French Fries,

i always appreciate music recommendations; thanks. i don't have the Martin Taylor and others have mentioned him to me and i always am meaning to buy that sacd.

i must admit to sometimes taking the road 'more traveled' regarding Jazz and not being as adventurous as i could be. i do enjoy 'Latin-tinged' jazz, Salsa, and whatever they call Brazilian music.....i do like Jessica Williams.

if i am not pursuing new musical horizons i can get a bit stale in my listening energy.....so thanks for pushing me a bit....i've not purchased as many new CD's recently as i had been and need to get back on that horse. continual new, fresh music is essential to my mental health.

one reason i love to have visitors is the new music they expose me to and even new types of music. Jazdoc above brought over 'The Scissor Sisters'......unexpectantly cool music.

your hi-end credetials are legit; the 33H's are a classic if there ever was one.....an all-time favorite of mine. i'm not sure the ML 326S betters the preamp in the DCC2 SE, but i'll take your word for it. EMM DCC2 SE is very good as a SS pre but not the last word. i know a few DCC2 owners who have found better pre's.

i think your hifi gear aquisition strategy is rock-solid.....the price/value curve can be brutal beyond the sweet spot.

thanks for taking the time to stir the pot here and make me think about things......happy listening.

mikelavigne May 13, 2008 06:45

Jazdoc,

thanks for the kind words. it was my pleasure finally meeting you and i very much enjoyed our session.

i will be excited to hear your new Galibier tt when you get it up and running.....it sounds like it should be wonderful.

best regards,

mikelavigne May 13, 2008 06:09

I had the great pleasure of listening to Mike's system this weekend. The setting of his house is beautiful. His listening room is extraordinary and the equipment is top notch. The music collection is to die for. The scotch was very good...All this pales when compared to the graciousness of the host.

How does it sound? Simply the best system I've ever heard. Incredibly life-like. Closing my eyes, I did not have to imagine the performers in front of me, they WERE in front of me. I heard a Johnny Hodges' solo that will stay with me the rest of my life. Thanks again Mike.

Best regards,

jazdoc May 11, 2008 15:56

bob parlocha turned me on to another alblum you might consider if you like jazz guitar- Martin Taylor- Artistry.
available as an sacd disc from linn records.
he is a wonderful guitarist (almost as good as i am...!)
another artist he exposed my tiny brain to is jessica williams, an extraordinary jazz pianist. his web site- bobparlocha.com has ALOT of info on jazz, with links that lead to other links etc. and a very helpful playlist of current artists/groups. he sells t-shirts, but not cd's, so he is offering the information without getting a "percentage" if you buy something. jazz is a poor word imho for all of the MUSIC that is being created, both past and present, to connect the listener DIRECTLY to the "idea" behind the music. with all due respect to Coltrane, Miles, and Parker, there is so much more being offered by creative minds. lately i have been getting into Latin Jazz as well.
i thought it was mostly light-weight dance music for the longest time, but suddenly my prejudice dissolved into thin air and i discovered the layers of musicianship underneath the surface (you know, the typical "flavor" of the music the 1st time you hear it). with the recent death of Israel Lopez Cachao, again, thanks to the RADIO (I am considering building a SHRINE around the little box!), a very gifted bass player, i was introduced to ALOT of his music. geez, he was really good, and the bands were really good, too.
i also realized Cal Cjader never made a bad alblum.
anyway, i am getting transparent's MM2 tech. so don't worry that i have abandoned the high end. (Although, i REFUSE to get new amplifiers- my Levinson 33H's sound good to me, so tough S__t to all of the people who frown on them...!) i also obtained a Levinson 326S preamp and an EMM lab CDSA CDPlayer to replace my EMM lab DCC2-SE and transport, so we will soon see if my system can regain some musicality that i feel the EMM PREAMP may have bypassed.
i almost went for a dartzeel preamp, but i strongly feel that, as a audiophile friend of mine once said, it's one thing to make a super-expensive component that sounds great, but it's another to do the same thing at a "reasonable" price that many more stereo-freaks could possibly consider buying.
i am also a big proponent of "trickle down" when it comes to high-end audio. IOW, make a reference piece for the guys who drive up in a Porsche so they can get the 1st one the store gets in, and then a little later, take the Best Parts of it out and put in in another box with a few less features, and knock the price down by a third or more.
that's when i drive up in my toyota to see if i can get the "almost-reference-demo" for 25% off...

french_fries May 09, 2008 10:51

my bedside clock radio is a Proton...

mikelavigne May 07, 2008 14:06

hi French Fries,

good to hear from you.

well, yes.....for 35 years my wife and i have always slept in the same bed. i do have an audiophile clock radio, the kind that can have a matching speaker on the other side (i cannot remember the brand....it's white) but i don't have one on the other side. it does have quite good sound quality.

