Curmudgeon

1. Yes, absolutely. It looks and sounds like a REAL speaker instead of a "room treatment". 2. I've never heard a pair with vertical horn orientation but if it sounds better that way then that's how they should come. 3. That should be decided by the builder based on demand and economic considerations, I would rather see one style that comes to fruition than two styles that never get built. 4. The removeable rear panel on my '75 decorator series sure makes them easy to service! 5. I would stick to veneers and raw birch - skip the industrial finishes. Having optional grille colors with front panels matched to the other panels along with newer style grille fasteners (no velcro, please) would be my choice. Being able to run 'em with the grilles on or remove them to see the real wood (not black paint) is my kind of option. I would make grating an extra-cost option for those with untrained kids and cats. 6. Somewhere in the $2000.00 - $2500.00 range? 7. Yes, accidents can happen anytime to anyone or any speaker and being able to obtain a replacement cabinet without searching for a different pair would be desirable. It would also be nice for those who get new furniture and want the wood colors to match, buy just the cabinets and hold on to or sell the non-matching ones. I do have one suggestion: make them bi-wireable with mildly adjustable crossovers. This would be nice for people with limited room placement options and for those unwilling to spend stupid money on "audiophile" speaker filters (cables). HDBRbuilder: Thanks for the opportunity to make the suggestions and for your posts on this thread and others, I've enjoyed reading them and the background information is fascinating! This message has been edited by Audioholic on 04-21-2002 at 11:51 PM

HDBRbuilder, Thanks for letting me know you didn't receive my e-mail. I just sent it again to the correct address, I didn't notice that there was an extra "o" in the "aol.com" when I sent it. I originally got your e-mail address from your profile on this forum so you may want to update it to get rid of the extra "o" (so lazy people like me who cut and paste stuff don't screw it up). Thanks again!

HDBRbuilder, Thanks for the information and the background, I was curious as to why the cabinets were constructed that way and now I know why. That they are stronger makes perfect sense, plus these probably weigh 10-15 lbs more than my Cornwall II's. Thanks also for the info on the badges, I sent you an e-mail a few minutes ago. I was poking around on the net a few months back and found a web site selling off old electronics manuals and even though they had mostly TV and VCR manuals they happened to have one for the SQR-8750. It ended up only costing $4.00 plus a couple of bucks shipping and was in mint codition, which amazed me. I've watched Pioneer SX series (1250's, etc.) manuals go on Ebay for $75.00 or more, I also once watched a Mobile Fidelity Geodisc go for close to $100.00. Scary!

I haven't seen too many posts about quadraphonic on this board but there's a few dinosaurs like me that own them. Quad may be officially gone but I still have a Sony SQR-8750 4-channel receiver. This was Sony's top of the line unit in the mid 70's and will do SQ, R-Mtx, & Discrete formats. It's not currently in use but played well when it was last hooked up a few months ago to listen to some old SQ quad LP's. The thing is friggin huge: 20.5" x 7.5" x 14" and weighs around 50 lbs. My first audio equipment purchase was a Rotel quadraphonic receiver somewhere around 1975 when I was in high school, even had a 4-channel 8-track deck (Fisher maybe?) to go with it! I also have some vintage 2-channel stuff: 2 Pioneer SX-1250's, a Sansui G-8000, a Yamaha B-6 amp (pyramid shaped), Yamaha R-1000, a good variety of Kyocera components, and a bunch of older turntables (Yamaha PF-800, B&O RX2, Denon DP45F, Pioneer PL-50, & a couple of Sansui models). Since 1975 seems to be your favorite year and I read that you once worked for Klipsch I thought I would mention one pair of my speakers: 1975 CD-BR, serial #'s 5N856 and 5N857. They are in great condition, I got them from the original owner recently when he built a smaller house to retire into that didn't have enough room in it for large speakers. The only flaw is that one of the logo's are missing and the other is slightly worn, it seems one fell off and the other I found stuck to the bottom of the cabinet. I would love to find a pair of correct badges, even if they are reproductions. I have a question if you don't mind: what was the real difference between regular and designer series Cornwalls, was it just cosmetics and veneer? You've got some nice equipment worth hanging on to, today's HK stuff isn't built like your high-current 900, the same with the Technics, Teac and other lines. Very nice build quality in those days. I still try to keep a few of my older components hooked up in a back room, they are fun to mess with and hard to part with even though I've moved on to more modern stuff for everyday use. There's just something about massive receivers with aluminum faceplates, aluminum knobs, analog tuners, and caps that look like drink cans! Turn off the room lights and there's still enough illumination to read by! Current Line-up: Aragon Soundstage pre-pro Aragon Palladium monoblocks, balanced (for 2 channel) Aragon 8008ST amps (3 of 'em for home theater) Aragon D2A2 DAC (for HDCD decoding) Aragon 47K phono stage Linn LP-12 turntable, Lingo power supply, Basik Plus tonearm Rega Planet CD player Nakamichi DVD-15 DVD player Denon DR-F7 cassette Denon DR-F6 cassette Klipsch Cornwall - HT mains Klipsch Cornwall II - HT surrounds Klipsch Academy - HT center Klipsch LF-10 sub Klipsch KSW-12 sub B&W CDM9NT - for 2-channel roughly 250 LP's roughly 600 CD's (OK, so I'm lazy)

