Archive through January 24, 2006
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Rantz Unregistered guest | Excellent! |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3798 Registered: Dec-03 | I just added up NORMALITY and get 127% which is confusing. This could explain a lot.... |
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Silver Member Username: SemNew York USA Post Number: 521 Registered: Mar-04 | Prayers go out to Larry and Mer in Naples, Florida, about 20 miles or so from from Wilma's eyewall. All told, I think I'd rather deal with the snow up north than the hurricanes down south. This year has been unbelievable. |
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Rantz Unregistered guest | Sem - like you I hope Larry and Mer are okay. I emailed them a couple of days ago and have not yet had a reply. Hopefully they are just busy helping with the clean-up or something. Or relaxing with a drink and listening to opera. |
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Don RX1 Unregistered guest | Sem, Rantz, et al I got a brief reply from Larry: they're both OK; so is their house. But there has been some damage to their yard, trees, and shrubs. Don |
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Rantz Unregistered guest | Don Thanx - I received same from Larry a short while ago. Glad there both okay. |
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Silver Member Username: SemNew York USA Post Number: 522 Registered: Mar-04 | Good to know guys, thanks. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3806 Registered: Dec-03 | Recalling previous discussions with Larry, and others, here, please let me recommend "Listen to the latest programme" on Private Passions (BBC Radio 3). One hour. "Michael Berkeley talks to the acclaimed American saxophonist and composer Branford Marsalis, who is in London for the Jazz Festival." Episode and Playlist Information Wonderful music, and thoughts on: music; Columbia Records; Hurricane Katrina; Mahler; The Blues; other things we have discussed; you name it. But not surround sound. What a guy. Also: Marsalis Music. |
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New member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 3 Registered: Nov-05 | Well old dogs, now that we have the C162/272 nad combo I have found an a new respect for 2 channel music listening. Some av receivers obviously have some limitations because of their multi-tasking abilities and one of those is excellent stereo - very good maybe, but not excellent. With the new combo, redbook Cd's are sounding as good as the hi-rez formats if not better in a few cases. However,this does not detract from my great appreciation for Hi-res multi-channel music. I think now I can enjoy all equally and I can only imagine now, how good a hi-end multi-channel pre and power combo must sound. I will give my thoughts on the new combo in due course in the appropriate thread as today I have a date with the surgeon and I'm not sure whether recouperation will allow sitting at the computer for a while. At least there will be music. John - good link. Jazz/blues saxaphone is among my favourite type of music. I have not heard Branford Marsalis as yet but will make a point of it. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2276 Registered: Feb-05 | A good place to start with Branford is his lush sounding "Eternal" cd and his "Love Supreme" DVD. No sitting....ouch!! |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3807 Registered: Dec-03 | Hope the surgery is not too severe, MR. I have not been paying attention, and have missed any posts on your NAD C162/272. Please post a link. After the original discussion with Jan, I am still stalled on surround, partly because our present accommodation does not really allow it. I have been looking at SACD players but mostly with 2-channel in mind. One day... That radio programme also has Sidney Bechet and John Coltrane. It was great in FM stereo. Art, I confess Branford was new to me. I knew a bit about Wynton. What a family. All the best. |
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Silver Member Username: SemNew York USA Post Number: 526 Registered: Mar-04 | Rantz, Hope all went well with the surgery and that you'll be back at it again soon. |
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New member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 5 Registered: Nov-05 | Thanks Sem and John - It went went okay but I'm out of action for a couple of weeks at least. No danger, just inconvenience, boredom and discomfort  My thoughts on the NAD combo are here: https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/177495.html Cheers |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3821 Registered: Dec-03 | MR, Good thread. As always, you share your experience and enthusiasm! I wrote, above, that I was thinking of SACD for two-channel. Then I heard the respected Chandos producer saying the point of SACD was surround, that was all. You can compare SACD with CD. Leaving the surround question to one side, for a moment, do you find any difference? |
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Bronze Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 29 Registered: Nov-05 | Tough question John. Using the Nad combo with the Denon 2900 playing a stereo SACD track and the Marantz CC4300 playing the same track on a the CD layer, in most cases there is either no difference or the CD may have a slightly cleaner, crisper high end (player difference). Playing older CD's and comparing to SACD remixes the latter is clearly out in front. I believe with many modern productions, the CD layer on an SACD disc is enhanced using either 24bit masters or from using part of the DSD process called bit-mapping. What I do believe is that 196/24 2 channel DVD-A is tough to beat with either 2 channel SACD or CD - but, again, it depends in the quality of the production. The nuances of SACD aren't always glaringly apparant at once but over periods of listening subtle differences do become evident. There is a warm, smoothness with accentuations on some sounds compared to CD. But, all that is moot when it comes to multi-channel in both hi-res genres - apart from surround sound effects it seems to do something to improve the dynamics - on decent productions of course. I honestly believe in getting the best player possible that will accomodate both two and multi channel. Though maybe a wait and see for what may eventuate with Blu-Ray and HD and DD TrueHD etc, etc, etc, etc may be worthwhile, except I wouldn't hold my breath. How could the point of SACD be surround sound when it was introduced in 2 channel only until it needed to compete with DVD-A multi-channel? One wonders about some of these people in the industry. |
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Bronze Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 30 Registered: Nov-05 | Sorry John, At the beginning of the second sentence on my previous post I meant to add "Upon first impressions." I must add also that the 2 channel SACD track is an improvement on the CD track using only the Denon. The $450 Marantz CD changer is better for CD playback than the $2000 Denon DVD-2900. This became more apparant since having thre NAD combo. If 2 channel only suits you then a higher end 2 channel CD/SACD player should put you in seventh heaven. While CD playback with your T533 may be good, it won't be as good as a decent dedicated player. I believe the later model universals, the Denon 3910 and the Marantz 9500 have 5 star ratings for all formats including CD. John - the best advice is to audition. |
