Introduction thread - Come and say hi!
- Thread starter bktheking
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writethis
Junior Member
Hey there gang. So grateful to Hartge7 for pointing me here. Looks like a lot (okay, maybe most) of my favorite people from AK have ended up here.
I'm a guy who came of age in the 70s, spent my high school years drooling over the Warehouse Sound catalogs but most of my money at the time went to guitar gear and funny plant material sold in plastic bags.
Now I'm married with three kids, and into stereo gear and vinyl more than at any other point in my life. Actually Hartge7 was instrumental in that transition, having sold me the Philips GA-212 that pulled me back into vinyl. That must have been five or six years ago - around the same time I stumbled across AK. This new online venue feels way more like a place I want to spend time these days.
I'm a former musician (not famous), which is why I'm living in Nashville. No longer making music for a living, which is why I have room in my life to be as passionate as I am about listening at home.
I know my system still has a lot of room for improvement, but it's taken a pretty big leap in the past year: VPI HW-19 MK IV, Rega Elex-R, Kef 103.2. Spinning little silver discs via an Eastern Electric MiniMax CD player, enjoying classical music from our astonishingly good sounding local NPR station via a Punker-X restored Harman Kardon Citation 15. The best part of the system is the room it sits in - designed, built and tuned as a dedicated space for 2-channel audio back when I was writing and producing tracks every day. Now it's (d)evolved into a really comfy mancave, attached to the house but acoustically isolated.
Really happy to be here!
I'm a guy who came of age in the 70s, spent my high school years drooling over the Warehouse Sound catalogs but most of my money at the time went to guitar gear and funny plant material sold in plastic bags.
Now I'm married with three kids, and into stereo gear and vinyl more than at any other point in my life. Actually Hartge7 was instrumental in that transition, having sold me the Philips GA-212 that pulled me back into vinyl. That must have been five or six years ago - around the same time I stumbled across AK. This new online venue feels way more like a place I want to spend time these days.
I'm a former musician (not famous), which is why I'm living in Nashville. No longer making music for a living, which is why I have room in my life to be as passionate as I am about listening at home.
I know my system still has a lot of room for improvement, but it's taken a pretty big leap in the past year: VPI HW-19 MK IV, Rega Elex-R, Kef 103.2. Spinning little silver discs via an Eastern Electric MiniMax CD player, enjoying classical music from our astonishingly good sounding local NPR station via a Punker-X restored Harman Kardon Citation 15. The best part of the system is the room it sits in - designed, built and tuned as a dedicated space for 2-channel audio back when I was writing and producing tracks every day. Now it's (d)evolved into a really comfy mancave, attached to the house but acoustically isolated.
Really happy to be here!
mfrench;n10087 said:
We should have had flashing lights and a siren going off for that one.
writethis;n10786 said:
And we are really happy to have you here!
Where and with whom were you playing? I bet you have some stories to tell about life in Nashville!
writethis
Junior Member
Prime Minister;n10801 said:
Pre-Nashville I was an ad agency creative, based in the midwest but for 10 years I spent at least half of each year in LA producing TV and radio commercials. Came to Nashville to chase songwriting, ultimately ended up being signed to a large global music publisher. My job was to write or co-write tunes specifically to be pitched for ad campaigns and film soundtracks. Got to do it full time for a few years, and had some nice opportunities to write with people from London, Australia, Colombia. Plus the publisher would send me to LA and Toronto to write with people. Super fun time, and I'm grateful for the opportunities. Now back to writing marketing/branding/ad stuff, but on a freelance basis. I also get to name products and companies sometimes, which is something I've always enjoyed. Being freelance means I get to work from home about half the time, which means listening to my system while I work. The biggest downside to working from home is the lure of a watering hole like Audio Haven...
writethis
Junior Member
TubeHiFiNut;n10789 said:Welcome writethis - very glad to have you here!
Sounds like quite the system. Pics are always appreciated.
Thanks. I'll try to take a pic of the system in its current state tonight.
marantzfan;n10816 said:
Easily the best sound I've ever gotten at home. Amazes me every time I listen. I know lots of guys have way better stuff but this is the most satisfied I've ever been with my gear.
