♫♪ The 2016 Jeff Awards: World Class Mentors! ♫♪ (Part 2)
As I mentioned in Part 1 of this post, I’ve been reflecting back on my time in the audio hobby lately, and thinking about what a tremendously satisfying hobby it has been on so many levels. A lot of what is wonderful about this hobby are those individuals that I’ve met over the years, like Ron Barbee, Frederik Carøe, Jonathan... Read More »
♫♪ The 2016 Jeff Awards: The 0.22uF/400V Duelund CAST Sn-Cu Prototype Capacitors! ♫♪
Those of you have been reading along know that Frederik Carøe of Duelund Coherent Audio really wowed me (and many of you) with the debut of his impressive Duelund DCA16GA tinned-copper ‘tone wire’ that is an affordable musical marvel. Then hot on the heels of the DCA16GA, Frederik sent me some 0.22uF/400V Duelund CAST tinned-copper prototype electronics capacitors... Read More »
♫♪ The 2016 Jeff Awards: World Class Mentors! ♫♪ (Part 1)
I've been reflecting back on my time in the audio hobby a lot lately, and thinking about what a tremendously satisfying hobby it has been on so many levels. A lot of what is wonderful about this hobby are those individuals that I've met over the years, who together have had such a dramatic influence on my enjoyment and understanding... Read More »
♫♪ A 2016 Jeff Award for the Acoustic Revive RR-888 Schumann Generator! ♫♪
My favorite audio accessory of all time is the Acoustic Revive Schumann ultra low-frequency pulse generator, and I am delighted to award the Acoustic Revive RR-888 Schumann Generator a 2016 Jeff Award! I've used every version of of the RR, spanning the last nine years: the first RR-77 (now discontinued), the second version, the RR-777 (now discontinued), and the current RR-888, spanning... Read More »
♫♪ A 2016 Jeff Award for the Duelund Coherent Audio DCA16GA Tinned-Copper Tone Wire! ♫♪
Kudos to Frederik Carøe of Duelund Coherent Audio, who developed the Duelund DCA16GA tinned-copper 'tone wire' that is a modern interpretation of the incredibly popular, but now extinct, vintage Western Electric WE16GA tinned-copper wire. I'll tell you what, there's been nothing in 2016 that was more highly anticipated by the readers (and me) here at Jeff's Place,... Read More »
♫♪ The 2016 Jeff Awards Are Coming! ♫♪
In 2015 I started what is intended to be the start of a new tradition for me, called the Jeff Awards, which are intended to recognize the most momentous events of musical & audio significance that happened here at Jeff's Place during the year. The Jeff Awards can include hi-fi equipment from my Positive Feedback articles, or honorable mentions... Read More »
It's cap swap Saturday! OMG, the prototype Duelund CAST Sn-Cu cap's are ... (updated x 2)
I got up this morning and drank an adequate amount of coffee to wash down a slice of Thanksgiving's leftover pumpkin pie for breakfast, while listening to Jazz24 on the Stokowski A7 Voice of the Theatre loudspeakers. Yazaki-san’s superb SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier is a perfect match to my Stokowski A7's, giving a musical... Read More »
Happy Thanksgiving! (and a 2016 retrospective)
Thanksgiving kicks off the Holiday Season in the States, and I want to wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! I have a lot to be thankful for, when reflecting back upon the past year, but it's also been a tough year with the passing of my Dad, and due to some health crises for my Mom,... Read More »
Duelund DCA16GA & Soft Annealed Silver Foil & Silk Interconnects on the WRSE's
I've found it's always a good idea to try out equipment or cables with a range of other equipment to get an idea of how versatile it is in different systems. I've had really good success with the Duelund DCA16GA as speaker cables across a variety of very different loudspeakers, like my vintage Altec-Lansing A5 Voice... Read More »
Why your hi-fi sucks or doesn't: Music, the brain, and emotion.
For many years I've been fascinated with what makes some home music systems so musically satisfying, and others not so much. It seems almost humorously non-controversial now, but back a decade ago or so when I started writing about my belief that a home music system's ability to realistically portray the fundamental aspects of live music, like timbre,... Read More »
Cool video on how Mullard made vacuum tubes - enjoy!
I ran across this fascinating video out on YouTube on how Mullard vacuum tubes were made, circa 1950's. Very impressive. Enjoy!
Care & Cleaning of the Vintage McIntosh MX110Z Tuner-Preamplifier
Man, I love my vintage McIntosh MX110Z tuner-preamplifier, but lately the main volume control has become noisy, as have the little volume pots on the phono & auxiliary inputs. I had been dragging my feet on doing the needed maintenance, but when I watched the Care & Cleaning Of Vacuum Tube Audio Amplifiers & Amateur Radio... Read More »
Yazaki-san checking in: A kindred spirit in Surabaya, Indonesia!
