LAST CALL Arkansas Gathering - This Saturday - May 8th

[ssh]

Ditto what BEC said. Dee & Tony did a great job of hosting. Dee's at a fine spot at Scott, AR. His Wrights were the first I'd heard, & they're sweet amps. We got to listen to several crossover changes in Dee's khorns & Jesse's RF7s: Bob Crites', ALK's extreme slopes, the RF7 stock, & Dean's. One of the real treats was to listen to Bob & Michael Crites, Dean, & Trey talk about the crossovers, innovative parts ideas, & other tech stuff, & another was the commentary Andy provided from his first hand experience at Klipsch. I listen pretty well, & learned a lot from them & others there.

Dean's Quads really moved some serious air in Jesse's RF7s, & yes, Craig, he did play that cut, & was allowed to stay LOL. (And that picture you posted of Dean a while back must have been taken very early in the morning & without makeup.) I enjoyed Dean's crossovers,too, but I think the nicest thing he brought was his lovely wife, Debbie.

Thanks to Tony for bringing Anna, too (Really cool shirt, Anna.).

It was also the first time I had heard a Cayin, & it would be on my list of recommended 20-watters; I thought it was a little like a warm 299A on steroids.

I had been curious about the Blueberry, & it really is a clean-sounding preamp. I got to hear it with my JFL 2A3s.

I had also been curious about the Beyma CP 25s with khorns (A picture has been on my desk for weeks.), & fortunately, Lee brought a pr. Several of us were pleased/ surprised at how the tweeter melted into the overall sound.

Colin took what I hope were copious notes, & I look forward to reading his post.

Thanks, Dee. Thanks, Trey. Tony, we'll try to bury the conspiracy theory, but you'd better be glad that Debbie did the drawing for the kornerhorns LOL.

SSH

[Parrot]

Keep those reports a-comin'.

[Chris Robinson]

Dang, sounds like a GREAT time was had by all. Wish I could have been there.

If it weren't for that pesky 3:45 AM wake-up call for another lap out of Logan.

[m00n]

So Deans crossovers were a hit? I know I sure like them.

[Daddy Dee]

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On 5/9/2004 8:34:57 AM fini wrote:

I agree! Great shot, and I wanna know who those handsome men (and that gorgeous babe!) are!!

I see Trey, Andy...

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Front Row: L to R... Trey Cannon and Arkytype

Back Row: L to R...Tony Reed, BEC, HDBRBuilder, SSH, DaddyDee, Michael Crites, Colin, Stream, KhornKerry, DeanG, Mrs. DeanG.

IB Slammin and Ann had to leave before the picture was made. Ann got the long distance award, flying in 2100 miles from Utah.

Dean and Debbie are still driving at this hour and hopefully will not have the same construction delays on their return trip as they did on the way. Turned a 10.5 hour drive into over 13 hours.

This gathering was alot of fun. SSH has given a good summary of the time. Reading that I thought, no wonder we never got to hear HDBRBuilder's Oak LaScala's. We heard alot of stuff. These folks were wonderful guests. After everyone left, I noticed that my system had been reconnected as it was, the place was straightened up, indoor and outdoor furniture returned to it's pregathering places. Thank you guys. When we have a chance to do this again we'll fire up the cooker for some serious bbq.

[3dzapper]

whoops

[3dzapper]

Front Row: L to R... Trey Cannon and Arkytype

Back Row: L to R...Tony Reed, BEC, HDBRBuilder, SSH, DaddyDee, Michael Crites, Colin, Stream, KhornKerry, DeanG, Mrs. DeanG.

[Klipschfoot]

Hey, guys.

Meet me at the gym. If you have time to post, you have time to exercise.

[m00n]

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On 5/9/2004 10:36:43 PM Klipschfoot wrote:

Hey, guys.

Meet me at the gym. If you have time to post, you have time to exercise.

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LOL... Dayam... That's harsh and sure to draw some haste.

[Klipschfoot]

m00n, a little background.