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Bronze Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 31 Registered: Nov-05 | John, also you might find some items of interest here: http://www.sa-cd.net/forum.php Cheers |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3822 Registered: Dec-03 | Thank you, My Rantz. "How could the point of SACD be surround sound when it was introduced in 2 channel only..." I agree. But "SACD is better because it brings surround sound" is what I hear, now from several reputable sources. Like Chandos Records. And Linn. The implication of that is that SACD is not such a step forward from CD, for two-channel, after all. Little time this mid-week; will read your posts again, and be back in a day or so. All the best. |
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Silver Member Username: SimplymcintoshPost Number: 291 Registered: Jan-05 | Well old dogs, now that we have the C162/272 nad combo I have found an a new respect for 2 channel music listening. Some av receivers obviously have some limitations because of their multi-tasking abilities and one of those is excellent stereo - very good maybe, but not excellent. With the new combo, redbook Cd's are sounding as good as the hi-rez formats if not better in a few cases. However,this does not detract from my great appreciation for Hi-res multi-channel music. Bravo, Rantz! Now you have some understanding of how the Mac could have affected me to the point of dismantling the surround system to embrace two channel. :-) Of course, you're going to get a kick out this little revelation.....a couple of months ago, I bought an LG LCD HDTV and find myself doing something I rarely did before - watching movies. I'm averaging 2 per week. Now, for the past 2 months, I've been watching the movies with audio coming from my NAD two channel amp. You see where this going doncha? Yep. Santa is bringing me a Harmon Kardon A/V receiver. LOL! Of course, I'm not dismantling my two channel system. The Mac/Maggie combo will still be my music system. However, I'm considering pairing the Denon 2200 with the Harmon Kardon for surround. If I do that, then I may get a higher end redbook CD player to pair with the Mac. But, then, I have to consider speakers for the surround system. I have an Energy sat/sub system from years ago I could use, but......am considering replacing that with Anthony Gallo Nucleus Micro Ti. I've come full circle, it would appear, Old Dogs. :-) |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2416 Registered: Feb-05 | Have you considered a Maggie center and surrounds and integrating your system. I have done that to great effect using my AVR as a source component. I do it like this. "I use the AVR as yet another source component hooked up to the video or aux on your pre and to power the center and rears. Leave the AVR off completely when listening to 2 channel. I go from the L/R front pre outs on the AVR to the video in on my NAD C162 pre. The C162 pre has 2 sets of pre outs. I use 1 set to go to the power amp and the other to go to the sub that I use for 2 channel and another sub connected to the LFE of the AVR. I have to set the pre amp volume control to a set mark when I calibrate the home theater and return it to that setting every time I listen to it. It's key to remember to turn it back down before returning to 2 channel use or you can blow your fronts. It's a bit of pain but well worth it to me for better 2 channel and multichannel performance." That way I get to benefit from my best speakers in both applications. Also it's a space saver to me since I don't have room in my home for seperate 2 channel and HT rooms. |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 6867 Registered: May-04 | A lot of old dogs turn around in circles several times before they settle down. |
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Bronze Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 54 Registered: Nov-05 | SM Wonderful. Good to have a nice teev and great sound. I have to say that two channel has not surpassed the enjoyment I get from hi-res multichannel but, it be have to close to equal. My last few CD purchases have been redbook. Imagine that! "A lot of old dogs turn around in circles several times before they settle down." |
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Silver Member Username: SimplymcintoshPost Number: 293 Registered: Jan-05 | Art, Yes, I have considered doing something similar to your suggestion. However, room logistics may interfere. As odd as it sounds, I have my music system at one end of the living room and the TV (and soon Harmon Kardon) at the other end. The Maggies can't go on the end of the room where the TV is because one of them would be directly in front of a heat duct/outlet. The TV can't go on the other end of the room because, well, it would mess up how I like to arrange my furniture. <blush> It's hard being both a girl and an audio geek. I will give your suggestion more thought though. For the past few months I haven't thought much about audio due to other things going on but, I'm starting to get back into it again. Who knows, maybe even Mr. Dual will get into the action, too. MR, There's no shame in buying redbook CD's. lol Excuse me while I turn around in circles a few more times.... |
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Bronze Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 55 Registered: Nov-05 | SM What 2 channel NAD amp do you have? Also I know what it's like having restrictions due to lack of room and/or decor. Certain trade offs have been made in getting the HT/Audio (both surround and stereo) set up as right as possible in our living room which is really a living/dining/lounge/bar area room. Just as well we don't have separate audio and ht rooms - image all the extra gear I be prompted to buy LOL! Q: You know why dogs turn around in circles several times before they settle down? A: To flatten the grass. You're not trying to flatten the grass are you SM? |
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Silver Member Username: SimplymcintoshPost Number: 295 Registered: Jan-05 | No, just trying to flatten my a s s. lol Yes, unless one can afford to build a dedicated room from the ground up, compromises have to be made to accomodate systems meant for different purposes. By having the TV/surround system on one side of the room and the music system on the other side, I can pretend I have two separate system rooms. All I need is a lazy susan built into my floor to make it easier to rotate the furniture towards whichever system in use. LOL! I have a NAD c350. It's a simple and excellent integrated amp. For awhile, it and the NAD c541i were my music system along with the B&W speakers. Then, I made my fateful "discovery" of this board to find out more about building a surround system...did it...dismantled it....now building another one. For all the equipment, I purchased and sold last year, I always kept the c350 and c541i. It is actually working very nicely with the TV providing stereo...hmmmm, wonder why I need an A/V receiver? |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3827 Registered: Dec-03 | Wonderful. That's it, then: end of thread....? Music and movies almost always sound better in stereo....? |
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Bronze Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 65 Registered: Nov-05 | "Music and movies almost always sound better in stereo....?" Yer think John? To me, most movies sound better in surround even if they may not be the full-on sound effect types - it usually adds a wonderful ambience . For my music enjoyment (with the new gear), stereo can come very close to surround hi-res at times though there are some titles in the latter group that do leave something to be desired. I think it's all relative though, the higher end components would move all formats further up the enjoyment ladder. But it all takes of whole lot of dough! More news: Now that Telarc has begun to use the Sonoma 24 and 32 channel DSD gear, it will only be producing Hybrid surround SACD's when the recording warrants a surround mix. Otherwise they will be producing the titles as cd's, though from DSD engineering if I am not mistaken. http://www.highfidelityreview.com/news/news.asp?newsnumber=18686838 Also, now Monster is getting into the hi-res act distributing dvd's and cd/dvd's with DD, Dts 96/24 5.1 surround and hi-res stereo for dvd players. http://www.monster.com With many of the renown surround mixers/producers and companies like Monster saying much more education and promotion will see surround sound forge ahead, it seems it will be here to stay in one form or another. With the move to HT systems (you only need to see the inside of what were once hi-fi shops) it seems to make sense. Still, as long as they keep making music and delivering it in something better than MPeg3! |
