Share your road trips!

[rockhound]

I searched and could not find a "road trip" thread so here is my latest.

 

I thought I would share my experience with Tim in St Louie (Rescue Audio) for those wondering.

 

Friday March 23rd

I traveled from Murfreesboro AR over to St Louis MO roughly 450miles one way. My wife and son were on spring break so they joined me in the road trip. I picked up a 6x12 uhaul trailer that morning (beautiful morning a nice 70d out) in Nashville. I had arranged with Tim to unhook it at his house so the family and I could spend the day in St Louis Saturday, more on that later. We hooked it up and headed out. I have to say that the North East side of Arkansas is absolutely terrible for traveling, nothing to look at but farmland. I live in a beautiful state but this has to be my least favorite area. I guess if I was farming that would be a different story. Anyway back on track, we made great time and got to the Hotel about 2:30 on the 23rd. I called up Tim who was waiting for my son and I at his shop. I asked him if he had any landmarks that would make finding his place easy he said yep just look for the BRIGHT YELLOW BMW "there is no missing that car", he was right. I should have snapped a pic of his shop and how he had the 456's displayed. He had them lined up on the loading dock, wiped down and ready to roll.

 

Side story my son is heading off to CRAS in Gilbert AZ next year to pursue a career in the audio industry. So being that Tim used to work (still does from time to time) live audio I thought it would be great for my son to meet a well seasoned engr. Only problem is my son is very introverted, takes him some time to get used to someone before he opens up. Unfortunatly we didn't have a lot of time. Anyway Tim offered him some great advice, on what to do, what not to do and most of all what it takes to be successful. He simply told my son "Hard work produces positive results" I thought that summed it up pretty good.

 

Back on track......so Tim showed me his shop which to say was a candy store for me. He had tall stacks here, drivers there some older vintage Altec stuff lots of JBL empty cabs, EAW fly boxes and SUBS, SUBS and more SUBS just to name a few items! Once we had taken the tour it was time to load up the 4/456 boxes and the 2/EV TL770 subs. Let me say the loading dock is elevated roughly head high from the ground so you will need an additional hand to help if you buy speakers of the size I bought. Anyway got everything loaded up and tied down. Tim and I talked about dropping the trailer at his house, then I noticed something the damn U-Haul trailer did not have a jack to lower and raise the tongue. No way could we "man handle" it with all that Klipsch woofage on the tongue. So I told Tim I would go find a harbor freight and get a small jack and a stand this afternoon and drop the trailer at his house early on Saturday, Tim said that would be great as he had date night with his wife tonight. So my son and I headed out went to harbor freight picked up a small floor jack and jack stand for 35 bucks...gotta love harbor freight and the coupons! We then headed out to eat at a TEX-MEX place called Chevy's next to the hotel. Had a great meal and headed back to the hotel (Residence Inn). I parked way out away from everyone since I needed the space with my truck and the U-Haul trailer.

 

Saturday the 24th.

Woke up to cold temps and rain, not the best weather conditions to be walking around sight seeing but we were determined UNTIL I went downstairs to pull my truck around. Some a-hole parked right in front of me and another a-hole parked right behind me in the damn parking lot boxing me in. Hotels don't take the license plate numbers anymore so there was no way to know who the a-hole was. I went back to my room HOT to say the least, who the heck does that? Sooooo it wasn't until about 1pm that the a-hole behind me finally left so I could get the truck out by this time the day was shot so we checked out of the room and headed south. I can say that it was a good thing I wasn't in my younger years or the wife would have been paying bail money to get me out. Got home about 8pm that night.

 

Sunday the 25th

After church service my son and I unloaded the goodies, I was like a 5yr old at Christmas time! Couldn't wait to get these fired up. Son and I ran the U-Haul trailer back to Nashville.

 

The experience with Tim was awesome he is a great dude with a wealth of knowledge and is willing to go out of his way to make sure your experience is the best it can be, do not hesitate to buy from him.

 

I ordered a pair of networks from Bob for one set. Man I have to say these are wonderful speakers, far better than what I was expecting and the EV sub is no slouch very clean sub, I like this combo A LOT!

 

[Thaddeus Smith]

Very nice! Sounds like a fun trip and great gear

[dtel]

Sounds like it went mostly well, good, and you got to do it with the family even better.

 

I fix the pic, I hope you don't mind, wanted to show the fronts, they do look cool.

[rockhound]

Thanks dtel!

