Me Loves Khorns

What is the VPI 16.5. Where can it be found, cost, etc? Paul

Well, it does make it sound more Natural. The other day the Rolling Stones were over at the house, did a few numbers in the den... The sound I now get with the special covers literally sounds just like the Stones did live. Of course, after the short gig, the boys wanted to show them the really cool treehouse we are building out back. Obviously, only my boys were allowed by contract to actually climb up the tree...

I am also new to phono, do you guys just run the brush over the record each time you play it? And, where do you get the Audioquest brushes? Paul

What gets me is that will nearly every product, they say something like: Gives deeper bass, blacker blacks, tighter bass, etc. I guess they just read some reviews on gear in Stereophile and put it down for the crappola they sell. It would be funny to write a review: this product presents an entirely new organic atmosphere to the presentation of the various fluctuating stages of the flow of the music. Purples are purpleier, reds are redder, greens become bluer, while whites dull only slightly. Smells seem sharper, or is that last night's dinner finally kicking in? Vision becomes clearer, my nearsightness seems to have gone. The sound stage is deeper yet more up front. The trebles are crisply like. The mids are seemingly right there in the middle. The lows sound almost like bass type sounds. I almost got the impression there was a stereo type effect going on. The signal is more clear than ever. My wife even noticed. She wondered where the ones that matched the rest of the house went to. Said we paid good money for those and they looked better. But I told her, But listen to the rainbow of colorful sounds, taste the music, smell the ..... Stupiferously amazed and awed: Paul

Nice lookin 911 About those cover plates. I ordered them for all of the sockets in all of my rooms. It seems to make me feel better when I just walk in the room. I almost feel more "holistic" or something. I had no idea they could make such a huge change in my life. Seriously, does anyone actually buy these or those goofy little pebbles? I guess someone does, or they wouldn't be selling them. But it seems like that if someone was sophisticated enough to be searching audiogon, they wouldn't be so stupid as to buy plate covers... Paul

Hey, what about the rumor of the rumor about the MC (is it the 2102?, you know, the big daddy with the blue eyes and window to see the tubes thru? You were thinking about bringing it to Hope. I think you even got an offer for $400 if I remember correctly. I would love to buy it for, say, $800. I just doubled your orig. offer, you should consider it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let me in on the latest rumors. Also, I don't see the MC 30' s on Audiogon anymore Paul

Sure, Currently, I am going with the Samsung cd/dvd with digital optical, the Mac then uses its DAC. In this set up, the samsung is essentially a transport i suppose. Sounds good. Eventually, I am wanting to get a tubed preamp to go with the tube amp. It will only have rca inputs, not digital. Therefore, the DAC on the player will be doing the conversion from digital to analogue. I would imagine that in this set up, the qual. of the player is more important. For example, players like to advertise that they have the latest greatest DAC out there, ie: Burr Brown, etc with this or that sample rate at 96/ 24, whatever. This comes in to play when the player is doing the decoding and you are using the rca's as outputs, Correct.? I suppose that this is when the qual of my Samsung and a player like the Cambridge becomes more noticeable. Paul

Currently, I have it hooked up both ways, with rca's and optical. The rca's are hooked up for the sake of SACD and DVD A, and can also be used as stereo with reg. cd. The optical is hooked up for cd, dvd, etc. The 2 inputs do sound different. I currently prefer the optical also, but this may be because my player isn't all that great, so I guess the McIntosh DAC is doing the decoding. If it is later hooked up to a preamp that does not have a decoder, ie: no optical or coaxial inputs, the decoding would be taking place in the player itself. Then the quality of the player would become more important I suppose Any thoughts? Paul

I listened to the Cambridge in the small room in Hope, it was hooked up to my Khorns. It did sound wonderful. My current set up is a Samsung universal player. It sounds great with DVD A, AND SACD, but Redbook CD's sound rather shrill, tinny, or something like that. OK, here's a question: if you are using the RCA cables, the CD player is using its DAC. If you are using the coaxial or the optical, the digital signal is being sent to the preamp, processer, reciever. It is then using its DAC to decode. When compared to the DAC in the CD player vs the pre/pro, what are the differences in quality of the DAC? On purely analog preamps, obvoiusly the RCA is the only option, but like with my MX 134 McIntosh, I can bring the signal in either with digital or analog. So, any experiences with the DAC's in CD players, pre/pro's, or even an external DAC? Paul

Great looking speakers, good luck Daddy Dee. I bet my New - Old tubes would sound great on them, alas, the money tree is getting rather bare around here. Paul

Good question. They got a best buy here, not much else. Paul

Yeah, my bad on the question. What I meant to type was: is it bad to play them before they are WARMED UP, NOT HOOKED UP. Obviously, they are all hooked up before trying to play them. Is it OK to just turn em on, turn the rest of the gear on the start playing them. I know they will sound better once they are warmed up.

