jheis

With a little patience you should be able to pick up a B&K ST-140 for around $150 - 200. Legendary amp. I'm listening to one driving Heresys in my office system as I type. Got mine used about 10 years ago for $150. The ST-140 was my introduction to B&K. I've since bought 5 more amps, 2 pre-amps and a pre/pro for my HT. Good stuff. Nuf said. James

I don't think you need to shield Cornwalls. I had a 20" MGA CRT sitting directly on top of one of my Cornwalls for over ten years - no problem. Give it a try and see what happens. If you have a shielding problem you will see it right away. James

Apparently there are 18 of me out there, so beware! James

Your first post was in the nature of "which gun should I use." Seeing as how there is NO documented record of humans ever being attacked by "big foot," you're much more likely to die from a rabid skunk bite - or maybe a shark attack out there in the north woods. James

So, why is it that the first reaction always seems to be "how do I kill it?" If it exists, take a picture if you have to - otherwise leave it the hell alone. James

If you are experiencing such a dramatic hearing loss at such a young age, it is most likely congenital - meaning you inherited it. How is your parents' hearing? Hearing loss does not get better with age! So, that means you need to be very protective of the hearing you have left. Since you are experiencing hearing loss at such a young age, you need to be especially careful. Never use anything like "earbuds" which concentrate the sound which reaches the inner ear. I'm way older than you and I have about a 20 - 30% loss of the mid range in my right ear - probably caused by ***** shooting and hunting when I was about your age - nothing like having a 12 gauge shotgun going off right beside your ear! I told my doctor that I was being a good boy by wearing hearing protection when I mowed the lawn. He replied that I should where hearing protection when I ran the vacuum cleaner! The moral of the story is that you need to be especially cautious so that you protect the hearing you have left. Once you lose it it's gone, you're never going to get it back. You need to think of this as a VERY big deal. I agree with a previous poster - I'm very surprised your doctor was so dismissive. Aside from the mechanical causes (noise), there is also the (remote) possibility that your hearing loss could be caused by a tumor on the auditory nerve. You should see a different doctor & a CT scan may be in order. Be careful. James

More importantly, what model Lancia? 1973 must still be a real Lancia - before the Fiat takeover? Inquiring minds want to know. By the way, welcome to the forum! James

I agree, identical speakers all around would be ideal. My point, however, is that, in the real world, close enough often works pretty well - especially when you have space constraints (as I'm sure Heideana has living in SF). I'm running LaScala fronts, Heresy surrounds, and Cornwall rears with an RC7 center. It sounds better than about 99.5% of the other systems I've heard. Of course, I'm listening to music about 95% of the time - usually (horror of horrors) in 6 channel stereo. If I want to watch a movie, I just punch in the amp for the RC7. Works for me...sometimes good enough is good enough. James

The KG 4.5's have a Tractrix horn tweeter, a 10" cone woofer and 4" diameter front port. My office and BR systems have pretty much the same electronics with the main difference being Hersey's in the office and the KG 4.5's in the BR. The change in sound quality going from Heresy's to KG 4.5's is very noticeable. James

I think some folks here go WAY over the top on timbre matching. The RC-7 works just fine with a LaScala, Cornwall, Heresy system (of course, I think wire is wire, so take my recommendations with a grain of salt). How good is your hearing, anyway? If you'd like to hear first hand, I'm up in Santa Rosa. James

Art Tatum may have been the greatest pianist who ever lived - as one of our local DJ's proclaims ... I'm a jazz fan but, frankly, I don't like his music. Thechnical ability isn't everything. To each his own. James

I have a pair of fairly recently acquired KG-4.5's They seem to have a rather distinct sound character - sort of like sibilence, but - not really. I'm not sure how to describe it. The bass is "boomy" and there seems to be an unnatural accent on consonants - especially on spoken word. P's have kind of a "pfff" and B's are kind of "bfff," etc. Is this port noise I'm hearing? What ever it is, I don't like it. I've got lots of heritage and I don't like the sound of the KG-4.5's in comparison. Is there a fix or should I just get rid of them? I've got KG-2's out in the garage & I've always liked their sound (of course, they have a passive radiator rather than a port). James