OTOH i do have a Bang & Olufsen whole house stereo speaker system on the wall in my bedroom, another in the master bedroom sitting room and another in the master bath which can be controlled with a remote on the nightstand. we do sometimes enjoy that while laying there but it likely does not have the exact spatial effect of laying between the nightstand speakers.

i will say that one's mental state can certainly enhance the enjoyment of music and laying down does allow for an extremely relaxed and enhanced mindset......

i call Chamber music my 'Sunday Morning' music as that's when i listen to it typically......but it's also what we prefer for the B&O whole house system. Mendelssohn is wonderful.

yes; i have a piano.....and i'll consider your suggestion about recording. unfortunately; i'm likely setting the RTR decks up as playback only since that is optimal for sonic performance. that is the way the Studer A-820 is being set up. the Ampex ATR-102 is set up at this point as a recorder.....and maybe i'll leave it that way considering your suggestion. that would also allow me to dub off the Studer.

mikelavigne May 07, 2008 13:19

hey mike, it's french fries. how're you doing? btw, i need to ask you- do you sleep in the same bed as your wife? OK, HOLD ON, it's an audiophile question, honest! because you need to try MY audio-nirvana discovery, and i am, unlike yourself, going to reveal this amazing experience to everyone here!
now, you need to have a nite stand on either side of the bed?
GOOD, you're 90% of the way there!. one one side you place a tivoli stereo radio, preferably the clock radio (it has a stereo/mono switch, and an external power supply), and a tivoli subwoofer. using a splitter cable, buy a second subwoofer for the other nite stand, which will also have the stereo speaker. the cd player is a nice touch as well. you'll also need some good commerical free stations in the vincinity that play jazz, classical, electronica, indie, reggae, etc. you will pick up on alot of music you never knew existed, some of which you will eventually order.
anyway, lie in the middle of the bed, head within a foot or so from the headboard, and listen at a moderate volume to some tasteful jazz. the stereo imaging, the smoothness, and total lack of glare will start to make you wonder how a crummy little radio can sound so satisfying? whenever i get tired of television (i watch maybe 2 hours a day max, usually the news- you can get BETTER news on the radio anyway) you simply relax and let some well-informed DJ introduce you to great music you know and new releases you may come to know. BTW, have you ever heard Mendelssohn's Piano Trio #2? i know, what's the big deal, right? well it so happens it is one of the great chamber masterpieces, and is available for $9 on Amazon (sony records). do you get Bob Parlocha's jazz show in your area? he's one of the greatest authorities on jazz you could want, and comes on here at midnite, for a FIVE HOUR show. have you ever heard of Lambert, Hendrix, and Ross? they "sing" ellington and put words to a bunch of familiar jazz tunes (called Vocalese, like Manhattan Transfer). totally brilliant music. anyway, i hope you're enjoying your tape recorders, too. if you buy an upright piano (or a guitar) and invite someone (good) over to play it, you can record them, and i guarantee you, you will forget all about sound quality and just get really into the fact that you SAVED some live music for posterity. it is a lot of fun... all the best, FFries

french_fries May 07, 2008 12:08

i'm listening to the 45rpm Lp Box set of the RCA Shaded Dog 'The Royal Ballet'. i had told myself no matter how good it sounded after i 'tweaked' the Lps i would not post anything.

no-can-do.

this set has always been one of those demo discs i play with a guaranteed jaw-droping reaction from the immediacey, delicacy, and micro-dynamic realisim.....as well as being wonderful, recognized, easy to love Classical music.

it's now gone up 2 or 3 levels of reality and startle factor, much bigger and bolder than 'pre-tweak'.....crossing much farther into the 'is this real?' zone. objectively; the noise floor has dropped to nothingness, bass impact and articulation much better; dynamic contrasts off the chart.

what a ride....

mikelavigne May 05, 2008 02:54

Jazdoc,

thanks for the kind comments.

i just sent you an e-mail with contact info.

at the moment i am without any digital player in my system as Playback Designs have not yet started shipping. it might be best to wait for that but as always the vinyl is much better.

i look forward to meeting you.

mikelavigne May 03, 2008 23:36

Mike,

Glad to see you're back posting. Your insights and enthusiasm have been missed. I live on the Eastside I would love to audition your newest tweak. Let me know if there is a date and time that work for you.