I remember pictures my father with a belly about the size of some of those in this pic. I also remember the onset diebetes and consequential glaucoma. He also smoked heavily. The last time I saw him, he was black due to lack of oxygen. So you see, I have some motivation not to suffer the same fate. He missed seeing several grandchildren and great grandchildren and many years of memories and significance. My mother is still with us.

I am not trying to be harsh. As a member of this forum (a "Freak" no less) I have learned much. I would like to continue to do so from other members. Everyone is different, but we are all human.

[Piranha]

Wow. Yikes. Incoming!!!

[sheltie dave]

In one sense, Klipschfoot is generically correct. In Europe, people go on walking, biking, and hiking vacations for most of their lives, and the majority of the people I have been around are in fighting trim well into their 60s. I was totally embarrassed when we went into the Tyrolean Alps in '88, and there were 8 senior citizens that dusted our adzes on a fifteen mile hike.

While Klipschfoot did not use the proper concilitory tone, I buried my pop last summer from a heart attack caused by hypertension. I know where 'foot's heart is, because there is little you can do to ease the pain when you witness loved ones suffer from a totally avoidable condition. For many people, it may just be five or ten pounds that do some good.

I am bleesed with the family hollow leg. I can't gain much weight while I am at home, with all the honey do chores and work that a toddler causes. Every time I go away for contract work, I gain ten to twenty pounds, because I sit around the hotel room four nights a week reading.

I hope we can get a full debrief on the Hubcaps, and am eagerly waiting Colin's notes and a blow-by-blow of the proceedings.

[tillmbil]

Wow, great pick. I find it interesting to see the differences in age at this event. From the young and restless to the old and knowledgeable. What a great group of people to have all gotten along. I can not wait to hear the different album/cd's that were played.

[HDBRbuilder]

I'd like to thank Dee and Tony for hosting a wonderful day at Dee's place for us all. I had a great stress-free day for once lately! It was lots of fun meeting all the folks there. Other than Trey, I had never met any of the others in person...and they were all great folks! Dee has a great place for doing this type of thing...no "next-door neighbor" to complain about volume! The weather was very nice and many of us wandered in and out of the house taking turns listening to mods and different equipment, then alternating to the outside for conversation on a beautiful day! As a matter of fact, by the time we left for lunch, we all suddenly realized that we had burnt up the morning without doing any listening to anything other than each other...so lots of listening and equipment swapping-out was done after lunch.

At lunch, I personally opted out of the hubcap burger in favor of the regular-sized one...I had eaten there before and the hubcap burger is more than I can handle at one sitting! LOL! I had to restrain myself, though, from reaching across the table and swiping one of SSH's fried green maters from his plate!

It was nice to see the oak LaScalas with the outside of them stained...and Dee finally got my signatures on them. Next time I come I will want to hear em, though!

I was kinda surprised how far some of the folks, (MOST, actually!!) came to enjoy this gathering! At least half the folks were from outta state...some were from WAY outta state!!

Again, a huge thanks to Dee and Tony for co-hosting this! I had a GREAT time!

[ssh]

Dave,

Ask Kerry about the hubcap burger. I think a knife was a necessary aid to conquering it, but he did us proud. He should be posting pics soon, & has a good record of the day.

I re-read my post, & in a geriatric moment gave Tony credit for Terry's bringing Anna. Kerry probably has a picture of them.

We also listened to Dee's Scott 272, & I think it was Jesse's Scott introduction. I wish my 299A had that kind of power, & as others have commented, it has a much warmer sound than the 299.

Dee added Junior Wells & Allison Moorer to his hit list after a listen, & I think Kerry's list of SACDs will soon be longer. Dark Side Of The Moon_ played on the RF7s & khorns, with combinations of the Cayan, the Duals, & the JFL 2A3s. I put Jazz at the Pawn Shop_ on for a brief moment, & I think Jesse heard some of what I really enjoy about it- The recording gets the atmosphere of the club, with the silverware & glasses clinking, & light conversations in the background. (Dean did go outside, rather than fall asleep to the jazz LOL.)Dean had some kickin rock, & I was impressed with the snap of the bass with the Duals & both the RF7s & khorns.There was a lot more that I'm sure others will post.

