The Wonder of It All
I'm sitting here in my living room tonight, relaxing after a long day in the office, listening to my favorite Chet Baker album of all time, the Someday My Price Will Come on SteepleChase that was recorded live at Montmartre in Copenhagen on October 4, 1979. I've listened to the CD version for years, and... Read More »
It may be a while before we see the Leben 300B and EL84 Mono Amplifiers
Quite a few of you have asked me if I had heard anything about the new Leben 300B and EL84 mono amplifiers that are under development, and I haven't, so I thought I'd inquire of Mr. Yoshi Hontani to see if we could get a status on when we might see them come to market.... Read More »
Leben CS660P Power Amplifier Alps Bypass (Hi Mom!)
I talked to my Mom and Dad on the phone tonight, and Mom mentioned she was a little worried about me because I hadn't posted anything new at Jeff's Place for a while (I am blessed with the most terrific parents you can imagine!). It turns out that I've been busier than usual, so I've... Read More »
Morning Coffee with Stephaen, Pete, and the Pass Labs' INT-30A Integrated Amplfier
Cool guys Stephaen (6Moons) and Pete (Pete Riggle Audio) stopped by this morning for a little coffee and music listening. Stephaen brought along the Pass Labs' solid-state INT-30A integrated amplifier that he is writing an article about for 6Moons. The INT-30A is a 30-watt integrated based on the Pass Labs' XA30.5 stereo amplifier, and like... Read More »
Yoshi Hontani Checking In
Those of you who have been reading the Acoustic Revive Chronicles, and the articles about the Leben Hi-Fi Company electronics from Japan (see the links page), will recognize the name of Yoshi Hontani, who exports both of these fine product lines from Japan around the world to eagerly awaiting customers. In fact Yoshi San is... Read More »
Frank's New Westminster Royal SEs
Say 'Hi!' to fellow music and Tannoy lover Frank Rodgers. Frank's been into Tannoys for a long time, his first pair of Tannoy speakers being the GRF Windsors, which he owned from 1971 to 1996. From 1996 to June 2010 Frank was running the GRF Memory speakers, and he just bought a pair of pair... Read More »
Maps of Time - an Introduction to Big History by David Christian
The best book I've read this year is Maps of Time, An Introduction to Big History, by David Christian, published by the University of California Press. I was trained as a chemist, and taught chemistry at the University while in graduate school. Recently though, it's history that has really intrigued me. Maps of Time has... Read More »
A Quick & Easy “How-To” On Getting Started with a Computer as a Digital Source
Fellow music lover Charlie Schnyder asked me if I would be willing to write a quick and easy “how-to” post about getting started with a computer hard drive as a digital source. As Charlie mentioned in his e-mail to me, there are a lot of music lovers who would like to take their existing CD... Read More »
Sun Mountain Lodge in Winthrop, Washington
After doing the North Cascades Highway drive in Washington State, I stopped in at the Sun Mountain Lodge for the night. The Sun Mountain Lodge is located high in the mountains outside of Winthrop, Washington State, and I have to say it was a nice find. Photo below Leica M9 with 50/2 Summicron. The lodge... Read More »
Leben CS660P Power Amplifier Review by Wojciech Pacuła of High Fidelity (Poland)
I just found out about a very nice review of the Leben CS660P Power Amplifier by Mr. Wojciech Pacuła of High Fidelity (Poland), which has also been translated into English at 6Moons. For those who may not know, the CS660P is available with two circuit variations, one of which produces more bass quantity than the... Read More »
The Analogue Productions 45 RPM Bill Evans Riverside Box Set
It is my opinion that the finest records in the history of the world are being made right now by Analogue Productions as part of their 45 RPM series. The records have both superb musicality and superb sonics, and include some of the most important recordings ever laid down on tape, at least for us... Read More »
A Simple Guide to Creating a Musically Satisfying Hi-Fi System
You would not believe how many e-mails I have received over time from fellow music lovers and audiophiles that start out with, "My Hi-Fi system sucks, I need some advice ..." or a variation on that. Most of the time people ask me about getting a new piece of Hi-Fi gear that will remedy their... Read More »
Chapter 8 of the Acoustic Revive Chronicles is now live at Positive Feedback Online
Here is the link for the latest installation of the Acoustic Revive Chronicles at Positive Feedback Online. Time goes by so fast it seems, and it has been over two years since Mr. Yoshi Hontani first sent some Acoustic Revive products for me to write about. With this latest article on the Single Core cables... Read More »
Memorial Day, Brothers In Arms
