[Vision2020] New York Audio Show 2013: Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy's "Classic Album Sundays"

Wed Jul 17 23:19:27 PDT 2013

I've heard those same comments about tone controls, etc.  What can I say?
I think they sound good, and fairly transparent.  You are correct about
needing high efficiency speakers.  About 95db is recommended.  I use a pair
I built off a design I found on the web.  The design is called Super
Whamodyne.  I could describe how they look, but a picture is better.  I've
attached one, and a pic of the amp and phono preamp.  You are welcome to
come over and check out the system sometime.
[image: Inline image 1][image: Inline image 2]

On Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 3:34 PM, Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com> wrote:

> Of course, I've been reading about single ended tube amps for years...
> Anyone with a subscription to Stereophile, or other audio magazines, could
> not avoid this, if they read all the reviews, etc.  They are controversial
> in the world of audio... Some love the sound they generate, others have
> expressed opinions such as "They are expensive tone controls" regarding the
> tonal irregularities sometimes involved.
>
> I don't think the tube amp I built in the 1960s was single ended... I'm
> almost certain it was push-pull...
>
> If I may ask, what speakers are you using?  As you said, efficiency is
> needed, well over 90 db one watt at one meter, as its sometimes measured,
> with an amp below ten watts, otherwise you would be very limited in the
> sound level of your system.
>
> Thanks for the info on bottlehead.com... Never heard of them, and it's
> good to see kits like this are still being offered...
> ------------------------------------------
> Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>
>
> On Tue, Jul 16, 2013 at 7:38 PM, Darrell Keim <keim153 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> It does sound sweet, Ted!  I have the modern equivalent to your old
>> Heathkit amp.  Mine is a kit designed by a company called
>> www.bottlehead.com.  Uses 12au7, 12at7 and 2a3 tubes.  It is a single
>> ended triode amp, if that means anything to you.  Very low power, about 5
>> watts.  Requires very efficient speakers to work well.  But, when it does,
>> it sings!
>>
>> Specifically I  have their Paramour mono block amps (
>> http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&sa=N&biw=1242&bih=585&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbnid=NWBK5_7JUM7QgM:&imgrefurl=http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php%3Ftopic%3D50663.0&docid=kR-MNKzliKo4ZM&imgurl=http://www.audiocircle.com/image.php%253Fid%253D13475&w=564&h=550&ei=ZgLmUayxF4b9iQLtmIDwBw&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:13,s:0,i:120&iact=rc&page=1&tbnh=187&tbnw=216&start=0&ndsp=15&tx=162.36370849609375&ty=104.18183898925781)
>>
>>
>> Foreplay pre-amp (
>> http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1242&bih=585&tbm=isch&tbnid=VE94-glpYPJELM:&imgrefurl=http://www.bottlehead.com/et/adobespc/foreplay/foreplay_line_stage_kit.htm&docid=iZQWtVNS8ic_VM&imgurl=http://www.bottlehead.com/et/adobespc/foreplay/forepl2.jpg&w=432&h=356&ei=pgLmUbSZPO7jigLSpIGQBA&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:1,s:0,i:82&iact=rc&page=1&tbnh=187&tbnw=239&start=0&ndsp=15&tx=103.0909423828125&ty=79.3636474609375)
>>
>>
>> and Seduction Phono Amp (
>> http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&biw=1242&bih=585&tbm=isch&tbnid=Lx-dgNI9psPHYM:&imgrefurl=http://www.tonepublications.com/review/bottlehead-seduction-phono-preamplifier/&docid=QKJI1yWSC5onfM&imgurl=http://www.tonepublications.com/media/bottlehead-seduction.jpg&w=600&h=450&ei=1ALmUcqcLKKnigLTxoGQDw&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:6,s:0,i:97&iact=rc&page=1&tbnh=167&tbnw=175&start=0&ndsp=15&tx=133.54547119140625&ty=86.18185424804687
>> )
>>
>> It sounds sweet.  And, who cares if others are spellbound by our choice
>> of topic?  Many is the time I've seen other active conversations on the V
>> about things that don't interest me in the least.
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Jul 16, 2013 at 4:37 PM, Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> I of course did not mean that the vinyl audio system described
>>> approaches "200,000 thousand dollar" price, which is 200 million!  Yikes!
>>> I'll blame this on the by the second computer Internet disconnect
>>> warning on the library computer...
>>>
>>> Tube amplifiers!  I bet your amp sounds sweet!  Tubes are still going
>>> strong in the world of music and audio, and preferred by many music lovers,
>>> though some modern solid state designs approach the musicality offered by
>>> tubes.
>>>
