Gordon wrote on Jan 6^th, 2021 at 8:33am:

I’m wondering if can let you off the hook given your computer audio might be giving you a very distorted perspective. On the other hand I’ll just put your preference down to bad taste. Maybe my perspective is distorted however have had a harpsicord builder as a lover for some years?

Bobby : "The music of that era is the best ever written."


Hmmm ! I wonder where that puts J S Bach ?

Ayn Marx wrote on Jan 6^th, 2021 at 11:10am:



The best of its type ever written. 

Gordon wrote on Jan 6^th, 2021 at 8:24pm:


I won’t get into any detailed criticism of your hi-fi gear other than wondering if the upper reaches of your old Thiels might be veiling the treble and restricting dynamic range - - - - er, - - - - I wasn’t going to start that argument.
Let’s just suggest yours and your good company’s taste is misinformed if not totally unaware of the nature of compositions written specifically for a certain instrument.
Granted, some very skilled pianists can partially overcome some of the problems of performing earlier repertoire on a Steinway/Yamaha/Boesendorfer etc but every time I’ve attended a concert of anything like Scaratti on such I’ve found myself cringing. Ah, the curse of good taste.
The bottom line though is we both enjoy listening in our particular way.

Ayn Marx wrote on Jan 7^th, 2021 at 11:40am:


* Talking Hi-Fi gear, who would have thought vertically hung ceiling tiles fitted with a cheep audio exciter/actuators would give such profound clarity and dynamic range? Just need to add a sub to truly complete the sound.

Skip to - 30:20 for brief explanation and speakers playing music




And for the bonus content, how about an acoustic guitar fitted with an electronic brain and audio actuator(s). Wow, programmable acoustic loop, built-in effects, reverb etc - all without being plugged in. It can also be turned into a Bluetooth speaker ...

Gordon wrote on Jan 7^th, 2021 at 1:10pm:

I owned Theil CS 3.7’s (?) - - hope I recall the model number correctly - they had strange metalic woofers  - - looked like old fashioned garbage tin lids - enjoyed them until a deliquent Audio Research D70 A power amp went volcanic and destroyed them.
I remember this was the first rig I’d owned that got three dimensional depth just right. The bass however in my medium sized room was very uneven - could have been the room though.
For decades I couldn’t afford the gear I wanted but a friend who reviewed the stuff often leant me bits and pieces. I learnt very quickly that spending silly amounts of money didn’t always take you to musical heaven. Sometimes however it can.
In retirement I’ve been able to put together a system, and just as importantly a LARGE ROOM that ticks all my boxes.
VPI Direct drive TT, VPI 3d printed arm, various MC & MM cartridges, Allnic H -1201 phono pre (on loan), Nakamichi Dragon (yes, I still play cassettes) Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 800 amp, DCS Bartok DAC,  Yamaha CD-S2100 player for SACD, Magico M6 speakers, VELODYNE DD15 sub-woofers.  Most of my listening is off LP-s -- I have something like 5,500 classical LP’s and don’t know how many others. I inherited a collection of private pressing blues LP’s that will soon be sent to the US for transfer to digital.

Wandering so far off topic I suspect we should cease this rave.

I’ve  probably posted this before but it’s one performance I keep coming back to.
For many years I only knew this man from his recordings which always impressed me as gentle, loving and romantic. Truth is the man himself was as rough at guts.
If todays pop musicians had a fraction of his musicality things might improve but most of them are so far up their digital arsXoles they can’t see daylight.