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Bronze Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 66 Registered: Nov-05 | So sorry - that would be http://www.monstercable.com |
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Silver Member Username: SimplymcintoshPost Number: 297 Registered: Jan-05 | Have any of you purchased any DualDiscs? If so, any problems? |
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Bronze Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 67 Registered: Nov-05 | SM ...... Yep and yep ...... I have two: Dianna Krall's Girl In The Other Room, and Robert Cray's "Time Will Tell." Had Eric Clapton's "Coming Home" but returned it as I thought the sound was too overproduced. The cd side of the DualDisc will not play on my Denon DVD2900 (not such a biggie) but will play on the Marantz CC4300. I'm afraid DualDiscs are mostly a let down for me in so far that they seldom carry a full hi-res surround layer and some only have DD or DTS layers with not even hi-res stereo. One also has to carefully read the info to know what one is getting and sometimes even that is misleading. Otherwise they are just peachy I bought few DVD-A's that came packaged with a CD version. This should have been the way to go. But again, it seems the industry has stuffed up. SACD continues to expand it's huge catalogue - even Sony is releasing more, I read somewhere. |
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Bronze Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 73 Registered: Nov-05 | See how "music" affects a bored Christopher Walken: http://www.astralwerks.com/fbs/woc/ |
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Bronze Member Username: MargieNapa, California Post Number: 67 Registered: Aug-05 | This is great! I've looked for this video but never found it. Thanks Rantz! |
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Bronze Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 74 Registered: Nov-05 | Glad to be of help Margie. |
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Silver Member Username: Two_centsPost Number: 668 Registered: Feb-04 | Rantz, You're full of surprises. I didn't take you as a fan of techno music. Have you listened to early Fleetwood Mac albums with Peter Green? Great blues based Brit invasion music. Rock history seems to have shoved Peter Green into some obscure corner, in Clapton's shadow, which is too bad. "Then Play On" is one of the finest rock albums I've ever heard. I didn't realize FM penned and recorded "Oh Well" and "Black Magic Woman". BTW I agree that movies sound better in surround--especially with a floor-shaking sub. As you've discovered, music sounds pretty good in two-channel. Heck, I even enjoy the mono albums I've been picking up. |
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Bronze Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 76 Registered: Nov-05 | 2C Yeah, I know Peter Green - great guitarist! No - I am not a techno fan - far from it - but I am a Christopher Walken fan, he breaks me up. Having a fairly good 2 channel system has brought my cd collection to life but it still doesn't surpass the enjoyment I get from hi-res MC. Gets darn close though Good to hear from you. |
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Silver Member Username: Two_centsPost Number: 669 Registered: Feb-04 | Agreed, Rantz, Walken is brilliant. I don't know if you get "Saturday Night Live" down under, but the ones where he's the host are among the best episodes. When are you getting a turntable? ; ) |
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Bronze Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 77 Registered: Nov-05 | Unfortunately we don't get SNL anymore. As far as a turntable goes - I could see one in the future if I found a good source of vinyl here. My next purchase may be another cdp. I have the Marantz CC4300 and the Denon DVCD-2900, while both are okay for redbook discs, there is better. As for now I think I have pushed my luck about as far as possible. Heh heh! |
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Gold Member Username: Larry_rNaples, FL Post Number: 1089 Registered: Oct-04 | Hi, "Dawgs!" Know I've been away a long time, but nothing "personal," I can assure all. Deaths of family and friends, a "lady" named Wilma, and out-of-town business has kept Merri and me very tied-down. Just want to come Online to wish every one of you a HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON! Our yard was pretty well torn up by the hurricane, but now finally is about 60% replanted. Will take years to get it back to what it was. Sigh. Anyway, we suffered no house-damage, and are grateful! We haven't bought any new gear, and few new albums. So I'm afraid that we're pretty dull folk about now. Sounds like y'all are full of new ideas and equipment - especially Rantz! My, my - going back to 2-channel? Yep - I'm pretty well set in my ways on that: surround for movies and 2-channel for most music. Just seems to work best for me, personally. Again - Merri and I think about all of you often, and hope that you will see the New Year in with good health and as much happiness as is possible in this twisted-up world of ours. Thanks for ALL of your help in the past, and I'll join you again on occasion. Respectfully, Larry Roderick |
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Silver Member Username: SemNew York USA Post Number: 532 Registered: Mar-04 | Larry, Nice to hear from you. Enjoy the holiday season. All best to you and Mer!! -Skink |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 103 Registered: Nov-05 | And all the very best of the season to Mer and you Larry. Oh, and while stereo is good, even great sometimes, I still think well done hi-res m-channel is hard to beat. Had to add that comment :-) In case you missed it on the other thread, I wish all the 'Old Dogs' and some new ones a very happy holiday season and a great 2006. Hope that was politically correct enough not to put the odd nose out of joint. |