I don't know about after 8:30; I had a 2 1/2 hr drive, & got up at 4:30 to work for a few hours.(Otherwise, Colin I would have left the JFLs hooked-up longer.)

I recommend the fried green maters, too. This was great fun.

Trey, are you on the board? I just had a good laugh. You messin with me, man? That's funny.

SSH

[jhawk92]

Sounds like a great time. I got to meet Tony Reed (in fact his whole family) a couple years ago at Mr. Paul's book signing. Great folks and I hope to repay their kindness at some point if we ever meet up again or if they come out west. Same goes for Andy (HDBR). I would have loved to attend and get to meet Bob Crites and Craig, as we have traded a great many emails on audio things.

I'd love to get something like this scheduled up in the Denver area, but I think Jim Cornell and I are about the only folks around. Maybe someday.

[Deang]

We stayed over Sunday morning and went to worship at All Souls Church. Dee is a very gifted minister, having the rare combination of both the preaching gift, as well as the shepherding gift. A gentle, humble man -- with words that cut to the heart. I brought something home with me I didn't have when I went down -- a renewed flame and love for people. Thank you Dee.

We got home this morning about 3 A.M., however, the drive back wasn't near as brutal as the drive down. We finished the last two hours off with some Elton John and David Gilmour, and we were jamming pretty good when we pulled into the driveway.

I'm bummed I missed seeing/hearing Andy's LaScalas. I guess this was going on while I was fiddling with the RF-7s. I was outside at one point, and Andy walked by and said I had "just missed it", and I heard him saying something about LaScalas -- but I can be a little obtuse sometimes -- especially if I have more than one thing going through my head already. I don't do the multitasking thing very well. Somehow, it didn't register what he was talking about.

I had a blast, and really just enjoyed hanging out with everyone. Everything sounded great, and I definitely came away convinced that amp topology choices should be based primarily on music and SPL preferences.

[NOSValves]

Deano,

Where the heck are you today ?

[Tony Reed]

I'm really glad everyone had a good time, in spite of the give-away conspiracy. Dee is the one that really made this thing happen, he really opened his home to all of us.

Also, a big thanks to Trey for making the journey from Klipsch with the goodies. Trey really represents his employer well! It really shows that this is more than just a job to him, it's his passion.

I've met quite a few members from this forum over the years, and I have yet to be disappointed. I hope this becomes an annual event.

Tony

[Colin]

DaddyDee's Wright 2A3s

I post from work at lot of the time, meaning I have time to post, but cant work out. Wasnt going to post any notes, though I got the question several times.

I have never down anything like this before. Arkytype, a man I never met, barely spoke with before, called me up, offered a room, chauffeured me around town for three days and explained the ins and out of his modified horn system. His system is smooth, wide, even, balanced, liquid and effortless with smooth jazz selections. We tried his ALK extreme slope crossovers in Daddydees horns. IB Slamming (I think) brought some big Aztec-Lansing sectional 511B horns, with 902 drivers and ALK crossovers, but we did NOT get a change to hear them. I would have loved to hear some of the amplifiers on these systems maybe next time.

Being from the Midwest, the north-east and now the south-east, I mentally lumped Arkansas in the same bunch as Mississippi and Louisiana. Now I know that is somewhere more in the middle of the country. Little Rock is more lot like the rolling green plains of the Midwest, than the dark mud of Norleans. Norman Rockwell would love it there: clean, fresh Americana. Weather was perfect.

Our group was bi-modal: a few limber youngins, but most in their fat 50s. With only a trio of us sneaking outside for drags from their Indian leaves, the problem with obesity in this crowd was clearly up front and above the belt.

Things were very social and friendly right from start. No wild arguments, but pockets of conversations in each room. Tony Reed predicted that with all the experiments, nobody would change their mind. He was wrong.

Although a very informative and social gathering, comparisons were NOT scientific at all. We did NOT measure the changes in frequency response with different amplifiers and crossovers, nor did we repeat the same music tracks with each change. A large chunk of time was spent comparing different amplifiers on Streams RF7s. Most people wanted to hear their own music with their own amplifiers. Thats OK I guess, as long as people dont take opinions too seriously. This is hobby ruled by colorful subjective opinions rather than the dull gray evidence of facts.

