Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Four days, four curries, four hifi's...

I just got back from Chicago. It was a truly wonderful trip. I ran far too short on time, but still managed to listen and hang out with some long time friends as well as some new ones.


As is best on a blog, let's let pictures tell most of the tale. First was Bruce's rig. It is big horns done properly - all digitally crossed and aligned... bi-amped when I got there, tri-amped when I left... all SET's... even vinyl is digitized via pure vinyl... I know, I know.. I am a purist remember? but let me tell you 24/192 is *really* good.. I could easily tell what was a 44/16 cd, vinyl, or reel tape... easy.. vinyl was still that huge airy thing that it is... and the 45 rpm 'trane was nice, too...


Next was Van Halen's house... field coil Lowthers by, well, us.. open baffles with 15's in a sealed box below... really liquid sound.. biamped.. GM70 SE on top, Pass on bottom... no etch or grain or hardness.. really nice ella and louis.. and strings that make you weep...

Then a new guy to the EM/IA team... I only got to hear the weekend condo system, but it was Magico and dartzeel (sp?) with TW black night, three arms, and my phono... (big grin)... really nice and clear mids and treble.. I think the front end was passing the beauty straight from the vinyl.. very well controlled... (and fabulous espresso)... view from condo:


then Mats.. what can I say.. his rig is most like mine.. too many horns.. and too many knobs.. but makes music... no horn shout.. he may want a touch more romance in teh middle, but really nice vinyl and digital reproduction.. music came right on through...


and now the good stuff... I had Thai four times.. ahh.. four days, four curries... yummy...




on the way back from this restaurant, I got a quick peak at one of Julie's gardens.. that woman has talent.. I really wish I could sit on that porch and see the seasons change.. to only get to see one season was a crime..


And now the one you won't believe. Truth is truly stranger than fiction. After the fourth Thai restaurant, we were able to sneak into a used vinyl store for their last few minutes before closing. I was running through the new arrivals and found the South African pressing of Rodriguez - Cold Fact. What a score. Literally. Inside the album was a baggy of white powder. No Lie. After listening to the psychedelic folk, I agree that this would be my stash album. All we could do was laugh. Thank goodness we were in a used record shop in Chicago. Had I been further down in middle America, it would have been a scene. See random driving pictures below for what I mean.













Peace,
Me

3 comments:

  1. I hope that curry was "phet" which of course means "pretty hot 'en tastee"

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  2. Dude, that's my bag...been lookin everywhere...

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  3. Good old "made in china", eh? I was in a store called "Amish creations" in Knoxville - not one thing there was made in the USA...and they didn't even have hand-made Amish quilts. When asked about it, the proprietor said "Do you know how much they cost???" - sad days indeed, where Wal-mart pricing has taken away the pride of building a country.

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