whart
Responses from whart
| Help me build up a jazz album collection. Can you suggest a must have album? @gareents- I got turned on to Horace Tapscott a while ago; that live double album, side 3, is killer. Through him I also got onto Nate Morgan--Journey Into Nigritia is pretty amazing. He was not only was part of that underground ensemble, but work... | |
| How stereo changed our lives. @inna- for mass consumption, the cassette, which really came into its own what- in the '70s? (I fondly remember the Advent with Dolby). 8 track in cars for a spell, but pretty kludgey. Not sure how much market there was for reel to reel in the ho... | |
| How stereo changed our lives. I think people take equipment for the reproduction of music for granted. Before the 20th century, apart from player pianos, there was very little apart from live performances, including by family members. Commercial radio (KDKA) was circa 1920. Ye... | |
| Help me build up a jazz album collection. Can you suggest a must have album? I'll add to some of the greats already mentioned, Art Pepper Today, which has his 3rd recorded rendition of "Patricia" with Cecil McBee on bass. "Katanga!" from Tone Poet- a great reissue. I have not heard the newish reissue of Woody Shaw's Blac... | |
| When to change a cartridge? @audio-b-dog - sonic memory is extremely tricky- I have to have the specific components or cable to hand and the ability to swap out to compare. It is a relatively rare thing to be able to tell immediately if a given piece is an improvement (rathe... | |
| When to change a cartridge? The real credit for that work is due to Mike Bodell, who wrote the piece and did all the research. I just served as editor/publisher. I learned a few things in the process. I now keep track of stylus usage with a simple click counter (of course, M... | |
| Best Classical Labels for Sound The old Deccas, the made in England Londons (doesn’t have to be a "blue back"). Even some of their mid-price "Treasury" series (budget reissues) that were pressed in England. Their recording techniques and the consistency of the end product, from ... | |
| Sound proofing floor I've done a little soundproofing over the years, largely to isolate the noise from an air compressor used for my tonearm. I used a product I bought from Acoustical Solutions in the Virginia area, a mass loaded vinyl/melamine sheet, sold in bulk, w... | |
| Turntables currently considered top of the range. Do you know what they are ? I don’t think it is on a level playing field for a controlled comparison-- b/c upstairs where the main system is, I could not get the SP-10 to isolate, even with a heavy plinth, rubber feet and a big Ginko cloud. The SP-10 does duty in the vintage... | |
| Turntables currently considered top of the range. Do you know what they are ? The question to me is how you evaluate this in the real world, given the limitations that most brick and mortar dealers have, aside from their choice of top tier brand(s), which may limit you. I would never say no to another table, or suggest tha... | |
| Looking for a pre-built recessed audio rack More than 20 years ago, I had Mid-Atlantic build custom racks for a large home theatre system, they were to my dimensions, doors, power controllers, fans and exhaust, along with various trays. They were powder coated to my choice. This assumes y... | |
| Can you do anything to make power tubes last longer ? @inna, don’t know. There’s the Definitive Audio/Living Voice folks who used to (maybe still do) work out of an old Edwardian factory in England. They have a very substantial battery system, inverter, etc. Yeah, that would be even better, but I won... | |
| Can you do anything to make power tubes last longer ? @billstevenson -good point. In Austin, we get 110F for days and weeks on end in the summer. The utility sends out constant warnings about potential rolling black-outs as a threat to turn down the A/C and conserve power. I simply don't turn the big... | |
| Best Exercise To Improve Capability Of Handling Heavy Amps You don't use your arms or back, the weight is lower body, tight core, and balance. I watched my NY trainer carry a very heavy subwoofer down three flights of steps without a problem. I asked him what the secret was- he's not jacked, more lean and... | |
| Ypsilon DAC-100? You probably posted just to get a little push, or some demonstrable reason not to buy it. I say carpe diem. Life is short. And I'm an outlier too. (you said "eclectic"). And if it's a mistake? You'll resell. I might reach out to the manufacturer j... |