General Asylum General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories.

---

[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] Thread: [ Display  All  Email ] [ General Asylum ]

---

[ Alert Moderator ]

---

The Web is wonderful. (Long 1st post)

Posted by Italianpetals (A) on May 29, 2008 at 21:03:14

I have a decent record collection. I’ve never counted them but it must be approaching 1K. I am an amateur musician, bass, tenor sax, and now ukulele (my roots). After a significant move my record collection was boxed up and filed under “Records”. Duh. The “records“ were lost. I’d thought I’d lost my late teens and twenties.

Anyway CD’s were on so I dove in. A couple of Bang O’s looked smart and could crank it. So I was happy- or so I thought. I bought a bunch of discs. All the faves and more. Did I spend hours listening? Like I did way back when with my long gone Technics and ESS speakers? No.

My daughter was born and my attention span was now in -4 minute time periods. I purchased a brand new Home jukebox complete with bubble lights and Shure Cartridge. I went nuts over 45 records- oddball EP’s- especially with their jackets. Succinct performances- I traveled to Europe, particularly Paris. Their Flea markets have these BOXES of Ep’s (extended play 45’s). The Juke was the perfect instrument to play a varied play list. My daughter grew up with Monk, J.Brown, Ray Bryant, Coltrane, Edith Piaf, Bird, Genoa Keawe, Miles, Django, Marley, Sassy, Billie, Aretha, Louis, Arthur Murray Cha Cha Cha and Tango, Soul Makosa, Accordian, Beethoven, Chopin and Brahms (yes on 45’s) and heavy doses of Tito Puente. Just what I would want my childhood to sound like. It worked. She’s got BIG ears.

She’s off to College in the fall. Plays drums, uke and is writing her own tunes. A happy musical young lady.

Last summer I finally opened those “record" boxes and rediscovered my collection. I needed something to play them on. I looked at the WEB. And bought my first (of three) Califone record player. Off the BAY. Rugged, Solid State, loud with its extended speakers. Microphone input- so you can plug in your ax and let it rip along. Don't think that I didn't do it. Special records could make it sing. It had been so long since I’d heard a record- it satisfied. Parties- I’d pick that select group of records that just shouted and it was fine. Did I spend hours listening? No.

I thought it was great. Till my wife brought home a vintage stereo console. Now the records started working. The hours of music I’d discovered on Napster suddenly sounded like Dean Benedetti’s wire recorder. Back to vinyl. And the Bay has some nice records for sale to add to the collection.

A good friend notices my sudden interest and lends me an Onkyo integrated and two vintage DCM Window speakers. Compared to the console- they sound smooth, deep, and where you place them is the game. Killer.


While I was listening I continued to hit the web.


You can’t miss the chatter about Magnepans- they have a look- (not in black! Mr. and Mrs. Eames speak from the afterlife and offer the off white). Simply beautiful. But they need a workhorse amp. That lead to speculating about Pioneer Spec’s. I mentioned the idea to a sound guy-(I'm still in the performance racket) he looked at me like I was talking about going hunting with a BB gun. “Sure if you want to.” He didn’t say a word though. His look was enough. Okay, I thought. Back to the Web.

I’d read somewhere- (I wish I’d bookmarked it) that the primary source was most important. When budgeting you should consider spending up to 70% on this key component. The turntable. My favorite record store has a Thorens 124 playing/working all day- so I thought that might do it. The VPI Scout makes a lot of noise on the Web. I visited a high-end store to check the Scout out and the salesman was jumpy (and a goon). For the VPI: “I had to purchase a Mac 2300” and he quoted me a price of 3K for the Preamp. When I returned and showed him his written estimate (which admittingly was too good to be true) he quickly scratched it out and wrote 6K, said the store “must have been busy”, Oops only him and me on that first visit. Later for this- I’m sure some of you have salespeople who are part of your listening experience- but this just drove me back to the WEB.

Blame it on the WEB and Stefano, but when I discovered the venerable EMT turntables- bought his book- I was screwed. I’d sat in a couple of times as a DJ in college- and oh my God- if we’d had these… (Rek o Kut’s I think). I waited for a cherry one on the BAY (950 BBC) and bit. Don’t ask me what I paid. Waited for it to arrive from Sweden. Went out to the Airport and loaded it in my station wagon (a bear) When my buddy came over to help me hook it up- at first we thought it was broken- until the music rolled in- Black quiet- now I know. These buggers smoke it. A correct choice- THANK YOU WEB!

Vintage? Well I must admit that if it worked then it might still be the ticket now especially with the vintage of the music I listen to. I read about Altec Lansing Valencias- saw a nice pair on the BAY and bit again. These are handsome. Red Cloth- Spanish Black grill. Furniture, oh yeah. These two heavy (the station wagon again) boxes give an instant full clear impact. Paul Chambers is in the room- completely. Those Horns breathe out that upper register effortlessly. They don’t just get loud- they present a volume of sound. Low volume- a full easy stage. Deep. No fatigue. Now I’m listening for hours.

On my thirteenth birthday I got my first tube amp. A Silvertone- 12-inch speaker, reverb and tremolo (with pedal). It had a warm, warm sound. That same year I went on my first date and heard Jimi Hendrix at the Waikiki Bowl- The wall of Marshalls. I kept the Sears amp, but switched to bass and bought a Bassman- tube head w/2 12 inch in tolex. I gigged through High School with this warm black beauty. Our Rhythm guitar player bought a huge green solid state amp- LOUD- It was clear- light crunchy like walking on gravel- not just neutral- no body at ALL. He could play, so we put up with it. Our lead player did it right- Les Paul SG ($200) with its weird whammy bar- White Tolex Bandmaster with “legs” to tip back- it sounded thick and beautiful. When he traded in the Les Paul for an old Firebird (already vintage- early 70’s) the band broke up (now that was too much treble). Transistors vs. tube? No contest. Xerox vs Oil paint.

On the web Eico seemed an interesting choice. El84’s ? Duh. Okay I guess. I’ll admit to never changing a tube in either of the amps of my childhood. Rolling? I did some at the time but not tubes. I picked up a cheap Lafayette (EL84’s) on the BAY. Probably the same quality as that trusty Silvertone. Now I’m in certain bliss of listening. It’s warm. The Onkyo drives the DCM’s at the rear of the room.

That “sound guy” heard about the EMT- his ears perked up- and when I said that I was driving some old Altec’s he smiled. No I didn’t mention the Lafayette- He said something about Mcintosh- .

Maybe- but the WEB put me in touch with a huge group of enthusiasts and experienced listeners. I’m very grateful-

This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

The Cable Cooker

---

[ Top of Page ] [ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright © 2025, Audio Asylum, all rights reserved ]

---

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

---