MeloManiac

I can understand that in a professional environment, these prices are 'acceptable', but for consumers, the least they could do is give it an attractive look/design. That Genelec looks like a recycled truck tire. Would not enter my house!

Side 4 is the quietest of them all 😉

When the 1812 was released, the cover read "Caution! Digital Cannons," and the interior of the booklet warned the listener that "the cannons of the Telarc 1812 Overture are recorded at a very high level. Lower levels are recommended for initial playback until a safe level can be determined for your equipment." Reviewers also issued cautions: "Just be sure the volume isn't so loud that one of the shots spreads pieces of speaker cone all over your floor," (Digital Audio); and "Its peaks would crack your window panes and maybe your speaker cones, too." (Knight-Ridder Newspapers). The disc became Telarc's best-selling recording of all time, with over 800,000 copies sold, and for well over a decade has been the audio demo disc of choice. source: https://www.vinylgourmet.com/en/music/1540-tchaikovsky-1812-overture-lp-180g-vinyl-cincinnati-symphony-orchestra-erich-kunzel-telarc-records-usa.html Although the dynamic range on this disc sounds absolutely stupendous, it is only about 45dB between the softest and the loudest (bass drum) musical passages. This may seem absurdly low to those of us accustomed to thinking in terms of 110dB fortissimos, but it is roughly 15dB more dynamic range than is on the statistical average of symphonic LPs, and 5dB more than on any audiophile disc we have encountered! When we consider that a 10dB change sounds to our ears like a halving or doubling of volume, it is no wonder that this latest from Telarc sounds like such a blockbuster. Add to that the fact that the loudest parts are cut at extraordinarily high level (higher than on most 78rpm discs) for drastically reduced (by almost 10dB) surface noise, and it becomes obvious that this disc has established a new high for analog-disc information capability. The fact that it will reproduce throughout without breakup (by some phono systems, anyway) is in its turn a tribute to the advances in cartridge design in the past few years. (...) the hard-to-track cannon shots on analog are absolutely lethal on CD—though not hard to track! If your power amp is capable of ripping your woofers apart, the cannonshots will give it the opportunity to do so. Telarc's warning in the booklet (and on the album cover) should be heeded. source: https://www.stereophile.com/content/recording-october-1979-telarc-1812-overture

This one is suspiciously similar to some Pro-ject turntables too. Enjoy your new tt!

I have three recordings of the 1812 Ouverture, maybe 4, while none comes with a warning. One comes with the explicit mention 'it is compatible with all phonographs' while the other two explicitly mention it was recorded digitally... O tempora o mores.

This goes way beyond my tech skills, but I wonder how this one compares to the Japanese Elekit tube amp kits. These are a bit higher in price, but very well received. TU8200R is $895

I've kept my copy in its original wrapper because I love the sticker so much!

For me, the best live album is Scorpions' Tokyo Tapes (1978). In the early 1980s, a friend had this record (I think it was his dad's) and recorded it for me on a tape cassette. It was my introduction to the Scorpions, and I have always considered it to be their best album. I think it is very hard to find on vinyl nowadays, unfortunately. I was listening to a jazz show on Belgian national radio and it was about the new 1961 album of Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers (see below). In the program they tried to explain why so many great live albums have been recorded in Japan: the Japanese audience is completely unprejudiced and unbiased, and in the case of Art Blakey, they treated them as the geniuses they are (while in other parts of the world they were often the victim of racism back in 1961). This positivity has an impact on these artists and they give the best they can. (read a bit more about this topic here: https://www.analogplanet.com/content/art-blakey-and-jazz-messengersfirst-flight-tokyo-lost-1961-recordings )

Carole King turned 80 recently... BBC2 broadcasted some amazing shows last night, related to her success album Tapestry and her best (muscial) friend, James Taylor.

There's most likely a reason for it, but someone at BBC2 at the program buttons is giving us a big treat! Great music is coming our way tonight!

Here is a little masterpiece!

Sad day.... Rocker Ian McDonald of King Crimson and Foreigner dies at 75 Ian McDonald, a co-founder of pioneering prog-rock band King Crimson and stadium rock hitmaker Foreigner, has died Rocker Ian McDonald of King Crimson and Foreigner dies at 75 - ABC News (go.com)

How about this: https://pitchfork.com/reviews/best/reissues/?page=2

There used to be books of which I owned 'the rough guide to jazz' and 'the rough guide to classical music'. They listed the vest recordings and cds , but may now be out of print. It's a bit sad they did not continue with these publications. They were very good: https://www.amazon.com/Rough-Guide-Jazz-Reference/dp/1843532565

Discogs app

https://www.stereophile.com/content/luxman-sq-n150-integrated-amplifier Four Slovakian-made JJ Electronic EL84 pentode power tubes produce 10Wpc in push-pull mode, alongside two JJ Electronic 12AX7/ECC83 dual-triode input-driver tubes. These tubes are arguably the best 'new' tubes on the market: they are good 'real' new tubes, not bad copies made in Russia/China branded with famous names.