I was so excited by everything, I forget to do a subjective clap test around the room before things got started. I did NOT hear my thick Coincident rattlesnakes on anything: they were too short for Arkytpes system, the spades to heavy for RF7s. There was NOT a solid-state amplifier in the crowd!

I learned a great deal, NOT just from the conversations, but also from Arkytypes descriptions and music reproduction system the day before. I did see a well-made little adapter for expanding from 2-channel to three.

Surprisingly, we did NOT hop right into serious listening. In fact, we broke for hubcap burgers nearby before swapping any equipment. Several people knew Paul Klipsch at some stage of his very long life. So those stories took up several hours.

Lunch was at a rustic restaurant hanging over the bank of a stream. Trey Cannon held down one end of the long lunch table with a tide of Klipsch tidbits: story after story, fact after fact. He brought a Promedia GMX A.21 HT system, which on Streams Cayin TA30 was amazing for only 150 bucks. If I was just starting out, this is the system I would consider coupling to my PC or DVD player!

Daddydee resembles the Earl of Sandwich, radiating gentility with the heart of a giant. His home was close to ideal for something like this: we had a large rectangular living/dining room, a covered carport and an empty church room for our continuous multiple discussions. There were no close neighbors in this pastoral setting, only empty fields. His sweet but delicate Wright 2A3 amplifiers made me glad I own 2A3 monoblocks.

Bob and Michael Crites were there. At the ARK gathering (May 20040), DeanG first played an obnoxious Led Zepplin (?) recording, where Robert Plants voice drove the refined older ears from the room. It grated the ears, ringing like large bell sounding like hiss. Then Dean installed his larger crossovers in Streams (Stream) RF7s. This made a huge difference in the smoothness of the mid-range, but also the treble. Cymbals sounded like metal, NOT hiss. The mid-bass didnt seem like larger to to me in that brief glimpse, but it did seem to extend lower a bit better. The group that left, returned; the easy consensus was that the new larger crossovers made a significant difference. NOT as startling as a different amplifier or adding a sub-woofer perhaps, but a definite refinement. If the harshness or brightness of the FR7s are bothering you, this is certainly one solid improvement. After the brief audition I had of Deans crossovers in the RF7, his crossovers are certainly one of them.

Since Stream already has a sweet Cambridge Audio CD player, a very impressive Cayin TA30 integrated tube amplifier in a small room, there are only a few things he can do to upgrade the quality of his 3D sonic holograph. Using the four-ohm taps made a nice difference. I think they are excellent choice for the money for somebody trying to make an economical high-end tube system. I do NOT remember the Cayins driving the big ole horns though.

There were both Scott and Eico integrated amplifiers there. The Scott was surprisingly nice with the RF7s. The Cayin has a soft copper face plate, is hefty, very nice looking and great sound for the price.

SSHs massive Lassard 2A3 amplifiers were silky smooth, but no near the punch of Deans forty pound Quad monoblocks. We used Deans blue wrapped Kimber cables for many connections. Considering the number of golden ears there, there was an awful lot of Monster cable present.

I did NOT get a chance to hear the LaScala, I didnt know that a second system was set up I the church next door.

Though the Blueberry arrived Saturday in a tough gray plastic case, a couple yellow capacitors were loose after the FedEx ride. Fortunately, young Crites had soldering gun and Dean offered to be the sacrificial lamb, the goat to scape the pre-amplifier back together. Yet, I did NOT get a change to hear the Blueberry in the exact same system as I was listening before. Even though we all got there on time and didnt break for dinner, we quickly ran out of time. A day with non-stop talking tweaking audiophiles goes fast.

I think Trey changed his mind about Deans crossovers, Stream about his stock RF7s and me about so many things: the value of Promedia loudspeakers, Cayin amplifiers, adding Altec horns, Beyma tweaters, vintage Macintosh solid-state amplifiers, using Behringer EQ, ALK crossovers, the slam of massive Quad amplifiers and the effect of little Scott amplifiers.