Any high end audio enthusiasts in this group?

Are ya gonna use any of those $400 wood knobs on it. I think they look really kewl. Much better than the cryogenically-treated wall outlet - fer crying out loud, none of my hi-end audio buddies will notice that, it's behind the chesterfield.

Those are strictly passe my friend. Everyone in the know understands that you need to have cryogenically treated vintage knob-and-tube wiring for those systems to really perform.

Jim

I would certainly have been interested to get involved, but unfortunately PA is a bit far from NZ ...

Well, since you're going ALL OUT with this system, might I suggest that your speakers will make up a large percentage of your system's overall quality.

Have I ever mentioned to anyone here, that while I only chat about working with Metal here, I'm also a stone sculptor? A couple years back I created a pair of solid stone speakers. They are approximately

They use High efficiency Excell drivers, so 80 watts would be PLENTY to drive them since since 1 amp (per channel) tube drivers are enough, but that just means you'd never have to work your amp too hard.

You can see a picture and some information on them here:

Just to keep this all ON TOPIC, the Company I worked with to design the drivers and electronics gave me a volume requirement that the stone alone couldn't meet, so I added integral STEEL bases to each speaker.

They match the very odd shape of the stone perfectly and are made of

Oh, and they sound good too.

James Kelsey, Seattle (port orchard), Washington, USA, Earth

You mean there's no market for my copper billet-cut speaker conductors?

Jim, I think you're being short sighted. I would think "billet gold" would be the target. Or at least "billet silver" that's been plated with 24k.

Or cryo-treated, gold plated, billet silver.

That's the ticket.

As we all know, all too well, there is no limit to the amount of m> > > >

On Mon, 16 Aug 2004 09:20:41 -0700, Jim Stewart calmly ranted:

Not since I put out the Heimdall Strumpet II speaker sytem (made with pyrometallurgical, oxygen-free, copper billet-cut conductors) there isn't, buddy.

--============================================-- Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional. ---

With my hearing, anything above a walkman and OEM earphones is a waste

- too many DC9's at close proximity. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

That's gotta be better'n Radio Shack's gold speaker wire! The audio vendors pick one thing that should be obvious to the most uniniated and harp on it. Extra heavy, extra conductive speaker wire is one example. Show me an audio type that says he can tell one speaker wire from another and I'll show you a sucker that can be easily separated from his money.

I can only barely buy into the notion that vacuum tubes make better audio amps than solid state devices. Theoretically, I can see why tubes would be better - but I'd never be able to tell the difference with my shot hearing.

Bob Swinney

James, These are cool. Being a DIY speaker guy myself I can appreciate the effort- great work. I'm affraid to think how much these sold for to the end user. Getting back to a bit off topic (seems to be going around). Is there no controversial topics in metalworking, and guys who just have to pick on someone pick on audio related posts? BTW, Pass Labs is a very respected amp manufacturer. Their Class A designs are engineered to meet commonly accepted standards of excellence. No voodoo there. I'm not planning on using esoteric parts in these amps.

Whoa, don't get me started.

I was blissfully ignorant of any metalworking, had been DIY-ing amps from Hawk here in holland (

So I went to visit him, he has a lovely little cottage, and in it an archetypical "Listening Room": one wall lined with LPs, another wall lined with tube amps and various turntables, beautiful loudspeakers

and a lathe.

I didn't pay attention to it initially, until a friend came over asking him to help him with some part for his turntable. He went to pick a slab of aluminium (indeed, billet I believe) from somewhere and proceeded to transform this ugly, unfinished, greyish hunk of metal into a beautiful, shiny, round piece of audiophilia with countersunk screwholes and everything, the works.I was completely blown away.

My life hasn't been the same since.

Hans

I was into hi fi from 1969 to 1980 and I built allot of gear. I have found that the crummier the stereo, the more I enjoy the music.

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 03:02:15 GMT, Clark Magnuson vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

You believe this or quote it as a joke?

On Fri, 20 Aug 2004 03:02:15 GMT, Clark Magnuson vaguely proposed a theory ......and in reply I say!:

remove ns from my header address to reply via email

Why?

To fill in. I appreciate the joke about the HIFI fanatic who went to a live performance and came out saying "Too much treble"

But there seems to be a reverse class distinction going on here.

Actually, given the amount of "acoustic tuning" done in high-end concert venues, it's not as funny as it sounds.

Norm

I agree with everything you've said but I'm not giving up my rhodium plated line plugs.

Laurie Forbes