MIA

[rrcrain]

OK, I've been MIA for quite a while now, but I've been busy. I am now officially engaged to be married, no date is set though and I've completed an electronics project and have been in seventh heaven listening to my stereo.

I have a 25 year old stereo system that still makes most audiophiles drool. At its heart, it consists of 1 AA-1800 Heathkit amps and its matching pre amp and a pair of Acoustic Research AR90 speakers sporting new crossovers hand built by your truely. I also rewired the crossover network to allow them to be bi-amped and routed a hole for the new connector block in the back.

With the bass crossover now split from the rest of the network, I quickly discovered the bass crossover assembly was allowing harmonic multiples through; IE, I could hear Shania Twain's voice coming out of the bass drivers. Old and new crossovers did the same thing, and I discovered it's a standard design problem of all passive low pass crossovers.

My answer was to procure a Marchand XM26 tube crossover. Assembled, these puppies go for between 1700 and 1900 dollars, but they are a full $1,000 less in kit form. Aside from a few glitches here and there, the unit was finished off late last week, put in place and powred up.

The results are nothing short of incredible. In spite of its price, it is absolutely worth every penney. Thankfully, my fiancee loves music as much as I do.

Computers? She hates them.

[NeoGen]

Hey!! Glad to see you're alive!! :D

You've got your life well set to go there I see. Congratulations on the engagement! And I'd say your crazy spending that much money on a 25 year old stereo system, but then again I'm no audiophile, so I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between your system and a normal nowadays system. But I'm sure it must be different because you're not the first person I hear about doing things like that.

See if you can smuggle a computer or two inside the house, nothing too flashy, just a couple of discrete boxes, and set them to run something. Keep them hidden amongst a pile of other stuff, electronic components and things like that and your soon-to-be wife will never know :P LOL

I'm kidding about that last part. :P Do run your life there the best you can! Marry her first, and think about computers later. But come around to tell us the news once in a while, ok?

[Beerknurd]

Congrats!!!!!!!

[rrcrain]

Thank you, I do feel very blessed to have found her, or her to have found me.

Concernng my stereo, it's 25 years old, but one would have to spend over $5,000 PER amp to get something matching the two old beasts I own and I'm not gonna do it, and thats just to replace my amplifiers!

Many of the old pieces from that era still beat the hell out of anything built new today, until you get into the stupid price ranges. Even then, some of the stupid priced stuff built today is over priced junk. Trust me, you can really hear a major difference in sound. Let it be a silky smooth voice, a pounding ZZ Top bass line or laid back jazz, a good system lets you play it loud without pain.


For new stuff, look for Rogue Audio for the electronics, Jolida for the CD player, Rega for the turntable and Canton for the speakers.

[Lagu]

Rrcrain!

If you will hear the most beautiful and silvery voice, buy a CD of the worlds greatest tenor in the world, The Swedish Jussi Björling. He has played a couple of romantic songs. Many peoples in the USA love him and has a own website http://www.jussibjorlingsociety.com/views.html. There I hawe wrote a letter to the Yahoo group as you can read. You may like modern music, but try it. You should perhaps love it or hate it.
I have more links if you is interrested. Perhaps your new wife should like it?

Good luck when yoy shall be married. Your life may not be as before, but do the best of it. Listen on your wife, enjoy her and talk with each other i a friendly way. Help her in the household in an equal athmosfary. You may tell her, you will stand up for the humantietes. Tell her that your volonteer by your PC:s will prevent her from to be sick in the future. She can not say it is so silly, if new medicins faster can creates thanks to your PC.

Lagu :D

[Anonymous]

Welcome back Mr Music

People with a passion do seem to spend vast sums on it. My passion was table tennis. I had a custom made bat that cost US$100 over 10 years ago :shock:

Congratualtions on your engagement. I would disguise your computer(s) as a pair of speakers :roll:

[Ototero]

Sorry, the previous guest post was mine. :oops:

[vaughan]

Congratulations Richard. Look after her well.

[Empty_5oul]

ot - i have the same passion. and my bat is worth about £100 right now.

[rrcrain]

I've reserved one of Jussi's CDs at borders and will pick it up tonight.

Another artist to give a listen to is Ray Montford. He is an independent artist out of Canada that plays acoustic guitar. I believe he composes and masters his own pieces, but is difficult to locate as he also does his own distribution. Check out his web page www.raymontford.com and I think you will be impressed.