The best thing to do is grab a handful of your favorites CD's (or LP's if the dealer has a turntable) and spend a little time listening to both B&W and Klipsch. Whether they'll be used for music only or home theater should be factored in your choice, too, since the two lines of speakers produce a very different "type" of sound. Klipsch's tend to be rather efficient and usually don't require massive amounts of power to drive, on the average B&W's need clean high-current power to sound their best. Both lines are sensitive to front end equipment and will also show up any weaknesses in recordings, but to me accuracy is better than coloration. I own both lines myself, I use B&W CDM9NT's for critical 2-channel music due to their ability to resolve voices and imaging along with fast, non-bloated bass. My home theater system uses 4 Cornwall's with an Academy center because they sound very much like movie theater speakers. The Cornwall's horn mids and tweeters work great with 5.1/6.1 tracks since the dispersion pattern is very directional, and the overall sensation of power on loud tracks is quite strong. On some recordings, especially heavy piano, brass, and "live" tracks the Cornwall's sound better in some ways than the B&W's, but the B&W's overall accuracy and ability to image gets the nod on most of the 2-channel music I listen to. Before you throw any money down spend some time listening to different models using familiar music and move around in the dealer's listening room to see how they sound off-axis. If speakers only sound good in a very small sweet spot they are of little use, most of us like to get up & move around some once in a while. Price is an important consideration, the more you spend the more choices there are but the law of diminishing returns kicks in fast once you start spending more than $2,000.00. You didn't mention what kind of amplifier('s) you have but if they are garden variety mass-market amps you'll want to upgrade them too if you want to get the full potential from new speakers. Then comes the better preamp, interconnects, CD player, etc., etc., etc. Good luck!

Ray, I can't get any of the links to work, just get an I.E. error message and several popups when you go to the main site (www.topofthecatch.com). I would love to see the Cornwall II curve since I have a pair of them.

Wouldn't a Blose comparison be more appropriate on the SounDesign or Emerson forum? Under the topic of how to market a cheap pressed-wood box full of itty-bitty limited range drivers as "audiophool" speakers. The number one choice of octogenarians and tinnitus sufferers! Yeah, baby, yeah!

Ah, the old wire debate reincarnates again. Those three foot high flames really burn my arse! Here is an image for my wires of choice, they come in different lengths and colors, and truly have high-current capability! Not only will they make your speakers sound better but can start your Toyota if you leave your lights on. Their thickness alone will impress any audiophile, readily available from high-end auto parts stores and/or your car trunk. Van den Hul decals optional. This message has been edited by Audioholic on 03-31-2002 at 09:50 AM

Ebay has its share of jokers but if you're careful you can still find bargains. I just recently bid on and won a pair of 1975 Cornwall I's, Designer series, raw birch, from the original owner for $626.00. The speakers were within driving distance from my house so I didn't have to pay for shipping or worry about damage, it cost me about $25.00 in fuel. The pair is in great condition and after watching other Cornwall's go for over $1000.00 I was glad to get these, if the Heritage line price trend continues it will get harder and harder to find a set for a decent price. Usually I read between the lines of the seller's listing to try to determine whether its just someone selling their old stuff or a reseller/scrounger trying to sell junk for the maximum dollar. If you're reading a listing and it starts looking like a sales pitch its best to run away fast and look elsewhere. Also, if a seller won't answer e-mails during the auction or gives unclear descriptions (especially about cosmetics) its best to steer clear no matter how bad you want the item. I've been burned on a couple of low-priced items but I've met some really decent people on Ebay who would go out of their way to help you (like the people on this forum) and share a passion for audio equipment. I'm a bit of a curmudgeon but dealing on Ebay has restored my faith in humanity somewhat, its nice to know that there's far more honest people out there than the media would have you think. Just watch out for the schmucks and stay away from bidding wars (no matter how bad you have a case of the "I wants"). --------------------------------------------------- Aragon Soundstage pre/pro Aragon 8008ST amps (3 of 'em) Aragon D2A2 dac Aragon 47K phono stage Linn LP12 Lingo turntable Rega Planet CD player Nakamichi DVD-15 DVD player Denon DR-F7 cassette deck Cornwall II mains Academy center Cornwall I's (once reassembled) surrounds KSW-12 sub LF-10 sub