It's Memorial Day here in the States, which is about remembering soldiers who have died during military service, and was enacted after the American Civil War (1861-1865). This morning I've been working on my review for Positive Feedback Online of the Acoustic Revive speaker cables, RCA interconnects, and RCI-3 cable insulators. Coincidentally, I just ordered... Read More »
Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland
I feel a certain affinity for Hendrix, with him having been a fellow Washington State resident, and wanted to get back in touch with his music. So a few weeks back I ordered a batch of records from Acoustic Sounds that included Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland. The version I ordered was the new special edition... Read More »
Winning Combinations
I've been very pleased to read how various Stereophile writers (Stephen Mejias, John Atkinson, Robert Deutsch, John Marks, and Art Dudley, if I remember correctly) have praised the Leben CS300 and CS600 integrated amplifier based Hi-Fi systems featured at the Salon and Image Show in Toronto over the last few years. The common thread in... Read More »
April 2010 Leica Road Show In Seattle
I signed up for the Seattle stop of Leica's North American Road Show so I could get a look at all the Leica lenses, the new Noctilux in particular, and learn some tips from the pros that would be there, Justin Staley and Chris Weeks. Below is a view of the city of Seattle with... Read More »
The Analects of Confucius
I love to read, much in the same way I love music. I’ve been reading through one of the classics of ancient China, The Analects of Confucius. There's lots of versions of these writings, and I bought a copy of The Analects of Confucius - A Philosophical Translation by Roger T. Ames and Henry Rosemont... Read More »
The North Cascades Highway of Washington State
The North Cascade Highway (SR 20) from the Skagit Valley to the village of Winthrop in the North Cascade Mountains of Washington State is considered to be one of the most scenic drives in the USA. SR 20 is usually closed from November to April due to heavy snowfall, but I was able to do... Read More »
Analogue Productions 45 RPM Version of You get more bounce with Curtis Counce
Quite a few years ago I bought an Acoustic Sounds test pressing of You Get More Bounce With Curtis Counce and I have really enjoyed it. The test pressings used to be offered cheaper than the regular versions of the LP because they didn't have any cover art, so I bought them whenever I could... Read More »
Coming Soon at Positive Feedback Online!
I'm writing The Acoustic Revive Chronicles – Chapter 8 for Positive Feedback Online right now. In Chapter 8 I'll be covering the Acoustic Revive Single Core speaker cables, RCA interconnects, and the RCI-3 Cable Insulators. For those who are not familiar with The Acoustic Revive Chronicles let me explain what this series of articles is... Read More »
Leben CS600 'Best Music of the Show' at 2009 Salon Son and Image Show
In the Stereophile website coverage of the 2009 Salon and Image Show there were also some nice comments about the Leben CS600 integrated amplifier. Stephen Mejias of Stereophile awarded the Leben CS-600 integrated and RS-30EQ phono stage, in combination with the DeVore Fidelity Gibbon Nine loudspeakers and a Clearaudio Champion Wood turntable, his "Best Music... Read More »
Leben: A Best Sound at the 2008 Festival Son and Image Show in Montreal
John Atkinson made a nice post about the Leben CS600 at the Stereophile website coverage of the 2008 Festival Son and Image Show in Montreal, saying in part, "In some ways—particularly the overall balance and the sheer accessibility of the music—this was the best I heard at the Show despite the system's affordable price." The... Read More »
Robert Deutsch on the Leben-ProAc Combination at FSI 2008 in Montreal
After reading John Marks' review of the Leben CS600 in the June 2010 issue of Stereophile, it reminded me of past Stereophile mentions of Leben integrated amplifiers at various Hi-Fi shows, so I thought I'd post them so you could go check them out. The first one is Robert Deutsch's mention of the Leben CS600... Read More »
June 2010 Stereophile Review of Leben CS600
For all of you Leben fans out there (count me as one), I thought I'd let you know that John Marks did a very nice review of the Leben CS600 integrated amplifier in his The Fifth Element column for the June 2010 issue of Stereophile. It's really nice to see Leben get some visibility in... Read More »
Cowboy Junkies - The Trinity Sessions
FedEx just dropped off a box of LPs from Acoustic Sounds that I ordered a few days ago, so I'll be reporting on those LPs as I listen to them. First up is the Cowboy Junkies' The Trinity Session , named for the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto, Canada, where they recorded the... Read More »
Tannoy Westminster Royal SE Article Live at Positive Feedback Online
My Tannoy Westminster Royal Special Edition article just went live in the May/June 2010 edition of Positive Feedback Online. You can read it here.
