Questions about the Juicy Music Blueberry Extreme w/Cream and pCat Monoblocks

[Marvel]

From an article in Stereophile:

 

Beginning in 1975, Deneen owned and operated Paragon Audio of San Carlos, California, designing and manufacturing affordable tube electronics. Then, in 1979, he sold Paragon to ADC. After staying on to help manage the line for a short while, Deneen left audio altogether and moved back home to California: "The IBM PC had just been released—personal computers were the hot thing at the time—and I had actually spent the first part of my career as a programmer and systems analyst." It was a good move—Deneen did well enough that he could "semiretire" a few years ago, moving himself and his wife to the picturesque coastal village of Ferndale, just 90 minutes from the Oregon border.

 

Once there, Deneen spent his first ten months designing preamplifier circuits. "I decided that if I couldn't get beyond a 'me too' position and come up with something that wasn't already available, then I wouldn't be interested in getting back into audio," he says. "And I elected to do something where I could have fun, and could just look forward. The kind of workday I wanted was the kind where I can look back and say, 'Man, did I have fun today!'"

Deneen's sense of fun and his quest for originality came to fruition in his first BlueBerry, a tube preamplifier that stands proud of the pack not only for offering line gain, phono gain, and a decent brace of user controls all in one package, but by making that package refreshingly different from everything else: a solid wood cabinet, with an acrylic front panel done up in shades of purple, blue, and orange. Trophy boys need not apply.

The circuits are refreshing in their own ways—and completely devoid of feedback. For moving-magnet phono inputs, the signal is amplified first by a 12AT7 dual-triode tube, then sent to a passive RIAA equalization circuit before being amplified anew by a 12AX7 dual-triode. Another 12AT7, used as a cathode follower, picks up the phono signal from there, lowering the impedance and driving the volume control. Beyond that, phono and line signals alike are amplified by a single 6DJ8, grounded-cathode gain stage with 20dB of gain.

 

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There was more. It was stuff outside of audio that pissed people off. Or made them like him more. Sounds familiar around here.

[Curious_George]

On 2/7/2022 at 12:12 PM, Marvel said:

It was stuff outside of audio that pissed people off. Or made them like him more. Sounds familiar around here.

This is the interesting stuff. Where can we find more?

[Marvel]

I believe that most of it was deleted, and it didn't bother me so I didn't get involved.

 

[babadono]

Mr. D could be a d$%k and was to me several a couple times. Just the way the cookie crumbles.

[SWL]

I still crack up every time I see his name mentioned......remembering the phone conversation we had. In the backround I could hear his head slamming into the table several times while I was asking him questions about biamping with a Peach and some Behringer equipment.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[mark1101]

Anyone remember Jim Nazium?

[richieb]

26 minutes ago, mark1101 said:

Anyone remember Jim Nazium?

Rumor had it this was Deneen in Nazium disguise - ?

[Audible Nectar]

If Mark Deneen took on Randism my name is Tom Brady.

 

On 2/28/2022 at 3:38 PM, mark1101 said:

Anyone remember Jim Nazium?

 

That's "Naseum" 🙂

 

I liked the guy and didn't have any issue with him. Like his Peach preamp too. He also had a habit of getting under the skin of the right people, and had a moral center very few I ever knew had. One of my favorite people here, despite the "exit strategy", proof that "breaking up really is hard to do".

[Schu]

What was the relationship between him and Craig Otsby?

[rplace]

3 hours ago, Schu said:

What was the relationship between him and Craig Otsby?

 

Rocky, ha.😉

[Marvel]

6 hours ago, Schu said:

What was the relationship between him and Craig Otsby?

As I remember it (possibly not accurately), Craig asked him for help on some circuits or circuit, and never gave Mark credit for the help. I think Craig modified the circuit in the Tubes4hifi board (before the CCS was added) to use in his own amps.

 

[Curious_George]

On 4/25/2022 at 8:16 AM, Audible Nectar said:

had a moral center very few I ever knew had. 

Could you expand on this "moral center", I am curious. 

[jimjimbo]

I really don't think that this is appropriate within this thread, not to mention that these people are still fully capable of reading this forum.

[Curious_George]

2 minutes ago, jimjimbo said:

I really don't think that this is appropriate within this thread, not to mention that these people are still fully capable of reading this forum.

Well, my question can be sent via PM, which you seem to like a lot...

[jimjimbo]

27 minutes ago, Curious_George said:

Well, my question can be sent via PM, which you seem to like a lot...

And there's a good reason for that.  Don't send it to me.

[Curious_George]

On 2/8/2022 at 5:51 PM, SWL said:

I still crack up every time I see his name mentioned......remembering the phone conversation we had. In the backround I could hear his head slamming into the table several times while I was asking him questions about biamping with a Peach and some Behringer equipment.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk


 

Most people who are seen as eccentric or self-proclaimed eccentric are usually self-aware to some level. They know how they are acting and usually don't care how they are viewed. Although I have never met him, people like Nelson Pass are rare. A great designer and person in general with a lot of patience and always willing to help if he can with DIY, but also has a business to run. So many has or have beens get into the audio world and then disappear after a short time. The list is long, but usually not too distinguished. 

[billybob]

Yes some who claim to be self aware, finally give it up. Others just keep on a truck in, and to hell with what is thought of them.

What they think of themselves being more important.

And then yet others...lol