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Gold Member Username: Larry_rNaples, FL Post Number: 1091 Registered: Oct-04 | Skink lives!?! Oh, great joy at this Holiday season! One of my all-time fave-rite people! Let's see - roadkill for Christmas. Hmmm. And Happy Eye-polishing to you, sir! (grin) NOTE: for any on this forum who find the above to be gibberish. Please read Carl Hiaasen's books. You'll not be sorry. LR |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 7006 Registered: May-04 | Cheers, Larry. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2500 Registered: Feb-05 | Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah to all! |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3832 Registered: Dec-03 | Season's greetings to all on "Teaching and old dog new tricks". And welcome back, old friends. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 566 Registered: Feb-04 | HAPPY HOLIDAYS Especially Winter Solstice. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3833 Registered: Dec-03 | Should be "an" not "and". That was 21 Dec, JOHN - but thanks and best wishes! |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 568 Registered: Feb-04 | I know John, but it's close enough for guvment work. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2512 Registered: Feb-05 | Heh, I resemble that remark...lol! |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 7029 Registered: May-04 | From today's news: He Remembers Dada When the City Commission holds its weekly meeting today in Lawrence, Kan., Mayor Boog Highberger plans to proclaim International Dadaism Month in honor of the provocative, sometimes absurdist art movement that flowered in the 1920's, The Associated Press reported. But in the spirit of an art movement that declared that "art is dead," the mayor has chosen not to specify a month for the observance. International Dadaism Month, he says, is Feb. 4, March 28, April 1, July 15, Aug. 2, 7, 16 and 26; Sept. 18 and 22, and Oct. 1, 17 and 26. How did he reach that conclusion? He rolled dice and picked numbers from a hat. "I just think it is good to acknowledge that there is a place for chance and nonsense in every healthy lifestyle," Mayor Highberger said. Not all members of the electorate agreed. "It sounds like a waste of time to me," said Joe Hutchens, a construction worker. "It seems like the City Commission would have something better to do than that." |
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Silver Member Username: Arnold_layneMadridSpain Post Number: 435 Registered: Jun-04 | Merry Christmas, old dogs!! I hope the bearded guy in red clothes brought some more hi-rez into your collections :-) |
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Don RX-1 Unregistered guest | News: Concord buys Telarc http://stereophile.com/news/122605concord/ Happy New Year! Cheers! Don |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3841 Registered: Dec-03 | Thanks for the info, Don! Telarc is a good label. Hope Concord looks after it. Hope we all did something nice with the leap second. I think I was lighting a rocket. Happy New Year, everyone! |
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Don RX-1 Unregistered guest | It's the Year of the Dog according to the Chinese calendar. http://www.c-c-c.org/chineseculture/zodiac/dog.html http://chinese.astrology.com/dog.html ---------------------- John, I think Concord got the best of both worlds here: a superb catalogue of classical and jazz recordings plus top-notch engineering. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3842 Registered: Dec-03 | Don, yes, I suppose should have said "Happy New Year according to the Julian Calendar". There are others, besides. It is amazing how little one can take for granted these days! Whatever it is, have a Happy One. And a prosperous period of time. Yes, the winter solstice would be a good place to start, it seems to me. |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 7084 Registered: May-04 | January 3, 2006 Critic's Notebook Even at Concert Halls, It's Location, Location, Location By ANNE MIDGETTE Some time ago I went to a concert at Carnegie Hall that involved a lot of talking from the stage. I was pleased with the way the performer engaged audience members by talking to them between numbers, using a hand-held microphone; and the audience seemed responsive and involved. A week or so later, I spoke on the phone to a friend I had run into at the concert and asked him what he and his wife had thought of it. I wondered if they had found the approach distressingly populist. "Well," my friend said, "we liked the music; but as for the talking, we couldn't understand a single word he said." We think of concerts as fixed entities. In our age of mechanical reproduction, live performance has become - like a book, a movie, a painting - an object that can be recorded, examined and stamped with approval (or disapproval). So we tend to think that everyone who attends the same performance is hearing the same thing. But that's not true, and not only because of vagaries of taste or hearing. It makes a big difference where you sit. It's obvious, even elemental. The audience member sitting in orchestra seats and engaged by the performer's facial expressions has a different experience from someone at the back of the house who can't see them. Some voices sound deceptively full from the orchestra and fade to nothing at a distance. Not long ago I praised a singer as a "full soprano." "Where were you sitting?" a colleague asked a few days later; from his seats in the balcony, he had had trouble hearing her. Other performances sound better far away, something we forget in a visually oriented society that places a premium on being able to see what's going on. At the Metropolitan Opera, whenever I can I make a point of "trading up" - up, that is, to the family circle. The orchestra immediately sounds three times richer, welling up under the voices; and edges of sound that seem rough close-up may be smoothed out when heard from the distance they're meant to be projecting to. That distance forces honesty: voices that sound adequate from the orchestra become puny in the family circle; but voices that seem raucous may also, at that remove, become impressive. It's easy to forget this because of the enforced passivity of the concert experience. You are compelled to sit in the same seat for a couple of hours, and if you're a subscriber, for a whole season. You may not even realize that your reaction could be different if your seat at Carnegie Hall, for example, were not under the overhang of the balcony, or your seat at the Met were on the other side of the house. (I'm convinced there's a section of right-hand orchestra seats at the Met that have a funny echo and less "ping" than the critics' seats on the left, but I can't prove it.) At Caramoor one summer, I moved up a few rows at intermission to sit with a friend. I suddenly felt I was hearing a different concert, and would have misjudged the soloist had I not had this new perspective. Concert presenters would like to play down these vagaries. For one thing, it isn't practical for everyone to move around all the time. We are no longer in 18th-century France or at an opera house in 19th-century Italy; audiences then were far more ambulatory than is the norm today. For another, at today's ticket prices presenters want to be able to offer every purchaser the best possible experience, a democratic distribution of acoustical "sweet spots." Enter the acousticians, who have plenty of work these days because of a paradoxical climate in which, as classical music struggles with its future and faces declining audiences, new concert halls are being built at a remarkable rate around the country. Acousticians have come to approach a new hall as an instrument in itself: lined with rare wood like a violin, fitted with panels and curtains that can be manipulated and fine-tuned to create the optimal sound environment for each concert. But acoustics remains an art, and art, practically by definition, eludes the formulas of science. In short, sometimes it works (the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles gets raves), sometimes it doesn't (people are ambivalent about the Kimmel Center in Philadelphia). The point is not really that this is a problem requiring a solution. The point is to acknowledge and take responsibility for the role you play in what you hear: to think of the factors influencing your perception, whether it's where you sit or where you studied, and question how those factors affect what you hear. Seating location merely represents the kinds of limits on individual perception that are also honed by background, taste, prejudice, enthusiasm. My husband, a composer, hears music very differently from his friend who is an orchestra musician: my husband may focus on the part writing, while his friend is attuned to the way the conductor handles particularly tricky bits in the score. The woman in front of me at Alice Tully Hall recently who fidgeted in acute boredom throughout a concert heard something different from her husband beside her, rapt in the music and the moment. Attuned to the fixed entity of a CD, we tend to forget the Rashomon quality of live experience: the range of perspectives and the rewarding debate that can grow out of them. As a critic, I receive one category of mail more than any other: the indignant letter from someone asking whether I could have been at the same performance as she was. So let it be openly acknowledged: whether I attended the Thursday performance of a concert that she had heard on Saturday, or because I was sitting in the orchestra while she was in the balcony, I probably wasn't. |