Hello everyone, I just purchased a clean pair of Cornwall I's (the same ones discussed on the "Cornwall III's" topic in another thread). I wanted to match my existing pair of unfinished birch II's with another set for rear surround use but when I picked them up yesterday I determined they were not II's but I's for sure. Even though they were advertised incorrectly the price was right and they're in great condition so I closed the deal figuring I may have done better than if they would have actually been II's. The seller (original owner) was extremely pleasant, forthright, and accommodating but just didn't know that much about them (not everyone is a technophile). At what I paid for them ($626.00) I was willing to take a risk rather than give them up and a big plus was that they were located only four hours away from me. I drove down and picked them up myself so they got to my house undamaged and for less than $25.00 worth of gas. I think I did OK but I welcome any opinions either for or against! I am in the process of cleaning them, checking fasteners, etc. before they go into service so I pulled the backs off to check the drivers and crossovers for numbers. If someone out there (Trey? Mobile Homeless? HornEd?) with the serial number decoder and a better knowledge of the Heritage line could identify these properly and offer opinions I would appreciate it. I'm trying to figure out if the I's would sound better as mains or to use them as surrounds like I initially thought. At some point I will set them up for a direct A-B comparison with the II's but I'm trying to get a bit of a head start. Here's the info from the speakers: ---------------------------------------------------- Type: CD-BR Serial #'s: 5N856 & 5N857 Crossovers: B3 with original wiring to drivers Tweeters: K-77 (#'s 29008 & 28977) Mid horns: K-600 Mid horn drivers: K-52-K Woofers: K-33 ( 15162 4 ohm 67-92110093 G2 ) Round magnets ---------------------------------------------------- Thanks in advance for any help, if anyone needs more info I'll have them apart for another couple of days. I'll be using them with the following components: Aragon Soundstage pre/pro Aragon 8008ST amps (3 of 'em) Aragon D2A2 dac Aragon 47K phono stage Linn LP12 Lingo turntable Rega Planet CD player Nakamichi DVD-15 DVD player Denon DR-F7 cassette deck Cornwall II's (currently mains, may swap to surrounds) Academy center Cornwall I's (once reassembled) KSW-12 sub LF-10 sub

*** Post moved to a new topic *** This message has been edited by Audioholic on 03-16-2002 at 10:26 PM

The Sansui G-33000 receiver was Sansui's most powerful and expensive receiver in that era. It was made from 1978-81 and retailed for $1900.00 (adjust for inflation). The amp section was rated 300 watts RMS, which paired with Cornwall's would allow you to vaporize your furniture in most rooms. I've seen them go on Ebay for $1100.00 to around $2000.00 due to their rarity, if you can get it from your friend for a good price it's a great investment and an attention-getting component. Just make sure you've got a reinforced shelf to put it on, if I remember right the two sections combined weigh around 120 lbs. It probably wouldn't be the best pairing with Cornwall's since they're so efficient and need clean power in the lower wattage range but if you're looking for overkill that will qualify. Kinda like driving an Indy car on the street. You won't find consumer level components built like the G series any more unless you throw out the cash for the likes of Krell, Levinson, etc. I've still got my old Sansui G-8000 receiver, its "only" 120 watts RMS but I really like the aesthetics, impressive with all that aluminum and backlighting. Good luck!

I also have a reservation for the Outlaw 950 pre/pro (December 14th!) and am looking forward to giving it a workout. If I didn't already have an Acurus A125X5 and a A150 I would strongly consider either a 750 or 770 amplifier. Outlaw has built their reputation by word-of-mouth with very little advertising so they won't survive unless they put out a quality product, at this point the length of the 950 waiting list is a good indicator they've got another winner on their hands. Like dndphishin I have a Cornwall/Academy setup that's overkill as far as power goes but for home theater its always better to have a little extra in reserve. The money you'll save on the Outlaw components will help finance your next component upgrade (and believe me, there's always a "next")

It's perfectly OK to have a monkey as long as you don't ask anyone to touch it.

