ChrisK

David, Could you ask Mike W. to possibly post his Cornwall mods. I for one, would be very interested. Thanks, Chris

I am in Manhattan Beach. He can listen to mine. There are a couple of other CW owners around the LA area. Andy, BTW Dr. Edgar is working on a replacement/aftermarket midrange horn especially designed for Klipschorn owners. He says it will be a big improvement over the original. Regards, Chris

Jazman, Already a member of KKJZ (used to be KLON) down here in Los Angeles. It's really tough for independent, listener sponsored radio these days. I was born and raised in the Bay Area and remember KCSM from way back. Unfortunately, I didn't listen to much jazz back then. Big mistake. As far as Internet radio is concerned, the only web-based monthly subscription I pay for (outside of my ISP) is $5.00 per month to listen to KPIG from up your way. IMHO, KPIG is the best radio station anywhere. Do you ever listen? If not give it a try. One of the few true independent stations left. Not to mention I read somewhere (either WSJ, USNWR, or something similar) that KPIG was the number one listened to radio station on the entire web before they and others were more or less forced to charge. Regards, Chris Regards, Chris

Andy, I sent you an email with some details. Here a few things to keep in mind... 1. In honor of Dr. Edgar's charter membership in the "Greatest Generation" it is requested that you wear the following: Short-sleeved dress white shirt Plain white pocket protector w/ at least 3 pens and 2 pencils (#2) Black-framed horn rimmed glasses (preferably slightly crooked) Black slacks ("floods" are preferable) Black shoes w/ white socks Slide rule (optional) Or, you can ignore the above and wear something with "Stanford" on it and you will be the Doc's new best friend. 2. Prepare for ingestion of some nasty eats, particularly Thor's 12-layer "Mystery Dip". 3. Bring some cotton for your ears as invariably someone will bring a driver to be tested/measured and there will be some very loud screeching. 4. If the he has a Titan system up and running, be prepared to hear some amazing music. In reality this group is very informal and open to anyone. Most of what is discussed goes way over my pointed head, but it is always a pleasure to attend. Regards, Chris PS I performed a MS Word spell/grammar check on this post and whatdoyaknow, Im up to a 7th grade level! If I keep up my current progress, Ill be out of high school by 2008!

Kelly, There's 50 yards of sand on the beach by my house. :-) That's why I live here. No air conditioning in any of the houses and I haven't used our furnace in years...we're cold if it gets below 60 and hot if it gets over 80...talk about wussies... Chris

Dean, As far as your statement "Dr. Edgars comment to you regarding push-pulls and SET is odd, since he also believes horns typically only need miliwatts to function properly." goes, Dr. Bruce works very closely (It appears to me.) with audio electronics designer/builder Cyrus Brenneman. Both of these guys are only interested in one thing, good sound. Dr. B mentioned that Cyrus and he had recently come to the conclusion that even highly efficient horn speakers need "about 40 watts". When I asked him a question similar to your statement, he said that low power was fine for most music. But for "more involved classical music" and such, you need more headroom and therefore power. He also talked about the EL84 tube as being his favorite for music reproduction. I believe the close professional relationship with Cyrus B. has been very enlightening for both sides. Please take my interpretations of Dr Edgar's attempt to educate me with an appropriate grain of salt. While I am learning more and more about the technical side of home audio, much of what the Doc says to me goes WAY over my techno-idiot head. Now if you ask me about the Agriculture industry, that's another story... Kelly, I have a Scott 299(A) on it's way to me for initial evaluation and then on to Craig for "the once over". I also have a Fisher X-101 currently at Mike Z's awaiting my locating of an output transformer, which will finish it's resurrection. When I get both of these amps back in tip-top shape, the Doc has agreed to let me bring them to his shop for a listen and some measuring. The Doc's attitude towards them when I mentioned them to him was lukewarm at beast. We'll see... BTW, I think you would be the perfect guy to put Cyrus and Dr. Edgar on the web. I even mentioned as much to him. But since I don't know how you would feel about it, I left it at that...a mention. Thanks as always, for your contributions to my audio education (?), Chris

Craig, DBE said that there were going to be modifications on any prodution units. He mentioned changing tube types. Something about getting ahold of a slew of Siemens NOS tubes that were very, very good and also inexpensive. Yes, it is a treat to be able to drop in on Dr. Edgar. He is a true treasure to be around. If you're going to the Lima show, get a group together and take him out to dinner. He'll talk your ears off. Today he showed me the monster bass horns he's building for Lima and a few other projects he's working on. Regards, Chris