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Silver Member Username: John_sColumbus, Ohio US Post Number: 594 Registered: Feb-04 | "This hall simply has some of the best acoustics in which I have ever had the privilege to play," the cellist Yo-Yo Ma wrote in a commentary on the concert hall that appeared recently in a technical journal. He said its visual and acoustic aspects combined in a rare synthesis -- "a miracle," he called it. Miracle or no, this is no small feat. "Going to the Moon is much simpler as a physics problem," said William J. Cavanaugh, an acoustician at Cavanaugh Tocci Associates who consults on both the construction and restoration of concert halls. In a Moon shot, he said, "you've got one source, you've got one trajectory that will get you there, and you've got one 'listener,' or destination." But in a concert hall, the trajectories of the sound waves begin at any number of places on the stage, bounce in complicated ways from every cornice and pillar, and reach their ultimate destinations in hundreds of occupied seats. http://www.rpi.edu/dept/NewsComm/Renss_news/NYTjaffe.html ....imagine an auditorium in which there is a piano recitalist on stage and a solitary listener out in the audience. When the pianist strikes a key, the sound of that note radiates out in all directions. One of these sound paths ~ the shortest one ~ leads directly from the piano to the listener's ear. Another wave ~ the first reflected sound the listener hears ~ bounces from piano to wall to ear like the trajectory of a billiard ball and arrives a fraction of a second later. What Leo Beranek discovered in the 1960's was that the ideal time delay for that reflected wave is about 0.02 to 0.03 sec. after the direct sound hits. That delay time, multiplied by the speed of sound in air (1100 ft./sec.), says that this detour to the wall should add an extra 22 to 33 feet to the wave's path. Clearly, this has implications for the ideal sizing of a hall (not to mention the ideal place for a concertgoer to sit). For a listener, the immediacy of sound is enhanced when nearest reflecting surfaces are close by. Too long a delay between the first two waves, say 0.05 to 0.07 sec., and the effect is akin to sitting in a cavernous space like London's Royal Albert Hall (not a great place for a concert, McKay says, "but it'd be a great place to play basketball!"). Any delay above a tenth of a second would actually be perceived as an echo. http://www.angelfire.com/music2/davidbundler/acoustics.html An acoustician writes: "The volume of the sound reaching the listener is the most important factor in determining their emotional response. If we play sounds from different concert halls to subjects and ask them to tell us which is the best, the judgement will usually favour the hall where the sound is loudest. Studies in British halls have shown that listeners perceive louder music as being more lively and intimate. In our homes, we have control over the volume of music from our stereo systems. What does this do to our perception of concert hall sound?" http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/acoustics_world/concert_hall_acoustics/loudne ss.html |
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Gold Member Username: Larry_rNaples, FL Post Number: 1092 Registered: Oct-04 | I realize that I've been "absent without leave" for some time - but I DO check in every once in a while - and had to add a very few comments. The issue of "placement" in a concert hall, or living room for that matter, has always been important to me. In Chicago, for example, never sit in the back of balcony 2 at the concert hall. There are serious "dead spots." And never sit in the first seven rows main floor, either, because of serious reflection problems that blur the music. Been there many times, heard that. In the Lyric Opera House, Chicago, never sit right smack in the middle of the main floor, unless you don't want to understand a thing that's sung on stage. So Jan and all - the siting of the listener is, in my very humble opinion, crucial to full enjoyment, or lack thereof. Santa Fe, New Mexico opera - where Merri and I have spent not nearly enough fantastic evenings. Avoid the back section of the "diamond circle" on the main floor. for some unknown reason, you hear from stage right, but not stage left - most of the time, anyway. I had a good conversation with a chap and his wife two years ago, when we were immersed in La Sonnambula with Natalie Dessay. We sat in the cheaper seats, about two-thirds back on the right side. And heard everything clearly. Not so! said the chap, who complained about uneven acoustics. sigh. Felt sorry for him - and his $150 apiece seats! In my humble living/listening room - well, Jan, you know the troubles I've had here. Since we last "spoke" I've tried various furniture and speaker placements, and have been amazed to find that if I put the speakers in front of the kitchen and the furniture in front of the sliding glass doors to the patio - the sound is full and warm. Of course, the placement is impossible - but I thought it fascinating that music seems to sound "better" in that configuration. Of course, Merri said that blocking the doorways was less than desirable, and I had to agree. So now we're back to a "workable" arrangement, but without optimal listening. Sigh. Such is life, I guess. I've hung some extra sound-absorbing material around, and have tweaked speaker placement, but there remain several "dead" spots in the room - which at least I now know enough to avoid! As I sit here, a marvelous new SACD of Anna Moffo plays in the other room - and I can understand every word, though I am 35 feet away, and around an open corner. Were I to sit directly in front of the right speaker, the sound would be blurred. Go figger. . . The Moffo disc, BTW, is a new SACD release of a 1960 "Living Stereo" recording - Anna Moffo's first, I believe. Any opera lovers out there MUST away to the store to get this disc! She puts so many current opera singers to shame. Anyway - Happy 2006 to all - and to all, good sound! Respectfully, Larry R |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 7179 Registered: May-04 | Larry - Not hard to figger. Your listening room/position is suffering from too many haphazard room reflections. I think I suggested to you once before to cup your hands behind your ears and observe the effect. If you find it easier to discriminate instruments and voices, then your room is still too lively and/or your listening location needs to change. If the position of your cupped palms fore and aft changes the situation markedly, you have to deal with those first reflections before anything can improve. As we have discussed before and you have experimented to realize, the room is the most important contributor to the sound quality you hear. I'm a bit surprised you consider it an inconvenience to walk outside and around the house to enter the kitchen when placing speakers in the pathway will give you better sound. Since you have more SACD's than I do (just about anyone other than John does), you might want to contribute to this thread. (https://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/forum/home-audio/189097.html) I just do not have enough discs with two channel Redbook tracks to give Rantz a really good answer. SACD has all but disappeared from the Dallas music shops; and, as I have said, I'm just not much on ordering from catalogs. I don't remember the last SACD disc I purchased or how long ago it's been. |