Craig, using KLF-30's you don't really need to biamp with a unit as powerful as an Acurus A200X3. Your speakers are VERY efficient (102 dB) and your ear drums would likely burst by the time you would ever hear a difference. At 102 dB efficiency you're listening to between 1 to 10 watts most of the time (and thats LOUD) in an average size room, the Acurus will have more than enough power to spare for bass control unless you move your system to a gymnasium or concert hall. Just make sure your speaker wire is sufficient (16 gauge or thicker) and its terminated cleanly for the best sound, also good interconnects can make a difference. Biamping is usually done on more inefficient speakers or to achieve a perceivable difference in sound using different amp types. Some people use tube amps for the mids/highs and solid state for the lows, which sounds great if gain is matched. I'm currently using an Acurus A150 to control the lows on my B&W CDM9NT's with a Michael Yee Audio PA-1 to control the highs, both amps have similar gain and work well together.

Mike is on to something here, the toons he's referring to are classics that deserve to be viewed unmolested by continuing generations. If there aren't any on DVD there SHOULD be. Those were absolutely great cartoons, especially in their original uncut versions. Loony Tunes, early Tom & Jerry, Popeye, and Ren & Stimpy are good examples of very talented animators with a knack for blending humor that entertains the kids but allows the adults to pick up on subtle social and political references. If enough people indicate they're interested then Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, and the like will respond to the demand, large companies generally won't ignore the opportunity for income. The problem is just a matter of getting past the PC morons with their Socialist agenda, but if everyone interested in seeing good cartoons on DVD would e-mail the distributors it can get done. There's also some online petitions to that extent, so if you want to see good, uncut animation on DVD just whack those keys and state your opinion. The PC types that say these toons are racist or inflammatory should quit trying to rewrite history and view them in context, allowing for the era the animation was produced in. History should be used to educate, not be erased because a small percentage of whiners "aren't comfortable" with it. As for any PC types that dislike this post my suggestion is to keep trying for your Darwin Award, the sooner you get one the better off the world will be.

Thanks for the info and the link, I just ordered one. Very nice of Kenwood to make it available.

Doug, here's the Pioneer SX-1250 specs you wanted: AMPLIFIER SECTION: RMS Power Per Channel: 160 into 8 ohms, 200 into 4 ohms, 20 Hz to 20 KHz Damping Factor @ Load Impedance: 30, 20 Hz to 20 KHz into 8 ohms Total Harmonic Distortion (THD): 0.1% at full rated power into 8 or 4 ohms, no more than 0.05% at 80 watts/channel Frequency Response: 5 Hz to 100 KHz, + 0 dB, - 1 dB Hum and Noise 100 dB Intermodulation Distortion (IM): No more than 0.1% at full rated power, no more than 0.05% at 80 watts/channel FM TUNER SECTION: RF Sensitivity: 1.5 uV (8.7 dBF) 50 dB quieting sensitivity, Stereo: 35 uV, 36 dBF 50 dB quieting sensitivity, Mono: 2.1 uV, 11.5 dBF THD, Mono: 0.1% THD, Stereo: 0.2% Signal to Noise Ratio, Mono: 80 dB at 65 dBF Signal to Noise Ratio, Stereo: 74 dB at 65 dBF Frequency Response: 30 Hz to 15 KHz, + 0.3 dB, -1 dB Capture Ratio: 1.0 dB IF Image Rejection: 110 dB IF Rejection: 120 dB Stereo Subcarrier Rejection: 74 dB SCA Suppression: 74 dB Alternate Channel Selectivity: 83 dB Spurious Rejection: 110 dB AM Carrier Rejection: 60 dB Stereo Separation at 1 kHz: 50 dB Mono Switch: Yes Signal Strength Meter: Yes Center Tuning Meter: Yes Multipath Listen: Yes Muting Switch: 2.5 uV (13 dBF) fixed AM TUNER SECTION: RF Sensitivity: 300 uV/meter or 15 uV with external antenna Alternate Channel Selectivity: 40 dB IF Rejection: 85 dB Image Rejection: 65 dB Signal to Noise Ratio: 55 dB PREAMPLIFIER: Bass Adjustments: +/- 10 dB at 100 Hz, and +/- 5 dB at 50 Hz Treble Adjustments: +/- 10 dB at 10 KHz, and +/- 5 dB at 20 KHz Tone Control Defeat: Yes High Filter: 8 KHz, 12 dB/octave Low Filter: 30 Hz, 12 dB/octave Gain Control: Calibrated detent knob Loudness Contour: + 6 dB at 100 Hz, + 3 dB at 10 KHz Mono: Yes Muting: -20 dB Balance: Yes Tape Monitors: 2 Tape to Tape Dubbing Yes Auxillary Inputs: 1 Phono Inputs: 2 Phono Overload: 500 mV DIMENSIONS: Width: 21 7/8 Height: 7 3/8 Depth: 18 3/4 Weight: 64 lbs 4 oz If you can get a clean one for less than $300.00 I would jump all over it, they go over $300.00 on Ebay all the time. I was lucky enough to get mine with the manual, brochure, and the original box with matching serial number. There's still some service manuals available too if you check around on the net.

