jtice

jorjen, I had a seller from DC with slow response on an amp about a year ago. Turned out he was a federal agent and was sent away suddenly on assignment. I think that anyone who is intentionally trying to defraud wouldn't be answering email. Things I've always done before sending more than pocket change... a) exchange emails and talk on the phone to get a feel for attitude and personality ask for address and compare it to the one ebay has on record c) confirm address through online databases d) if you can get info about where he works, call and ask to confirm employent as if he were applyng for a loan. A real person with a life he has a lot to loose.

I wouldn't rule out Chorus II's. They can be had for $700, maybe even less. Long term that would be my choice. Chorus, Forte, Heresyin that order. Chorus will sound larger than Forte. The Forte will have better bass than Heresy. Nothing wrong with Heresy other than being a bit shy on bass. You can probably buy either one of the other two models for less than Heresys and a sub. J.

---------------- On 1/12/2004 8:31:18 AM 98_1LE wrote: As I was bidding on a Denon receiver last night with a couple minutes left on an ebay auction, the seller ended the auction. Presumably because it was not going to net what the seller wanted. I was mad for a minute, but what can you do. ---------------- What you can do is complain loudly. Look at the info Tom posted in this thread and file a similar complaint with Ebay. Not that it will change the outcome on this auction, but being outraged in silence only perpetuates the tactic which, as I think we all agree, undermines the foundation that ebay is built on. In my opinion, a simple rule that auctions cannot be cancelled within a certain amount of time of the scheduled close would pretty much fix the problemmaybe the final hour or 30 minutes. The problem with Ebay is that they are in bed with the sellers. Just like a regular auction house... the seller strikes a deal with the auctioneer to sell his stuff. The auctioneer wants to make his customer, the seller, happy and they both want to take home as much of the buyer's money as possible. Neither one has much vested interest in making buyers feel good as long as they continue to bid. If ebay were to perceive that this practice had potential to undermine their bottom line over the long term they would correct it. But the opposite is likely truesellers know they can cancel the auction at the last second they take no risk whatsoever, except the listing fee, and are thus encouraged to list more stuffand pay more listing fees. If the buyer is not outraged, or expresses no outrage, the practice will be seen as nonoffensive. One thing that could be done outside of ebay is for someone to put up a web page that lists sellers who engage in this practice. Maybe even just related to the Klipsch forum and audio gear. J.

There you go. Cancelled in the final minute. Ebay needs to change the rules. J.

Tom, I'd snag'em. It's a double your money deal if you hold them until no others are listed. Wish I were there. J.

Frzninvtso these are your LaScalas on ebay? Scalas I can't believe they aren't getting bid up above a grand. But over the past week there must've been a dozen pair offered. Probably just a supply/demand thingmore scalas than hot buyers at the moment. I've seen nice clean pairs go over two grand several times in the past year. If I were close enough to pickpu I'd snag these and save'em for a rainy day. J.

---------------- On 1/9/2004 12:14:57 AM garymd wrote: Sometimes a seller ends it early after cutting a deal with a buyer. Other times the seller works out a deal where the buyer puts in a ridiculosly high bid after coming to an agreement with the seller for a lower price. ---------------- Ebay really is all over the place... nice pair of La Scalas in AZ, set to end in a few hours that look like they might go cheap. Other times you'd have to pay 2X for the same thing. I landed a pair of La Scalas after an auction ended early. Ebay suspected a stolen identity and froze the guy's account. I emailed and asked if he still wanted to sell and he said sure. I went to see them with cash in hand and ended up with a sweet deal. Lots of ins and outs, but always establish a dialogue with the seller when you see what you want. That way he may come back to you if he's getting an offer to end early. And if it does end early at least you'll have a way to contact him. Patience-persistence. J.

It seems that the MP3 iTunes market is mostly youngsters and college kidsseparate markets, although I'm sure it does canabalize retail to some degree. Did anyone watch Jobs' keynote? He said wanted to recognize the individual who downloaded the most music from the iTunes store but he wouldn't say his name because he didn't want to get him in trouble with his parents. Then he flashed the number up on the screen$29,500and said he couldn't imagine that Daddy wouldn't have noticed that on his credit card. Jobs even showed a little movie about my hometown! Blacksburg Movie John (one mile from the third fastest computer in the world)

A friend dampens his components with a bicycle innertube. Take a normal width tube, about 2" diameter like for a mountain bike, not the skinny road racing type. Put a small amount of air in it, maybe 1/2 lb., so that it will flatten under the weight of the player. Coil it up and set the player chassis on the tube so that the feet are suspended over the surface. He says it's the best he's found. JT

