Have you ever had one of those periods of time where everything goes wrong? I'm in one of those periods now. Usually it seems like things go astray in triplets, for same strange reason. Usually, I sigh with relief after the third mishap, because things are about to get better, but this time it appears... Read More »

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I've been having fun trying different wiring schemes with my Tannoy Westminster Royal SE loudspeakers and their Duelund CAST crossovers, as well as my vintage Altec based systems. Tannoy Westminster Royal SE based system: My living room music system is composed of Tannoy Westminster Royal SE loudspeakers with outboard... Read More »

It's been a nice weekend of just kicking back, relaxing, and celebrating. To celebrate my Mom's majority Irish ancestry that we didn't know she had until after some recent DNA testing (oral tradition isn't always accurate), we celebrated St. Patrick's Day on Saturday with me cooking a traditional St. Patrick's Day feast of corned beef,... Read More »

I've been using the sweet little Almarro A205A EL84 integrated amplifier to power my vintage Altec 832A Corona loudspeakers that I'm using in my bedroom system, and it's a really nice match for them. The volume pot has been kind of noisy in the A205A so I thought I'd pop the bottom off and squirt... Read More »

Remember my Big Round Tone post from a couple of weeks back, where I discussed the relationship of tone to gauge size for headshell leads, interconnects, speaker cables, and speaker/equipment internal wiring? In relative terms, you get bigger, richer, and rounder tone as gauge size decreases (fatter wire). You can think of it in guitar terms too.... Read More »

If you're like me, you've had a hard time finding finding a quality wood cleaner, restorer, and preserver, that doesn't contain things you don't want on fine or vintage wood finishes (i.e. silicone), or that leaves a waxy buildup that will oxidize to a dull finish over time. I've found something I am really impressed... Read More »

We're all in this great hobby together because we love listening to and learning about music, and tinkering with our hifi gear. As hifi hobbyists it's easy to get so preoccupied with the hifi gear that we forget what attracted us to it to begin with, which is the pure pleasure of listening to music... Read More »