I'm the happy owner of an original Leben CS300. I like it a lot, even if it has a low hum. This is typical of the CS300's design. The CS300X/F doesn't have that issue. The Luxman SQ-N150 was on my shortlist too, and definitely has some interesting features that the Leben is lacking and is therefore the more 'complete' amplifier. - a built-in phono stage (mm and mc) - a remote - bass/treble/balance nobs (absent with Leben, but Leben does have a +3dB/+6dB for more bass (it's like a 'loudness button') - I keep mine on +3dB all the time.) - The Leben has 5 line inputs, while the Luxman has only 3. (I'm using 3 on my Leben: phono, CD and DAC) - The Leben is auto-biasing, the Luxman is not. The two amps are using the same type of tubes, and they have very similar power output too. Luxman uses their own branded tubes (new, I guess), while Leben uses new old stock tubes (most say this is better, but Luxman won't be using 'duds' either). If you consider longevity, it will be very hard to find Leben's nos tubes in ten years time, while for Luxman it will be easier (I think). I bought my Leben CS300 at an interesting used price. If I were in the market for buying one of these two babies new, I would have a very difficult time deciding... At the end of the day, it is more a decision of style, rather than anything else... As for the design and looks, that 's very personal and subjective.

If you want more than one input then the preamp seems to be the thing. I have a mechanical switch that allows me to connect 4 inputs to my Tubecube 7.

Welcome to the forum! If you need that center speaker implemented, then you'll need a hometheater receiver, like this one from Denon: https://www.denon.com/en-us/product/av-receivers/avr-s660h This one is more dedicated to listening to audio https://www.denon.com/en-us/product/amplifiers/pma-600ne If you want to stick to Yamaha, and audio (not movie), is your main source, then this one is definitely a winner: https://theaudiophileman.com/a-s1200-amplifier-review-yamaha/ (no dac inside): The HT Yamaha receiver, with a long list of connectivity: https://europe.yamaha.com/en/products/audio_visual/av_receivers_amps/rx-v4a/specs.html#product-tabs Hometheater receivers have formidable connectivity (input and output, wired and wireless). However, they lag behind when it comes to audio quality compared to both Denon and Yahama (and other brands) dedicated audiophile amps. The Klipsch RP600M speakers are fine and a dedicated audio amplifier will make them shine. Investing in a decent audio amp, will make them shine even more, especially in the extremely high and low frequencies (this is where budget amps break down, with as a result 'muddy' lows and 'shrieking' highs). It's really up to you to decide if connectivity (and movies) is your priority, or audio quality. My final advice is to look at the used market, and 'open box' offers. None of my main system's components was purchased 'new': it is either 'vintage' or 'open box'. You can buy good gear 25% off the new price, or more! Looking for last year's model instead of buying the newest model may also be financially interesting!

I can't remember when I last listened to U2's Boy. This is my original album from 1980, I think, because it doesn't have a barcode. This is when Bono sounded girlish, the Edge hadn't found his typical guitar sound yet, and they sounded a bit like punk too... When War is imminent, I play this record...

This one is by far more advanced than the Denon. On the other hand, I like the warm sound of the Denon and their high quality construction.

Welcome to the forum! VLC MediaPlayer is a great, free tool for video and audio playback. It comes with a nice EQ. https://www.videolan.org/vlc/download-windows.html If you want the most advanced software and are willing to pay a monthly fee, then Roon is your best bet: https://roonlabs.com/

Here there are pictures and schematics: https://www.diyaudio.com/community/threads/tubecube-7-pcb-inspection.346994/

You are right about that! You need efficient speakers for the Tubecube 7, and it doesn't play extremely loud. I cannot open mine, because it has screws in the shape of triangles: 🔺

Thank you for posting this. I was intrigued by this and checked my tubes. I have these 12AX7tubes in my possession: NOS Sovtek that came with my Leben CS300 (see picture, on the left, no etching or markings) Genalex made in Russia Gold Lion New stock Sovtek 12AX7LPS (not in the picture, because they are currently in my Leben amp) Even if both tubes were made in Russian, I can confirm the observations described at effectrode.com: they feel different: the Gold Lion is thicker and heavier they look different: The glass: NOS Sovtek (no etching, no markings), Gold Lion (beatiful gold printing, markings) the getter: NOS Sovtek (a ring), Gold Lion (a saucer) the plates: NOS Sovtek (about 1cm long), Gold Lion (about 1,5 cm long) etcetera... The new old stock Sovtek tubes are completely different inside, that's my conclusion. Just look at the picture. Let me explain about the many iterations of the Leben Hifi CS300. The Japanese company's engineer and owner builds and designs them around the stock of tubes he has. When his stock has expired, taking into account replacements for the owners, he buys a new stock of good quality nos tubes, and redesigns the CS300, moving on to the next model: the CS300XS, the CS300F etc. While I'm typing this, I am listening to the Tubecube 7 with the nos Sovtek EL84 and nos Sovtek 12AX7 tubes, connected to my Klipsch RP160Ms (close listening). They sound amazing. .... I wish I could put them back in my Leben CS300, for sure, but unfortunately, one of them is faulty (they were in use for about 15 years), and I have no idea where to buy them.