Scott's New "Toys"

[Ron Thorne]

OK, Scott, please bring us up to date on your sweet new audio system components from Santa. Some of us will appreciate model names/numbers, too.

Thanks, and Happy New Year.

[Ron Thorne]

Wow, and thanks.

Sounds like a great new beginning. Are you achieving a warmer, more tube-like sound, overall, with the Emotiva?

Scott, can you possibly find a smaller image of those PSB headphones? This one is HUGE and requires scrolling! Thanks.

[Ron Thorne]

Well, these new components should keep you happy and busy for a few minutes.

[bluenoter]

Well, these new components should keep you happy and busy for a few minutes.

Hahahahaha...

[Ron Thorne]

Even though it doesn't appear anyone is still interested in this discussion, I figured I'd follow up with the rest of my system rebuild.

I've been interested from the very beginning, and still am, Scott.

Congrats on the fun task of putting together a terrific new sound system! The "build" journey is almost as much fun as hearing it for the first time, and a hell of a lot more fun than paying for it.

[Ron Thorne]

Looks like piano gloss black to me. Sweet-looking finish.

Also looks like a mouse is jockeying for position to enjoy some headphones.

[Ron Thorne]

Scott, I ran across a review of the Dynaudio Excite X12 speakers and had to smile while reading the "meat" of the review, remembering your (former) disdain of Hammond B3 organs. Nice material was utilized in the listening test.

"The layers of detail revealed by the X12's rich, glorious, silky midrange made me want to listen to female singers. There was a quality in the lower end of the alto range that made particularly luscious Cassandra Wilson's rendering of Robbie Robertson's "The Weight," on Belly of the Sun (CD, Blue Note 35072). Further up the frequency range, there was a rightness to Madeline Peyroux's voice on Careless Love (CD, Rounder 11661-3192-2) that made her the perfect foil for Larry Golding's upper-register colorings on Hammond organ. I speak here of rightness of harmonic structure. From the mid-midrange to the lower highs, the X12 had such a "rightness" of timbral reproduction that I could almost see the drawbar settings on Golding's instrument."

[Ron Thorne]

Yes, I saw Jesse's comment.

They are the kind of company I appreciate, too.

Heard any B3 on them yet?

[Ron Thorne]

A tremendous performance from a favorite B3 group of mine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8A0V60teBI

[Chazro]

Wazzup Ron! Didja ever hear John Scofield's 'Hand Jive'? It features Goldings and Stewart. This one along with 'Groove Elation' (also feat. Goldings) are favorite Sco records!

Scott, cool to see yr having fun with yr new toys! I notice you mentioned you've got the surround-sound set-up goin' on. I'm curious, do you use it when listening to tunes or is it just for movies and what-not? Just an innocent question bro, plz don't turd-bomb me again!! What didja do with yr ol' faithful receiver? (I've got a closet full of old gear and cables, right next to my old family photo albums, I consider the gear old friends!).

[Ron Thorne]

No, I haven't heard Hand Jive or Groove Elation, Chazro. Sounds like I might just dig them, though. I'll check 'em out.

Thanks.

[Ron Thorne]

Scott, I was pretty certain that I remembered that you had a bit more tolerance for B3s these days. No?

I think you might enjoy the trio I posted above. Peter Bernstein is a wonderful guitarist and a good foil for Larry Goldings. Bill Stewart is a solid drummer, too.

[bluenoter]

My (Beloved) Speakers





Circa 1971; oiled walnut (and I wish I hadn't made them do double duty as plant stands). I haven't had a "system" to use them in for at least 15 years, but I'm sure they'd work just fine; otherwise, it's apparently still possible to hunt down parts for them.

I could find only a couple of reviews of the Dynaco A-10s, and while suitably complimentary, they're really kind of boring. If anyone is curious, I suggest Googling the A-25s from the same family, which are legitimately comparable.

Here's good old Wikipedia:

Dynaco also distributed the famous SEAS 'A-Series' of bookshelf loudspeakers that were manufactured in Denmark, using input from Dynaco's David Hafler and SEAS' Ragnar Lian. The A-Series were marketed between from 1970 until Dynaco's demise in the 1980s. The Dynaco A-25 model proved to be extremely successful, selling over 600,000 units. A modified aperiodic bass reflex design using SEAS speakers in a handsome wood cabinet, the A-25 sold for $79.95 each in 1969 making it competitive with much more expensive loudspeakers. The patented aperiodic (essentially non-resonant) woofer design utilized a highly damped vent instead of a reflex port, whose acoustic resistance is very carefully controlled. The resistant venting action lowered the "Q" of the system and reduced impedance variation near resonance in the A-Series speakers. Dynaco followed the A-25 with the slightly larger A-35, which featured a dual-chambered, non-vented design in a walnut-veneered cabinet with even greater transparency and fidelity. Over time, Dynaco marketed a wide range of loudspeakers, ranging from the small A-10 model to the floor standing A-50 series. After some 30 years, these loudspeakers still command good prices in markets such as eBay, and are a testimonial to their quality.

[bluenoter]

So why not get yourself a receiver and hook them up? Do you mostly listen to music via headphones, or something?

I listen to music entirely via my desktop computer and my cute little Logitech speakers. I have pretty bad tinnitus that I got from wearing a headset at a phone bank job, and I don't want to wear headphones ever again, no matter how much Ron noodges me. Lousy high-end hearing, too. The sound quality that I get is all that I need---and my budget is such that audio gear is accordingly low on my list of priorities.

Plus I'd really, really want to have a turntable in my "system," but I never learned to play records without having my needle destroy them as it tracked them (despite having had everything professionally calibrated a million times). Folks, I'd be overjoyed if anyone could help me solve that one---but remember, I'd need to spend next to nothing on initial purchases, "doctoring," and replacements.

Thanks for asking, Scott! I've been getting some vicarious pleasure from reading about your audio adventures.

[jwaggs]

my fancy audio system consists of Seinhauser headphones and an iPod ... that's about it.