Mallette Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I work for the largest domestic drilling company in the US. It has a wonderful bonus system and I've rec'd a generous chunk each December for 9 of the past 10 years. Next year...not likely from the looks of things. The war on Putin or whatever is going to cost us big time. However, '14 was a record year and I've traditionally used the "dad tax" to spend 10% of it as I see fit. This year it was mostly audio except for one major item. Thought I'd share my thoughts and since the audio is a mixture of HT and two channel, and one item not audio at all, seemed like the Lounge was the right place. First, my HT system upgrade. My HT audio system is quite a mix. Frazier Mark IV left and right, Cornwall center, Frazier super midgets surround, and up until now, RS LX-5 Linaeum rears, and a Pinnacle subwoofer I'd had for many years. I added the new Klipsch RS112SW subwoofer and replaced the RS rears with Klipsch CP-6. Once YPAO optimized (Yamaha receiver), the system is quite seamless and really marvelous on 7.1 material. It's extraordinary just how well Klipsch and Fraziers get along. Since Jack was the only other designer I ever heard PWK speak approvingly of, perhaps it shouldn't be such a surprise. We have the first "Hobbit" movie up for tonight and am looking forward to it. On the two channel front, I acquired Audioengine 5+ powered speakers (400.00) and the Audioengine D1 DAC (150.00). Both have stellar near straight 5 star reviews by users and reviewers as well. I've used the 5+ for my monitors at work for several years and love them for near field listening...though they can also be quite successfully used to fill a room. Many fans use them as main speakers with a subwoofer. Granted, I could have bought some used speakers and a Class D amp cheaper, but really wanted both the great sound of these as well as the convenience of "plug and play." The use is as monitors for my home workstation both for just listening and also for the videos I produce for fun on occasion, and as "travel" speakers when we go to our Arkansas property or wherever. The D1 I'll likely use in my main music room, but also as a handy travel DAC like for the Klipsch gathering in April. It's very small, USB powered, and requires no drivers. Sound is quite transparent and all I ask of a DAC...which is not to hear it. Finally, non audio: An Epson 850 scanner. It's a brute and I've wanted a really first class scanner for prints, negs, and positives for many years as I have 45 years of my own photography and a large quantity from my mother to deal with so my son has some clue what it all is. I started right in on the 400 or so 120 roll film negs from my mom. A few of them go back to an even larger format I can't really identify, but it's postcard sized and several of this are my mother as a 2 year old which would have been about 1921. The rest are hers from the late 30s through the late 50s. The quality of the scans is truly mind boggling. I am scanning the 120 at 3200 dpi and, depending on whether it's post card or square dual frame the file size ranges from 100 to 250MB and the details extraordinary right down to buttons. This is going to take weeks, as every scan takes between 6 and 9 minutes. Then I'll turn my attention to my 35mm slides which will be done at 6400dpi. Did a couple of tests on Kodachrome slides and the results are beautiful. After that, it will be the boxes of prints we have. Those will be easier and faster as there is no need to really go beyond 300dpi with prints. Once fully backed up I intend to dispose of the vast majority of the prints. Really no point in boxes of unidentified prints moldering away. I've ordered a submersion tray for it as I've read these take negs to a new level. Hard to imagination, but we shall see. As I'll be luck to get a ham or turkey as bonus next year, I made it a point to enjoy this bonus. Rest goes to pay off a few things. One of those is musical. We gave my son a Vincent Bach Stradivarius trombone for Christmas. He's only been playing a year and a half and is already first chair in the Symphonic, the top band at his middle school. I am pretty sure he has natural pitch, quite a blessing. Anyway, a great Christmas season! Dave 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Great story Dave. I used mine on bills 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thaddeus Smith Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 As a sales engineer I get quarterly bonuses based on the sales org's performance. I managed to purchase some nice backpacking gear during the summer and then my Emotiva gear and Aletheia crossovers with my Q3 bonus. Q4 was another good one, so I'm hoping to buy one of Maynard's tube amps and combine the remainder with our tax return for a new riding lawnmower. those will go away, along with a great many things, once I start nursing school so I'm trying to cram in the fun purchases and pay off CC debt with this year's bonuses so we can reduce unnecessary stress while I'm in school. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Which one, and for which sized negs? Epson. It's a full bed size so fits anything up to 8X10. It was only 59.00...then I saw the prices on the fluid and mylar. Yikes. Haven't ordered that yet. Any thoughts on a reasonable source? Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Great story Dave. I used mine on bills Well, we paid off my wife's pickup as well. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators dtel Posted January 2, 2015 Moderators Share Posted January 2, 2015 Nice story Dave and Congratulations on the sons playing talents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I got a rock. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Frankly, if you are interested I will gift it to you happily, if it's back there and the glass isn't broken or anything like that. I have no more use of it. Very generous. If it's around send it at your convenience and let me know what any costs are for same. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 (edited) Here is an image from one of my mom's 120 double frame negatives. It's from 1938 in front of my dad's bicycle shop in Galveston with my mom on the bike. Of course, I've dumbed the resolution way down but you should get a since of how good these things are. Dave Edited January 2, 2015 by Mallette Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JL Sargent Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Great picture! I still have a couple of medium format cameras myself that use 120. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Truly fantastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USNRET Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Bonus? I get bone us yearly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallette Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Nice story Dave and Congratulations on the sons playing talents. Thanks, dtel. If the trombone weren't enough he decided to take violin as well last fall. Doing great with that as well. Lord, I don't want to even think about the cost of a step up violin. That Bach trombone was 3k. I don't think you start into "intermediate" with violins until around 10k. The coach is after him for the football team. Violin, trombone, and football. Sheesh... Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eth2 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 I got the flu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 (edited) As I'll be luck to get a ham or turkey as bonus next year, I made it a point to enjoy this bonus. Rest goes to pay off a few things. One of those is musical. We gave my son a Vincent Bach Stradivarius trombone for Christmas. He's only been playing a year and a half and is already first chair in the Symphonic, the top band at his middle school. I am pretty sure he has natural pitch, quite a blessing. Anyway, a great Christmas season! Dave Good post, but the last paragraph was the most outstanding. I agree your son is blessed if he has perfect pitch. I would suggest keeping the old trombone at home for practice, use the nice one for school, get him a couple of identical MP's. The point is don't have him transporting that nice Bach Strad all over the place. The coach is after him for the football team. Violin, trombone, and football. Sheesh... My son was a state championship wrestler for the best HS wrestling team in the state, first chair trumpet in marching band, jazz band and symphonic band, and got a full ride academic scholarship to college. I don't bring that up to brag, but to point out then when you have a well rounded child like your son obviously is, if something goes wrong with one thing, he has other things in his life to make him successful. My son got mono his junior year in HS and wrestling was lost to him. He spent 9 weeks at home (a couple days a week he went to school if he was up to it), and we thought about withdrawing him. It was devastating. But he made all-state band even though his grades dropped mostly to B's. If he were only an athlete he would have lost most of his identity. It was the other two parts of his life that filled in the gaps and kept him going in a normal way. Your son is making (or will be making) his mark on his high school and leaving a legacy. I bet you are the proudest dad in Texas! Edited January 3, 2015 by wvu80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Nar!!! You respect the instrument, you play it to its fullest, and you get props when you take it out of the case, prep it for use, and wail! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 (edited) Nar!!! You respect the instrument, you play it to its fullest, and you get props when you take it out of the case, prep it for use, and wail! "Nar?" I know that's pirate talk, but what's it mean? Edited January 3, 2015 by wvu80 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 Would you understand "no?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 I only ask because many youngsters today wouldn't, having never been told such by their parents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wvu80 Posted January 3, 2015 Share Posted January 3, 2015 If you could explain it better, I might. [emoji14] 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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