TommyK

How does one check AC outlets for DC? Thanks in advance. TommyK

TTRHP, I must say that your moniker is sometimes the highlight of my day. God bless you child, God bless you. TommyK

Let us know - did you pay the full $2400? or did you wheel em down to 2k with your razor sharp bargaining skills?

TommyK can I interest you in a napkin? Jacksonbart, Napkin? Do I have something on my chin? I don't claim to be the sharpest knife in the drawer, so I will admit that I miss connection? Speaking of napkins, last week there was fairly interesting copyright case here in NY that turned on the presence of a drink napkin kept from bar. TommyK NJ

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_oil a term which IMHO aptly describes much of what is sold to audio hobbyists. TommyK

I have built the Foreplay and Paramours and picked up a pair of Parabees. The guys on the bottlehead forum are very friendly. I don't think any one of the kits that are out there today are *better* than the others. They may sound different, but it comes down to price tradeoffs and taste. Building a Bottlehead kit is lots of fun and a great way to learn. Highly recommended. Peace, TommyK

It is about marketing. No one can afford to turn away those that want to see designer wire on the inside. And there are many of them. I suspect this phenomenon exists in every industry. It doesn't hurt anybody and if it makes some (most?) people feel better, more power to 'em. Though the science is objective, enjoyment in this hobby is subjective. Peace, TommyK

Kevin, are the ALKs still around? Thanks, TommyK (tkmk@hotmailDOTcom) New Jersey

Most conditioners promise the moon and do nothing. A true on-line UPS that runs power off the battery (not one that switches with an outtage) can clean up power issues. As does the Monster AVS 2000 someone mentioned above. (One cost twice what the other does, btw) The problem as I see it is people can be sold just about anything. And people get convinced they have "dirty power" in their quest for audio nirvana. For a number of reasons your brain will lie to you if you just plug in a new $1000 toy and listen for an audible change. For this reason, I'd want to be able to test and track my voltage fluctations over time before looking for a cure to a disease I don't have. 10% flux from 120 is considered normal. Everybody has a right to make a buck. If it weren't for cable and power conditioners most small audio boutiques would be out of business as no one make enough selling amps to keep the doors open. And yes they do make typhoid vaccine for 3$ a shot. But unless you know for certain you are travelling where typhoid is a risk, your shot is really nothing more than - dare I say it? - snake oil. peace, TommyK

Q: whats the difference between 'speaker cable' and 'speaker wire'? A: about $50 per foot. One must define how he interprets the world for himself. If the world is knowable and best knowable through reason, then cable claims are nothing more than snake oil. If understanding the passage of electrons along a conductor is beyond the kin of our science, and the tools to measure are insufficeint for the task, then cables are free game. peace TommyK

I herewith make such a request of the moderator. The photos I wished to reproduce are of a single Klipsch Belles with a Bose receiver sitting on top. Thank you in advance for your courtesies. TommyK

I went to see my audio guru. When I arrived he turned down his Ipod and pulled out his ear buds. As always, he was smiling. I told him I wanted to take the next step. He asked me if I have tried SETs. I nodded, "yes Master, 300B, 2A3 and 45s. I will always have a soft spot for them. But I have tired of them and need to go further". He nodded, and thought for a moment. Have you been to the estate sales near Binghamton and come home with a blue metered wonder? "Yes" I replied. "I found the 2505 from the old lady right where you said she would be. And you were right, her neighbor had the MC30s." I thought I had found the One with the MC30s, but as you see, I am here again." And the Scott 304B? Yes master. A thing of beauty. And Saul's 1060? Yes Master, and 2275 and the 8b - a moment of silence ensued. Though the 19s were tougher and I had to give them back to the librarian. I would have liked to keep the 19s, but it was not to be. He wanted my signed copy of Mr. Rosenberg's Tube Audio Guide in trade - I struck the librarian with my fist for his insolence. My guru, nodded, and told me I must forget what I had learned, and look where most are even embarrassed to be seen. And he whispered "an engineering feat was managed that they said could not be done, and to boot, your wife will really dig the norsk minimalist wood design." At this point, he wrote down Spatial Control Receiver on a napkin and told me to leave. So now I am here. And he was tight.

value is relative. 13k = 7 months working at WalMart, or an orthopedist's fee to testify over two days - whether she is called or not. But tell you what, the 9bs will still be worth that a year from now, and probably more in 5 years. Every new piece of gear you buy today will lose at least 30 percent just for taking it home.

has all the tell tales of a scam. I bought some nice gear on ebay, and only when I asked for directions to the house did the seller disappear. People get a warm fuzzy when the seller says you can pick up.

very humorus.

very humorus.

