Calling Frank Marsi

[JKent]

Sadly, things written on the interweb can be misconstrued. People don't get the body language, tone of voice or facial expression. The fact is, I was supporting your point of view, Frank, not being divisive.

When "3rd Rock" aired 20 years ago CDs were considered the latest and greatest. People were throwing their records in the trash. So when Dick the alien mused "I wonder if people on this planet will ever discover the superior sound of vinyl" it was funny because everyone on this planet "knew" CDs were superior.

Fast forward 20 years and the clip takes on a whole new level of humor because it turns out Dick was right and people on this planet HAVE discovered the superior sound of vinyl (at least many audiophiles have).

And if by "silly downloads" you mean MP3s I agree--those compressed files are convenient in the car but they're not hi fi. Apparently there are other formats that ARE hi fi but I have no experience with those.

[frankmarsi]

Kent, Re: "Sadly, things written on the interweb can be misconstrued. People don't get the body language, tone of voice or facial expression. The fact is, I was supporting your point of view, Frank, not being divisive."

I accept and welcome the olive branch. About myself, I sometimes may be sensitive whenever vinyl is questioned or challenged as I place much emphasis on it in my systems, or should I more aptly say, total emphasis on it.

I spend much money on new and used vinyl disks every month and have invested much in numerous expensive vintage tonearms and like wise on modern cartridges, phono cabling and record cleaning machines. It can be said that vinyl is almost an obsession for me and can be confirmed by anyone who has experienced a 'listening-session' on my main system. I say listening sessions because that's the term my friends and I used back through-out the 1970's when it was the norm for a person of my age to be deeply involved in the enjoyment of music listening all based on vinyl, assembling stereo systems and enjoying our lives. Back then it was common-place to be completive as to who had the better components in their system too.

These days, it seems a few folks are offended and become defensive because their system may not measure up, whereas years ago when the newer 'tech' was coming into the public arena circa the 1970's it was all good clean fun. In fact going back to 1971-72, I was the only owner of AR speakers in my group of friends. I found it satisfying and pretty amazing that with a few short years, my closest buddies all purchased AR speakers after having listened to my AR-3a's leaving us only with turntable and cartridge wars but, even then they eventually purchased what I was using as a cartridge, the famous Shure V15 Type III.

To your point JKent; "People don't get the body language, tone of voice or facial expression", I agree whole-heartedly and will add that some folks even use it (the internet) as a shield behind which they can hide and defend themselves while talking about things almost as if they're experts when all they're doing is repeating what they've read from other's perceptions and dialogs. Some even take 'sniper' shots so to speak and spew their vitriolic slanted views or psychotic notions.

Okay...enough said. Excuse me while I go man the 'con' and start up my system. Yes, there are a few switches to be turned on to initiate operation, this ain't no minor league set-up here you know. Because my home has many trees around it, when not being used I separate my system from AC wall power. Once the power is applied it then proceeds to a power-conditioner with a power delay to the two amplifiers bulging with high power, then I let the whole system warm-up for a minimum of 20 minutes before I'll sit in the room to be immersed in the glorious sound of music.

Here, have an olive.

 

 

[DavidR]

[JKent]

I like my olives swimming in Bombay Sapphire. 

La-te-da in Key West gets it right!

[frankmarsi]

2-16-19

Sadly, my favorite used record store that I had harvested over 6000+ records from across the last 10 years has closed due to the store's owner of 30 years retiring.

I truly believe that I was probably his biggest customer in that period and I even came away with a few classical disks that are valued at $150. and more each on the auction site and that I paid only a few dollars for in his store, I am grateful and will never forget. Most with an over purchase of 10 were $0.89 and certainly, I never walked out with less, that were decent to almost new condition. After VPI 16.5 RCM washing and or 'ultrasonic-cleaning', I remain the lucky one and fortunate consumer who got his money's worth, and then some.

Though lately, I've been purchasing many as reissues and originals online, my costs have increased greatly.

Now, I must seek-out other stores at an appreciable distance from me but, that won’t stop me as today I’m making a pilgrimage to a few other stores in my state though they’re all an hour away or so, whereas my old favorite was only 15 minutes away.

In the last few years I’ve been able to clean around 3500+ disks and enjoy those but the calling for more music is ever present. Many in my collection cannot be found on any other medium except vinyl, many to most being out of print and no longer available.

Next week I’ll be receiving another high-performance cartridge so you know I’ll be riveted to my turntable, swinging those vintage tonearms and enjoying the tactile musical experience by revisiting some of my ‘system-testing’ records that I use whenever a new phono-cartridge comes into my hands. It's all part of the fun of bringing musical enjoyment into my midst through the use of vinyl records.

Pictured below is the altar if you will, where the ritual of my musical dedication takes place. And no, this is not a stacking-up or collection of equipment like some newbie' might have but instead, a fully operating system where everything is integral and connected.  Accessible and fully employed inputs are: 3 turntables, 2 tape decks, 2 CD decks, 1 FM tuner. Nothing here is being stored or shelved, all pieces are fully functional and an integral part of my success at using vintage equipment and although not shown here are all of the pleasurable musical sounds provided by using four AR-LST speakers fully energized with high power.  And trust me, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have AR speakers provoking me to make them sound the best they could. I do not hesitate to turn-it-up when the tune-age is beckoning.

Other hobbies have very similar callings such as this; https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2019/02/13/why-i-drive-1950-mercury-coupe?utm_source=SFMC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=19_Feb_16_Weekend_News Though in the 1980's I also did it with cars but, cars require more room and harder work.  

Experimenting these days is minimal, actual enjoyment has been maximized as the 'system' is pretty much complete.  Mounting a new high-end cartridge or dialing in a tonearm are the furthest extent of my efforts besides record cleaning. In the spring or sooner, I'll be installing more shelves to store the huge amount of disks because their number has become overwhelming.  I will openly admit, vinyl has become an obsession and to me, rightfully so. You can ably use the cliche; 'so much music, so little time'.

So, for me, I've reached the pinnacle in what I set out to do starting in the mid 1960's. Now, I have AR's classic series high-point, the AR-LST's powered by high power period correct amplifiers and fed by period correct turntables and tonearms. It bears repeating, though every piece is vintage the system is fed by modern moving-coil phono cartridges as moving-magnets* just don't afford the higher degree of performance that I demand since being spoiled with MC's for five years running now and I was late to the party. And to think, in mid 1967 I started with a Shure MD3 cart., a Dynaco PAS-X kit built tube pre-amp and 17.5 WPC ST-35 tube power amplifier and two Cortlandt St. NYC bought speaker enclosures.

P.S. DavidR, you still have a good way of making me laugh and JKent, I thank you for the drink offer but, make mine a double please.

Or as my father use to say:  "Eh, per cento anni, a tutti",  (eh, a hundred years to all!).

* In the future I may out of curiosity, buy into 'Clearaudio's' upper-tier MM's. Presently the best MM's that I have are the AT-150MLx, AT-440MLa and my original Shure Type III w/Saunders better stylus and a Shure Type IV with a 'SAS' stylus though, I haven't used any of those in over 5 years.