal. to it's new owner in Minneapolis, and now to Ireland, where America has lost another company to a tax sheltering country. On the other Jafox front, he is dealing with some health issues which are taking a lot of his time and energy. He was last talking about bring two dedicated circuits to his living room so he can set up those massive amps and speakers. I miss the old days at Audiogon, I look back on the early years of A'gon as our combined learning platform. So many of us learned from each other in an environment that allowed out of the box thinking. I think of where power cords have come in the past 15 years, a lot of this was from each of us sharing our experiences and trying things. The negative members existed, but it seems the majority won out and just ignored the trouble makes. It seems that we did our system building together, and stopped experimenting and began listening. Today the trouble makers own the sight, and I have little energy for the same old fights. I read the forums every day, but rarely contribute. We did have fun back then... As for the greed of the commercial side of this site, they can have it. I left a year ago and never looked back. |
Did Audiofeil finally leave Clarence NY and head to Arizona? last I talked with him that was his plan;he we always a straight shooter and you knew where he was coming from for sure. Albert helped me out when I bought my first pair of expensive speakers (soundlabs M2)with great insight and advice as they have just been replaced with a pair of Brodmann VC-2's. Tvad come on back I always thought you were one of the contributors here on audiogon along with Ralph (atmasphere), Jafox, Almarg, Jmcgrogan2, and Duke(audiokinesis). |
I read this entire thread and very happy to see Jafox and Tvad pop up again. I was super active in these forums a few years ago, it somehow seemed more free, open and fun. In any case, I hope you can find time to throw us a crumb every so often. I punch in several times a day but don't post nearly as often. In fact I wish most of the old posters were back here today to keep things lively. Here is a partial list of posters I had communication with "way back" when Audiogon was young. Some of these folks are still here but many have moved on. 1439bhr Abecollins Abstract7 Albertporter Angela100 Aroc Artemus_5 Asa Audiophile 9 Audiokinesis Avguygeorge Bear Beemer Bmpnyc Bob_bundus Bwhite Caterham1700 Chaskelljr2001 Chazzbo Chelillingworth Cornfedboy Dan2112 Danvetc Dekay Detlof Drewfidelity Drrdiamond Drubin Ed_sawyer Ehider Ejlif Elizabeth Frap Frogman Garfish Glen Grandpad Gregm Gthrush1 Gunbei Hbrandt Jadem6 Jcbtubes Jeffloistarca Jmcgrogan2 Joe_b John_l Justlisten Jvia Jvr Karls Kirk930 Kjg Kthomas Lakefrontroad Ljgj Megasam Mezmo Mikelavigne Musicdoc Nilthepill Ohlala Onhwy61 Outlier Patmatt Paulwp Phild Pls1 Raguirre Rayhall Rcprince Rcreations Rcrump Redkiwi Rgd Rmml Sagger Sattothestars Sc53 Sdcampbell Sean Seandtaylor99 Slawney Soix South43 Sqjudge Stehno Stereokarter Stevemcx Subaruguru Sugarbrie Sutts Suzy Swampwalker Tacs Thorty40 Tireguy Tom_nice Tubegroover Twl Vantageaudio Whatjd Zaikesman Bomarc Hearhere Pbb Zaikesman Bring back memories for any of you? |
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Hey, Grant (Tvad), great to see you back here! Hope all is going well. And do enjoy the top-notch system you worked so hard to develop. PS - I too miss AudioFeil's acerbic wit and high ethics.Same here. As well as his wealth of knowledge and experience, and his balanced perspectives on what matters most in a system, and what matters less. Best regards, -- Al |
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Finally back here to answer Baranyi request. I have mentioned here a few times of the great discovery of the Counterpoint SA5 full-function MM-only preamp. I shared much praise here before of the SA2 head amp that I used with the Aria. But when I moved to So Cal I needed a line stage and the SA5 was a great great discovery. It has its problems of frequency extreme coverage and mediocre detail, but this unit screams musical enjoyment. My apt system was becoming a bit too tubey and the SA5 was such a killer performer at a friend's house that I sold it to him. The newer products from Wyred4Sound and AudioHorizons were no match to the SA5 recreation of harmonics and decays. He sold both of those and runs with the SA5 now for nearly 2 years. And they were not at all what I was looking for either. I was then on a hunt for a replacement. I could not find anything and then another SA5 became available so I jumped on it. It was great to have that back! And I still had a few special 6922 tubes from my stash. This held me over as I was looking for something else to try. Remembering the ARC SP-10 vs CJ Premier 3 dominance in the early 80s along with the SA5, I stumbled across the CJ Motif MC7 for sale here soon after getting the second SA5. The MC7 was the "replacement" for the Premier 3 in the mid 80s. A friend in Tucson did this "upgrade" and he never looked back. I stayed with the SP-10 many years later. But with the MC7 here available, I thought I'd give it a try. It's design was for the phono lover with ability for MC and MM and a line input. The MC7 turned