Curmudgeon
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Posts posted by Curmudgeon
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Great observations, very comical with more truth than most would care to admit. Is it any wonder the music industry has become a snake pit and charges ridiculous prices for CD's? Excellent rant but could it be time to switch to decaf, maybe?
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quote:
Originally posted by HornEd:As I see it, this issue is about restoring the old Pledge to conform with Constitutional Law... not changing into a new Pledge to benefit leftwing oddballs. I hope this helps us understand one another even better. -HornED
Good point, HornEd! Unfortunately even though you are astute enough to see a change in the Pledge for the right reasons the average egg-sucking liberal will turn it into a media event to help save the spotted owls, print copies of "It Takes The Village People", and a campaign for double-secret national health insurance. I'm hoping that this court decision will get shut down now so that perhaps if the Pledge is changed it can be done so later and have the general public realize that it is a restoration rather than a political statement. It would be strange, though, to have it changed. I've only recited it in its current form and changing it would be like trying to recite the ABC's leaving out a few letters.
Too much emphasis is being placed on the I'm OK/You're OK touchy-feely garbage instead of a true education. The problem with the school systems is not the students or teachers - its the parents and administrators that muck it up. Parents want the school system to raise their kids for them while the teachers would be happy not to need Kevlar in the classroom. A focus on academics and actual history along with instilling a little national pride can go a long way, instead of showing kids that whining and threats of lawsuits are the way of the world. When the average 4th grader has a cell phone and an attorney on retainer there's just something gone wrong. Not everything is about "feeeeelings". And then they go and ban the game of "Tag" and "Dodgeball" in some schools - talk about f*@%ed up!
By the way Ed, did you read a lot of encyclopedias while on the can early in life?
Its obvious you're well educated and have a good grasp of what's going on around you (even if you do lean a little left). Excellent posts from HornEd, Kenratboy, Roadhawg, and everyone else on this thread with no name calling - that's pretty darned good considering politics is being discussed. Nuke the whales! -
I have an opinion to offer:
The person who initiated the suit from the land of fruits and nuts may sound credible but kind of misses the main point: Our fore-fathers WERE religious and believed in God but realized that harm that had been done to citizens of countries that forced religion via the government. The Constitution's language was intended to reflect that this country was founded on the basic principles of Christianity (all are created equal, etc.) but that there should not be a mandated government religion and that religion should not be overly influential on government. However, the crux of the situation is that the fore-fathers did not intend for schmucks to nit-pick and attempt to remove ALL references to religion from government and public school systems.
The USA was not founded by Buddhists, Muslims, Druids, Atheists, etc. but by people who at the time had a basic belief in a supreme being that they called God. I personally do not see the harm in maintaining the references to God in the few places they exist as our fore-fathers were guided by principles that have managed to make this the best country on the planet - bar none. These were all average men who collectively solved a lot of problems that haunted previous governments and laid down ground rules for a nation that has done more for humanity in general than any other. Those who don't think this is the greatest country and want to do nothing but complain about it (while contributing nothing) - consider moving far, far, away. The last country that totally eschewed religion (USSR) sort of had to change their ways due to popular demand.
I'm sorry, but anyone who thinks that the Pledge of Allegiance is un-constitutional can't see the forest for the trees and is undermining some well thought-out intentions written down by people whose ideas should remain respected. Personally, I'm getting a bit tired of folks who want to re-write history to whatever is convenient to them. Political correctness, no-tolerance policies in public schools, mainstreaming, treating ILLEGAL aliens as though they had citizen rights, racial quotas, etc. are just a few examples of where well-intentioned but totally misguided fools attempt to force responsibility on anyone but themselves. Look close and you'll find that most of types that spout these ideas rarely do more than give it lip service and run like hell when it starts to affect their wallets. Anyone read the tax code lately? Oh, I'm sorry, that would take about a year or so AFTER graduating Evelyn Wood.
Let's see, should we have Christmas or a "winter festival"? Salute the American flag or sue the school systems to fly flags for all of the nations who might have progeny attending there? Have discipline or metal detectors in schools? Be careful what you wish for ....
For a reference, I attended public schools, am not very religious (last time I was in a church was when I was married) and can change the channel when Pat Robertson comes on as fast as anyone else. BUT, I think this current court decision is a joke and will be rectified rather soon. Stay tuned.