I stopped by Dr. Bruce Edgar's shop on my way home from work today today to say howdy and shoot the bull. He is such a great ol' guy. A perfect example of the "Greatest Generation". Anyway, he sent me home with an amp to try out. It is the prototype of a Cyrus Brennaman designed EL34 based 15/15 watt stereo amplifier. Here are a few pictures (please excuse my poor photographic skills), then a couple of questions - First off this amp sounds very nice. Seems much more effortless than my Cary. The Cary is a little more detailed, but I could easily live with something like this. I am considering going to seperate monobloc amps with a preamp. Up until hearing this I was pretty set (excuse the pun) on some sort of 300B based SET amp. Dr. Edgar tried to explain why PP can be a better choice for high effciency speakers, but alas my techno-ignorance came shining through. He talked about headroom, distortion, feedback, 2nd (or was it 3rd?) order distortion, etc., etc. He might as well been Shaq O'Neil speaking Chinese. Can somebody possibly explain the pros & cons of SET vs PP (Reader's Digest condensed version) and maybe offer a few opinions? Thanks, Chris BTW This amp (with a few modifications) is going to be available for $1,500. Only problem is neither Dr. Edgar or Cyrus B have a website or distributors to order from(Sounds like a job for Kelly.). I have to say that the much more expensive Cyrus Brennaman electronics teamed with Dr. Bruce's Titan horn system creates the finest stereo sound I've ever heard.

...http://www.eisnermuseum.org/exhibits/online.shtm Fabulously done website on vinyl LP artwork. Very cool. Reminds me of the classy way Kelly's sites are done. Found it on Audio Asylum (Vinyl Asylum). Chris

Kelly, Funniest thing I've read in awhile (the "different connotations" part). still chuckling, Chris PS I have a sick mind.

Have to agree with Kelly on this one. My CW's seem to sound better about 45cm from the wall behind them, facing straight forward. Optimal listening distance for soundstage/depth seems to be about 3m or slightly more depending on volume and type of music. However, the part I like best about them is the way they seem to fill the whole room with good, clear sound no matter where you are sitting or strolling. Regards, Chris PS Kelly, your avatar looks a little imposing to me. But, then again, I'm probably just a wuss.

Max, See my post regarding the next Socal Horn Group meeting. The guest speaker, John Eargle, may be the perfect person to pose your questions/ideas to. I'll let you know what his comments are. I saw where he has written papers on the subject of studio monitor speakers. Ya'Sou!, Chris

Looks like there will be a meeting at Dr. Bruce Edgar's shop on February 1st at about 1:00pm. Keep an eye on the "High Efficiency Speaker Asylum" at www.audioasylum.com for further details. Dr. Edgar has John Eargle lined up as guest speaker. Check out this quick bio on Mr. Eargle - "John Eargle holds degrees in engineering and music from the Eastman School of Music (B.M.), University of Michigan (M.M), University of Texas (B.S.E.E), and Cooper Union (M.E.), was with the quality control department of RCA Records, and served as Chief Engineer for Mercury Records. During the seventies he worked for the Altec Corporation and formed the firm JME Consulting Corporation. Since 1976, Mr. Eargle has been associated with JBL Incorporated, Northridge, California, in the areas of product development and application. He is a Fellow and honorary member of the Audio Engineering Society, and is a past President of the AES. Mr. Eargle is a reviewer for the AES Journal, is a member of the Acoustical Society of America, the SMPTE, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and a senior member of IEEE. He has published extensively in technical and popular magazines, as well as penning standard reference books on audio, including Sound Recording, Handbook of Recording Engineering, The Microphone Handbook, and Handbook of Sound System Design. He is active as a recording engineer, having now engineered and/or produced over 60 Compact Discs, and much of his work can be heard on the Delos label. He has recorded such artists as Carol Rosenberger, Bella Davidovitch, John Browning, Arleen Auger, Janos Starker, Richard Rodney Bennett, and Garrick Ohlsson. Among the ensembles he has recorded are the Seattle Symphony, London Symphony, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Helsinki Philharmonic, Oregon Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, Mostly Mozart Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, New York Chamber Orchestra, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Roger Wagner Chorale, the Westminster Choir, and the Ascension Music Group of New York. In jazz, he has recorded such notables as Joe Williams, Red Holloway, Ruth Brown, Clark Terry, Tommy Newsom, and Etta James. Albums by Joe Williams and Ruth Brown have won Grammy awards in their respective jazz categories. Mr. Eargle has received two Grammy nominations in the category of Best Classical Engineering. He is a fellow, honorary member, and past national president of the Audio Engineering Society, and in 1984, won the Society's Bronze Medal. Mr. Eargle joined the faculty of the Aspen Audio Recording Institute in 1980, and has served the Aspen Music Festival and School in the capacity for the past 16 years. He is a member of the Corporate Board of the Music Associates of Aspen. Mr. Eargle is a member of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences as well as the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Long an experimenter with surround sound, Mr. Eargle was involved in the recent Los Angeles Conference sponsored by the International Alliance for Multichannel Music. He is presently recording all large ensemble sessions on multitrack with the eventual goal of releasing them in a surround sound format to the consumer. " Sounds like an interesting afternoon. Regards, Chris