What brands of IC cables work best with the Rega? I have a new-used Rega and I'm convinced that it sounds way better than my first one. I need some quality cables now too. JT

Some of you may remember that my Rega Planet original went belly-up back in August. I got four months of use prior to catastrophic failure of the logic chip. I was offered some well-considered advice with respect to replacement/repair and whether to accept a trade-in offer by my friendly dealer, all of which I appreciate. After a false start or two I was not comfortable and decided to wait for some separation before revisiting the options. One day while I was listening to music it came to me, like a revelation, that what I really wanted was a new Rega original like the first one. What I did not want was the potential frustration of sending the unit for repairs. I didn't want to trade into a more expensive but lesser quality new player, I didn't want low-end sacd. Based on everything I've read, the Rega seems to be reliablehopefully this was an isolated incident, just a bit of bad luck with the first one. So, that's the decision. I decided to risk another used Rega... Watching, waiting for just the right one... finally a "new" Rega original arrived yesterday! I patiently waited several more hours for it to come up to temperature before unboxing. When I finally saw it I was most pleasantly surprisedit looked like a brand spankin new unitwe're talking minty. The serial number is thousands higher than the first one, indicating a later build. It sounds dynamic and smooth through the 299B and LaScalas. Better than I remember the first one sounding, although that could have something to do with enthusiasm. I think it would take 2-3 times the bucks to buy anything equal especially considering that it just works so well with the big 'ole horns and tubes. I hope this one will be around for a long time to come. John

---------------- Wow, I just got sick and tired of trying to find THE DEAL Smilin ---------------- Smilin, I know exactly where you are on that. I went through the watching, bidding, only to see'em go above where I felt the values ought to be. Finally when I saw the one that I REALLY wanted I decided I'd pay a premium to get it and move on. Now I appreciate every day what I got for a small additional investment. It doesn't work if you're buying/selling for profit, but if you just want to own nice stuff it's perfectly legitimate. And the reason ebay is such a great place to sell quality stuff. We all need an effective "stuff philosophy." It occurred to me rather abruptly one day that every damn time I bought a compromise to save a buck it would end up costing me exactly that much morebecause I'd eventually end up buying what I really wanted to begin with. Lately I've decided I need less stuff because having too many things demanding attention and taking up space detracts from enjoyment of the other stuff. Stuff seems to be a cyclical thing.

---------------- On 11/30/2003 10:41:42 PM smilin wrote: Jtice I do indeed wish you luck, BTW which rega are you waiting for now? Smilin TODAY is an EXPENSIVE day on ebay!!!! ---------------- Another original. Hopefully it will last for years and years.

I own an original Rega (now deceased) and had an occasion to compare it directly to the Rega 2000. In my opinion, much of what makes the original so desirable was not the case with the 2000. The 2000 seemed more detailed, but at the expense of smoothness. That's not to say the 2000 isn't a good player but just that it doesn't have as much of the characteristic that helps the original tame the horns. I recently decided to take a chance on another Rega originalit should arrive this week. The reason is that I just think that for the price and with the horns the Rega original holds a lot of value. I'd have to spend a lot more to get similar quality and characteristics in any other player. So wish me luck on a second try.

I have a fine pair of '93 Chorus IIs in oiled walnut that I'm selling. I'm offering them here before listing on ebay. Asking $700. I'd describe them as exc+ or near mint. Located in Blacksburg, VA. I'll help with shipping if necessary, pickup would be better. Or, I'll deliver within certain distance for a reasonable price. These puppies will look cute under the Christmas tree. Email if interested. John

Since we're reminiscing of '70s rockn' roll the originality and uniqueness of the eraI thought I'd mention an album from a bit further back that is not only the artist's debut, but a fine example of a genre that most will agree was rockn' roll's debut. He was one exceptional country bluesman with a finger picking style that many have tried to imitate. This one is special.