If you want to hear a pair of Belles, mi casa is always open for audio phriends. We can feed them SS or Tubes, PP and SET. Morris County maps.google Zip 07405 TommyK

I have been looking to do the same thing for a while. There is no easy answer that I have found. A few weeks ago there was a unit on ebay that was designed to do this for an audio show room. It was more than what I wanted, very bulky and designed to switch between 20 amps and 20 speakers. I regret not bidding on it. The issue, from what I've seen is, needing to keep a load on the amp when you toggle to the new speaker. I have read online where people have simply used an Adcom speaker selector backward and have lived to tell the tale. But with my luck, I'll fry one of my babies. Hopefully someone will chime in with more knowledge. Peace, TommyK

Just wondering. peace, TommyK

Rob, you say you picked the cables up used. Seems like any break in that was to occur would have done so during the prior owners usage. I find that expectations can have a great impact on sound perception both good and bad. Having to wait so long for the package to arrive only heightens the experience. (I find seeing the glow of a 2a3 improves the sound, as does watching the bouncing blue meters on some mac gear - go figure) Give your mind some time to adjust, but, IMHO, the silver in your cables is the same today as it will be in 5 weeks. Peace, TommyK

A love of Rock, a pair of Heresy IIs and a Dynaco St-70 with a Sony CDP with variable out is what got me into this hobby. There is a synergy, in my opinion, between the St-70, Heresy 2s and rock. Note, that some say the Heresy 2s are bass shy. And they are, to a degree. Placement is important. Get your twos matched with a good el34 tube pp amp, and then, if you feel you need more bass, research sub options. You won't be disappointed. TommyK

hey, If i recall, the 80Q is the ST-120 amp section with PAT 4 pre. It was set up for Quad stereo. This combo is not well like by today's audio community. But for 35 bucks, let your ears decide. Prsonally, I'd take a st-120 and PAT 4 over many intergrateds out there. Peace, TommyK

I have most of the intro amps people recommend. Scott, Fisher, Dyanco. You can't go wrong with any of them. If you think you might want to learn to solder yourself, I can't recommend the Dynaco St-70 enough. The sound of a rebuilt St-70 matched to Klipsch gear is spectacular. The units I have I picked up on ebay or craigslist. What is nice is they have all appreciated somewhat over the past 10 years or so. It makes it easier to swallow spending rent money on a toy knowing you can resell it for no loss later (and maybe make a buck with a good pic & description on ebay). What I wish I had done differently is spent the extra 50-100 bucks for units without any pitting. Units in pristine condition rightfully command a premium, and in my opinion the premium is still understated in the market. An extra 50-75 bucks gets a new-like non-pitted Dynaco St-70. Well worth it, and IMHO the spread is only going to grow between mint units and rust buckets. One viewing of the antique road show and you see the premium collectors pay for mint objects, and as vintage tube amplifiers become more scarce and more popular, which by all accounts they are, the premium for mint is going to rise. peace, TommyK

Hey, Whether cables (now known as interconnects, used to be called patch cords) matter is a highly charged topic in audio. Some knowledgeable people believe they make a huge difference, some knowledgeable people say they make no difference. You can find knowledgable people with opinions at all points in between. In my opinion, audio is especially susceptible to marketing hype. Are there times when you may have a mismatched capaciatence, impedence or inductance and that changing an IC to one with a different capacitance, impedence or inductance will correct the problem? Yes. Is it possible for an IC through a mismatched capacitance, impedence or inductance to act as a tone control or EQ, that just happens to compensate for your individual listening pleasure or component / room acoustics? Yes. Is it likely? No. Is the cable that came with your component just as likely to the have exact same capacitance, impedence or inductance as the expensive cable? Yes. YMMV, TommyK

if I had a pair of Khorns in a nice sized family room, tucked neatly in the corners, and 3 grand to spend on amplification and a preamp, and my audio goals were purity and cleansliness of sound, and I did not have the baggage of all the little gems I have picked up on ebay and garage sales over the years, I'd wait for a pair of MC30s with no chrome pitting or a minty Marant 8B, and send them to Craig for an overhaul. If I am lucky, I'll have $200 left over to buy a wire with a volume pot for my pre. If I need vinyl, I'd ebay a little rat from radio shack. Peace, TommyK