Bottlehead Forum: Re: Thanks to the generous host with the best ribs in town! by DRCope

In a nutshell:

We started with a Rega Planet 2000 through Steve's FP and my WannaGlows into Steve's Str8's. Then listened to Steve's Rega P3/RB300/Rega Elys (Super Elys?) using his Seduction. The switched to a P3/AudioNote Arm 2/IQ2 combo, which everyone clearly preferred. (Both tables were sitting on Daruma 3-II isolation feet.)

We then moved to Tom's (from N.H. - sorry - have spaced last name) scratch-built remote controlled passive pre, and tried to listen to his Billie amps, but the gremlins had arrived, and one channel wouldn't stop humming. Then tried Shanes Goliath scratch built amp (described in one of his posts), but it didn't get along with the passive pre, so the amp baton was passed back to the WannaGlows. Shane's 76 pre w/outboard ps was brought in next, sounding warm and expansive as ever.

We listened to Dave Jacobsen's Fostex fullrangers, which got along famously with the WG's, and sounded very good: wiiiiide open mids in particular. Also heard in the home brew speaker dept were Mark Hardy's RS quarter wavelength folded pipes. As Mark said, "I believe these are the best $5 drivers I've ever heard." No disagreement here.

Mikey P's table w/ a sexy new black platter was up with an SME arm and Shelter 501 cart playing through an Audio Note 33AG step-up and Seduction, sounding quite smooth and sophisiticated, while looking sorta Darth Vader's turntable-ish.

Garland's latest Foreplay iteration with nickel output trannies got its innings, and while sounding very clean, was a bit brighter/leaner than he was hoping for.

Last up were the Audio Note E/Lexus with External xo's, (beer can sized copper foil PIO caps), which sounded fuller and bassier than I'm used to hearing in the shop, which could be the placement/room character or the pairing with the WG's.

A headphone amp - I think it was Mark Hardy's, but I'm not sure - was auditioned in a smoke filled back room (oh sorry - that was the deck!). Someone who heard it needs to chime in. I have no idea how that went.

The ribs were superb, (better than last time), as was the smoked salmon. Nobody died of chili exposure, and there were oceans of beer, so that angle was well-covered.

Also, Steve's next door neighbor must hate him. The C's lawn is bright, deep green and lush, which changes at the border into the next yard to lighter green verging on brownish, thinner, etc. Talk about a line of demarcation! ;-)

I hope you other guys chime in with impressions! This is just a skim the surface, name the bits before I forget completely (tomorrow) exercise.

Keep your ears and your mind open.