frankphess

I too have similar problems with my basement. While this will not prevent the water from coming in, one thing I did while remodeling was to install a subfloor in the "finished" room. "Dri-core" panels are 2'x2' wood panels with a plastic bottom which fit together and are very easy to install, and can be purchased at Menards or Home Depot. This will elevate your floor by 2" and keep your carpet dry when seepage occurs. You can then just pull your carpet back, wetvac up the seepage and your carpet stays dry. I would also suggest buying indoor/outdoor carpeting for the basement, it comes with padding attached and is mold and mildew resistant. Also a dehumidifier will help your basement dry faster too. Below is a link to the dri-core website. http://www.dricore.com/en/eindex.htm

Spikes. http://www.oregondv.com/spikes.htm

Remove the stock "feet" and replace with spikes. This will also reduce the cabinet vibration being transferred to the floor. http://www.oregondv.com/spikes.htm

http://www.cobaltcable.com/audio_interconnect.htm Maybe a little on the high side, but not bad for longer runs. http://www.partsexpress.com/webpage.cfm?WebPage_ID=3 Parts Express, choose from many offered at lower prices than Cobalt.

http://www.ikea.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10103&storeId=12&langId=-1&productId=11140 Above is a link to a "side table" sold by Ikea. I ordered 2 to use as amp stands. I disgarded the legs in favor of some spikes and now use them for my amps to rest on. They are not solid wood, but do appear to be, yet they are plenty sturdy. At $12.99, you can't go wrong. The underside has threaded holes which appear to accept different size threads, as the spikes I used were the same size that fit the feet of RF-7's, yet the screws provided with the legs for the table seemed to be a larger/wider thread. The table also comes in various colors.[] Shoot me an e-mail if you'd like to see pictures, I am unable to attach pictures here for some reason. frank.p.hess@sargentlundy.com

Whisky & Women - John Lee Hooker Tupelo Honey - Van Morrison

http://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/speaker/index.htm I no longer needed 15 ft. cables, so I just replaced $300.00 monster 1.4, 15 ft. biwire cables with 5'-0" of Canare 4s11 cable from Blue Jeans Cable which cost $1.05 per foot (Link above). I could not detect any differences between the two. Being 14 gauge I did twist two conductors for (pos. +) & two conductors for (neg -) though. It is very easy to strip and terminate with connectors of your choice.

I can't speak to the sound of Macintosh, however I recently began using two B&K 220M monblocks (purchased from Audiogon) with my RF-7's, and feel that the 7's sound the best they ever have. Although going from a stereo amplifier to monoblocks has a lot to do with it too. I'm sure you can't go wrong with either.

Like I said before, there's a definite difference in sensitivity. I'm afraid that I just don't have the time nor the $$ to make the RF-7s sound as good as they can. The Fortes sound wonderful. Your statement above says it all. In spite of the RF-7's high sensitivity rating, they are a difficult load to drive and require quality amplification (and Dean's mod) to sound their best. While they have always sounded "good", the more power you feed them, the better they sound IMO, and of course more power = more $$$. Enjoy your Forte's!

Stopped by The Little Guys last night just to see what they had set up. They have a pair of Lascala II's in their "speaker room", and a pair of Klipschhorns in the "back room" with all Macintosh solid state. I did not get to listen as they were close to closing. First time I ever even seen a klipschHorn. They sure are huge!

2. Dynaco ST-70. Fully serviced with new EL-34. N.O.S. tube cage. Nickel plating and graphics are very good. Extra RCA's added on front panel to allow larger cables. $300.00 Please contact me if this Dynaco is still available. frank.p.hess@sargentlundy.com or 1-312-269-3715 during the day. Thanks, Frank

FYI: According to their website, "The Little Guys" in Glenwood, IL have set up some Heritage speakers in one or more of their listening rooms. Below is an excerpt from their website. I hope to make it there tomorrow or this weekend. http://www.thelittleguys.com/ Come and hear Klipsch Heritage! The Little Guys are proud to welcome the Klipsch Heritage Series! These are loudspeakers that continue to impress, even when compared to modern day technologies. Even if you have no plans to buy speakers you should make time to experience the very best from a multi-award winning pioneer in sound.

