wipster

Dude... you win! That performance was great! I hear a lot of Albert King in your SRV and it sounds excellent. As my Aussie relatives say, Good on ya mate!

Mookie, SRV is probably next after Keen... then again, things are subject to instantaneous revision! I've been into both Vaughans for as long as I can remember. I have the originals of Stevie's first four on vinyl, plus rebought them all on CD, plus have Texas Flood on SACD, plus just bought the new collection Texas Hurricane on vinyl (33 not 45) which has his four studio albums, plus The Sky Is Crying and Family Style, all on 200 gram virgin vinyl masters from the original tapes, plus several concerts on DVD and BluRay. Ya might say I'm a fan. Of all of them, I think his last album, In Step, is my favorite. After he got cleaned up his playing was even better. The last song on that album, Riviera Paradise, is my favorite instrumental, but I like them all. Saw him in concert about two months before the plane crash at the Gorge on the Columbia River. He was opening for Robert Cray and totally blew him off the stage... it was nothing short of fantastic! I'm a big Jimmie Vaughan fan too... the T-Birds have never been as good since his departure. He recently put out two albums that I highly recommend, Jimmie Vaughan Plays Blues, Ballads & Favorites and Plays More Blues, Ballads & Favorites. Easy to get on CD, tough to find on vinyl (or should I just say expensive to find, but worth it IMHO). Also just bought a Jimmie Vaughan signature stratocaster... now if I can just learn how to play the damn thing... it is beautiful however. BluesBoy's son Dylan can really make that puppy sing! Speakers will be delivered Monday, so I sense my ears are going to be very very happy next week!

I have a pair of Heresy I's and II's, but I prefer not to lose my media center. Another concern, whether valid or not, is a Heresy puts the woofer fairly low and may be firing at my coffee table. I'm also considering for whatever center channel speaker I decide on, to replace the grill cloth that matches the Belles, since it is available from Crites. Good idea, I would hate to separate my Heresy's too, that's why I think I'll end having the custom one built... my Academy is already aimed up towards my head, so we'll do the same with the custom. I found another outlet that sells speaker fabric that matches the cane grilles pretty well, so I intend on replacing the fabric on my cover too regardless of which speaker I use. Damn we have an expensive hobby.

Musicook, Thanks for the pictures of your rooms! I envy you for the amount of space you have... I'm a bit constricted as to space. And thanks for the complements on the Belles I have coming (just got shipped yesterday, supposed to be here Monday!), they are the pair I have been looking for for quite a while. As for the centers, I like your Altec setup, those speakers I'm sure will provide a great soundfield for the front three (and all the surrounds as well). I'm going to experiment with the Academy and one of my Heresy's, but I'm pretty certain the Heresy will win out as the tweeter and midrange is virtually the same as the Belles and that should provide an almost invisible wall (if anyone has that setup, I would appreciate your feedback). If that's the case, then I will definitely have BluesBoy built me a custom Heresy center, resized to fit my A/V stand and possibly with the tweeter and midrange mounted horizontally for better dispersion laying on it's side. Mookie, the first thing I'm going to play is side two of the new Sticky Fingers remaster I just got.... I'm very familiar with that whole album, but side 2 sounds fantastic through the Eico's and the Heresy's, so it should sound even better withe the Eico's driving the Belles! Second album will probably be Petty's new one, Hypnotic Eye, followed by Jar of Flies by Alice in Chains... "No Excuses" has some opening drum beats that will rock! First digital play will probably be Dylan's Oh Mercy SACD, running through my OPPO BD-103 and the Onkyo (for some reason, SACD's sound better playing through it rather than tube equipment... it does have good DAC's, maybe that's why). I just got the vinyl of Gravitational Forces by Robert Earl Keen, which should also sound pretty damn good through these big puppies. I can't wait!

Thanks More and Derrick! Appreciate the info D, I'm on carpet so the dollys may be less of an issue, but we'll see... I'm going to have to have a pair just to move them in the house anyway.