Cornwalled: A "gig" is a kind of barbed spear used to catch frogs. Don't imagine it's very pleasant for the frog. James

Why on earth would I want to do that? Edit: Sorry, I was totally OT. I thought he meant Rush Limbarf, the wingnut pill junky. James

Nothin like a little Leonard Cohen, eh fini? Nice recording circa '86. Still, I prefer his own versions. 'specially with Rebecca De Mornay doing backup... Cause for hope for all us old codgers. James

I had a '84 vintage MGA 20" CRT sitting directly on top of one of my Cornwalls for well over ten years - no problem. LaScala uses the same mid driver, but it's located a little closer to the top of the cabinet. Try it and see. If there is a problem, I think you are going to see it right away. James

Your heading caused a flashback to a final exam essay question that blindsided me the first time I tried college many years ago. I still remember how the question started: "Compare and contrast the littoral dichotomy of...." That's about the time I got up and walked out of the room. I didn't even know what the question was about. It was like one of those dreams where you wake up in the final exam of a class you've never attended (which was pretty close to the truth). James

Pick up a couple of used B&K amps for ~$200-300 on ebay or audiogon and hear what was missing with the Sony. James

Geeze fini, you must not be very good at dropping hints. Parker 51, eh? Maybe you'll find one in your Xmas stocking if you're good. James

No, you're not an idiot [] James

Everything SBC/ATT does is worthless. I didn't think I could hate a company more than I hated SBC - until they recombined with ATT. Reminds me of their old slogan "reach out, reach out and crush someone." The unresponsive monopoly is back - and worse than ever. One ringy-dingy, two ringy-dingys... James

Sorry Michael, but not all La Scalas were Raw Birch. Mine are LS-BL (Birch Laquer) and there were also: LS-BB (Birch Black) LS-BLS (Birch Laquer Stained) - and probably others My laquer finish La Scalas were looking pretty funky (chalky, scratched finish) when I got them, but they responded very well to something called "Restor-A-Finish" by Howard. Can hardly believe they are the same speakers I drug home. You DO NOT want to use BLO on a laquer finish. James

The Red Green Show James

Sorry Folks, but this may have been one of the few times since he stole the DOS operating system that Gates didn't get his way - at least not at first. As far as I can determine, the two 959's that Gates bought were ordered deported along with the other 7 of the original shipment of 8 cars in 1988. The only 959 that was allowed to stay in the US was approved for sale to Otis Chandler on the condition that it could be used only for display in his collection. Because Porsche refused to provide the DOT with four of the $230,000 (in 1987 dollars) 959's for crash testing (out of 230 total production) the car was never certified for street use in the USA by the NHTSA. The 959 did not meet EPA emissions standards either. The 959 could not be legally imported into the USA until the "Show and Display" law was passed in 1999. The "Show and Display" law removed the crash test requirements and allowed the importation of vehicles of "such historical or technological significance that it is in the public interest to show or display it in the United states even though it would be difficult or impossible to bring the vehicle into compliance..." Thus the 959 could now be legally imported (supposedly, Gates was instrumental in getting the "Show and Display" law passed). But the 959 did not even come close to passing the EPA emissions standards, so it still couldn't be legally registered or driven in the US. In 2003 Canepa Design in Santa Cruz, CA managed to modify the 959 so that it would pass emissions tests and made it technically "street legal" in the USA. James

The Reatta was Buick's answer to the question no one asked: i.e. who wants an over weight, under powered, front wheel drive, automatic only "personal luxury coupe," with a sloppy suspension and lousy brakes? The answer was very - very few & GM pulled the plug after four years of disasterous sales. James