The old Pioneer SX series has a great AM/FM tuner, pulls in stations much better than a lot of expensive modern equipment. If you get the pots and switches cleaned its a nice sounding, fairly quiet unit with a lot of balls. If you look inside you'll see that the caps look like Coke cans, the toroidal power supply is friggin huge, and the circuit boards are individually shielded by aluminum covers. It may be old but the build quality is outstanding, plus considering that the components are discreet (no IC's) and very repairable it will most likely still be working when the grandkids are ready for music. Too bad Pioneer hasn't made anything like it in years because there was a lot of engineering and aesthetic pride put into the late 70's flagship SX's. Your SX-1280 was made from 1979-81 and had an original retail price of $950.00 (in 70's dollars). I sure like mine, I've got two mint Pioneer SX-1250's and I even have a mint Sansui G-8000 like Mike Lindsey mentioned. I may not listen to them every day but they're all hooked up and fully functional. There's just something about a massive receiver with more aluminum than most Harleys and real wood trim, it looks like its ready to knock the pictures off the walls just sitting there. Enjoy it with your Cornwalls but don't turn it up too loud, the combined power of the SX plus the efficiency of the Cornwalls equals a visit from the cops if you're not careful (don't ask me how I know)!

Boy has THIS discussion gotten interesting since I last posted. You guys would make Don Rickles proud! I just love the smell of sarcasm in the morning! Seriously, though, I've been looking around lately and there's a plethora of speaker wires and interconnects making all kinds of claims so its rather hard to weed through. I may soon be trying some of the DIY recipes just to see what happens, I'm somewhat jaded towards the wire difference claims but starting to get rather curious. I'm going to install permanent in-wall speaker wiring soon for the HT system and will be looking for high-quality cost effective wire since this is one job I don't want to consider re-doing. Jon's article makes a lot of sense but (like most of you)I don't have the background to quantify the information fully so it seems some experimenting is in order. To Mobile: I'm going to need probably 200' or so of wire to do 7 channels, any hot tips on a supplier of good stuff? To the dude with the "Optimus SS-120 six channel receiver (120 watts! Times 6!) Lloyd subwoofer (fits under my coffe table) Kenwood CD150 CD player (a real keeper) Sony XA700 speakers (15" woofers!)": You may want to chime out on this topic, with THAT system you're lucky to tell the difference between a CD and an 8-track tape, much less speaker wires (Stay out of Walmart and Home Depot!). That one's for you, Mr. Rickles! 2-CHANNEL Mobile Fidelity UltrAmp (Michael Yee PA-1) amp Linn Kolektor preamp Linn Sondek LP12 turntable, Basik Plus arm Rega Planet CD player Denon DR-F7 cassette deck B&W CDM9NT speakers HOME THEATER Sherwood R-956 (utilized as a pre-pro) Acurus A125X5 amp Acurus A150 amp Sony DVP-S330 DVD player Sony CDP-C725 CD player Klipsch Cornwall II main's Klipsch Academy center Klipsch KSW12 subwoofer Sansui XL-500 rear's (full-range, no Bose cubes here!) Cerwin-Vega LS6C rear center

The next step is an THX certified theater effects simulator. Gives you the bad smells, incessant talking, cell phone ringing, crying kids, cheesy commercials and the like for a true theater experience. The optional module locks your bathroom door on movies that exceed two hours for squirm effects. And it will only be $1999.99 - a must have. By the way, you left out quadraphonic in the formats (SQ quad is what Dolby ProLogic was developed from). Today's home theater market reminds me quite a bit of the hype used to push quadraphonic in the 70's, except there's more equipment to buy. But it sure sounds and works better than quad ever did! This message has been edited by Audioholic on 12-31-2001 at 08:55 AM

