gullahisland

---------------- On 8/12/2005 4:00:32 PM Allan Songer wrote: An employee of mine is retiring and selling off his entire system which he purchased new back in 1991. I already offered the Well Tempered vinyl rig with a Lyra Clavis MC cartridge to a fellow Kipsch Forum member, but I have listed the Audio Research stuff on Audiogon for him. The gear consists of a D-125 Power Amp (a real beast, 85 lbs, and EIGHT 6550 tubes, recently replaced), an SP-14 preamp, a hybrid tube/solid state design (tube is a nice old Mullard 6DJ8), and finally a D/A converter model DAC-1. New in 1991 the amp was $3295, the preamp $2495 and the DAC was $3400. Here are the Audiogon listings: http://ads.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?ampstube&1129063273&item http://ads.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?preatube&1129063680&item http://ads.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cl.pl?dgtlconv&1129063959&item ---------------- Nice gear. I used to own a D-125. It's a terrific amp with plenty of drive. Not "tubey" like a lot of tube gear, but not hard and cold like most solid state. 110 watts of glorious tube power! My only gripe with this particular design is that the tubes sit horizontally which can lead to accelerated wear. There is a fan to help alleviate this, however. It's also dead quiet, so you don't have to worry about increasing your noise floor. I also owned the predecessor, D-115 MKII which was a better amp overall, but not as powerful and a little more temperamental considering that it was an ALL tube design. The D-125 is solid state on the input side and "only" requires eight 6550 output tubes. Just an FYI...The amp actually listed for $4,500 although your friend/employee may have gotten a better deal.

With that Deluxe Line Drive, you'll need to be careful about mating it with an amp that has sufficient output voltage. It's a TRUE passive preamp. Be careful and good luck.

---------------- On 8/10/2005 7:33:10 PM crazytubepower wrote: For about $400-500 you can get an aragon 2004 100wpc pure class A, designed by krell! Great value ---------------- I'm pretty certain that this is NOT pure class A. It might be AB, heavily biased toward A. The 4004 is the 200wpc version and it is DEFINITELY NOT class A.

At the upper end of the price range is the venerable Classe DR-3 and DR-3-VHC (for very high current). At the lower end of the price range is, as you have suggested, the Forte Model 4 or 4A (the "A" has balanced outputs). Either way, you'll have one of the very finest solid state amps around...regardless of price. They're both masterpieces.

---------------- On 8/8/2005 2:51:31 PM Parrot wrote: Let's see, I'm trying to remember how many SET amps McIntosh made. Any McIntosh experts out there who could help? I'm thinking it was somewhere between none and zero. ---------------- After the jazz comment...This may qualify as the SECOND stupidest comment made on this forum. Since when is McIntosh the benchmark for amplifier design and Parrot the arbiter of amplifier suitability?

Office Space Hollywood Shuffle Tommy Boy History of the World Part I

Congrats, Patrick! If you're planning a trip north (I can think of two reasons that you might!), and are leary of shipping these guys again, I cannot think of a better technician than Nick Gowan at True Sound in San Jose. He's a Brit...a tube-lover...esoteric...a gentleman...and an INCREDIBLE technician. I had an Audio Research D-115 MKII that was damaged during shipment from a seller who was, shall we say, optimistic with his description. It needed a lot of help. Nick allowed me to bring it in on a Saturday morning and repaired it while I waited so that I didn't have to make another trip (2 hours each way) to pick it up. If you've seen Toy Story 2, think of the scene where Woody gets his arm sewn back on, his eyeballs polished with a little cotton swab, an airbrush sprayed on his cheeks to make them "rosy" again, and a fresh brush of brown paint to conceal "AnDY" written on the bottom of his shoe. Nick is much younger, but that's the level care and pride that goes into his work. Anyhoo...If you'd like his number, I'd be happy to get you in contact with him. Check around in the Forums on AudiogoN for the many RAVE reviews by others who wouldn't take their cherished gear anyplace else. My email address has changed, so shoot me a PM if you're interested.

---------------- On 7/27/2005 9:34:09 AM silversport wrote: When I picked up mine and transported them home (15 minute trip) via my Avalanche I had them standing up... Remember that these are heavy and if you can get a friend (I did it by myself but my excitement boosted my strength it will be easier to move them. ---------------- Agreed. Transporting them in a pickup truck, it'll be easiest to leave them standing upright. The problem with laying them down is that the brackets which hold the side skirts on will gouge the crap out of your bed (and risk being bent). Without the tops, they have a very low center of gravity. I would place them face-to-face (with a heavy moving pad between them, of course) and tie them together. Then just run a rope to hold them up near the cab and you're set. They won't budge a bit. I also agree that, while it's always easier to have some help in moving them...It can DEFINITELY be done solo. Khorns are actually easier for one person to move than Belles or LaScalas due to their unique shape and smaller footprint. Have fun.