Crash, Kelly's probably gonna get in my face for this, but I might recommend one of the cheaper Music Hall TT's. You can get a new one for $250.00-300.00, ready to roll. Used, off the internet (eBay, Audiogon) you could abscond with one of their higher quality models for not much more. While I was waiting for my new $2,750 Clearaudio rig to arrive, my dealer gave me a Music Hall (MMF 2.1, I believe) as a loaner. It sounded great. Did it sound as good as the TT I ended up with? No. But, it did get me 80-90% there. By that I mean the sound quality was more than good enough to make you say "ahhhhhh....THAT'S what the fuss about vinyl sound is all about." OK Linn boys, let me have it. Regards, Chris

Dean, We are all praying for the speedy recovery of your son and all involved in this terrible accident. Those of us with children especially feel your pain. I know it sent a chill down my spine. All the best, Chris PS I crap in my pants every time I think of my 18-year-old daughter being in a car while she's away at college

Allan, Thanks for telling me about the "yellow-label "New Jersey" deep-grrove pressings from the late 1950's in NM condition". Now I have to try and find one. Seriously though, these records sound good to me compared to what my limited experience allows. Allan, you really should be sharing your records more instead of "Bogarting" them. Do you have a "yellow-label "New Jersey" deep-grrove pressings from the late 1950's in NM condition" for sale? Chris

Hofy/Dale, I for one am glad that Erik brought up his observation. He said what he believed. I also appreciate Kelly's posts. It's a good thing people disagree. Regards, Chris "All your base are belong to us"

Erik, Gotcha. Like the judge said, and I'm paraphrasing, "I may not be able to give you a definition of pornography, but I know it when I when I see it." Its hard to argue with you on that point. But at the same time, can some of what you describe as "rather like commercial enterprise" be described more accurately as excessive exuberance on forum members parts? Like maybe me. I'm truly sorry if my excitement over some new records came off as a commercial endorsement or enticement. If you're talking about Kelly's endorsement of his friend's equipment, I could see how it might be construed as commercial in nature. But I doubt it is, at least not in a "Let's make some bucks" way. IMHO Mobile just gets very excited about equipment he likes and possesses considerable technical skills in how to communicate such in a forum like this. Maybe it's good to sometimes ask ourselves what's more important, our own intentions or someone else's perception of our intentions. Often, they can be quite different. Regards, Chris

Erik, Quite honestly, and with all due respect, I have no idea what you are talking about. Could you explain further? Confused, Chris "All your bases are belong to us"

I compared WFD to a previous 180g reissue and there really is a difference. The 45 has a much blacker background. It is also more detailed and delicate, if that makes any sense. The piano sounds so real it's spooky. You can hear and feel so much more of the audiences presence. Uh-Oh...I'm scaring myself...I'm beginning to sound like one of THEM...hellllp meeeee....

On the spur of the moment a few months back I ordered a set of jazz reissues that are being marketed by Acoustic Sounds and shipped 2 records each month over the next year. They are 45 rpm double sided recordings of "the best jazz ever" according to Analogue Productions. Not cheap at $50.00 each, I almost (and should have, considering the price) cancelled my subscription before the first records (Bill Evans, "Waltz for Debby" and "Realxin' With The Miles Davis Quintet") arrived earlier this week. Boy am I glad I didn't! These things sound incredible! I will be waiting with great anticipation for the subsequent records. You can see the full list at http://store.acousticsounds.com/fantasyjazz.cfm Highly recommended!!!! I believe I now know why Kelly, Allan and others go ga-ga over some of their favorite recordings. I used to think people were nuts considering the prices paid for certain recordings. Not anymore. As usual, it takes me longer than most to figure something out. BTW, since I was one of the first 100 morons to order the whole set, the inserts are autographed by the recording engineers (I think that's who they are, can't read their names.). I guess that's a big deal for some collectors. Just for the record, I am in no way affiliated with any of the companies involved in this project. Regards, Chris

Craig, I've seen them a couple of times while surfing around. I'll try and remember where. I'm getting them from Paul because he has been very helpful trying to help me find an output transformer for a Fisher X-101D I scavenged. So far no luck. Chris

Kelly, That monster makes even Dr. Edgars 40hz Bass Horn look small. BTW, Dr. Bruce told me last month that there is going to be a get together of the SOCAL Horn Group at his shop (Torrance, CA) on January, 25th. Check the "High Efficiency Speaker" forum at AA for details. He mentioned a "special guest". Regards, Chris

EE, Second the rec on DIY cable project. Kelly recommended it to me. My son and I had a great time building them. As far as binding posts for older gear is concerned, I'm putting the following on a Fisher X-101 when it gets back from Mike Z... You can get them many places. I ordered them from Bizzy Bee at... http://www.angelfire.com/biz/bizzyb/spealunker.html Regards, Chris

Great piece, very well written. I think some of the college kids are catching on. While my daughter was home from school over Christmas break, she told me about several kids at her school (University of California) that are vinylphiles. Suddenly Dad isn't such a dinosaur. At our home we listen to probably 50-60% vinyl with the balance being split between FM radio and cd's. Regards, Chris