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Hello folks,
I am the lucky purchaser of the K-horns being discussed here. 1979 vintage KC-BR's, completely unmodified with all original drivers, original crossovers/wiring, and stained/finished cabinets in near flawless condition from the original owner. I about fell out a couple of days ago when I read this thread and realized that GW was located only about ten miles from my home. I've been looking for a pair of Klipschorns for a while but shied away from Ebay deals due to high shipping costs and risk of damage during transit. I contacted GW, made arrangements to see and hear them, bought them (wasn't a hard decision), and SAFELY transported them home (although I got a few dirty looks from other drivers who thought I was going too slow, but they can bite me).
GW is an upstanding individual who took fantastic care of the speakers over the years, he was very helpful and extremely fair on the deal. We settled on a price that was appropriate for the type/condition of the speakers and concluded the deal. I spent about four hours rearranging my living room and audio equipment to accomodate the behemoths, then assembled and wired them up. I will probably rearrange it again soon but this will have to work for now. Stayed up until 3:00 am listening to them and am listening to them now as I type this!
An interesting coincidence is that unknowingly both GW and myself bought a lot of audio components from the same (now defunct) stereo store in Virginia Beach, and these speakers were purchased by GW from that very store. I remember auditioning K-horns in the late 70's/early 80's in that same store and getting hooked on Klipsch in the process. I've now scratched/clawed my way up to the top of the Klipsch ladder and assassinated my bank account in the process but couldn't be happier! Time to go, there's vinyl trying to jump off the shelf onto the Linn.
This message has been edited by Audioholic on 07-14-2002 at 07:16 PM
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Do you notice this slap echo all of the time or just when watching the Three Stooges?
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I never tried a slipknot with my Klipsch's but I once used a sheepshank to hold my Cornwall's down in the back of a truck.
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MH: I'm not really all that PO'd but I would rather not appear to be a "copycat" in a public forum. I knew that you were aware of the editing/posting time overlap so I had no problem with that, anyone who's been around vinyl long enough will be familiar with those accessories. However, too much can be read into FINI's comment so perhaps the next time he jokes he will think about his phrasing a little more before posting. I was raised with values that abhor plagiarism and cheating and don't respond well to inferences to that extent.
As far as Linn's go, I just caught a hell of a deal on one recently. Picked up an early 80's model LP12 in great condition with Nirvana suspension, Valhalla power supply, Ittok LV II arm, Entre MC cartridge with Van Den Hul mods, and a Torlyte slab with Tip Toes to set it on. Got it for $450.00 plus S&H, couldn't turn it down! I've seen the Ittok arm go for that by itself on Ebay and Audiogon. Should be interesting to see how it compares to my existing one once it arrives.
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Sorry, but if you look at the times of the posts (and edits) I was composing mine while MH was EDITING his post. When I read the thread MH's post looked like this:
"Hey Mallet... You arrived a little late for the fire suit sessions...heh. Dont worry, it can get heated in here. I think we are trying to keep it civil and it's worked pretty well so far.
BTW, that isolation device you speak of actually doesnt always work. Some tables prefer rigid and light platforms and perform poorly on high-mass stands. The most famous example happens to reside in my living room at the moment: The Linn LP-12.
The Linn Sondek LP-12 sounds like a sack of whey when placed on a heavy high mass stand. It performs much better on something like the Sound Organzation table or anything super rigid, yet light in weight. It also does pretty well on wall mount TT stands like the Target Wall Shelf. I cant even place the beast on my 100lb equipment rack as it sounds rather slow and lifeless. It's been a real pain dealing with it.
Other tables I have had pass through do really well on high mass stands. I dont know if you remember that Lead Balloon Stand. IT was a beast and sounded great with tables like VPI etc. The Linn was a no go on that monster as well.
BTW, you never answered what your dream table you will be going for in the future? What are you thinking about?"
MH's list of suggestions were not posted when I read this thread, the suggestions and ideas were mine from my own experience and intended to help eq_shadimar, not become fodder for accusations of plagiarism. Anyone who doubts my experience is welcome to come by my house to listen to my system and/or watch me tear down and rebuild my Linn Sondek LP12 for giggles. Joke or no joke be careful what your text infers, I've read numerous threads where MH gets quite indignant when someone questions HIS knowledge.
