Geez, 2020 sure was a bummer. Coronavirus. 2021 started out rough too, and if you haven't heard yet, the Pacific Audio Fest that all of us have been looking forward to with so much enthusiasm is the latest victim of coronavirus.
I know Lou Hinkley has put a tremendous amount of effort over the last 18 months into getting the show ready for 2021, so he's disappointed too, just like us. Sorry, Lou, here's to a better 2022!
I'm hoping things are going to smooth out for us from here on out in 2021. Fingers crossed.
Roger Sadowsky's 'Jim Hall' model archtop jazz guitar.
One of the things that always puts a smile on my face is a new guitar. This time it is a 'Jim Hall' model archtop jazz guitar by Roger Sadowsky.
My friend and jazz guitarist David Gitlen recommended this guitar to me. Beautifully constructed, impeccably finished, and straight out of the box it was setup perfectly.
In a moment of rare dumb luck I ordered the guitar before the latest price increase went into effect, so I'm happy about that for sure!
Bonus: The Sadowsky sounds great through my Fender Princeton Reverb vacuum tube guitar amp, giving a classic jazz guitar sound that makes my heart melt.
I'd love to hear the Sadowsky through a vintage Gibson GA-50 guitar amp like Jim Hall's. Sadly, the GA-50 is long out of production, and they don't come up for sale very often.
Gibson, are you still out there? If you are listening, please, please, reissue the GA-50 amp. Jazz guitarists will buy every one you can make, you won't be able to keep them in stock. Just sayin'.
Jim Hall's "Guitar" album on the Artists House label that was recorded live at Sweet Basil.
David came by today to teach me a jazz guitar lesson, and afterwards we listened to Jim Hall's Guitar album that was recorded live at Sweet Basil.
David and I have a tradition that after a lesson I fix us some espressos and we listen to some good jazz guitar musicians and talk jazz for a while. It's a blast!
Today while we listened to Jim Hall's Guitar album on vinyl, David told me, "I was at Sweet Basil in 1978 for the recording sessions of this album. When we're listening to this LP it sounds just like it did at the recording session. It sounds real. The CD sounds good too, but it just doesn't sound as real as the LP, being a little more sterile sounding."
Westminsters powered by the Triode Lab 45 EVO SET integrated amplifier.
I'm in the process of writing the Positive Feedback review of the Triode Lab 45 EVO SET integrated amplifier right now, so that's what was powering the Westminsters for our listening session today.
Triode Lab 45 EVO SET integrated amplifier.
My CTC Garrard 301 served as the source, with my Schick tonearm mounted with the Audio Note (UK) IO I moving coil phonograph cartridge, stepped up with the Audio Note (UK) AN-S4 step-up transformer (SUT), with phono equalization performed by the sweet little Leben RS-30EQ.
Belden 8402 tinned-copper microphone cable interconnects made for me by Best-Tronics Pro Audio connected the AN-S4 SUT to the Leben RS-30EQ, and the RS-30EQ to the Triode Lab 45 EVO SET integrated amplifier. Speaker cables were Duelund DCA16GA tinned-copper, and Acoustic Revive Absolute power cords connected the amp and phono stage to the wall AC via an Acoustic Revive RPT-6 Absolute NCF Power Distributor.
Today's system.
The sound and musicality of this combination of audio kit is absolutely breathtaking. Well recorded material like on Jim Hall's Guitar is breathtakingly realistic.
As Richard Wugang said, "For the very modest power output, the 45 would have been forgotten. However, one outstanding strength has made audiophiles rediscover it decades later. The sound from 45 tube is simply pure, seductive, and even magical! Anything good that can be said about 300B tube, well, the 45 can do better, with only one limitation of 2W output, versus 3.5-4W from 2A3, and 8W from a single-ended 300B. If you have speakers efficient enough to utilize 2W of power output, then you can forget about any other fancy tube."
My friend David would concur with what Richard said, as the Triode Lab 45 EVO SET is David's favorite valve amp that he's heard at my place.
On superb source material the Triode Lab 45 EVO SET is absolutely stunning, putting the listener deep into goosebump territory!
Sophia Electric 45 Mesh Plates and Sophia Electric Aqua 274B Rectifier.
Oh, that reminds me. At the same time I'm writing up the Positive Feedback article for the Triode Lab 45 EVO, I'm also writing up an article about the Sophia Electric mesh plate 45 triode and the Aqua 274B rectifier.
Emission Labs 45 mesh plates and the Psvane Acme 274B rectifier.
I'll be comparing the Sophia Electric 45 mesh plate and Aqua 274B rectifier to the Emission Labs 45 mesh plates and the Psvane Acme 274B rectifier in the article.
The Sophia Electric 45 mesh plates remind me a lot of the overall sound quality of my stash of NOS 45 triodes I had back when I had a pair of 45 monaural SET amps that Gordon Rankin made for me a couple of decades ago. I really like Sophia Electric 45 mesh plates. Lots of detail and nuance, and that SET magic that only 45 triodes can do so well.
The Emission Labs 45 mesh plates are richer and warmer sounding than I'm used to hearing from 45 triodes, more like a suave 300B than a traditional NOS 45 triode from yesteryear.
They're both great sounding 45 tubes, and both deservedly have a strong following.
Audio Note (UK) Io I moving coil phonograph cartridge.
Audio Note (UK) AN-S4 step-up transformer (SUT).
After the Triode Lab 45 EVO and Sophia Electric reviews, next up is an Audio Note (UK) article for Positive Feedback about the Audio Note (UK) IO I moving coil phonograph cartridge and Audio Note (UK) AN-S4 step-up transformer (SUT).
I don't think it's any secret, as I've been gabbing about it for a while, this Audio Note (UK) phono cartridge and SUT combo is out of this world. It has it all, superb sound quality and superb musicality.
Audio Note (UK) AN-SPe silver loudspeaker cables.
Audio Note (UK) AN-V silver interconnects.
I should add that I'll be listening to an all Audio Note (UK) signal chain for the Positive Feedback review, Audio Note (UK) IO I moving coil phonograph cartridge, Audio Note (UK) AN-S4 step-up transformer (SUT), Audio Note (UK) AN-V silver interconnects, the Audio Note (UK) Oto Phono SE Signature integrated amplifier, connected to my Tannoy Westminster Royal SE loudspeakers with Audio Note (UK) AN-SPe silver loudspeaker cables. Pretty sweet set of audio kit!
Isn't music and hifi an amazing hobby?
Music is a wondrous art form, an essential weave in the colorful fabrics of our cultures that helps give meaning to our lives. Music is an artistic gift from musicians to us all. A gift that allows us to experience beauty, love, loss, joy, tragedy, and many other emotions, as expressed in music. Music stirs us to dance in joyful abandon, aids us in expressing meaning through our rituals, and evokes fond memories from times past. Music makes our world a more meaningful and beautiful place to live.
Listening to music brings many benefits. Music can improve our mood, reduce our stress, soothe our worries, ease our pain, and provide us a comforting distraction in a discomfiting world.
After a rough year like 2020, I'm more aware than ever how important music and hifi is to the quality of my life. I'm thankful for it every single day.
I've got a lot more I want to tell you about, but that'll have to wait for future posts. Life has just been incredibly busy lately so I'm behind on my writing! Much more to come!
As always, thanks for stopping by, and may the tone be with you!