It is always a delight to hear from Yazaki-san as he travels the world pursuing audio adventures with kindred spirits, this time checking in from Surabaya, Indonesia, while visiting Handoko-san at his shop Mega Audio & Disc Collection. Thanks for sharing your audio adventures with us Yazaki-san! "Dedicate to Jeff-san, After pleasant business talk with... Read More »
The 13th Annual Positive Feedback Writers' Choice Awards for 2016!
The 13th Annual Positive Feedback Writers' Choice Awards for 2016 are live here. There were lots of great nominees from me for this year, but only three winners! Please stop by Positive Feedback and check out all the winners from 2016, from me, and all the other Positive Feedback contributors. As always, thanks for stopping... Read More »
Duelund Soft Annealed Silver Foil & Oil-Soaked Baked Silk Interconnects - Update
The last week or two I had begun to miss my usual Tannoy Westminster Royale SE loudspeakers with their Duelund CAST crossovers, so I pulled my vintage Altec A5 Voice of the Theatre project loudspeakers out of the system, and put the big West's back in. Please don't take that as condemnation of the vintage... Read More »
Breaking News: Duelund Update!
This morning Frederik announced: "Following a lot of interest - we have today started production of a new DCA20GA wire. Made in the same way as the renowned DCA16GA wire - featuring tinned/copper multi-strand conductors in cotton and oil. The wire will have less metal than the 16GA and thus a higher AWG. It will be ideally... Read More »
Sneak Peek: The 13th Annual Positive Feedback Writers’ Choice Awards for 2016
You'll have to wait a while before the full 13th Annual Positive Feedback Writers’ Choice Awards for 2016 appear at Positive Feedback, but I thought you'd enjoy this sneak peek into my nominees for 2016. Enjoy! The 13th Annual Positive Feedback Writers’ Choice Awards for 2016 It’s always an exciting time of year when the Positive... Read More »
A Duelund Coherent Audio Saturday at Jeff's Place! OMG!!!
Like usual, I've been up since 4 a.m. this Saturday morning writing like a crazed man so I can get the Duelund Coherent Audio DCA16GA premium tinned-copper cable article finished up for the November-December issue of Positive Feedback. I'm done with the article and it will appear on November 1st. I think (I hope) you'll find my... Read More »
Breaking News: The Duelund 'surprise' has arrived from Frederik!
I love surprises, and particularly surprises like the ones sent to me by Frederick Carøe at Duelund Coherent Audio in Denmark! When I first opened the box from Frederik, what did I see? I was looking through squinty, blurry eyes, and I was like, "Wow! Frederik sent me a whole box of Cuban cigars! How cool is... Read More »
Sneak Peek: The Positive Feedback Review of The Duelund Coherent Audio DCA16GA Premium Tinned-Copper ‘Vintage Tone’ Cable
I'm hard at work this weekend, working on finishing writing the review for Positive Feedback of the Duelund Coherent Audio DCA16GA Premium Tinned-Copper ‘Vintage Tone’ Cable that will be appearing in the November-December issue, but I thought you would enjoy a little 'sneak peek', so here you go! Enjoy! The Duelund Coherent Audio DCA16GA Premium Tinned-Copper ‘Vintage Tone’... Read More »
Yazaki-San Checking In: The Adventures in Real Sound Continue!
It's always a pleasure to hear from the delightful Yazaki-san about his ongoing audio adventures, and this time Yazaki-san is checking in from Bangkok while visiting Nattawut-san and Tanawat-san. "I hope you are all well, Jeff-san!" "I am far away, southwest of Japan, and I meeting again with Nattawut-san and Tanawat-san in Bangkok. They have been eager readers of Jeff's... Read More »
It's a Duelund Coherent Audio sort of Saturday morning!
This weekend I'm really focused in on Duelund Coherent Audio. First of all, I'm writing like a crazy-man this weekend to get a feature article written about the Duelund Coherent Audio DCA16GA tinned-copper 'vintage tone' wire for the upcoming November-December issue of Positive Feedback. The main reason I want to get the DCA16GA wire into... Read More »
Breaking news! The 12.5-inch Woody SPU Tonearm™ review for Positive Feedback just went live!
Breaking news! I finished up 12.5-inch Woody SPU Tonearm™ review for Positive Feedback, and it just went live here. I'm so impressed with the 12.5-inch Woody SPU Tonearm™ that I bought it from Pete Riggle as my reference for what is possible with tonearm performance. I really hope you enjoy the article! As always, thanks for... Read More »
Sneak Peek: The Positive Feedback Online Review of the Woody SPU Tonearm by Pete Riggle Audio Engineering
I'm writing non-stop this weekend trying to wrap up my review of the impressive Woody SPU Tonearm™ by Pete Riggle Audio Engineering for the November-December issue of Positive Feedback, and I thought you'd enjoy reading a sneak peek before it hits the presses in a few weeks. Enjoy! The Woody SPU Tonearm™ from Pete Riggle Audio... Read More »
A Duelund Adventure! Updated.