Sorry, changed my mind. No longer for sale. Chris, you have an e-mail.

Early unit with the Maple case and Rosewood trim around the front. (Dean's old Peach). Just got it back from Mark, had the wiring harness replaced and had a full bench check, all within spec.. I will include 1 set of tubes, either (1) CCA and (2) Siemens e88cc gold pins, or 3 NOS Mullards from Brent Jesse, your choice. Will include both sets of tubes for extra $150. Plus shipping. Cash, check or money order only. No Paypal. If interested, have questions or need a photo, please send e-mail to: frank.p.hess@sargentlundy.com Thanks Frank Hess

I thought it might be worth investigating, however you're probably right. I thought they might be ok because they were from the U.S. and not international. Guess I'm a little naive. I have a tough time sorting through "Audioweb's" stuff, you're right though, a lot of it looks too good to be true.

Saw these on Audioweb.... http://www.audioweb.com/Ad/AdInfo.asp?adid=163065 http://www.audioweb.com/Ad/AdInfo.asp?adid=162870

Am currently using a Bottlehead Foreplay with an Anthem 200 watt solid state, with RF-7's in 2-channel and think it sounds very good. For the price, it is a bargain. Very detailed with a nice black backround and dead quiet.

(Early) Fleetwood Mac, Then Play on - CD - Blues

I use a bottlehead Foreplay preamp with an Anthem MCA-20 solid state amplifier (200w) with RF-7's and it does very well. Some would say that a tube pre would make more of an impression on the sonic signature than a solid state front with a tube amplifier, but if you like what you heard that's what's important. If you do get the Paramours, you may want to see what its like with a tube pre.

More summer mellowness with a great voice...Natalie Merchant, CD, Easy Listening/Pop

I would think it would be very nice. I purchased Dean's Peach to replace a Bottlehead Foreplay that I thought was transparent and couldn't be beat. Just last night I played around with the Peach a little bit, trying to defeat a ground loop/noise issue and my best solution was a 2-prong cheater plug (and tube replacement.) I replaced Dean's Siemens tubes ( I assume Dean was using this with tube amplifiers, the Siemens with the solid state seemed very forward and dry to my ears), with a triplicate of Mullards from Brent Jesse and the new tubes seemed a better match with my solid state amp (input impedence of 10k Ohm) . I am using the Peach with an Anthem MCA-20 and with RF-7's with Dean's upgraded networks, so my guess is that with Heritage it would be a winner as well. I found myself up well past my bedtime last night, am very tired this morning, but can't wait to get home to give it another listen tonight. Oh, and the Lo-Z mode seems much more detailed and revealing than than the high with my SS amp. While I have not had a long time to form an opinion, as last night was my first extended listening session, and of course the "new" tubes are still being broken in, my initial impressions are nothing but positive.

I have been using a Bottlehead Foreplay with an Anthem MCA-20 with much success. It is dead quiet with a black backround. It does lack some bass, but the detail and imaging are fantastic. I use this combo for moderate to low level listening. On another note, I plan to use a recently purchased Peach with the Anthem, however I'm having issues with a ground loop problem and awaiting new tubes, so I can not comment on this combo as of yet.

Adding an external amplifier will give you increased imaging, dynamic, bass, etc. because you are decreasing the work your pre/pro's power supply/amplifier has to do. An external amplifier does not have to from be the same manufacturer. Take a look on Audiogon.com to get an idea of the different types available. You will want a solid state amplifier if you are using a solid state pre/pro. As far as break in time for a new amp, you might not notice a difference until you listen for a length of time. You will notice that every time you listen to it, it will sound "better" each time, and of course each amplifier is different, so "break-in" time will vary.

Dean, This is the thread we talked about. I will print it out and compare. Frank