whell

If the Rf-7 is getting a work over, should one wait until the update arrives and get the close outs on the "obsolete" model?

As far as I know the RC-3 only came in black, which mine is.

Of course, it was encouragement to "take the plunge" that I was looking for, Mobile. Thanks!

I may take the plunge on some RF-7's from a local seller. Price isn't too bad, when compared to new. I really want them to add to the enjoyment of 2 channel, but these would also allow me to move my current RF-3's to the rear channel. Rear channel duties are currently being carried out by RB-5's, which could possibly replace an RC-3, and give me a 2 speaker center channel option (I'd sell the RC-3). Help me Obiwan!

Mobile: I think this post might be referring to some previous threads that got way to long and way to over the top. These occured just prior to your "return" to the forum. I agree that there have been some great topics lately. Mostly I've just "lurked and learned".

Emailed the seller, here is his reply: From: Desidiscs2@aol.com Date: 27 Aug 22:06 (PDT) Subject: Re: Question for seller -- Item #3043657299 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------they are in fact, la scalas. i was given bad information from one of my employees. he is now chained up in the basement hehe. ______________________________ For what its worth, I've met the seller on one or two occasions and he is a really decent guy. He operations a local record store that I frequent called "Desireable Discs". The store has a pretty good reputation. I'm sure that he would answer any questions folks might have about the condition of the speakers.

As an owner of a Marantz receiver for HT, I might be a bit biased. Its great for music, and I don't find the HT performance to be lacking at all. Must admit that the receiver spends most of its time cranking out great music, with HT on the weekends only. However, I love it for HT, and it has so far performed flawlessly.

Not much new I can add here. I have probably spent the majority of my music $$$ over the past 12 months buying used LP's, with the occasional new LP thrown in. Tone Poems I & II, and Nora Jones were the last new CD's I bought, and bummed to find out later that Jones was also avaiable on vinyl. To be sure, there must be some impact of us vinyl heads on music sales. Frankly, though, I think the biggest impact is the lack of quality new music that is available for us more "seasoned" music listeners. Never ceases to amaze me how many kids are turned on to the stuff I used to listen to as a teen (Aerosmith, Zepplin, Stones, etc.). I guess Brittney Spears only takes these kids so far!

On the same topic: a representative of Webster's dictionary was interviewed on the radio the other day here in Detroit. Every 10 years, the "latest" version of the dictionary comes out, and of passing interest to some are the "new" words or phrases that Websters chooses to add to the dictionary, and those that are deleted. It caught my attention that the phrase "record changer" was to be deleted from this year's unabridged version of the dictionary, since "it is no longer commonly used and deemed irellevant". Haven't checked to see if the phrase "CD Changer" has made it into the dictionary.

Hmmmm....surge tripping. Is that anything like cow tipping?

Sometimes I have to stop and remember that most of us here regard music as a passion and HiFi as a hobby. Most people do not. LP's might be enjoying a bit of a resurgence right now, and nothing would make me happier if music producers distributed more LP's of new releases to give that resurgence some legs. However, I wonder if the resurgence will become a war of attrition, as those not as passionate about reproducing quality music in home return to the convenience of the digital format....leaving LP's as only a niche market....much like it is right now.

Thanks to all for your responses. Sounds like the Heresy's for the more "open sound". I'll be giving them a try, and delay selling the KG-4's as long as I can until I'm sure I'm getting what I want out of the Heresy's.

Has anyone ever had a chance to compare these two products? Which do you like better and why? I mightbe able to score some Heresy II's for not many duckets, but they would replace my KG 4's, which I am very fond of. Unfortunatley, I will not have a chance to do a side by side demo before purchase. Thanks for any help.

After looking at systems like the ones discussed in this thread, my first reaction is wonder about all the music I "must be missing, because I've not spent tens of thousands of dollars on my audio hobby." The reality of my situation is that my wife and I are on a single income (and I don't make a mint either!), with a daughter who has special needs. So, obviously my resources are a bit limited. However, then I take a deep breath, relax, and think about the thought and planning that went into getting the most out of the components I do have. I'm pleased that I've been able to build a nice HT system. My wife and I aren't able to get out a whole lot, so waiting for movies to come out on DVD and having special movie nights at home can make for a nice diversion. I've also, based on some buzz generated in this forum, pieced together a nice 2 channel system (featuring a pair of KG-4's that I garbage-picked: the passive radiators needed some minor repair) and pulled the vinyl out of storage. Its also turned into a cheap way to built a music library, as vintage vinyl can come at a price far less than a comparable CD (other than the occasional new release). Getting the most out of our systems, while enjoying the music, is a common theme here in this forum, which is why I enjoy reading many of your posts so much!!