---------------- On 7/26/2005 12:38:59 AM Malcolm wrote: .............., but in California, the Board of Equalization (great name for a tax agency) ....................... ---------------- It's quite appropriate, actually. They take from the rich and give to the poor, disenfranchised illegal aliens. Ain't diversity grand?

---------------- On 7/25/2005 9:21:41 PM 3dzapper wrote: .... but do they really give you the Hersheys? Rick ---------------- LMAO! Rick - You almost made me blast my monitor with the margarita that I was sipping.

---------------- On 7/22/2005 12:36:03 PM PrestonTom wrote: K-Horns 18 ft apart chair is 9-10 back Thus forming and isosceles triangle (and about 2-3 ft in front of the back wall to minimize the "slap-back") ---------------- This is the FIRST K-horn user reporting a proper setup. I know not ALL of you have your K-horns improperly setup, but it seems that the majority do. For example, I know from his pictures that Parrot has his setup correctly and I'm sure there are many others. But I'm surprised by how many of you aren't even CLOSE to getting a proper stereo image. And what's with Colterphoto laying on the ground? Are you people insane? With respect to K-horns, think about it. The speakers sit in the corners, pointing at a 45 degree angle into the room. If the speakers are 14 feet apart, guess where the sweet spot is?...7 feet. (Actually, it's a little closer when you consider that the front of the drivers are actually about a foot from the side walls, so your speakers wouldn't really be 14 feet apart, but rather 12 feet.) So you would, effectivly, be sitting 7 feet from the front wall, but about 5 feet from the front of the speakers. Of course, at this distance, the squawker and tweeters are firing over your head (unless you're sitting on a bar stool) and you're not getting a very nicely blended stereo image anyway. I contend that K-horns absolutely REQUIRE false corners in any room narrower than 18-20 feet. You absolutely MUST sit 9-10 feet away from them in order to get a cohesively blended sound from the drivers. If your room is narrower than 18 feet, you'll be sitting too close to the speakers unless you can "toe them out" and aim the drivers at or slightly behind your listening position. End rant.

---------------- On 7/20/2005 9:36:02 PM theryugobuddy wrote: Dead Alive is so disgusting, blood and vomit drenched, but its non stop action with primitive effects that are absolutely engrossing to watch... ---------------- Very similar to "Dead Alive" is "Evil Dead". Not the silly sequels, but the original. All through Junior High and High School, two of my best friends and I would have an annual "Evil Dead" sleep-over. Deliciously cheesey.

---------------- So if the music sounds better on a cornwall, then the cornwall is the better speaker and it really doesn't matter what the specs say. Afterall, the purpose behind specs is to attach numbers to aspects of the sounds we hear (so it's all about what we hear). ---------------- ...ummm... ...yeah... ...I'm gonna' have to go ahead and disagree with you there... (anybody seen Office Space? that's my best Lumburg impression.)

Hogwash! (to a certain extent) Live music...REAL MUSIC...is very dynamic, regardless of genre. Simply put, the speakers that best recreate the live event are "the best", irrespective of personal taste. K-horn, LaScala and Belle do this more effectively than any other speaker I've heard at their respective price points. Buy whichever one "fits". (Financially and aesthetically speaking.) To my ears, any other Heritage Klipsch are a compromise (albeit a very GOOD compromise) due to their lack of a horn-loaded woofer. There are those, however, who like their music a little more "colored" and, to them, the bass reflex woofer on the Cornwall is preferrable. There's no question, however, that the lower frequency response is at the sacrifice of ultimate articulation and speed. This is where only the mighty Klipschorn achieves ultimate response in the lowest octave(s) while maintaining the speed and clarity of a horn-loaded woofer. Wasn't PWK clever about choosing the best mix of compromises for each respective speaker? Therein lies much of the genius.

