Mick Bell

Not all Blue Berry Extremes have a phono section. The Blue Berry Extreme "With Cream" has the phono section.

Very good news, Amy. Count Sandy and me in. Mick Bell

Larry: Thanks for a most enjoyable presentation on classical music. I love nearly every type of music from rock and pop to folk and jazz. But I've especially been a classical fan all my adult life and have taken many courses at the college level to enhance my understanding of this exceptional art form. I have to say that your forum was an OUTSTANDING introduction to this music. In a very short time you covered the structure of the orchestra and the main historical periods of classical music and gave examples of the music with suggestions of what to listen for. The DVDs were an added bonus giving us the opportunity to see as well as hear some of the great artists and orchestras of the world. Thanks for a wonderful session. Mick

Dan: I've been using Altec 811s with my Belles for a couple of years. They have a wider sound stage than the stock horns and they fit inside the Belles pretty easily. As for the K-Horns, I use Al's Trachorns. They're a worthwhile upgrade to the stock horns. Mick

I followed the general directions and photos posted by IndyKlipschfan in the 2 Channel forum. I made one major change. Instead of taking off my original tailboard I screwed a 3/4 inch plywood tailboard on top of the original. This was cut at 45 degrees on the long sides. I also cut the long sides of the side panels at a 45 degree angle. I think I used more screws than Roger did in his project because I screwed the side panels to the added tail board about every 4 inches all the way down using 2 inch cabinet screws. So the side panels are screwed at each brace, the top, the bottom, and down the tail board. Remember too, that since you're enclosing the entire bass bin, you'll need to provide new "input" terminals. I put mine on the tailboards. The finished product looks exactly like the photos IndyKlipschfan posted in the 2 Channel forum. I did not take photos of the work in progress -- too busy trying to finish the darn thing. So all the details of the project are now inside and can't be photographed. I'm certainly no woodworker but the project turned out reasonably well. I used a circular saw for most of the cutting, a small jigsaw for some of the short cuts on braces. If you have a table saw - or know someone who does - that's the way to go for the long 45 degree cuts. Otherwise you need to clamp a guide board to keep the cuts straight. I don't think you can make these cuts successfully free-hand.

Last weekend I enclosed the bass bins of my K-Horns. The result is quite remarkable. Bass is much more well defined and stronger. The sound stage much improved because now I can correctly rotate the speakers to fit my listening position. Before the mod, my best listening position was about 4 feet in front of my seating position. Now the best listening position is spot-on the seating position with much better bass response. This mod is not rocket science but it IS labor intensive. It's also worth the effort. One 4 X 8 sheet of 3/4" cabinet grade plywood will do the trick. If I had it to do over, I'd give serious thought to using MDF instead of plywood because it's denser and easier to work with. If plywood is used it's important that it have no voids. If you decide to give it a try, I think you'll like the result. Mick

Say, Bob, does the iPhone have one of those non-user replaceable batteries like the iPod? Mick

Dan, check your Private Messages. Mick Bell

I've heard folks talk about "break in" periods for interconnects and speaker cable before. This simply has to be way out there in snake oil territory! What's to break in? Are molecules supposed to re-arrange themselves somehow imparting better sound thereafter? If there is an empirical, verifiable explanation for the claim that cables need to break in I'd sure be interested in knowing about it.

Dave: You have a PM.

I'm still running Mark's stock tubes in mine.

Amy, I booked at the Residence Inn about a month ago at the correct rate with no problems. Mick

Trey, the Jazz Kitchen is great! Can't go wrong with that choice.

Cars Photography Cycling Amateur Radio

Marshall, I continue to enjoy the excellent Heresy Is which you rebuilt for me. They simply sound fantastic and the workmanship is outstanding. Thanks again. Mick