Congrats on the twinlets! I'm not sure of any of the reps in the Houston area. You might ask your wife's ob at the next visit, they might know. We get a ton of vitamins in as samples, but don't actually get any formula in , I guess it all goes over to the pediatricians. I will send you over my email address. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have in regards to obstetrics, I surely know a lot more about it than electronics!!!! Paul

If your going stereo, I guess that makes me a four channel surround set up! Actually, the son that we adopted from Siberia 2 years ago is turning 7 today, time does surely fly on by... Congrats on the new one on the way. There's nothing like being a dad, and having another kiddo is just as great as the first. I remember thinking, back when my wife was preg with our second, that I could not imagine loving another kid as much as I loved our first. Boom, no 2 comes along, and the heart just seems to grow enough to love that one just as much... Also, my father in law has said that math in regards to kids is not a function of addition, but is rather some type of bell curve or something... He said that 1+1 does not equal 2, but rather 2.7 to about 2.9. And 2+1 does not equal 3, but rather around 3.9. etc, in regards to level of activity and work, etc. Turned out he was right. But it is certaily well worth it. And hey, an open offer to your family and any others with preg wifes in the Waco, Texas region: I am an OB-GYN and have a new state of the art 4D U/S machine at my office. Being an audio video nut, I then ran a feed over to a big screen LCD HDTV mounted on the wall, so prego moms, baby dadies, other rugrats, etc, can see the pictures at the same time. It get's really great live time pictures of the little squirts while they are moving around in utero. If any of you are ever around here with expanding waist lines (preg types, not too much beer etc), please let me know, and we can go to the office and get some pics of the little one for you, it's a wonderful time to see the babies face, hands, and other parts in 3 D in real time.... Also, let me know if she needs any prenatal vitamins, I get them by the ton at the office and could stick a bunch of them in a box and mail them to you if she wanted. Congrats Again, Paul

I realize it is an entry level tube setup. I wanted to make sure I liked the sound in my house, of course I liked it in Hope. My wife actually said last night: I cannot believe all that improvement with a $550 amp!!! She now wants me to keep on looking for/ planning for a more high end amp later on to put up on the front two channels, and move this one to the surrounds, the den, or our 12 year old's room... Man, I know I've said it before, but how lucky am I to have a wife that is begging me to get my entire surround system all hooked up with tubes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Actually, I do have a McIntosh surround 6 ch. amp coming in (used) for surround duties, I realize that tubes are not practicle for watching regular tv, xbox, and such. So, I guess you guys should put me on the list for being solidly in the tube camp. At least with my Khorns and listening preferences, there ain't nuttin better! Paul

[][]WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LISTENED TO DIRE STRAITS "BROTHERS IN ARMS" DVD-A. THIS IS ONE OF THE FIRST ALBUMS I EVER HAD, BACK THEN IT WAS ACTUALLY A CASSETTE... I HEARD THINGS ON IT THAT I HAVE NEVER HEARD ON IT BEFORE. I SAT IN MY BIG OLE CHAIR IN THE SWEET SPOT WITH MY WIFE ON ONE ARM OF THE CHAIR AND MY 12 YEAR OLD, AKA, ME LOVES HERESYS, ON THE OTHER. MY WIFE ACTUALLY GOT GOOSEBUMPS. SHE WAS AMAZED AT THE DIFFERENCE IN SOUND. I EXPLAINED TO HER THAT I HAD THE SAME EPIPHANY IN HOPE WHEN I HEARD TUBES FOR THE FIRST TIME ON MY KHORNS. SHE USUALLY CAN'T ALWAYS HEAR A DIFFERENCE IN THE VARIOUS CHANGES THAT I HAVE MADE WITH MY SYSTEM. SHE WAS JUST AWESTRUCK AT THE DIFFERENCE IT MADE! SHE ACTUALLY TOLD ME TO GET ONTO THE COMPUTER AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET A TUBE PRE BOUGHT! RIGHT NOW I'M USING THE PRE PART OF MY MCINTOSH MX134, WHICH WHEN PUT ON STEREO ESSENTIALLY HAS A GREAT MAC SS PRE WORKING. I GUESS I SHOULD MIND THE WIFE AND KEEP MY OUT FOR A TUBE PREAMP... WHEN MAMA'S HAPPY, EVERYBODY HAPPY, AS MY PAPA ALWAYS TOLD ME..... ANYWAY, I'M NOT ALWAYS THE BEST AT DESCRIBING THE AUDIO LINGO.... BUT, THE TUBES HAVE WARMED UP MY KHORNS JUST LIKE I WAS HOPING THEY WOULD. MY SS SOUNDS ALMOST TOO HARSH, BRASH, AND TINNY TO ME NOW. THE TUBES SEEM LIKE HONEY OR SOMETHING REALLY SMOOTH TO MY EARS. THE MUSIC JUST SEEMS TO OOZE OUT OF THE SPEAKERS, FILLING UP THE ENTIRE ROOM... []I NOW FULLY UNDERSTAND WHY EVERYONE ON THIS SITE SEEMS TO GO ON AND ON ABOUT HOW WONDERFUL THE TUBES ARE WITH THE KHORNS... WARNING: SARCASM TO FOLLOW: NOW, I'VE GOT MY EYES ON THESE $500 SET OF ROCKS IN A FILM CANISTER THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO ADD A BIG IMPROVEMENT TO THE GEAR. AND HOW IS THE SNAKE OIL BUSINESS THAT WAS STARTED HERE ON THE FORUM GOING. I'M PRETTY SURE MY CONNECTIONS COULD USE SOME...[6] FINALLY, CLARENCE: GREAT JOB ON THE PACKING, THEY ARRIVED PERFECTLY INTACT. THANKS ONCE AGAIN, PAUL

