Allan Songer
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Posts posted by Allan Songer
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My wife just called and I have 3 boxes sitting in my foyer.
Are you home tonight Allan? I might be too impatient to wait until Sunday!!
Sure! I should be home around 10:00-10:30 your time!! Call me any time . . .
Or call me on my mobile if you're chomping at the bit BEFORE then!
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I love you guys that think the K-55 and K-77 are "high-end" drivers. The K-55 is a paging driver, and the 50 year old K-77 is barely a tweeter by modern standards. Do we want to get into a discussion about the deficiencies of the K-400? So, the Klipschorn has clarity -- relative to what?
Hey, I never said ANYTHING about those drivers being "high end." They're mid-fi ALL THE WAY, but that doesn't mean they aren't perfect for my Cornwalls. Plus, I never listen at high volume and listen to acoustic jazz about 95% of the time. They're plenty clear for what I'm using them for. And to my ears they sound better than any other speaker I have owned--including Tannoys, Quads, KEFs, B&Ws, etc. They may not be as accurate or clear or have as much extension, but they SOUND accurate--they make records SOUND like live jazz . . .
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One more bump! This is tomorrow night and again on Saturday night!!!!
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Most folks I know that have replaced their Khorns have done it with Cornwalls. They prefer that bass punch vs horn loaded. No point in replacing Khorns with Belles or Lascalas (unless for room purposes) since they are so similiar.
I still don't understand why so many are replacing their tweeters. To me it takes away from that great live, gritty sound that drew me to Klipsch in the first place.
Although I have my Khorns in a room that is way too small (only 12 feet apart), I still love them. I hope to have my room remodeled within a year so I can spread them out another 4 - 6 feet. I'm also glad to have Cornwalls upstairs and would probably keep the Corns if I had to choose. They're just way more versatile.
You know, I really appreciate what the Khorn does, but in my room with my gear and the records I listen to most of the time I think the Cornwall is a better speaker. Not true for most I understand, but I wouldn't trade my Cornwalls straight-up for Khorns if I actually had to use them.
And I'm with you 110% af far as the tweeter goes--a nice old alnico T35 that is up to snuff is perfect in these speakers--at least to my ears anyway.
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Count Basie small group with Clark Terry, Buddy De Franco and the mostly forgotten and GREAT tenor, Wardell Grey on the front line!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpPehptG3yw
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Odd list, really. I have about 90% of these albums, but I have to say I there aren't alot of "top 60" recordings here for me. But if I have to pick five from that list:
Meets The Rhythm Section Art Pepper A Love Supreme John Coltrane Complete Quartets with Sonny Clark Grant Green The Sermon Jimmy Smith Blue Train John Coltrane -
I have built up three TD-124s over the past 15 years and all three had VERY minor wear to the lower plate that I was able to polish to a mirror finish with crocus cloth. The wear on the one in your picture is AMAZING. I can't imagine how the table must have sounded! In talking with other TD-124 owners I think I have just been very lucky with the tables I have come across--probably very lightly used examples!
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By the way, the Schopper ball bearing and plate kit works GREAT. Gary's table is a smooth and quiet as can be!
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Here are four young players that I really like alot. These are off the top of my head--they all happen to be in my car's CD changer right now!:
http://www.amazon.com/Promise-Danny-Grissett-Trio/dp/B000ERU2BQ
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Thanks for the heads-up, Allan! It's only about 20 miles up the road!
Say "hi" to John for me!!! He'll get a kick that I told you about the gig!!
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First of two bumps this week! If you are in the Bay Area- DO NOT MISS THIS!!!
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Brimar made some GREAT tubes--it's just that the 12BH7 isn't one of them. Their 5U4G was one of the best(I'm currently running a pair in my MC30s) , most of the 12AX7 they made were FABULOUS and their 12AU7 (13d5--like an "SQ" gold pin Amperex) is legendary! I just put in a quad of their 6V6GT output tubes in my little HK integrated--they're farily cheap and NICE!
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Brimar and Mullard were actually differenct companies. Brimar made a 12BH7 (a pretty crummy tube when compared with the really good USA 12BH7--RCA blackplates and Sylvanias especially), Mullard did not.
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. I just wish all those guys were still around and kicking, because there's nothing really like that anymore, at least not in my world. Jazz came, it trived & even concured for while, but then it disappeared from the scene.
Glad you like the TD-124 Also glad you like the Jack Sheldon/Art Pepper record. But this comment is pure bullsh!t. You have no idea what you're talking about. There are GREAT young jazz players and PLENTY of verteran mainstays still on the scene playing beautifully. I am out listening to live jazz about 6 times a month on average and I could go out EVERY night here in L.A. if I had the time and energy.
The problem you're having is that there is not a vibrant jazz scene out there in Broken Arrow (doubt there EVER was one)! But there are PLENTY of NEW releases from GREAT young players! If you'd like a list (most on CD only--sorry), drop me a line!!!
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Looks good Allan, and I'm sure it's gonna sound excellent with your having gone through it. Did you send the SME to Brittaudio for a re-wire/incognito kit?
I have quick question based on the picture you posted.... from the apparent position of the tone arm and a glance at the bias weight's position.... Is the length of line on the bias weight long enough? or was the wire guide bent outward too much? Because it appears to be too short.
The wire guide looks to be at the same angle as mine, but my bias weight hangs down a 1" lower. Maybe it's just the angle of the photograph, but it sure looks like you got at least 25% of the LP left to play and less than 1/2 inch of travel on the bias weight.