I've had 'em all and it's pretty much a toss-up between DirecTV and Dish Network. Both are a better choice than cable with respect to pricing in almost ALL markets and the picture quality is better than cable in MOST markets. I just recently switched back to Dish from DTV and canceled my Tivo service in favor of the new Dish 625 DVR receiver. It's a dual tuner receiver that allows you to record two shows simultaneously on a single device. I couldn't do that with my Tivo. The second television just uses a UHF remote and controls the second tuner of the DVR. Basically you can watch any show that you've recorded on EITHER television. Imagine...It's late at night and you're watching a movie that you recorded on the DVR. Half-way through the movie, you decide that you'd like to finish watching it in the bedroom. No problem. Very cool. The only downside that I've found is that Tivo's user-interface is VASTLY superior to the DVR. But...my guess is that Dish will make improvements and update the software remotely. The BIGGEST advantage that I've found with Dish, however, is that they offer Sirius Satellite Radio. The Pure Jazz station, alone, gives the nod to Dish Network if you're trying to make a decision between Dish and DirecTV. Finally...There's no law that says you HAVE to use Dish Network's DVR feature. If I get too frustrated, I can easily reconnect the Tivo and have the best of both worlds...except for being able to record two shows at once. Oh well.

FIVE DAY FORECAST 103/65 Today 103/69 Thu 104/69 Fri 102/68 Sat 102/70 Sun "At least it's a dry heat!" Whomever coined that phrase should be shot!

There's a specialty roaster nearby called "Motherlode Coffee Roasting Company". Their 49'er and Goldrush blends are phenomenal. Very dark and smokey with a slightly sweet finish. I find that the darker roasts, while stronger tasting, have much less acidity than the lighter varieties and, consequently, are a little easier on the acid reflux. But, at $12.95/lb, it does get a little pricey. For "everyday" coffee, I used to buy the Kirkland/Starbucks House Blend from Costco. Recently, however, they've begun carrying a new offering; Seattle Mountain Ethiopia. They used to sell Seattle Mountain Sumatra. I tried it once and was horribly disappointed. I almost passed on the Ethiopia, but since the Ethiopia Sidamo at Starbucks is one of my faves, I figured I'd give this one a try. Boy, am I glad I tried it. I'm now on my third 3lb'er (in fact, I'm enjoying a cup while I type) and couldn't be happier. It's a fairly complex cup with bright citrus notes and a very earthy finish. It is inherently more acidic than, say, a French or Italian Roast, but not excessively so. But the flavor and aroma are exceptional and for $3.33/lb, it's by far the best value I've found. On the weekends, I like to use my stainless steel Starbucks Barista espresso machine with either Peet's or Starbucks Italian Roast. One of my favorites (albeit VERY high calorie) is to squeeze about 4-5 shots into a heated cup and mix with an equal proportion of steamed (no froth) half-and-half. My other favorite is a white chocolate mocha. For best results, however, you must use Ghiradelli's ground white chocolate powder. The only place I've been able to find it is Smart and Final. They used to sell it in a large 3lb cannister. Now the only way to buy it is in a 10lb. box! (NOTE: Don't confuse the Ghiradelli White Mocha powder that you find in the grocer's isle with the White Chocolate powder. They're NOT the same. The White Mocha Powder has coffee flavor added and it's NOT very good.) For daily brewing, we use the Stabucks Barista Aroma Grande. Starbucks was one of the first to design coffee makers with an insulated stainless steel carafe to keep the coffee hot w/o a heating plate. It works tremendously well and is becoming the design of choice for many other brands as well. For the special occasion, we'll break out the French Press. It really is the most flavorful way of brewing coffee, but you must enjoy it immediately or the coffee will grow cold very quickly. Disposing of the grounds is also a little messy since there's no filter holding the grounds. Regardless of your preferred coffee or brewing method, it is CRITICAL that you buy WHOLE beans and GRIND them immediately prior to use. A burr grinder is best because it allows you to select the size of the grind for the respective brewing method and gives the most consistently uniform grind; Coarse for French Press, Medium for basket style drip makers, Fine for Cone drip makers, Very Fine for Pump Espresso machines. Unfortunately, a good burr grinder will set you back about a hundred bucks and is not necessary if most or all of your brewing is in a drip coffee maker. A blade grinder can be found for $15-20 and works very well. As Marvel said, 15-18 seconds is just about right. You may find that shaking the grinder while it's running will provide the most evenly consistent grind. Otherwise you'll end up with the beans that stayed closest to the blade being ground to a fine powder, while the beans that sat on top are very coarsely ground. Remember: You must clean and de-scale your coffee maker every month or two. The calcium and mineral deposits that build up in your machine are responsible for that "bitter" taste. Dip-It is available at your grocery store and works very well.

It may be a pain in the a$$, but one of the most effective tactics (albeit a bit "guerilla" in nature) is to stand out front of the dealership with a great big sign warning potential patrons of the problems you've had. My guess is that your problem would be solved within a couple of hours. It's your right to picket and likely the quickest route to a solution in this case. Just an idea.