Thanks for the above... I've got em all hooked up... THINGS ARE STARTIN TO GLOW. IT'W 156 DEGREES TODAY IN TEXAS, THE EXTRA HEAT IS GONNA BE GREAT. ME, THE WIFE, AND ME LOVES HERESY'S ( MY 12 YEAR OLD), ARE GATHERED AROUND LIKE IT'S A CAMPFIRE IN THE ARCTIC WILD... MAN O MAN..... IMA GETTIN ALL EXCITED LIKE... WHAT TUNE AM I GONNA PLAY FIRST... MAN, THE BIG DECISIONS IN LIFE... WHO TO MARRY, SHOULD WE HAVE KIDS, WHAT JOB SHOULD I TAKE ON AS A CAREER, WHERE TO PUT THE KHORNS AND THE LASCALA'S ALL IN ONE ROOM.... AND THEN EVEN BIGGER... WHAT SONG TO PLAY FIRST ON MY FIRST SET OF TUBES? THE PRESSURE IS BUILDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PAUL

I just bought them from Clarence on the forum. Any suggestions about care, biasing, etc. would be appreciated. Thanks, Paul

The Dynacos are sitting at my door. I am about to go hook em up. It was recommended to let the warm up before playing them.. 1. for how long? 2. Is this to make them sound better, or can you damage tubes by playing them before they are hooked up. Also, any other suggestions to a first time tuber.... Thanks, Paul

They made it in last night, gonna go hook em up. How long should I warm em up before i run a signal thru? Paul

Nice... by the way, the amp made it in last night, just about to go in and hook it all up... Paul

Happy Bday! Thanks once again for the prev. offer to drive all the way to the middle of Iowa with me to pick up some speakers. Be carefull drivin tonite! But, if not, I happen to sleep with a really good lawyer.... Once again, Happy Birthday, did someone say it was your 29 th? Paul

I too love going to Goodwill and garage sales and picking up old LP's for a buck. If they sound bad, I just let the kids use them as a frisbee. Most of them sound just fine though. Since you might have just come into about, say, $550, you could get a descent TT. Wouldn't go with the 90 buck sony from best buy, prob. soundeth like crapeth. Good luck huntin. I bought LP's for years before I finally got a TT. Paul

The post just above is actually me, but my son was wondering the same ole stuff. Paul

Yes, I understand that it is a single stereo amp rather than a set of mono blocks. I just used the wrong terminology.... Not sure which preamp yet... I recently got a Mac MX 134 pre pro for the HT end of things. It has the equiv of a newer Mac SS for the stereo outputs. Will use that for now. Latter, when more mullah grows on the ole money tree, I want to get a tube preamp with: remote control phono stage several inputs HT bypass And not cost a ton. Haven't even found what all will fit that bill yet. I like the idea of vintage pre, but no remote. also no ht bypass. Something like a Blueberry / Peach Sorbet with Remote is my dream. Peach has HT bypass, Blueberry has phono, both are supposed to be coming with remote soon... I suppose a Peach with an external phono pre could work? But more money for one more component... Any good ideas? Paul