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Gold Member Username: Larry_rNaples, FL Post Number: 1093 Registered: Oct-04 | Jan: I tried going out and around to get into the kitchen, but it started to rain, and I got really upset - so I went back inside and moved the speakers. (again) (GRIN) I brought some acousti-foam home from Mer's Art League - and spotted it around the room in different places. The 3x4-foot panels are gray with ridges - and really ugly!! But as a trial, I did the sound-absorb tango - with little success. I think the very "open" room configuration, high ceilings and lots of glass simply do me in. Mer is NOT - repeat NOT - inclined to leave the acousti-foam on the walls. (whadda surprise!) Strangely, though, I found some improvement by putting a panel BEHIND each speaker - maybe that blunts some reflections - probably so. Those panels WILL stay put, because they are low and fairly easy to overlook. At least for now. . . Sorry, I just have not enough expertise to help MR with his questions about SACD sound and sound levels. And I agree with you that the SACDs are simply disappearing from local retail shelves. The local Border's once carried many of them - but can't find them now. One problem was that nobody in the store knew what they were, so they got filed with the rest of the discs - not by themselves. Sigh. Visiting relatives are the hardest. . . . |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3865 Registered: Dec-03 | Great to read your posts again, Larry! I think I asked the same question as MR, about SACD vs CD, a while back. There was no clear answer from you, Jan, as I recall. I have a couple of SACD hybrid discs, but still no SACD player. |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 154 Registered: Nov-05 | Larry, good to see you here! Jan, Larry can't help, he doesn't have a Denon DVD-2900. John, with the DVD-2900 the cd layer sounds a little better (or at best the same as) the 2 channel sacd layer. Multi channel still sounds best btw. I believe there may be a fault with the player which my dealer is supposedly looking into - but I think a gentle reminder may be in order. I have have used several titles, the same cables, and even changed inputs to ensure all parameters are equal. I hope to get to the bottom of this. I am still entralled with 2 channel cd SQ with the new NAD CDP and pre/power combo - escpecially some HDCD's. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3866 Registered: Dec-03 | Good to hear that, MR. I no longer know where I stand on all this. The family seems to like 2-channel movies. I am happy with 2-channel music. I would go for the improved resolution of SACD, but some people question this. Surround is not a practical option at present because of where we live, a bit like Art's reasons on Tube Talk. Meanwhile Rega, always taking its time, has a new Cd player, the Apollo. I own hundreds of CDs. Perhaps I should move on from playing CDs on an NAD DVD player. In truth my first priority should be making time to listen more. The darned house is full of computers and iPods. The tips I value most from this forum are probably to get a tube amp and a Tivoli Model One table radio. When I finally get my TT and 5.1 system back I can maybe start to compare, and comment again. |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 161 Registered: Nov-05 | John, It would be good for you to get your old gear back. I took a few SACD's to my dealer to test on the 3910 universal player, it was not connected to the denon amp by analogue cable, though it was via the Denon I-link. Unfortunately, their demo model needed the I-link upgrade to play SACD's which they thought they had done by using discs provided by the Denon distributors. Unfortunately, it did not work and I didn't have time for them to stuff around and change cables. I believe the i-link uprade has been rectified and I will be going back to compare. DVD-A (in 2 channel) mostly beats CD on the Denon 2900 especially so when the mix is 192/24. I'll let you know if and when I make some progress on this mystery. Yes, my brother was commenting on the new Apollo, it really should be very good with the new optimizing innovations - although it will be quite pricy here. The Planet is about $1600 and the Jupiter is $2990au! Cheers. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3867 Registered: Dec-03 | Cheers, My Rantz. Everyone seems to agree the Denon 2900 is outstanding. You made a good decision there. I intend to wait a while and see what happens. DVD-A disc titles are still few and far between. SACD seems to be catching on, but slowly. I do not own an iLink amp or receiver. I see the Rega Apollo has co-ax and optical digital out, as well as analogue. It also plays MP3 discs. How confusing this has all become! |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 7238 Registered: May-04 | How old I feel! |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3868 Registered: Dec-03 | As do I. I have a "Hi-Fi+" with review of Rega Apollo. Will report back. Anyone out there heard about our bottlenose whale? Hope it's O.K. Family when to cheer it on. I stayed in and listened to a CD of Beethoven 7. Don't get much chance these days. It sounded great. The music, that is. |
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Silver Member Username: GmanMt. Pleasant, SC Post Number: 771 Registered: Dec-03 | I saw the almost 20 foot bottlenose whale on tv here in the states. Viewed a dramatic and sad shot of it next to the Houses of Parliament. I just heard they were hoisting it on a barge and releasing it past the mouth of the Thames. Hopefully the vets determine that the whale isn't too far gone and doesn't need to be euthanized. Normally healthy whales don't get this disoriented. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3869 Registered: Dec-03 | Gregory, I do not know what the latest is, but some people had it on a barge a few hours ago and were transporting it downstream with the intention of releasing it out in the Thames Estuary or the English Channel. I read that a pod of bottlenosed whales has been sighted middle of last week off Southend, Essex, and this one may have become detached from it, swum upstream into central London and then become beached by the ebb tide. By curious coincidence, Southend is the location of Rega. I do not know any more about the Apollo. What I have discovered is that "Hi-Fi+" is a magazine where reviewers do not carry out tests or form opinions, they just listen to rock music on different combinations of equipment and then experiment with combinations of words. It makes HiFi News look almost sensible. Pity we did not keep up Jan's "Definitions" thread. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3870 Registered: Dec-03 | Just checked BBC News and, sadly, the whale convulsed and died about 19.00 GMT, that is about two hours ago. |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 7242 Registered: May-04 | Amazing how people will gather around to express empathy with a single whale and yet not say a word about the slaughter in the Congo that goes on day after day, everyday. Just a thought. |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 162 Registered: Nov-05 | About the slaughter in the Congo - disgusting! I still feel empathy for distressed whales though. Or any animal for that matter - including humans (even distressed audio salespeople). John I went back to the dealers and yep, you guessed it, still no Denon link for SACD. My dealer told me to pack up the 2900 and he'll send it to the distributor (not a service agent) and we'll see what they say. I had Mrs Rantz doing blind listening tests yesterday and today and she picked the CD version over the two channel SACD version each time for best sound quality. So it's not just me. The unit is packed and will be taken to the dealer's tomorrow. This should be interesting - or it won't. I'm sorry about your whale - and the slaughter in the Congo of course :-) |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3871 Registered: Dec-03 | Re: whale. Yes, of course, Jan. Empathy. A good thing. Re: SACD. MR: Isn't the analogue output recommended, anyway? Also, I remember HiFi News thought the 2900 had better sound quality than the 3910. There is review of an £8000 Moon CD player in HiFi+ which says its sound stage has the width and focus of a Wadia, also about the same depth. But not quite as much height. Or the other way round. And all these years I have been foolishly failing to consider the height of my sound stage. (Sigh). What a strange magazine. Surely it is read as escapist fantasy, not by people seriously considering buying stuff? |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 163 Registered: Nov-05 | John, Yes, analogue connections are the way to go for hi-res connections, but the I-link, Denon link and HDMI connections are the pure digital connections that are supposedly outstanding for sq - or so I have read. Regardless, all I wanted to do was to compare cd and two channel sacd on the Denon 3910 to see if the latter was an improvement as it wasn't on my 2900. The store was busy so I didn't bother them to crawl around behind the gear to connect a pair of analogue interconnects. So, now I will wait to see what the distributors say (or do) about what I consider is a problem with my machine - I hope that's the case. My brother is now looking to audition the Shanling T80 cdp - it apparantly beat a field of much more expensive units by various reviewers - those dang reviewers again! To bed. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3872 Registered: Dec-03 | My Rantz, Your brother and I must read similar magazines. The Shanling T80 is little more expensive, but broadly in the same price bracket as the Apollo. Unlike the Apollo, it has a triode valve output stage and switchable 24/96 upsampling. This review is the one I remember reading in HiFi News. There is also a Unison Unico valve output stage CD player, which one dealer recommended to me, instead of going SACD. Unison is Italian, BTW. It is more expensive than either the Rega or the Shanling. Comparably-priced Shanlings are top-loading, like the Rega. As with digital versus analogue connections for audio on DVD-V and CD-Audio, I think the better sound will almost always be obtained by using the better processor. So, if the SACD player's SACD decoding beats that in the receiver, analogue connection will be the better choice. Perhaps I missed something, but what how could the 2-channel comparison of SACD with CD be any different on the 3910 compared with the 2900? If it is, it would be interesting to know. I still cannot find any clear consensus on the SACD/CD comparison. Some say SACD is better, others say any difference is marginal at best. That was why I was interested in your question to Jan. A few months ago I was about to buy the same recent recording on both Cd and SACD-CD hybrid versions, to have something to take for a demo. Mrs A intervened! So I bought a different SACD-Cd hybrid, one which has no CD-only version. The sound on the CD layer is awful. That's all I know! So I still have no good test disc that will allow a simple comparison. |
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Bronze Member Username: BvanPost Number: 24 Registered: Jun-05 | hi. found this thread looking for opinions on the new rega apollo. i've had it home on loan this weekend from the store, and have been doing some abx testing and just general listning comparing it to my denon 2900. the 2900 is a good redbook player no doubt, but the apollo is a better player i feel. a bit more bass(wont say if thats a good or bad thing), but also the images, especially vocals, seem to have a sort of 'organic wholeness', if you know hwat i mean. flicking over to the 2900 playing the same track the vocals become a touch 'flatter and harder'. thats the best way i can describe it. the rega is just smother and more engaging. but its not by a wide marging. if i wasnt flicking between them intantaniously i might not be so sure of the differences. didnt have time or didnt notice differences in high freqencies, imaging, timing or anything else like that. i'm interested in anyone elses opinion on this player. cheers b |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3874 Registered: Dec-03 | Thanks, Bvan. The Apollo is a new model and I cannot find many opinions out there. There was a question about it on this forum at Which CD to complement Rega Brio. Please write some more when you have time. Also, if you can, say what you are using these players with. "Rega" flips a switch for me because the Planar 3 turntable was about the most amazing source I ever bought, but it was long ago. They are still completely independent and do things their own way. Also, I cannot figure out exactly what the player is doing with information from the initial disc scan. Any idea? |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3877 Registered: Dec-03 | BTW I like Rega's term for the optical digital output: "Toshlink". A little joke....? |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3878 Registered: Dec-03 | Thread: CD Players > Anyone hear the new rega apollo yet ???. |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 164 Registered: Nov-05 | "Perhaps I missed something, but what how could the 2-channel comparison of SACD with CD be any different on the 3910 compared with the 2900? If it is, it would be interesting to know." John, the 3910 has different Burr Brown D/A converters I believe than the 2900, though I was just wanting to do the comparison for interest's sake. The Shanling T80 is about the same price as the Rega Planet CDP here - I will be interested to hear what my brother thinks. He listened to the NAD C542 (what I have) with a Rega intergrated and power amp through 703's and liked it, then with the power amp disconnected he wasn't as impressed. But hey, I think it's great (especially for the money), but, we do all have different ears. He also very much liked the Planet but does't want a top loader. BTW, receivers do not have sadc decoding, that's still done in the player, it's just the Denon link is a straight through digital connection. From there I'm not sure what happens, but am interested to hear it. Toshlink - a conduit to Peter Tosh perhaps? BVan - thanks for your post re the 2900/Apollo comarison. Interesting indeed. |
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Bronze Member Username: BvanPost Number: 26 Registered: Jun-05 | thanks for the links John A. must agree with the opinions on asylum, about the richness, and darkness of background, and vinyl-like quality of the apollo. the denon sounded a bit 'flatter and harder' to my ear by comparison. didnt have any more time with the player unfortunately. my system was an arcam a85, dynaudio focus 140's, qed silver wiring. i'm going to get me an apollo i thinks b |