Regards

jazdoc May 03, 2008 21:23

Shadome,

thanks for the understanding....and the link.

our small cars are selling well.....but overall increased competition and slowdown of small trucks and business in general has put lots of pressure on every auto dealership, Honda included. when you work harder for a reduced result it is more challenging to maintain that positive vibe....which as General Manager is my main focus.

mikelavigne May 02, 2008 15:45

Rugyboogie,

thanks.

if you are in the neighborhood please stop by and i'll demo the tweak for you. i won't be able to explain it......

a Gentleman from Vancover B.C. was down last weekend who also happens to be an engineer. although i don't want to speak for him he was quite impressed with the tweak but did not fully understand the process. what he liked was how easy and quick it was.....about 45--50 seconds per disc. he commented that while he likes to clean and treat his CD's and SACD's he doesn't all the time due to how long it takes. he felt that with 'this' tweak he would do it every time.

mikelavigne May 02, 2008 15:31

Mike,

Clearly you face some tough challenges and demands on your time. Good luck navigating this tough period. While you were away there were several threads on the impacts of the slowdown and potential recession.

I found this today...
Buyers Flock to Small Cars

shadorne May 02, 2008 14:52

Hi Mike
It is good to see you post once again. Hope to hear how good the "tweak" sounds. This is what it all about, people sharing new discoveries in the hope that we can all improve our music listening experience. Hope to see you soon and again welcome back.
Take care,

rugyboogie May 02, 2008 13:18

Yea, I am excited. It will probably happen after June. Then I will have all my ducks in a row. Also, I should be able to make it up to Barry's place and check out his system. But I will let you know my thoughts on the Grand Prix when I get it. Then, the next step is room treatments. Damn, does the madness ever end? :).

mikeduke May 02, 2008 12:08

Mike,

thanks. when you hear the Playback Designs player i would enjoy hearing your opinion. btw; enjoy your new racks and tell us about how they sound when you get them.

mikelavigne May 02, 2008 05:56

Henry,

it's great to be back and i always appreciate your encouraging words.

the Playback Design should be outstanding based on what of it i did hear and it's pedigree. if you travel out to my part of the country you would be most welcome to listen to it here.

mikelavigne May 02, 2008 05:47

Fred,

always a pleasure.....whether we agree or agree to disagree.

i need to catch up on the progress of your assault on the ultimate.

thanks for the kind words.

mikelavigne May 02, 2008 05:34

Larry,

as always; thanks. you are as cutting edge as anyone when it comes to analog gear; particularly arms and cartridges. you will be stunned by what this tweak can do for an Lp. i really look forward to hearing how you and your group of vinyl fanatics react to this tweak.

honestly; i was hopeing my frothing at the mouth might precipitate a loosening of my muzzel.....alas....not yet.

in any case as soon as i can describe it fully i will do so. my frustration is that every day this information is held back is a day where music lovers have less than the full performance and enjoyment possible.....and that's not a good thing.

mikelavigne May 02, 2008 05:28

Stereotaipei,

its good to be back. glad you are still enjoying the MM3's. if i get a chance i will try to listen to the NWO3.0GO.....if you think it's that good i must investigate. i will have jtinn's new digital player soon and it could be quite amazing too. if i can i'll try to listen to the new APL amp too.....and await your personal comparison with interest.

if your travels bring you this way again you are always welcome to visit.

mikelavigne May 02, 2008 05:13

Good to see you again Mike :). Barry mentioned the Playback system to me. It sounds like it should be a great player.

mikeduke May 01, 2008 15:14

Welcome back Mike! As always its a pleasure to see your posts filled with interesting info, opinion, new products, and testing new stuff. I agree with your life-work balance sentiments, very important to have a good equilibrium, which means making choices about where you spend your time & energy.