FINI: Kindly don't f*cking accuse me of being disingenuous, MH's post appeared to be a just a jab but yours rather pissed me off. Can you imagine why?
Aragon Soundstage pre-pro
Aragon Palladium II amps (balanced)
Aragon 8008 ST amps
Aragon 47K phono stage
Aragon D2A2 DAC
Aragon 4T2 tuner
Linn LP12 Lingo, Rega RB900 arm
Rega Planet CD player
Nakamichi DVD15 DVD player
B&W CDM9NT two-channel mains
Klipsch Cornwall mains for HT
Klipsch Cornwall II surrounds
Klipsch Academy center
Klipsch KSW-12 sub
Klipsch LF-10 subf>
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eq,
Here's a few accessories I consider essential for vinyl:
Shure SFG-2 gauge to set exact stylus tracking weight
Cartridge alignment tool (Geo-Disc, DB Systems, etc.) or you can get a basic one for free from here: http://www.enjoythemusic.com/freestuff.htm Also, most reputable stereo shops that still sell cartridges will mount & align them at no charge if you buy the cartridge from them - just bring in your turntable!
A "test" record to check cartridge setup - preferably one with a smooth (grooveless) area reserved for checking anti-skating. Many tonearms including good ones aren't calibrated that well for anti-skating and the test record will let you set it perfect for almost any kind of tonearm.
Round bubble level (any turntable must be level)
Carbon fiber record brush for dry-cleaning just before play
Any good stylus cleaning fluid (to melt off vinyl debris), just knocking the dust off isn't good enough.
Zerostat anti-static gun (they last almost forever, bought mine in the late 70's - still works like new)
Consider buying good LP inner sleeves, either plastic lined or rice paper. The cheap paper sleeves most LP's come with just continually deposit debris and scuff the LP's up. If the factory inner sleeve has any kind of printing on it you may want to save them if you have any collectible LP's, if they are plain cheap paper just toss 'em! Good sleeves help the LP stay cleaner longer and dissipate static.
Good luck & enjoy your vinyl!
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Good answer, BobG! It's nice to hear the REAL reason instead of some watered-down response like other major manufacturers would give (after it having gone through "public relations" and focus groups). That was a no-bullsh*t answer like someone would have expected to hear from PWK himself. Party on, dude!
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I wonder if all those subwoofers have the same effect as leaning against the washing machine while it's running?
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The older Yamaha receivers and (I think) some of their preamps had something called "Continously Variable Loudness" that had almost infinite adjustment. The loudness control could be switched off or on, and between the volume and loudness pots you could quickly dial in whatever level of bass/treble boost you liked. It may not have been "audiophile" but it was very useful where speaker setup was limited or when you dragged the system over to someone else's house for a party. Also good for doing background music that you didn't want to sound "tinny" or "thumping".
Nowadays its more in vogue to spend stupid money on equipment and compromise your furnishings for optimum speaker placement than to risk letting any measure of distortion creep into your tunes. The loudness control is kinda like a CD - compromised sound but extremely convenient. Just remember: if its not straight wire with gain then it must suck!
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1. What Heritage speakers have you owned, currently own, or want to own? ... I currently own two pairs of Cornwalls: 1975 CD-BR & 1986 CII-BR.
2. What was your age when you first purchased a Heritage series loudspeaker? ... 33
3. What is your current age? ... 42
4. Why did you choose Heritage loudspeakers over another Klipsch model? ... Didn't like the sound of KG's, etc.
5. If you currently own some Heritage loudspeakers, and could purchase some more Klipsch speakers(new or used), which ones would you purchase? ... Klipschorns ... Why? ... I was introduced to Klipsch by listening to Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture on Klipschorns via McIntosh tube gear and Linn LP12 turntable. Absolutely astonishing sound and I wasn't really much into classical at the time. Changed format over to rock and they handled that superbly. I just don't have a big enough room currently to fully utilize the Klipschorns (yet).
6. Do you think the upcoming Jubilee should become part of the "Heritage" line, since it was also designed by PWK? ... Yowsah
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Do you still hear voices when the stereo is off?