Thanks for the info on Phil and Bob Mookie. I felt good about the transaction after talking with Phil, he did go out of his way to make the pricing pretty reasonable, plus he answered all my questions about the speakers honestly (at least I think so). And yes, as Tom Petty said, waiting is the hardest part! In fact, I recently bought both Petty's new one and the soundtrack he did for "She's The One" on vinyl and as good as they sound on the Heresy's, I can't wait to hear my 50 watt Eicos make them sing through the Belles! Anybody need some nice Fortes? They have titanium tweeters and midranges...

Judging by your Seahawk cap, your Belle's have a long ride from Maumelle AR! Curious to hear your comments on the AB2 from Bob. I chose the 4500 hz crossover with the CT 125 tweeter to update my Belles and loved it. The cost for the two xovers plus tweeter was about the same as the new AB2 so I went that direction since I got new tweeters with that mix. I trust you will like your Belles as much as I do mine. Thanks Mookie! Yeah, long expensive ride... just hoping UPS Ground and Craters and Freighters get them here safe (and I'm sure they will). I considered upgrading the tweeters and going the A/4500 route, but decided to go with the AB2's because it's a little gentler on my wallet, which has taken quite a beating lately, and I really didn't want to change the tweeters since I haven't even heard them yet! I will keep you posted as to how they sound compared to the AB networks that they currently have. I could have waited a while, but AB's aren't very well thought of and I figure after 28 years, they probably deserve to retire anyway.

------------------ Schu, I have the exact same coffee maker, drink my coffee the same as well (Gevalia Pumpkin... yummy), at least 2 cups a day... natural speed!

Just for shiites and sunnis, here's the Belles I just bought (you might have seen them on eBay):

Just so you can see how close we are, here's a quick pic of my current set up:

Musicook, Congrats on the Belles! They look great and I'm sure sound even better. Believe or don't, I'm in a very similar situation as you in that I bought a pair of '87 Belles (Oiled Oak with cane grills... my mouth is watering just talking about them) last week that should be delivered next week. Currently, I'm using my '75 Heresy's for two channel audio with a Micro Seiki DD-40 table and Eico preamp and amps, and for video, digital, and surround sound needs, I use a pair of '87 Fortes with an Academy center (makes a really nice soundstage IMHO) and 4 KG1.5's for surround with two KSW200 subs, powered by an Onkyo SR805 receiver. I've got dedicated switches for both of the front speakers and the amps (I just have to remember which switch is switched at times... hell to get old). This is all in an 18' x 18' room, so because of size restrictions, I am also planning to use just the Belles for all purposes. Since you're already set up in virtually the same manner mine will be, I've just a couple questions, mainly how do you feel the Academy matches with the Belles in sound "equality" (don't really know what to call it, but the reason I got the Academy is that it was made to match the Fortes... kind of at least... and it matches up really well with them)? Because they're both heritage speakers and have tweeters and midranges that are close, I'm thinking that a Heresy might be superior as a center for use with the Belles. My only problem is I have the Academy in the same stand my Vizio M701 sits on and the hole it's in is 1/2" too small for a Heresy! If the Heresy is a better fit sonically, I may have BluesBoy build a custom one for me... same guts but slightly different cabinet. However, if the Academy matches up, it may not be necessary... I look forward to hearing your opinion. Second question, I notice you have wheels on your Belles... at 125 lbs each, I can understand why! I was considering doing the same even before I saw your post, but was concerned if you noticed any difference in performance not having them directly on the floor? I would expect it would be similar to your LaScalas... Anyway, congratulations again! I'll keep you posted when I get mine in house (no small task in itself, thank goodness I have strong friends who like beer!). FYI, I also ordered a pair of AB-2's from Bob Crites today, and we plan on replacing one at a time and doing some A/B tests in mono to see how much of a difference there is. Stay cool and have another!