I'd be interesting in your opinion about the Playback System player and particularly how it compares to the Emm. The technology in that player seems to be phenominal, and has the capability to go way beyond the Emm ... which is already a mindbogglingly good CDP. I may fly out to the states this summer to hear it.

mtkhl567 May 01, 2008 14:52

just to set the record straight regarding the tweak i spoke of above.....

i have never personally met the person who's idea this was. i learned about it from a local friend and have spoken once on the phone with the idea's originator.

my agenda was not to 'tout' any product as this tweak is more a concept than any final product (although there will likely be a product one can buy i suppose.....but quite inexpensive). it will probably be mostly a DIY kinda thing.

i will not in any way be involved with any product (and never have been involved with any product for that matter).

my intention was to get back on the horse here and have some fun.....not to stir up any controversy. sorry to anyone who i may have been 'tweaked' (pun intended) the wrong way with my 'tease'.

my 8 month absense here was due to a number of things that i know about.....and maybe some things i can't exactly put my finger on.

i work in retail and the last year to 18 months has been much more demanding on my time and energy.......more effort for less results (i'm sure this affects many of us). i come home quite 'spent' and there is less focus left for audio.....i sit down and try to answer e-mails or post and i have a hard time focusing. 6 days and 55 hours a week at work......at 56 years old i need to choose my battles wisely.

i probably needed some time out from my pace of posting and maybe felt i didn't have much to say......

my listening has continued pretty much as before and i have been lurking and very occasionally posting.....

i did get involved in reel to reel tapes.....and continue to be.....but everything involved in that takes quite a bit of time. and my learning curve has been steep on the path i've chosen. i felt like i did not know enough to intellegently post about that.

last year i added multi-channel hirez to my system......and enjoyed it. recently i realized i did not really listen to multi-channel very often and did not like the clutter the additional gear created in my room (comfort zones and all that stuff). so i have sold off my multichannel gear and do like the simpler, less confused environment. the proceeds from selling my multi-channel gear have helped fund my RTR gear.

i'm glad i tried multi-channel and maybe will go back to it in the future.

i do have a few new things i'm working on (besides the tweak).

a friend lent me a panel with a pair of RPG Skylines installed vertically. in the past i had been a bit closed minded to adding any 'add-on' acoustical products to my room. anyway; we listened without the Skylines and then with the Skyline panels leaned against my front rounded diffusor panel......it was easy to hear an immediate improvment in the center imageing and sense of focus. so i'm going to buy some Skyline panels. my plan is to purchase (6) 2' x 2' panels and have three of them cut in half. i will experiment with three vertically mounted, and then another half added horizontally and then two full horizontally......in other words i want to experiment to find the ideal width for the Skylines for my room. 2' seems to narrow but 4' seems to wide.

another thing i'm doing is upgrading my Transparent Opus to MK II status. it pisses me off that after all the $$$'s i spent that there is an upgrade......but i can't help myself.

and lastly; i sold my EMM Labs CDSD SE and DAC6 SE. yesterday i shipped it to it's new owner in Spain. after deciding to sell off my multi-channel it became a consideration. I have purchased but not yet recieved the new product from my friend Jonathan Tinn.....the one box 'Playback Designs' digital player. at CES this year i did hear a prototype which i liked.....i cannot say how it compares to my now departed EMM Labs SE combo.

i do want to say thanks to those who have encouraged me to get back into posting here; i have missed it and all the great people here.

mikelavigne May 01, 2008 13:45

Nice to hear from you again. For every one detractor, there are a multitude of others who enjoy your posts but never get around to posting a comment. Although I may not always agree with your comments, I always find them well thought out and thought provoking. Please continue posting as you have time.

fcrowder May 01, 2008 13:15

.
Mike,
.
Welcome back and thanks for sharing a bit of the future. I am looking forward to hearing all about it when it's time.
.
I certainly appreciate your enthusiasm for something that comes along that is so system changing for the better. Please keep us updated as you go forward.
.
OBGYN.........Huh....? I am hoping you were not serious with your posts.
.
Rgds,
Larry
.

cello May 01, 2008 12:03