Hey there from NC (by way of Austin, Chicago, et al)

watt

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Redboy told me about this place, so here I am.

I started caring about stereo equipment and participating in forums about it around 2008. I had a lot of questions about the Marantz 2235B I’d just bought from a yard sale. I didn’t know a thing about stereos or circuits, but I remembered my dad’s old Pioneer and how great it sounded through a pair of KLH 17s, which I’d been carting around with me moving around for school and jobs.

I chose “watt” as my username not because I had an inkling then that I’d eventually like low-powered tubes, but because it’s the title of one of Samuel Beckett’s novels (I was writing a dissertation at the time). That’s about as much as I knew.

Which isn’t to say that I know a whole lot more now, but I’ve met--both virtually and actually—a lot of people who have helped me out. My main speakers, for example, are Altec 605s in cabinets built by Wardsweb from AK. I got interested in old broadcast and idler turntables because Redboy talked them up so much. JohnVF got me to listen to a whole bunch of great speakers. So it’s nice to find a forum that feels fun and friendly like that.

After moving around so much, I’m pretty happy in this particular house. (It's hard to move around and have a bunch of equipment.) But my room doesn’t make for good wide-angle shots, so here’s a selection of up-close ones.

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Bogen/Lenco in a Paperstone plinth, Fidelity Research FR-24. Juicy Music Tercel and Altec 15095A SUT hiding below. Line Magnetic 210ia on the right.

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One of the Altec 605B in cabinets built by Wardsweb. Markwart crossovers.

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Thorens 121 with a Roksan Nima and Musical Fidelity A300 (summer amp :)).

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Listening friend.

See you all around the boards. Thanks for having me.
 
Hey there my friend. Its great to 'see' you again. I love what you did with that Bogen/Lenco! I have the same table and have thought about updated it a bit more. I got it only so far then, squirrel! Another obsession took its place. Its still here. And you might get me to drag my Juicy Music Tercel back out. What a lovely sounding phono pre.

Do you still have Harbeths?
 
Hey there my friend. Its great to 'see' you again. I love what you did with that Bogen/Lenco! I have the same table and have thought about updated it a bit more. I got it only so far then, squirrel! Another obsession took its place. Its still here. And you might get me to drag my Juicy Music Tercel back out. What a lovely sounding phono pre.

Do you still have Harbeths?

Oh yeah, I still have the Harbeths. If I were telling a longer story above, it would have included me driving the Altecs from Austin to NC to store in my parents' house, then looking hard for something that sounded great in my too-small-for-Altecs (this was two or three living situations ago) front room. I bought Compact 7s and then decided to really go for it and traded them to a guy, plus $$, for SHL-5s. I'm going to build some new stands for them in a week or two--the Skylans make them too tall for my listening spot.

I guess those + the Tercel remind me how I pretty much just buy the stuff you say is good. :) Hasn't led me astray yet!

Thanks for the compliment on the Lenco. If you unbolted it from the plinth, you'd see evidence of a non-woodworker's woodworking. But I'm pretty proud of it nonetheless. And it sounds great. The cart on it now is an Audioquest (Lyra made? that could be wrong--I just read it on the internet) that came to me, cantileverless, on the Sota I once had.

Thanks for the welcome!
 
:) Hasn't led me astray yet!
Well I hope not, and I'm glad its worked out. You're good people and I'd hate to waste your money! And its not like you haven't had stuff I've drooled over, like that Leben amp. May I ask who replaced the cantilever on your AQ cart? I have a few cantileverless carts around here (and more with worn diamonds) that I really need to do something with.
 
Watt,
Great to see you!
I recall swapping a Dewicked Mac 1500 to you for a Tom McNally Darling Clementine and a Dacmagic. Still have them (though the Dacmagic will soon be on CL). Was amazed that the Clementine drives my 604s to great volume.
 
Welcome and gorgeous setup. Any chance you’d take a pic of the speakers with the grill off?
 
May I ask who replaced the cantilever on your AQ cart?

Needleclinic Andy. It's been a few years, but I'm pretty sure it was him.

That Leben amp is no longer with me, sadly. Someday, one of their integrateds!
 
Watt,
Great to see you!
I recall swapping a Dewicked Mac 1500 to you for a Tom McNally Darling Clementine and a Dacmagic. Still have them (though the Dacmagic will soon be on CL). Was amazed that the Clementine drives my 604s to great volume.

Hey there! That Clementine was a sweet little amp. Man, you guys are reminding me of how much equipment has passed through here in ten or so years. :)

Good to see you again. Enjoy those 604s--I'll bet they sound great.
 
Sure, I'll be happy to post a pic of the speaker that shows the driver.
 
Dang... that's a cool plinth on the Lenco. I used paperstone on my Empire. I really like it. I wouldn't mind doing a while plinth out of it. Killer gear @watt

- Woody
 
Hey @watt, welcome to the Haven! :)

I'm looking forward to following more of your story here. It seems we've chased some of the same rabbits over the years!
 
Hey @watt, welcome to the Haven! :)

I'm looking forward to following more of your story here. It seems we've chased some of the same rabbits over the years!
You seem to be the intersection of a lot of audio venn diagrams...
 
Dang... that's a cool plinth on the Lenco. I used paperstone on my Empire. I really like it.

Hey there, Woody. Good to see you again.

I remember that Empire (or the pics of it) well. Nice work!

Looks like you're up to some cool projects with horns and Altec drivers. Love those red stands.
 
Hey @watt, welcome to the Haven! :)

I'm looking forward to following more of your story here. It seems we've chased some of the same rabbits over the years!

Thanks again for recommending this place.

We may have chased the same rabbits, but only one of us can build tube amps. But at one time, I couldn't mount a cartridge or solder a step-up transformer, so, who knows, I suppose anything's possible.
 
Welcome @watt , I know that avatar. i don’t remember ever seeing your gear though, very very nice system.
 
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