I really appreciate Yazaki-san introducing me to the 'real sound' of the vintage Western Electric WE16GA wire as speaker cables, and the Belden 8402 microphone cable as interconnects, as they completely changed the way I think about audio cabling. What do they have in common? Tinned-copper conductors! Their unfailing musicality, realistic timbral textures, vivid tone... Read More »
A Really Great Visit from Chris & Chloe!
It's been a great couple of days visiting with my nephew, Chris, and his daughter, Chloe, who travelled all the way from Arlington, Virginia, to visit Grandma Jaine & Uncle Jeff here in Washington State! Grandma Jaine is 91 now, soon to be 92, and loves jazz and Robert Redford movies! Grandma Jaine is Chris' Grandmother... Read More »
A Duelund Coherent Audio Surprise from Frederik! What could it be? Help me figure it out!
I awoke to a surprise message from Frederik at Duelund Coherent Audio this morning, pointing me towards Facebook. Frederik said in his Facebook post, "The start of a fun experiment. Hopefully, the resulting prototype should ship to Jeff Day in 14-21 days." The photo below was attached to the message. What a great message to be... Read More »
A Sunday Afternoon At Place de Jeff: Altec, Duelund, Yamamoto, and R2R! Update x 2.
It's always fun to get together with good friends, and I was delighted to have pals Leo, Pete, Ron, and Santos visit me for a frivolous Sunday afternoon of laughter, music, and hi-fi tomfoolery at Jeff's Place! Besides a nice selection of food & wine to nip & sip on, the menu included: 1) Finalizing the crossover... Read More »
The Altec A5 Voice of the Theatre Project - Wow!
I'm excited by what I'm hearing from my Altec A5 Voice of the Theatre loudspeakers. I've made a few modifications to the crossovers I'm building, and to the wiring from the crossovers to the drivers, that really are working great together. I still have a few experiments I want to try with the crossovers, but I feel like I'm... Read More »
Today's Fresh Catch: Duelund, Duelund, Duelund, and more Duelund!
I really like the musicality & sonics of the 2-meter DCA16GA interconnects I made (with Switchcraft 3502AAU RCA's) to go from my vintage McIntosh MX110Z tuner-preamp to my vintage McIntosh MC30 monaural amplifiers. I described them like this: "The overall presentation is warmish, beautifully musical, a little bit dark, but with a surprising amount of transparency... Read More »
A5 VOTT Project, Western Electric WE16GA, Belden 8402, Duelund DCA16GA, Red Astron, and a Woody SPU! Update.
Last week was a rough week, so it was especially sweet to relax on Saturday, and work through some listening tests with the A5 Voice of the Theatre Project, Western Electric WE16GA wire, Belden 8402 microphone cable interconnects, Duelund DCA16GA wire, Jupiter Condenser Red Astron capacitors, and the Woody SPU tonearm. The Pete Riggle Audio Engineering Woody SPU Tonearm: I'll start with a... Read More »
Duelund DCA16GA on the Altec 16 Ohm 515B Alnico drivers in the 825B bass horns, and now with a little 1005B 10-cell horns & 288C Alnico high-frequency compression drivers action thrown in.
After writing my last post, I got all excited about wiring up my A5 VOTT's Altec 16 Ohm 515B Alnico drivers in the 825B bass horns with Duelund DCA16GA wire. First I removed the backs of the Altec 825B bass horns so I could get at the 16 Ohm 515B Alnico drivers, and then removed the vintage... Read More »
Jeff checking in ... Altec's, Duelund DCA16GA, a Woody SPU tonearm, and a look ahead!
It sure was fun to go to Matt's and Milagros' wedding at Mount Vernon, and to visit with all the family and friends that attended. They sure are a fantastic group of people, and it makes me thankful and proud that I can call them 'family'. Now I've got a few things to tell all... Read More »
Milagros' and Matthew's Wedding at Mount Vernon - Congratulations!
I had an absolutely fantastic weekend visiting with family at my nephew Matt's wedding held at Mount Vernon, near Alexandria, Virginia. In the photo above, left to right, is Milagros, Matt's lovely new wife, then Matt my nephew, the priest, my awesome sister-in-law JoAnne, my nephew, Chris, Chris' lovely daughter, Chloe, and his charming wife, Joanna.... Read More »
A Duelund DCA16GA adventure for Sunday morning! Updates.
I got up this morning and started a load of laundry, made some coffee, and fired up my Stokowski Altec A7 loudspeakers & SPEC RSA-M3 EX Real Sound Amplifier based system. Soon as the coffee was ready, I settled in to catch up on my correspondence while listening to the superb Jazz24 stream. Yazaki-san’s amazing SPEC RSA-M3... Read More »
A little Duelund DCA16GA & Belden 8402 for my Leben CS600 & Harbeth Super HL5 system. Yeah!
Back 10 years ago now when I first tried the combination of the Leben CS600 integrated amplifier (and RS-30EQ phono stage) with my Harbeth Super HL5 loudspeakers, I was so impressed with the immense musicality of their combined performance that I sold the much more expensive reference system I had at the time, and replaced it with... Read More »