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To me horror movies tend to break down into two main categories: genuine attempts at horror or horror with lots of humor interspersed. Both kinds can be very good depending on what you're in the mood for. Listed below in no particular order are a few I like.
Genuine attempts:
The Exorcist (especially the director's cut)
Hellraiser (the first one)
Nightmare on Elm Street (only the first one)
Evil Dead
Phantasm (there's something about that silver ball)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre (the first one)
Last House on the Left
Mark of the Devil
The Abominable Dr. Phibes
The Howling
Stir of Echoes
Nightbreed (weird but it has very creative "monsters")
Humorfests:
Dead Alive
Re-Animator
Army of Darkness
An American Werewolf in London
Dusk To Dawn
Innocent Blood
John Carpenter's Vampires
Motel Hell
Tremors (only the first one)
Scream
And one that falls into neither category but is still good: Bram Stoker's Dracula (Superbit DVD is great)
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HII: In my experience this forum has been helpful both technically and generally. The forum is what it is - Klipsch fans from around the world exchanging ideas, experiences, and information. There is no agenda designed to maximize your personal reading pleasure, either deal with what's here or contribute something other than written whining. I think that we are all very lucky to have someone like HDBRbuilder recounting his memories of Klipsch and PWK that you won't find anywhere else, not even in PWK's biography. Besides, HDBRbuilder has contributed some very technical information lately about Klipsch speaker construction methods. If you don't like reading "story" posts then look for more technically oriented ones but kindly refrain from depressing the rest of us, and learn to spell! Save the lamenting and whimpering for your "chat rooms" but if you do need technical information check back in, there's always someone willing to help (including me) so long as no tissues are required.
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My condolences to the Klipsch family for the loss of such a great man. The world will be a lesser place without him but has been bettered by his numerous creations that have brought so much pleasure to so many. From what I've read of him he was a true legend: a preeminent engineer who left his mark in more areas than just speaker design and someone whose personality inspired those around him. He will be missed.
My four Cornwalls and Academy are playing now while I type this, its funny but they don't seem to be "just" speakers any more - there's a little bit of PWK in my living room and a lot of other living rooms all around the world, too. A very fitting legacy for the man.
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I for one would like to see them available and would be willing to pay a little more than what they're really worth (within reason). I have a pair of '75 CD-BR's and am missing one logo while the other has some of the gold worn off of it. Klipsch should be able to have some of these made up without incurring too much cost, essentially they're just plastic with a little plating on the high surfaces. If Klipsch doesn't make them available I may just go to the local hobby shop, buy some supplies, and make a mold of the one I have. However, I would much rather give my money to Klipsch than have to learn the art of casting.
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I agree with TBrennan: horn-loaded speakers and solid-state amplifiers are not mutually exclusive. I run the B&W CDM9NT's with Aragon Palladium II monoblocks and the four Cornwalls/Academy setup with three Aragon 8008ST's, although I have switched them a couple of times for comparison. The Palladium II's are excellent amps producing Class A up to 125 WPC and will drive almost any speaker made, they sound quite nice and put most tube equipment to shame in the bass control department. The 8008ST's are also excellent and have a slightly "darker" sound that matches well with the horn drivers along with really good bass control.
Prior to the Aragon Palladium's I was using a Mobile Fidelity UltrAmp that was very sweet, the amp is a Michael Yee design and basically the same as his PA-1 model. The Michael Yee amps are designed to retain the bass control and imaging of a solid-state amp but emulate the "warm" mid-range and treble frequencies of tube units. His unique designs work well and the amps aren't overpriced either, the newer PA-2 model can be had new for around $1300.00. The build quality is first class and the amps will probably outlive you.
Just for the record, I've got nothing against tube amps and have heard some Rogue tube-powered stuff that's really nice but I just don't have the time or knowledge to get into them now. I used to play around with tube radios when I was a teenager but that was when most corner drug stores and Radio Shacks had a tube tester in-house, making tube problems easy to diagnose (and tubes were cheap then, too). Since nowadays the "good" tubes are NOS and expensive I'm sticking to SS stuff. Besides, if my car or trailer needs welding the Palladium's work for that, too!
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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
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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!
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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!
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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)
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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!
Music DVD Suggestion
in Lounge
Posted
Yanni? Someone slash my wrists now!