People with glass plinths....

When the new 301 showed up on Friday, I was already on my way to the Mythical Land of Walter where much fun was had and a post / dance challenge will follow.  When I returned I realized I had a table but no plinth to put it in.  Ijaz suggested the milwaukee version of mexican coke but I chose glass.

It is sounding very different from the Empire and now it is time to get going on a "proper" plinth. In case any of you wondered, the about the record cover  "It's a joke son, you're supposed to laugh!". The thing actually riding the hammertone is:

Free Transformers...

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I was about to write, " I have no idea how this happens."... but that is a lie... I know exactly how this happens.. I cannot stand to see stuff thrown away... especially as I learned my way around all this HiFi stuff by picking up boxes of junk just like this... the best way to learn is to get dirty.. (but do not get shocked!)...

so here are three USPS flat rate boxes of transformers... the vast majority are power transformers, but I am pretty sure there are some outputs and chokes in here as well... few are labeled... google may be your friend on some of these... else buy Sound Practices and read the article on junkbox iron... (anyone out there remember the issue and article?)

I will not pony up for shipping... so you have to Paypal me the US$15.45 for shipping... US only... sorry about that.. but shipping a fifty pound box to another country is more than the value of the iron...

Box number one:  medium sized iron, some potted....

Box number two:  mostly large power iron.. one even has the built in rectifier socket... super cool...

Box number three:  nine pieces for $15!

if this goes well, I have more... sadly...




and another freebie:  did you guys know that Sherman Hemsley (George Jefferson) was a music freak?  and a freak in general?  see this link ... as a kid, I loved The Jeffersons... I need to go find Dinosaurs....   RIP, Mr Jefferson!

Peace,
Me

Copper & Brass & Steel Oh My!

A few days back I mentioned about the counterweights for the RS-A1 arm from various materials.  In the initial tests we used the steel upright and simply swapped in the steel, brass and copper weights.  I needed a break so I made up a quick brass upright to make the brass vs. steel comparison a bit more valid.

Well,  I have to admit I was shocked that that there was a difference and how easily audible it was.  I didn't much care for the copper at all.  It was dead and lifeless and seemed to steal all of the energy from the music.  The original steel weight had much more life but I have to say that for this one round the brass was the clear winner and it just played music.

More to come.

Poking Fun....

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as we crawl up close to hitting double digits with (all very happy) Lowther Field Coil owners, we had to "adjust"stock due to an odd, instead of even, number of cones... hmm... how could something like that happen?  well, I will admit to my first ever screwdriver through the cone... ouch! I wish I could blame yellow dog....

the above photo is of the single replacement Van Halen just sent... we use proprietary voice coil wire that we send to England, so we cannot just grab any Lowther basket for these... so this special single had to make the trip south... and what did the smart aleck Van Halen attach to the box:

revenge awaits... it isn't nice to poke fun, Jon...


Peace,
Me

coloured thangs.

 copper vs. brass

the quick swap on tonearm weights.

 only a superhero can save me from 

harbour freight shame.

Hitting the pipes.

Here are a few more pics of the pipes that Mike brought to the show.

 The bogen amp driving it all

 The vinyl blue glow and its source.

 One for Iain

and finally a video of the room that seems perfect for the 16A vs. the pipes battle for next year.  It will be great since both mike and jeffrey can dance.

CAF image

Let me introduce you to mike.

cellphone shots from the gang at Capital Audiofest...

 I am sure that Dave will fill in details and post better pictures soon, but I thought you guys and girls would want in on the fun while it was happening... 

This was the first picture he sent... it is of fellow horn junkies from Brooklyn... when they noted that dave was nearly a day ahead of everyone on setup, all by himself, they noted that he must be powered by all the Cokes he was drinking... he told them it was "Mexican Coke"...

below is the first shot I received of the layout... it looks great to me... but I really dig Ikea for the simplicity of things... the bench is record storage.. so is the "HiFi rack"... and for a hotel room show, which is by definition lame, this looks appealing.. great job, dave.. sincerely...

and then there is this team member.. wow, man.. Barrett comes through *again*... insane... 
 

I do not want to know who partakes of the "yellow dog"... that one scares me... they might start eating the furnishings.. or even worse, the lowther cones!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Peace,
Me

A puzzle / another silly thing we don't really need.

Once you get past the crappy picture, found box and the bakelite knob the only other clues are binding posts and an IR sensor so Chapman must be involved.  Looking inside things become clear as mud.

Power supply, remote handset and a motorized pot may get you all thinking.

A single pair of IC's and a clear view with the binding posts showing resistors across them might help a bit.  FWIW.... the value of the motorized alps is 10K and only two terminals are being used.  Those two terminals are connected (4 terminals total) and in parallel with the 4 terminals of the binding posts and the 4 terminals of the RCA's

so what the hell is this thing for?

OK.... Edit after 4 comments.  Martin G nailed what it is but my intended application is still the mystery.  the Key factor is adjustability from the listening chair.  In many instances it wouldbe used with these.

Capital Audiofest Preview.

We are taking the Lowther Field Coil show on the road to DC, this time supported by Emia and some really trick Garrard tables.  The field coils will be in some 160hz Azura Horns with a pair of 15" Hawthorne Audio Augies in open baffles to cover below 200hz or so.

We will be a vinyl only room and since a local family member is a Garrard junkie the tables will be really trick.  Ijaz was the inspiration for the "brass 301" and that will be one of the tables in the room.

A second table will be another 301 where we can go back and forth between the stock and brass platters as well as stock and brass idler wheels.  The arms will be a Schroder, Talea, a "surprise" arm and as always a couple of RS-A1's.

Like the LSAF  we will have EMIA MC and strain gauge front end electronics with autoformers and the 50 amp with the 80% nickel outputs.  Both silver and copper versions of the MC stepups and autoformers will also be on hand.  Chris from Tel-Wire will be sending a box of wires to hook everything up.

The speakers are set up and playing and everything else is in the works like securing a supply of BlackmanBrew to prevent dehydration.