out to be a great surprise. I had found a sleeper. Finally Finally I had found something that stood out! It was hard to admit but the MC7 was a nice refinement to the SA5. There was just a slight reduction in the 3D magic of the SA5 but with the MC7, the noise floor was lower and more detail throughout. Surely, the MC7 was a step in the right direction and a big one at that. I will move back to MN in December. Once I get the CAT amps re-tubed and the basement room cleaned up to set up the system there, I will have the Aria to make a better assessment to the MC7's true abilities and weaknesses and report back then. But for a phono lover on a budget, I think the MC7 would be an awesome place to start and build the system from there. The other incredible discovery has been a Silent Source Ref IC. I had discovered and used another SS IC years before and was greatly impressed. Michael Elliot of Counterpoint/Aria talked of SS on his website and now I know why he liked this cable line. As much as I liked the mid-level SS years back, nothing came close to the Jade Ref's combination of clarity AND 3D performance. Only that the SS was shielded and I needed this for the one phono connection. The SS Ref here was for sale at a killer price. I bought it but could not use it on my apt system as it was XLR. So I took it to MN and tried it on a friend's system. The performance of this caught us both by surprise. For the price I got it (1100), it was clearly the greatest cable find I ever had. We all talk about neutrality. From all the cable lines I have experienced, I would have to say that the SS line "appears" to be the most tonally neutral with killer low-level resolution. For those out there who need a super quiet shielded cable, this may be the answer. John |
When the old system would allow members to message each other directly to personal email accounts, Bill and I shared a few meaningfully darn funny discourses together!!! Brevity is the soul of wit and Bill was full of it!! HA Another member that I miss is Johnk. I think he left because of a few zealots complaining of his speaker related postings. Are we not all here to learn from others even more experienced and enjoy fun and the camaraderie along the way? |
Aside from entertaining with his incisive and acerbic wit, he served as an ethical compass for other dealers/manufacturers, as he followed only his own impeccable sense of propriety and wasn't shy to point out when others strayed. I think he needs to come back. Audiogon, make it happen! You need more Bill Feils. |
Sorry to hear of Audiofeil's absence. While I never had business dealings with him, I did appreciate his posts! They were oftentimes humorous, blunt and terse; but nevertheless, usually on-point. My conjector was that Bill's main focus was to remind us not to take ourselves, or this hobby too seriously and that the interaction between components (i.e., equipment synergy) -- rather than what's the BEST component -- was a variable that should never be minimized or overlooked. |
I must pitch in a few other names of people here who taught me so much and had a lot to do with my system's performance to grow exponentially in just a matter of a few years. Albert Porter (knowledge of Aesthetix, SoundLab and Purist Audio) and Bart Posner (tube guru extraordinaire). And I always enjoyed the contributions by Bill (audiofeil) in his constant swatting of those who clearly deserved it. Oh, the good ol' days. It is interesting to see how many of us have scaled down from our super system to the apartment setup. You gotta love it. But our knowledge allows us to assemble a system for so much less $ and get some mighty impressive results. Still, nothing matches the all-out-assault that so many of us slowly built in 20-30+ years, one painful/costly upgrade after another. I always wanted a 911. With all the audio upgrades, I could have had one or two, and a new Audi each for the wife and kids. Oh well. And speaking of cars, with no ambition here for me to go crazy insane expensive on the apt audio system, I picked up this cool grandpa classic 1991, MB 560 SEL. It is in impeccable condition in n out. I just replaced 4 speakers in it last week and got new wheels and tires on it yesterday. The seller took pics and posted them on his ebay site yesterday. Have a look. Go to ebay and enter 230957122134 in the search text field. Check out the pictures.....the white car is mine. Ain't she a beauty? When my wife saw it she said, "What???????????, that's an old man car". I smiled and nodded and told her to just get in. When I get back to MN, I will take JD out for a spin and get us a cheesecake for some long overdue Lucinda listening sessions. More next time on some great (re)discoveries in classic audio pieces I have played with here and currently own. What we can get for the $ and performance can be so impressive. John |
Just noticed this thread and how true the heartfelt memories of online posters can ring. I never did business with Audiofeil but would agree with many of his opinions , reminds me of my friend Enid,s quote ( When the truth comes out the offender becomes offended ) So often the good guys loose. Here,s to the good guys that just naturally do whats right . David |