A good music day... started with some of the best blues... then some Bach... violins... jazzy-funk... classic rock. LaScalas and tubes. -Mississippi John Hurt, Avalon Blues 1963 (Richland Woman Blues) -Yo-Yo Ma, Inspired by Bach (The Bach Cello Suites) 1997 -Itzhak Perlman & Isasc Stern, Bach Double Concerto for Two Violins in D Minor (Nos. 1, 2) -Itzhak Perlman/ John Williams, Schindler's List, 1993 -Anne Sophie Mutter, Beehtoven, The Violin Sonatas -Anne-Sophie Mutter/Karajan, Mendelssohn, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in E minor, op. 64, 1981 -Hillary Hahn, Brahms, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in D major, op. 77/Stravinsky, Concerto for Violin & Orchestra in D w/ Marriner & ASMF 2001 -Steely Dan, Everything Must Go 2003 -Jerry Garcia, Garcia 1972 -The Band, Across the Great Divide, Disc 1, 1970's John

Trivale, Craig failed mention that he is an artist' at rebuilding these vintage amps such that they perform better than they did in '59. Check his site. He rebuilt a HF-81 for me and did a great job, and reasonable. John

---------------- On 9/11/2003 10:16:18 AM bclarke421 wrote: How about another bright young thing from that day.. Bonnie Raitt "Give it Up" Eclectic, wonderful record. She sounds like a young Ella at times. ---------------- A few years ago, in the college days, one of my roommates was on the concert committee. He took us to the gym one night to a keg party. Plastic tarps covering the floor, beer spilled everywhere. Two bucks for beer and a band. The beer alone was worth two bucksso how could we loose? The band was a little known female blues guitaristBonnie Raitt. I expected headbanging, no-talent rock. What I got was a taste of the bluesbeen a fan of hers (and the blues) ever since. J.

---------------- On 9/10/2003 7:47:41 PM Marvel wrote: The new G5 cases are really nice to look at. When Apple does it right, it is REALLY right! The insides are good too. Marvel ---------------- Yes, they've been on a tear lately. The iTunes download concept site hit 10 million downloads, the titanium powerbooks are a hit and now they're the first with 64 bit* processing in a desktop box. It's not religion, but there's a reason why Apple's brand loyalty is the envy of almost every other corporation regardless of industry. *Thanks for the correction. I must've been thining about the part that sits in the chair.

---------------- On 9/6/2003 10:56:33 AM Marvel wrote: Reminds me of too many Mac users. The computer Mac users, not the amplifier Mac users. ---------------- ---------------- And then Mace said: But Steve did found a church, didn't he? Jobovah's Witnesses or was it the EcuMacicals? ---------------- Actually, Steve is building a nice little church about a mile from my house! Not bad for a small town, huh. Hallelujah! The Book of Jobs J.

---------------- On 8/30/2003 3:53:41 AM mobile homeless wrote: Several the look very much like a factory wiring job DO have the screws as well. At the moment, I am not sure if some of the factory built units did use both depending on years, but it's an interesting point. ---------------- Mine has rivets and it is a factory unit with a test date of Feb 4, 1959. These pics are pre-NOSValves rebuild. Factory Eico

---------------- On 8/28/2003 8:34:30 PM jt1stcav wrote: jtice, that's a nice speaker stand! They're proportionally correct with the size of the Heresys...Just curious; have you thought of refinishing the stands to match the Heresys? Either way, those stands are better than most I've seen at high-end retailers or online! ---------------- Thanks. Well, yesI thought about it. They look nice painted black but are decidedly utilitarian. If I had known from the outset that they would have a positive impact I might have approached it differently. I was experimentingdidn't know for sure they'd be keepers. They make the bass tighter, image better and generally sound cleaner and more transparent. Positive effects did not materialize until the stands were filled and spiked. This was something of a revelation as my intention was simply to change the height and angle. A friend suggested filling and spiking and it worked! John

---------------- On 8/27/2003 7:53:54 PM jt1stcav wrote: So the shrunken Cornwalls (IMO) sound great on the floor? Are they on their tilted risers? I always thought they'd image better sitting on sturdy stands. ---------------- I like mine on stands, in the corner, driven by a HF-81. Stands are filled with sand, homemade spikes made from arrow tips. It doesn't hurt that the room is well proportioned and absorbent.

---------------- On 8/25/2003 6:15:09 AM ssh wrote: Music needs rests,or it's noise to me. SSH ---------------- I agree. There was a time when I listened to music (or some type of sensory input) all the time. But now I need a certain amount of time alone with my thoughts and any kind of music or noise becomes an intrusion. There are other times when only the most soothing, non-vocal material will do. I have this other hobbylong-distance motorcyclingwhere many employ quality, in-helmet audio systems with great satisfaction. I choose to do it with as much silence as possible, wearing ear plugs to minimize ambient noise. I'll go out for a week and not even hear a news report. Then when I do get back into music it seem new and fresh again. John