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Bronze Member Username: BvanPost Number: 29 Registered: Jun-05 | strange new developments... got the arcam back from my mate before it went back to the shop. this time i did some extensive flicking between it and a denon 2200. i was very surprised to find them extremely close. and this is playing identical tracks on each player and flipping between them at will. kept this up for about 2 hours playing dave matthews, ani difanco, norah jones, diana krall, infested mushroom at al the rega had a hairs more vocal expression and bass/warmth, and the denon did seem to ever so slightly flatten the images, especially vocals, but i'm talking in the order of what felt like about 0.5%. i.e if i had to take the time to swap cables between listning to each player i'm not 100% sure i'd be able to pick the rega in a blind abx test. (maybe i dont have the most golden of ears though, or more likely my misspent youth and its effects on my short-term memory are to blame) always thought the 2200 was better than the 2900. might now settle with the 2200 and put the money towards a sub. all a bit unsettling.....but its always a good thing if you cant hear enough difference to justify extra expence, i recon. b |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 165 Registered: Nov-05 | Bvan I find it amazing that you preferred the sound of the 2200 over the 2900. I'm not miffed because I have one, but over the past couple of years and on many forums (and reviews) the general concensus is that the 2900 is noticeably better than the 2200 - especially for cd playback. I recall having a similar opinion when I auditioned them. Your thoughts add to my belief that there is a problem with my player as I think the 2 channel sacd sound quality is not what it should be and it has been sent back to the distributors for their appraisal and hopefully, a fix. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3881 Registered: Dec-03 | Thanks, MR and Bvan. I read that Denon has a recent two-channel-only SACD/Cd player, too. Yes, the magazines still recommend the 2900 as one of the best "universal" players at that price. |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 166 Registered: Nov-05 | " read that Denon has a recent two-channel-only SACD/Cd player" As do Marantz among others John: http://www.qualifi.com.au/index.jsp?page=1056 Also, since having the option on my NAD 542, I am finding some HDCD's deliver very good sq. I also think the Denon 3910 (it has the HDCD decoder also) is great value for the money (excellent good video section I believe). The cd quality was very good but I am yet to hear it playing sacd. It seemed slightly better than my 2900 for cd but was listening with different speakers so I wouldn't tkae that comment to the bank. |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 167 Registered: Nov-05 | "tkae" It's 3:30am here so I am a bit dsilexci :-) |
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Silver Member Username: SemNew York USA Post Number: 540 Registered: Mar-04 | I realized, back in my college days, I might have dyslexia when I went to an Animal House-themed party dressed as a goat. |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 7256 Registered: May-04 | Better that than as a condominium. |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 170 Registered: Nov-05 | Oh I don't know - think of the stories! |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3884 Registered: Dec-03 | Thank you for the Marantz link, My Rantz. The Denon SACD/CD player I recalled was favourably reviewed in February 2006 HiFi News and is named the DCD-1500 AE. £450. There is a matching amp, the PMA-1500 AE, at £550. The Rega Apollo is a CD-only player (plus MP3), and has RRP £498. |
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Gold Member Username: Jan_b_vigneDallas, TX Post Number: 7268 Registered: May-04 | Rantz - You're obviously thinking of a used condominium. |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 173 Registered: Nov-05 | I wasn't obvious Jan, surely! A Tale of the Suspendors My brother has been waiting patiently for the delivery of his four and half grand Spendor speakers. They were supposed arrive from across the country last Friday. They arrived in his city but weren't delivered. He was not amused and gave the transport company a piece of his mind. So they promised delivery for Monday. Monday lunchtime arrived and still no delivery. He phoned the transport company, they said Tuesday. He wouldn't have it and demanded immediate delivery. A few hours later a small van arrived with a whining driver complaining about the street signage. He reverse down the driveway where my brother met him and began to sign the delivery book. As he was doing so, the whining little delivery man went to the rear of the van and, unbeknown to my brother, began to unload the heavy merchandise. Suddenly there was a huge crashing sound, my brother went white and rushed to the rear of the van where the driver has dropped one of the speaker cartons. The driver complained there was no "Fragile" sticker on the carton. He obviously didn't understand the carton icons indicating that the merchandise should be handled with great care. How the driver escaped with his life I do not know, but the speaker was dented and now my brother awaits a new pair which are currently mid-air somewhere between England and Australia. Funny, he had a premonition that someone would drop and damage his new pride and joys (he would). The dealer (Aus Distributor) had no qualms about replacing the Spendors, which by the way, my brother has set up and will be using until the replacements arrive. When I spoke to him yesterday, he had almost gotten over his anger only because of the magic the Spendors displaying in his living room. Only problem is that he cannot bond with them - he wants "his" Spendors. |
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Gold Member Username: John_aLondonU.K. Post Number: 3885 Registered: Dec-03 | MR, I can relate to that. But.... "If a thing is worth having, it's worth waiting for". |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 175 Registered: Nov-05 | Most definitely John. But, I think he'll get little sleep until the replacements are safe and sound in his house :-) |
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Gold Member Username: Rick_bOrlando, Florida USA Post Number: 1277 Registered: Dec-03 | Did someone say SPENDORS? LOL! |
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Silver Member Username: My_rantzAustralia Post Number: 176 Registered: Nov-05 | Rick, When it comes to audio gear, Mrs Rantz says, "Hey big SPENDOR!" Luckilly we SPEND time together listening to our audio. My brother's drama is over a new pair of S8e's. Anyway, it's good to see you lurking back here. Hope all is well with the Barneses down there in the deep south. |
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Gold Member Username: Rick_bOrlando, Florida USA Post Number: 1278 Registered: Dec-03 | Thanks Rantz! I will email you soon just to catch up. I must be careful on this thread, I think I was assassinated here once, or at least my character was. LOL! Don't want anymore of that so I think I'll just try to stay off OLD DOGS. Glad you are well, Cheers......... |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2659 Registered: Feb-05 | I spent some quality time with Spendors this last weekend while shopping for new speakers. I think I will likely choose ProAcs but not by much. I'll buy whichever pair I can afford, Studio 110's, 130's or 140's. ProAc's and tubes.....nice. |
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Gold Member Username: Rick_bOrlando, Florida USA Post Number: 1279 Registered: Dec-03 | Art, I wouldn't part with my Spendors for love or money. They just sound right to my ears. I'm pleased to see you go back to 2 channel and tubes. May I ask what you are considering for an amp? |
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Silver Member Username: SemNew York USA Post Number: 541 Registered: Mar-04 | Hey Mickey....err Ricky, Looks like you made it down to Orlando, happy for you. Hope all is well down there. |
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Gold Member Username: ArtkAlbany, Oregon USA Post Number: 2661 Registered: Feb-05 | The Prima Luna Prologue 1 or 2. Which Spendors do you have Rick. I believe you have a Jolida amp, is that correct. |
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