jheis

I was just looking at the line up for the Healsburg Jazz Festival (May 30th through June 8th). I don't recognize all the names, but the one's I know blew me away. Various small venues scattered around town. Charles Lloyd Cedar Walton Bobby Hutcherson Kenny Barron Fred Hirsch Eddie Palmieri Bennie Maupin James Newton Zakir Hussain Joshua Redman Kurt Elling Don Byron Jason Moran Renee Rosnes George Cables Mary Stallings John Heard Billy Hart Eric Harland Bobby Watson Ruth Naomi Floyd Victor Lewis Ray Drummond Julian Lage Craig Handy Marc Cary Reuben Rogers Wayne Wallace Sarah Wilson Myra Melford Ben Goldberg Matt Wilson and many more www.healdsburgjazzfestival.org James

Embrace it fini. Just think - a perfectly good excuse to buy another tool. Of course today you could have just left it out in the sun. James

Buy yourself a wooden boat instead - it's cheaper in the long run.... James

Anything by Phil Collins. James

Try posting your question in the igroove section.

Greg: Glad we convinced you that you could not not do this trip. James

There are 10 kinds of people - those who understand binary and those who don't.

I hope the George Cables is actually in the line-up. It will be good to see him back in action. He's been out for quite a while (liver & kidney transplant IIRC). James

The "v" speakers are magneticly shielded so that they can be placed close to a CRT without distorting the picture. Some TV's are more affected than others and it is a function of the distance from the magnet to the CRT. I had a MGA sitting directly on top of a Cornwall for years with no adverse affects - but the same MGA is affected by a KG 4.5 standing beside it if it is less than 1.5 feet away. (Green hue in the area closest to the speaker.) James

I'd suggest the B&K ST-125.2 (same as the current Reference 125.2 except for cosmetics). Sounds great, bullet proof, made in the USA & can be had for ~$300 used (I got one of mine for less than $200). James

I agree with dtel on this one. Eric Clapton "Unplugged" is an absolutely horrible recording. The audience is mic'd WAY louder than the stage. Extremely annoying! I've had this one for, probably, 15 years & don't think I've listened to it more than twice, but this stinker remains fresh in my mind. I really hate the recording on this piece of crap. Now lemme tell you what I really think.... James

Friends don't let friends do MicroCrap.

The level setting on your dial is meaningless (-0dB in reference to what?). Get yourself down to your local RatShack & spend ~ $30 or 40 bucks on a SPL (sound pressure level) meter and limit your listening to a level that won't cause permanent hearing loss. Hearing is not like wine... it doesn't get better with age. Protect it while you've got it. James

One that will allow you to plug into the wall receptacle. [] Seriously, the cable that comes with your amp is about as good as it gets. "Magic" power cables are pure snake oil. James

I'd pick the B&K over the Rotel, but I don't have experience with the others, can't be of much help there. As Jeremy said, don't be afraid of used B&K amps. I've had seven B&K amps. I bought one new, one was a demo and the other five were purchased used. Used my "used" ST 140 for 10 years and then sold it for $100 more than I paid for it. Great sounding quality stuff made in the USA. James

Gilbert: I don't know if this will work, but it's worth a try. I've been pondering this off and on for a while 'cause I've got an old Spencer Davis Group LP that was one of my favorites until someone used it to level a slide projector - with predictable results. Anyway, I was thinking - stick the album back in it's sleeve and place the whole thing between two sheets of quarter inch thick glass and leave it in the sun for a couple of hours then let it cool before removing the glass. The combination of heat and the weight of the glass might do the trick - 'course I never got around to trying it. Don't know if I even can find the album any more.... James

All of the pre-amp, amp options you listed should sound great. I know it's often hard to do, but try to listen to each before you make up your mind. I've never owned Mac but I've had Carver (Sunfire) and B&K. In my book, B&K gets the nod. James

Oh Yeah - local boy. Lives out in Sebastopol IIRC. James

Take a look at B&K. The PT-3 Series II pre-amp can be had for around $200 on ebay (the current model - Reference 5 runs about $100 more), and the ST-125.2 (or earlier) amps can be found for $300 (or less). Quality stuff made in the USA. B&K sounds great with La Scalas (Khorns,Cornwalls and Heresys too for that matter). James

First of all don't you dare sell 'em. You'll never be able to replace them. If you think they are too big, just picture having two washing machines in the living room - the Cornwalls are far more attractive. Second, where are you in CA? If you're in the SF Bay area there may be a local gathering in the next several weeks. Keep your ears on. James

Have you heard "Friday Night in San Francisco?" I think that was their first colaboration recorded live at the Warfield Theater in 1980. James

Mark: The B&K that I brought to Bob's was a ST-125.2 (125 wpc). Class A predriver, AB MOSFET output, 0.09% THD, 95 dB S/N, 30 lbs and it has balanced inputs [] (RCAs too). The ST-125.2 has been replaced in their line-up with the Reference 125.2 Series II (I believe it is the same amp - just with revised nomenclature & cosmetics to bring it in line with their other models). Retail is $700, but I've found them for $589.59 with free ground shipping. http://www.homepriceclub.com/shopcart.aspx?pid=104035 James

Mark: Yep, that's the one. James

Hi Kevin: I don't have experience with khorns, but I can tell you that the 125.2 is WAY more than adequate for either La Scalas or Cornwalls (or Heresys for that matter). The difference in output between 125 wpc and 200 wpc is <3dB, so it should not make a discernable difference. On the other hand, I'm a big fan of having a little extra headroom []. For me, it would depend on how much extra money you're paying for the extra horsepower. James

Bare wire. James