The Skagit Valley in Washington State
The Skagit Valley of Washington State is one of the most beautiful areas of the Pacific Northwest. In the Spring the Skagit Valley has acres and acres of tulips as far as the eye can see. I arrived a little late so a lot of the fields were put to rest, but there was still... Read More »
Live Music Calibration
It's always nice to get out and listen to some live music to recalibrate your expectations for home Hi-Fi listening. While staying at the La Conner Channel Lodge in Washington State I was able to listen to some nice jazz piano playing by a local musician, whose name I unfortunately did not catch. Even though... Read More »
Tannoy Westminster Royal Special Edition Article at Positive Feedback Online
I finished up my article on my new Tannoy Westminster Royal Special Edition loudspeakers and submitted it to Ye Olde Editors Dave and David at Positive Feedback Online, so it should be going live before long (I'll update with a link when it goes live). I love these speakers!
Photos from an Ordinary Day
I suppose that my post title, Photos from an Ordinary Day, could equally apply to me, the ordinary Jeff Day, or the fact that they were taken on an ordinary day in the life of yours truly - both are correct. On the way to work last Thursday morning at 6AM the sunrise coming down... Read More »
Joe Henderson's Page One 45 RPM Blue Note Reissue by Analogue Productions
I've always enjoyed Joe Henderson's music, but his albums can be a little hard to find, so I was particularly pleased to find out that Analogue Productions has released Page One as part of their 45 RPM Blue Note Reissues series. My copy of Page One just came in the mail last night and I... Read More »
A record mat or not on the VPI Classic?
Static electricity had been giving me fits so I ended up putting a record mat on my VPI Classic to see if it would help - it did. I listened to it with the mat on it for a while, and then went back to using the platter nude (the platter, not me - see... Read More »
Shuguang and Genalex Gold Lion KT-66 Vacuum Tubes
I've had this post in draft for a while now, but due to general busyness it took me a while to get around to getting it posted. - but here it is. It's easy to take things for granted in life, and the Shuguang KT-66 vacuum tubes that come stock in the Leben CS660P power... Read More »
Miles Davis - Someday My Prince Will Come 45-RPM LP
The Analogue Productions 45-RPM version of Miles Davis' Someday My Prince Will Come that I ordered a little while back just arrived a few minutes ago. I'm a big Miles Davis fan, and this is my favorite Miles Davis album, so I could hardly wait to unpack it and put on the VPI Classic for... Read More »
Leben RS28CX Premium Preamplifier with VPI Classic TT
I hadn't tried my reference Leben RS28CX Premium preamplifier in the system yet with my VPI Classic turntable and the Westminster Royal Special Edition loudspeakers, so this morning I removed the Leben RS100U/RS30EQ combination that I've been using (excellent), and replaced it with the RS28CX Premium. Wow! The RS28CX Premium is a match made in... Read More »