[CECAA850]

Great post!!!

 

Where are all these goodies going to ultimately reside?

[WillyBob]

I have a 4000 mile trip coming in Sept. I hope it's a snoozer. At my age excitement isn't too much good for me. HaHaHa Toting a pair of Scalas back from IN... Motel?    No,   I'll be sleeping with my babies. I'm skinny enough ... maybe IN them.

[BigStewMan]

On 4/9/2018 at 7:52 AM, WillyBob said:

I have a 4000 mile trip coming in Sept. I hope it's a snoozer.

. 

[rockhound]

On 4/9/2018 at 7:49 AM, CECAA850 said:

Great post!!!

 

Where are all these goodies going to ultimately reside?

Thanks Carl it was a fun trip even if we didn't get to explore.

 

One pair will remain in my garage. The other pair I'm going to refinish and give to my son when he graduates next year. He will need these in the future for sound reinforcement projects in school (field work).

[Dave A]

I go there tomorrow though my stack will be somewhat larger   Good thing is I have a forklift for unloading and moving at my end.

[dtel]

Well it looks like tomorrow is a good day to go buy some speakers, your in luck.

[dtel]

Been on many road trips over the years.

 

Once we drove to a forum members house outside of Atlanta to pick up some 402 horns and a Ev Dx 38 in 2009. Atlanta is halfway to the mountains in Tennessee from where we live so we planned to go for a week to the mountains. We rented a Chalet and a daughter and a couple grand kids followed us up there. We put the 402 horns  and Dx 38 in our bedroom to get them out of the car...........  see pic, in the corners

 

Another road trip in 2008 was to get some MWM bins from another forum member in Athens GA. The let us stay the night and we left in the morning going home. We went in a jeep and I made one of platforms like you see on the back of cars that go into the trailer hitch. We called it the redneck speaker carrier, it did work and even had it's own lights, but I was surprised we did not get pulled over going home.

 

This was just 2 of the trips

[BigStewMan]

. 

[richieb]

 

--- a Cliff Notes version of a quickly planned weekend "getaway" while in college. Four guys, one VW Bug, a late Friday afternoon on the phone with girl friends in Dallas, a 500 mile trip. A quickly packed Bug with any and all essentials for 1972 and off we go. A short/long weekend with bit and pieces remembered, loves found and lost, two sleepless days in preparation for the 500 miles back to school. 

The Bug had enough about 75 miles from home base, top speed gradually falling from 60, 50, ending with a pedal to the floor 35. She finally  gave up the ghost with about 5 miles to go being pushed into the side road. A call to another roommate at 1:30a for help, where he asked where we've been all weekend - why Dallas of course. The Calvary did arrive about an hour later. What I don't remember but suspect we didn't was attending class that day. Gawd what crazy shite fun we use to have -- and lived to tell about it. 

[Dave A]

OK now my turn at Tim's. Went Wednesday and driving back was much slower than going. Bought 4 pair of KP-456's, Two three way stacks of MCM 1900, two EV TL440 subs and four knockoff single bin MWM's My van picture did not turn out but I can say that the eight 456's filled it side to side and end to end. The trailer is twenty feet long and you can see what was left over. It was not exactly planned this way but I could not have fit more in any where.

 

    I have not heard a single negative word about Tim and after meeting him in person I can see why. From beginning to end dealing with and meeting with him was a very good experience.

 

 I had a guy who bought a pair of Fortes meet me at Tim's since it saved him a trip to my place. The guy standing next to the dumpster(just noticed that picture did not make it in but rest assured he is there). Told him he had probably bought the last pair of Forte's I would be selling. I am losing all interest in the consumer side of things as they are a hassle to buy and sell with any reasonable profit once you add in time travel and expenses. While it is a hobby I never meant to subsidize others but pay for my stuff. There is satisfaction in there in one regard though. Many of these I have sold seem to go to older guys who have medical problems and they really like sitting down and listening to music and I like hearing happy people in a situation like that.

[Dave A]

Here is a picture of Tim's shop. I have to arrange and unload today but will get a picture of it all in the shop by tomorrow. I have a lot of arranging to do needless to say. Oh did I mention that the MCM's came with crossovers? I MIGHT have to hook them up and see if my neighbors like them as much as I will ;D

[dtel]

Well that's quite a load, I can see from the pictures I do NOT need to go see "Tim", it would be upsetting since I am out of room.

I love MWM bass bins and yes they sound great outside, what will you use the 1900's for ?