Congrat's Gary, and now that you have a real TT, I'll give you $50 bucks for your Basis [
], and another $20 for the stylus []. Enjoy your new toy, and hope to make it up there some day. Your a top guy around here. Also, got the LP's when I got back last night, thank you. The wife quickly asked me to put the Police LP on.Ciao'
The bias weight lead is long enough. It's a bit shorter than others I have seen, but it has plenty of travel all the way to the end of the dead wax.
I have rewired an old SME only once. It is a MAJOR pain in the neck. Have you ever taken apart one of these arms?--It takes 50 times longer to put it back together than to take it apart. Plus, the one time I rewired one of these I heard ZERO sonic improvement so I vowed never to do it again!
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John Heard, who is my favorite living bass player and a good friend will be playing a couple of gigs with his trio--the GREAT Danny Grissett on piano and young phenom Lorca Hart (BIlly Hart's son) at the Healdsburg Jazz Festival this weekend. John's trio will be at the Healdburg Hotel on Friday and Saturday night from 9 PM until midnight. THIS IS A FREE EVENT!!!
There are LOTS of great players at the festival this weekend including Jim Hall, Dave Holland, Roy Hargrove and George Cables. If you have the scratch, you should pay your way in to one or more of these gigs too--but if not, be SURE to check out John and his trio. And tell him you are a friend of "Allan in L.A." He'll be happy to know I sent you!!
http://www.healdsburgjazzfestival.org/weblog/musicians/index.html#heard
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You will be able to really enjoy VG and even VG- discs that are unlistenable on your "plastic" turntable!!!
That's funny!
Allan, how do you get in touch with Juki?
He's on ebay and Audiogon pretty regularly.
Send him a message--he can provide many itemsthat he never lists (such as the Ortofon SPU range). His price for the SPU-GM mono was about 40% less than the Euro vendors (the cartridge is not available in the USA).
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The only thing I've been missing in my systems has been a good way to play all of my old mono LPs. I LOVE my Basis but the old LPs have always sounded just a bit thin on what Allan calls my "plastic" turntable. I think it also has something to do with the Khorns. Having a mono only table like the 124 upstairs with my Cornwalls should fill that last void. I think the old Blue Notes in particular are recorded on the thin side. Horns sound great but bass is definitely lacking. Cornwalls have that bass punch that the Khorns don't and it helps bring those Blue Notes to life.
This is the first change I've made in any of my systems in quite some time and I expect it to be the last for a very long time. I'm really looking forward to October so I can get some of your opinions and/or suggestions.
Thanks again to Allan and Scott for helping to make this happen. Both these guys are true class acts!!
You will be AMAZED how quiet your old monos will sound with this rig. This set up is VERY forgiving when playing old, less than perfect records. You will be able to really enjoy VG and even VG- discs that are unlistenable on your "plastic" turntable!!!
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115 db is not painful but is indeed bad for your hearing in the long haul. Any system that becomes painful at high SLP has something just plain wrong for that type of listening. The most likely candidate is a lack of available transient response power or the speaker/room are just not capable of that type of SLP without producing enormous distortion.
Craig
115 db is ALWAYS painful to me. I have I ever told you how much I hate rock concerts? The last one I went to was Black Sabbath and Pantera at the Forum in Los Angeles. Bill Ward invited my wife and I and set us up with third row seats. "Painful" doesn't even BEGIN to describe the experience!!!
But, if one MUST listen to rock at 115 db, then they should ABSOLUTELY have a 400 watt pro audio amp pumping through horns!!! What fun!
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How much did you pay?
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It was fun!
The SPU GM-mono sounds FANTASTIC! I've been spinning both mono and stereo records and it plays both beautifully!
Got it tracking at 3.85 grams--the range is 3.0-5.0.
The table is rumble free--the arm is tight. And everything LOOKS good too!
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Finally got Gary's "new" turntable dialed in. This one will go in his "upstairs" system with the Scott 299 and the legendary Zerbrawood Conrwalls. The deck came from Scott and it's PERFECT.
The SME 3009 Series II came from ebay--it needed a couple of little things--new rubber and a conversion to RCA plugs which I did. I threw in a nice SME phono cable that I no longer need.
The plinth came from Scott with the deck and I cut it down to fit Gary's rack and reveneered it with English Ash and stained it to match Gary's decor.
I made the armboard for the SME.
The Orotofon SPU-GM mono came from Juki.
AWESOME!!! Hank Mobley Mosiac spinning (the "Poppin'" session).
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Glad I waited around for "the truth".
How many individuals were involved in your controlled double blind testing?
You volunteering?
Want to place a wager on your ability to correctly identify a VRD from an upgraded Dynaco Mark III or a good Chinese amp or a chip amp for that matter? How about your ability to identify the VRD as the best sounding amp?
Even though I have only heard the VRDs once and only for a couple of hours under less than ideal condtions, I would bet the FARM I could pick out the VRDs in a blind test against a chip amp or a Chinese tube amp. And I doubt very much I could identify the VRDs against the the Mark IIIs.
], and another $20 for the stylus [
]. Enjoy your new toy, and hope to make it up there some day. Your a top guy around here. Also, got the LP's when I got back last night, thank you. The wife quickly asked me to put the Police LP on.
Check out Gary's new toy!!!!
in 2-Channel Home Audio
Posted
It shouldn't take more than 45 minutes to get the thing playing music!!