Steve, If you're ever over to the real East side (by that I mean NOT Bellevue), give me a ring... I would love to have you listen to my Eico's playing the newly remastered SRV albums on my Micro Seiki DD-40 (MA-505 tonearm with a Stanton 881 cartridge) through my H1 Heresys (rebuilt with Crites caps and the '74 PWK mod)... you would melt. It would sound fantastic running through your LaScalas (and my KHorns when BluesBoy rebuilds the crossovers this weekend). I've been collecting albums since '75 (when I learned how to properly take care of them) and various digital media since the mid-80's. Until a couple years ago, everything was played through SS equipment. But since a divorce (amicable) and an unexpected early retirement (due to health issues), I had the EICO equipment rebuilt (inherited from a father-in-law who passed away before I could meet him) and I got to tell you, I have NEVER heard music sound better. I must admit, I probably still listen to digital played through SS more often, but that's for convenience sake only... with the possible exception of SACD's and BR's, the warmth of a well recorded LP played through Heritage Klipsch via a good tube amp cannot be beat IMHO, but you need to hear it yourself before you venture off into that realm. If you were closer, I have a spare system I would loan you, but 200 miles is a wee bit too far. Anyway my advice is to listen to someone who has a decent tube system and can guide you in the right direction before making the plunge... it's your ears that will be listening, so they need to be happy!

Hey Steve, Long time no talk to... LOL! Are you spinning vinyl or running CD's, SACD's, or other digital sources? I just ask because vinyl through tube amps into heritage Klipschs sounds awesome. I've got an Eico HF-85 pre and 2 HF-50 amps and the vinyl sounds so much better running through my Heresy's vs my Forte I's it's surprising, yet all the digital (CD, Flac, etc.) sounds better running through my Onkyo TX-SR806 into the Fortes... we spent an afternoon blind testing and all three Klipschnuts listening agreed... weird huh? Just food for thought!

Agree with your list (except maybe Robbie Robertson), but would add: - John Hiatt - Peter Case - McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters) - Willie Dixon - Dave Alvin - Kris Kristofferson

I doubt that Klipsch is planning to make a matching center for Fortes now anyway ;-)... One change since I last posted, I did put the Crites titanium tweeter diaphragms in the Fortes and the Academy (along with titanium midranges for the Fortes... had to buy them from Klipsch, pricey but worth it IMHO) and the front sound stage matching is even better than before... pretty close to seamless, plus they sound way better (both SS and stereo), especially if you don't toe the Fortes very much, if at all. Going to watch and listen to "The Avengers" in 3D tonight, I anticipate an awesome audio and visual experience! (I was going to say orgasmic, but I thought that might be too graphic... LOL)

jbsl, thanks for the heads up... I was really into the Avengers, but back around 1965-70, and I've killed way too many brain cells in the interim to remember any of the plots. From the article in wikipedia, sounds like he'll be an awesome opponent... from what I read, even the dialog used during this ending was well chosen and the reason for his smile. I kept most of my comics in pretty good shape, but unfortunately had to sell them all to get by during a six month long strike back in the early 80's... did me pretty well though, even back then I got over a thousand bucks from two record storage boxes worth, both Marvel and DC (Marvel was my favorite). I had the second Incredible Hulk, back when he was gray, and that was worth a bunch. While I wish I still had them, as they would be worth easily 10 times as much now, they sure helped me get out of bind back then. Neo, I agree, I laughed my *** off, especially with all the crap Loki was saying to Hulk right before. The dialog in this movie was excellent... Scarlett got off a couple good ones as well!

We saw it earlier in the week at a matinee (nice to be retired), and yours is the same exact statement I've been making to all of my friends as well. Josh Whedon did a great job directing and the actors, script, CGI, plot, you name it was excellent. While we saw it in 2D (I hate wearing the glasses over my glasses), it was quite obvious is was made for 3D. My best friend will have his man cave done with an Epson 5010E3D projector installed and three Cornwalls across the frony in the near future, so you can bet your *** the BluRay of this will defintely be shown as soon as it comes out... it should look even more fantastic with a few brewskis, in leather recliners, and a little "worry be gone!" I did kind of feel that it was a bit Iron Man focused, but then again, Tony Stark does kind of command the room. The Hulk was awesome, especially the scene with Loki... loved it!