NOS440: I'm not familiar with Scott turntables but their other equipment was of good quality so it probably isn't a bad deck, you may want to run a Google search on the model to see if any info is on the net. The Ebay seller seemed honest from his responses to you, it could be a good deal. ______ MIKE STEHR: I haven't owned a Rega turntable myself but I have a Rega Planet CD player and its of very good quality. I've heard music on a P2 and a P3 at other people's houses on good systems and both produced excellent sound (and I'm picky). You may want to check www.audioreview.com or Stereophile for reviews if you're seriously considering one. I jumped from good mid-fi decks (Denon DP-45F, Yamaha PF800) into a Linn Sondek LP12 due to the LP12's reputation but I came really close to buying a Rega P25. Also, if you can find a Yamaha PF800 in good condition for around $300.00 its an excellent deck and can rival much more expensive stuff if set up properly. I still have my PF800 and won't be selling it, Yamaha outdid themselves on that one.

Food for Thought: 1. How much do you want to spend (total of turntable, arm & cartridge)? Work on that number first and stick to your limit! Don't get into a bidding war on Ebay and end up overpaying. 2. Are you experienced with turntables and able to do a reasonable setup yourself, adjusting things like cartridge alignment, tracking weight, antiskating, VTA, leveling? If the answer is no to #2 you may want to go with a new deck to keep from buying something used that you won't know is screwed up until you try to use it. Also, shipping a turntable is a delicate matter and it needs to be partially disassembled then packed EXTREMELY well to survive the common carriers. The turntable should then be visually inspected for obvious problems, reassembled, leveled, and set up with a known good cartridge before you try to play a LP. If you go new my suggestion would be a Rega P2 or P3, since they come almost ready to play out of the box and Rega's cartridges are self-aligning on Rega tonearms. Rega setups are uncomplicated and user friendly, you don't need a shop's help to get it playing. Either turntable will produce very nice sound for the money and hold their value well when you're ready to trade up. I'm a big advocate of buying used components due to the major amount of money that can be saved but be careful and KNOW what you're buying. If the deck needs repair instead of just setup (damaged tonearm, worn bearing, etc, etc) it gets expensive fast and its also getting hard to find audio shops that will even touch a turntable. If you do go used try to get a deck from the original owner if possible and thoroughly check an Ebay seller's feedback before you bid. If there's too many disclaimers in the listing run away fast and if the seller has any negative feedback run away faster. Stuff to look for when getting a used turntable: Will the seller take it back if its broken or worn out? Is a tonearm included? Is the tonearm fully functional? Is the headshell included (depending on tonearm type)? Does the damped cuing work OK or does it drop the arm like a rock? Is a cartridge included? How old is the cartridge? Is the dustcover scratched or cracked? Hinges OK? Are all of the accessories included? Owner's manual? If belt driven is the belt usable or stretched out? Is a replacement belt even available for this deck? What is the cosmetic condition? (get it in writing) Has it been in regular use or sitting for 20 years? If automatic, do the automatic functions work OK? If it has a strobe lamp does that light up? Has the turntable been modified or is it original? This may seem like a myriad of questions but you need to know exactly what you're buying and a good seller will have no reservations about providing needed info and/or pictures. Hope this info helps! Good Luck!

Colin - No big deal, I was just being anal retentive about the phrasing. I'm new to this forum but I've read quite a few of your posts and they're all good. The 12" black records are supposed to be better but I don't really know why, it could be better grade vinyl, better quality masters, or perhaps shorter pressing runs. My classical LP collection is not that extensive and I rely on a friend that plays cello to pick out the better recordings. He studied music in college and really knows the right ones to get, as far as orchestras, labels, conductors, etc. I agree that the recording media is still very lacking but those who demand reference quality music are outnumbered by the cattle who are happy with mediochre sound. It seems we aggravating audiophile types are willing to spend plenty of money but have the gall to want good quality recordings in return, and there's much more money to be made from the gum-chewers buying mass quantities of hip-hop and boy-band schlock.

So I'm not a true Star Wars fan, huh, although I've seen every Star Wars movie in the theater as it was released (starting in 1977). I guess you're right, since I don't own any of the masks, uniforms, or a play light saber. How often do you wear yours, TODDVJ?