Tom: I was fortunate enough to pop into a local record store (in Novi, MI, western suburb of Detroit) the day they got in their first copy in stock. I'm sure they will be ordering additional copies though. The LP is out there, though I think I read somewhere that it is an import. It cost me $17, not too much different than the cost of a CD. Record comes in nice thick vinyl with a poly-lined sleeve. Mike

I concur whole-heardedly. I've been listening to this on LP for the last couple of weeks. Not only is it great music, but I can't get over how great of a job they did with the recording. Going back to the "Can't Buy a Thrill" album, these guys have always been one of my favorites.

I hated popups, especially the newer flavor that look a bit like Windows system messages. Insideous! I decided to download and give Netscape 7.1 a try. Since their 7.01 version, they incorporated a feature/setting which allows the user to block pop up windows. Works like a charm, and I rarely, if ever, get pop ups anymore.

Jim - It very much, as you probably know, depends on the unit in question as to how well it plays DVD's and CD's. However, when I went to HT a few years ago, I made sure I picked up a DVD player that provided good results for both formats, and selected the NAD T550. If not for my wife's preference for a CD changer, I could easily retire my Adcom CD changer in favor of the NAD.

For under $200, you might just be able to snare a Thorens TD 160 off Ebay. Beware that this is a great TT, but not for the faint of heart. Much adjustment and tweaking, while not absolutely required, can become the order of the day for wringing the last ounce of performance out. Otherwise you get a pretty decent tonearm and a TT that is built to last, and one that you can sell later when the upgrade hits and get most of what you paid for it back.

"The guy at the local shop also told me not to use the pre-outs to hook to an amp. He said he did this and fried the receiver." Bulls8!t. Many in this forum, including me, have either now or in the past added an external amplifier to their HT system. Hell, my Marantz SR-19EX REQUIRES an external amp for 7.1 surround. This makes me question just about anything else this person has told you. "I would like to reiterate that I do not hear this "floor noise" with my HK. I only hear it with the Marantz." Can you be more descriptive of the noise you are hearing? Is it a hiss, or a low level humm? The type of noise can be indicative of the type of problem you're having. "Everything points back to the Marantz. I spoke with the guy who owns the local shop I got it from and he said they were having some problems with noise out of some receivers." Again, bulls8!t. So, if they are having problems with the Marantz line, why are they selling it, and why did he not advise of potential problems up front, or offer to test your unit before he let you take it home? My suspicion is that, at worst, you have an isolated issue with a defective unit. Otherwise, I would go back to your set up. Try this: Unplug your receiver from the wall outlet, then disconnect EVERYTHING from the receiver, and then plug the unit back into the wall outlet, and listen through headphones for the "noise". If its not there, then connect your speakers, and listen to an empty input, then listen to FM. (If the noise is there, then try to plug the unit in to a wall outlet on a different circuit in your house, and see if the noise is still there.) Systematically reconnect components to the receiver until the noise appears. Then you might isolate your problem. If the noise is there right away, return the unit for exchange. Your dealer should be willing to work with you. Marantz makes some fine HT receivers, and you should not have "noise" leaking into your system due to their product.

I guess I was thinking about pre-recorded cassettes. Home made cassettes in my experience sound excellent as well. I've got a couple of old DBX-equipped Yamaha cassette decks that yield superb sound, provided I make the tapes myself.

That's disappointing to hear, Mallet. I used to subscribe to "Digital Cable" (nothing "digital" about it at all, really) for, among other reasons, the access to "digital quality" music free of commerical interruption. I found that with cable, the quaility of music was more analogous to the output of a decent quality cassette deck. I was hoping that Direct TV or Dish might truly offer a much better quality product. I also found, over time, that the "rotation" on many of the music stations was very much like local FM, and therefore did not yield much in the way of exposure to music that I wasn't familiar with. Has anyone tried the in-home version of XM Satellite Radio, sufficient to comment about the sound quality?

http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/ The above link will take you to one of the definitve sites for info on vintage tuners. Some of the results are a bit surprising. I was able to find a steal of a deal on a mid-eighties Yamaha T-85 that I really love, and used info from the above site to guide my purchase.

Yet another thread where one forum member tries to prove that his output tube is bigger than someone else's.

Our local PBS ran a televised H&O concert a few weeks back and they played some new material. I think that tune was part of the act. Good flashback Darryl Hall. He also sang a cover of the old Billy Paul tune: "Me and Mrs Jones." That one got him a "standing O."