Glad to have you here 'writethis' (gotta catch your name sometime) - welcome!
Love the system especially the VPI HW-19, I really like their earlier flavors and haven't gone newer than the Aries Series-1 - and I'm staying there. An SDS is mighty tempting, I'd like to try one someday.
And I'd love to hear more about that room you have!
Love the system especially the VPI HW-19, I really like their earlier flavors and haven't gone newer than the Aries Series-1 - and I'm staying there. An SDS is mighty tempting, I'd like to try one someday.
And I'd love to hear more about that room you have!
writethis
Junior Member
Thanks guys. Appreciate the warm welcome.
I have acquired an audio mentor in the past year (subject for a long post on another day). The VPI and Rega Elex-R both came to me from him. He suggested in the strongest possible terms that the SDS was a big game changer, and that I really needed to find one. He actually ended up locating a used example for me at a great price. I figured that speed stability was the whole point of a fancy-pants power supply that reconstructs its own AC signal. The reality still confounds me, but the background is quieter, instruments have more body and weight, tonality is better on EVERYTHING, it's just a huge obvious jump in refinement and emotional connection. My mentor was right.
This review pretty much has it right IMO.
http://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=19993
Oh, and the name's Michael. 8)
I have acquired an audio mentor in the past year (subject for a long post on another day). The VPI and Rega Elex-R both came to me from him. He suggested in the strongest possible terms that the SDS was a big game changer, and that I really needed to find one. He actually ended up locating a used example for me at a great price. I figured that speed stability was the whole point of a fancy-pants power supply that reconstructs its own AC signal. The reality still confounds me, but the background is quieter, instruments have more body and weight, tonality is better on EVERYTHING, it's just a huge obvious jump in refinement and emotional connection. My mentor was right.
This review pretty much has it right IMO.
http://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?t=19993
Oh, and the name's Michael. 8)
Since TJLitt removed all my invitees, I had to start over and through some PMs with Michael, writethis has joined us. I knew he would fit right in with the way he has upped his rig over the years and was looking to discuss improving the sound, not whatever passes for discussion over there.
writethis, Michael (tomlinmgt ) will be happy to direct you to or even review your sound treatments. He is all over that aspect of the room. Seems like you are well ahead of many of us.
Interested in hearing how much better the Citation was after the alignment.
Welcome aboard.
writethis, Michael (tomlinmgt ) will be happy to direct you to or even review your sound treatments. He is all over that aspect of the room. Seems like you are well ahead of many of us.
Interested in hearing how much better the Citation was after the alignment.
Welcome aboard.
writethis
Junior Member
Hartge7;n10906 said:
Thanks Hartge7. I do feel my system is getting better as time goes by. That and acquiring clean vinyl are definitely where all my discretionary time, money and passion have ended up for the past few years. I have corresponded with tomlinmgt numerous times, but mostly because we both found ourselves owning the somewhat rare TAD-60 power amps. I still have mine because I can't yet bring myself to let it find a new home; that and a second pair of KEF 103.2 are the only "spare" gear on hand here.
I've admired the hell out of Michael's room tuning crusade, and fully agree that most audiophiles are missing out by paying too little attention to this aspect of their hobby. I'm fortunate to have a room that was designed from the ground up for good-sounding 2-channel sound. Symmetrical room, nonparallel walls, bass traps, etc. It's not perfect, but it's good. Fine-tuned with the help of a German engineer-producer friend who has sold a lot of records.
The Citation 15 sounded lovely when I got it - lush and deep. The Radio-X restoration made it quieter and added to the fine detail. It should also be a unit I can count on for the next 30 years. I'm kicking myself for forgetting to mention to Punker-X that the light circuit is wonky. Probably would've been easy enough to fix while he had it opened up on his bench. My solution, since the tuner literally stays on one station 100% of the time, was to pull the bulbs out and stop thinking about it. That procedure wasn't over my head, technically speaking.
the_nines;n12398 said:
Hello, the_nines.
Glad you're here.
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