[Dave A]

Also on the way back I stopped in to see Cory at Metropolis Lake Outfitters. My first time to hear Jubilees and I am very impressed with them. After spending some time with him I think he is a fellow audiophile and dedicated to the idea of good sound. While he is like me in that knowledge of all things audio pales into the trivial when compared to say Chris A or Claude and some others he does have ears and can judge what sounds good and he is striving to learn much more about it all. I enjoyed my visit with him far more than any audio store I have been in where people who did not really love sound like I do blabber on and on about crap. Sitting in Cory's sound room with the Jubilees was a complete revelation and I knew I was sitting next to someone who would never lose his amazement of what Star Wars games and music could sound like. I share that same feeling and Star Wars brought goose bumps to me as I write this remembering what I heard there. I have pretty darned good stereo in my shop but that is it and there is no X Box or big screen.

 

  Just a comment here to Klipsch. Besides the poor effort at publicity Klipsch seems to suffer from I don't understand why the pro lines can't have a "homeowner" finish that would make them more acceptable to people who sadly worry as much about appearance as they do the sound. Now to me sound is the most important but many suffer under the has to look good while doing so ego problems. Cory also had a pair of La Scalas there and while they were very pretty the sound was purely second rate compared to the Jubilees which were not far from the same price. I can close my eyes and hear speakers. I can plug up my ears and see speakers also and that however brings scant and purely fleeting enjoyment. I have to drive for a LONG way to hear good speakers from Klipsch but I can drive to Nashville and hear these stupid looking pitiful sounding $22,000 Bowers and Wilkins Buck Rodgers looking monstrosities at HI FI Buys. At three times the price of the Jubilees and far less audio ability in every regard. They do have those $1,000 diamond diaphragms though so I guess as long as you could put that on a little stand up card in front of the Buck Rodgers B&W any of those owners could be reassured it was money well spent.

[rockhound]

Cool story Dave A I cant wait to hear your impressions of the 456's and the 1900's.

[Dave A]

21 minutes ago, dtel said:

Well that's quite a load, I can see from the pictures I do NOT need to go see "Tim", it would be upsetting since I am out of room.

I love MWM bass bins and yes they sound great outside, what will you use the 1900's for ?

 I am not sure what I am going to do. I have heard so much about these that I will set them up and have a listen at least once. I do have space for them in my shop if I put them on wheels so they can be moved when needed. These are in great shape and came with a crossover so I can plug them up with my single Crown amp and let them rip.

[dtel]

27 minutes ago, Dave A said:

Just a comment here to Klipsch. Besides the poor effort at publicity Klipsch seems to suffer from I don't understand why the pro lines can't have a "homeowner" finish that would make them more acceptable to people who sadly worry as much about appearance as they do the sound. Now to me sound is the most important but many suffer under the has to look good while doing so ego problems.

This is good and bad and has presented somewhat of a problem for Klipsch for years now.

 

The problem is if they make the Jubes pretty it could easily double + the price because it would be much harder to build and have extra material cost. This has been the problem, if it's priced where most could not afford them home sale would drop off which is not a big deal for Klipsch since most of the sales for them is commercial but it would be bad for home enthusiast.

 

A few years ago ONE set was done for a member here, Travis (dwilawyer) sp. They were made out of African Mahogany I think it was and he paid much more for that. When they were built Klipsch said NO more. The build was so much of a pain they refuse to do any more, even the computers setting (cut list) for the CNC had to be changed. The problem is with that design the inside and outside is visible so the wood is harder to get both sides with a nice veneer and matching and MUCH more care and mostly time has to go into cutting and the build. It really was a big deal, plus adding edge banding to all of those edges is kind of a nightmare , I do woodworking and didn't realize many of the problems that making a finished model caused, especially with that model. In a way it's much better for us to get them as is and change them however we want to keep the cost from going crazy.

 

With normal Jubes they are painted textured black like all pro stuff. When building like this any imperfections or grain differences, color or anything else makes no difference it's just filled sanded and texture sprayed and looks fine.

 

When Roy gave me his prototype 1502 sub it was raw birch, I was very lucky it just happened to be in great shape. All I had to do was sand it all down, add edge banding, stain and put a finish on it. If would have had other problems I would have just gone with black, either way I was VERY happy just to have it.  You can see here

 

 

And yes Cory is a great guy, people should never hesitate doing business with him, he loves this stuff like any of us here.