Now all you need to do is slap some really cool stickers on the back window and install the ubiquitous 5" exhaust tip and you're all set. Oh...and maybe when you save up enough money you could stick one of those shopping-cart-handle spoilers on the back. And don't forget the racing fins for your windshield wipers. KOOOL.

I'll second this recommendation. Novus is THE best at removing scratches from any plastic/acrylic or similar material. Consequently, it's fantastic for restoring your cds and dvds.

---------------- On 6/26/2005 11:26:30 PM Malcolm wrote: T3K, Ah thanks ya'lls confoundin da feriner. Gramas701, Your "speak with reason" sentence has some structural problems. It is "grammar" not "grammer", "English" not "english"... I've met a lot of close minded highly educated people and a lot of wonderfully open minded uneducated people. Arguments are made with rhetoric all the time. Rhetoric was even one of the three subjects of the trivium of medieval education, the other two being logic and grammar. Which version of proper English would you like us to use. What constitutes proper English differs from place to place. One cannot educate someone who does not want to be educated. You actually took T3K seriously? I think it would have been best to ignore him. Now you have surely encouraged him. ---------------- Listen, jackass...(How's that for proper English?) You're not so clever as you think and your grammar is not perfect, either. A couple of hyphens, commas and question marks were AWOL in your "open letter" to Gramas701. "close minded" = closed-minded "open minded" = open-minded Society was so very "advanced" in Medieval times, no? (By the way, you neglected to capitalize the "M" in Medieval) Also, you missed the question marks in your two questions. (Perhaps they were rhetorical...nonetheless, they were absent. It is, however, as you said; "One cannot educate someone who does not want to be educated." And, finally, I believe that Gramas701 took the post seriously because he's a sincere individual who could not help but lament the demise of our language. Your attack on him was unwarranted and stupid. p.s. Proper English does not vary from place to place other than slight differences in spelling and the rare syntactical variance.

Time for a little follow-up. I completed the 3-day trial with Sirius and have to confess, I was premature in my harsh judgement. I heard so much fantastic music that I'm not sure I can live w/o it. I listened exclusively to the pure jazz station for no other reason than it was all I could ever ask for. I've just completed my first day of a 3-day trial on XM and, so far, I'm not impressed. The music is a little more run of the mill, or at least very main stream. As far as sound quality goes, Sirius is far better. In addition, the output BALANCE is much better. With XM, I'm constantly turning the volume up and down. I don't think it's that Sirius uses compression. I think it's just that XM sets their playlist and does nothing to adjust for the output levels. Kinda' like what happens when you put various recordings in your 5-disc changer and press "shuffle". Some recordings are just more saturated than others. To make matters worse, when the "announcer" comes on, it's ALWAYS waaay too frickin' loud. And speaking of announcers, with Sirius, you get a REAL DJ. Even better, they're jazz industry giants. I'll keep listening to XM for another two days, but I think my mind's already made up. Now I just have to figure out what kind of hardware to get in order to make the expense justifiable. Good stuff.

---------------- On 6/16/2005 4:39:18 PM dragonfyr wrote: Come On Folks!!!! Yep, they have the units allocated for the show and they are supposed to be dealing with this. That has been the normal procedure in the past and is the current policy per the contact with AMD. Plus the fact that you are registering only about 3 months late from the rest of industry! Quite frankly, I am amazed that there are ANY spots available at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am getting a quesy feeling that maybe I shouldn't have posted this! As if lots of folks simply run in like they are at ToysRUs it is going to raise quite lot of suspicion, as you will stand out! After all, who do you think is sponsoring this event? Frye's or CompUSA!?!?!?!?!?! ---------------- Huh? Why did you post it if you didn't think that there were any spots left? Why did you make mention of the bundle if it isn't relevant? Why do you assume that you're the only (or at least preeminent) technology professional in the crowd? Sheesh! Don't worry, I can hold my own amongst the "geeks". And even if I did stick out like a sore thumb (with my clean, color-coordinated and fashionable attire) and was picked up by security for questioning, I wouldn't sell you out. It'll be our little secret

I registered and found THIS freakin' message regarding the bundle. Welcome to the AMD Market Builder Promotion Fulfillment Portal We apologize but due to the popularity of the AMD/Microsoft Tech Tour 2005 Desktop and Server show special offers, we are currently SOLD OUT. Please check back for future availability

---------------- On 6/15/2005 11:12:37 AM oscarsear wrote: ---------------- Brilliant post, Oscar. Post more often...This forum could use your wisdom.