>>> When I was a Moscow High student in the 1960s, I hand built a tube
>>> integrated amplifier kit, then hand built another one of the same amp kits
>>> for a friend.  Easy to do, if you can do basic soldering and follow
>>> instructions carefully, with a well written instruction manual.
>>>
>>> I foolishly sold the amp while in high school for a low price, having
>>> been deluded by the specifications worshipers that sold state amps were
>>> much better than tube amps for music reproduction, because they achieve
>>> lower levels of some kinds of distortion as measured on the test bench.
>>>
>>> When in high school I also had a belt drive Empire turntable and
>>> cartridge, completely manual except for magnetic tone arm pick-up at the
>>> end of a vinyl album, to lift the needle off the record.  The platter was
>>> meticulously machined, thick, heavy and well balanced, the diameter of
>>> which equaled 33 1/3 long playing vinyl, the belt driving the platter on
>>> the visible outside circle of the platter, with the motor off to the side
>>> suspended so it was isolated from adding vibration to the platter or tone
>>> arm.  Changing speeds required hand moving the belt to another gear!  The
>>> tone arm was balanced so that you could easily play records with the
>>> platter not perfectly horizontal, which if I understand correctly is
>>> possible by making the weight at the pivot in the back perfectly equal on
>>> both sides.  Stylus pressure was applied by a spring, not a movable
>>> counter-weight, but as I recall there was no anti-skating adjustment.
>>>
>>> I wish I had that amp and turntable still!
>>>
>>> Here is an example of a tube amplifier offered in kit form way back
>>> when, for a mere $84.95.  To buy an amp like this now would be a bargain at
>>> 1000 dollars (
>>> http://www.musicdirect.com/p-13615-jolida-jd302crc-integrated-tube-amp.aspx) though manufacturing in China has kept prices lower for some
>>> manufacturers.
>>>
>>> http://heathkit-museum.com/hifi/hvmaa-100.shtml
>>> -----------------------------
>>> Anyway, here's more from Colleen "Cosmo" Murphy's ":Classic Album
>>> Sunday" website.  I've posed the same basic question to many people about
>>> listening to an album with absolute full attention:
>>>
>>> http://classicalbumsundays.com/about/
>>> When is the last time you listened to an album from beginning to end?
>>> And sticking it on in the background while working on the computer, talking
>>> on the phone or doing chores around the house does not count. I mean
>>> sitting down and giving the album your full attention. For many of us, it
>>> has been awhile.
>>>
>>> Hearing is like breathing and smelling – it does not require an active,
>>> directed effort; we do it subconciously. When we want to look at something,
>>> we direct our gaze toward the object; when we want to touch something, we
>>> must reach out. In short, we have to focus our attention. Hearing, however,
>>> is different as we constantly hear 360 degrees around us. We can hear
>>> things going on in the other room while we chat to a friend whether or not
>>> we are trying to listen. We cannot shut our ears and therefore we often
>>> take our sense of hearing for granted.
>>>
>>> Active listening takes effort. It requires us to slow down and
>>> completely stop other actions which is very difficult in this age of
>>> hyper-reality. We are used to multi-tasking at all times – texting or
>>> tweeting while we are out with friends or talking on the phone while we
>>> make dinner. It is rare to focus on one activity and that is what active
>>> listening requires.
>>>
>>> Actively listening to a whole album from beginning to end involves a
>>> fair amount of concentration and requires us to set aside some time. We
>>> have to commit ourselves to the task and in our day of the MP3 single
>>> download where we are used to the quick sound bite, this can be quite a
>>> feat. As Hermione Hoby stated in The Observer, “It’s hard not to develop an
>>> aural antsiness when YouTube is there for the flighty browsing, iPods for
>>> the impatient shuffling. Meanwhile, Spotify and every other streaming
>>> service allow us to take for granted a song being there for our ears when
>>> we demand it. In short, our restless listening might mean we’re in danger
>>> of becoming careless listeners, too.”
>>>
>>> Over the past few years my husband and I have achieved super-geek status
>>> by slowly assembling an audiophile sound system. The cons: a hole in our
>>> pocket. The pros: listening to music with friends and rediscovering our
>>> record collections. We recently had our friend James over on a Sunday night
>>> and after dinner we sat down and listened to Brian Eno’s “Another Green
>>> World”. The last time I truly listened to that album in its entirety was
>>> nearly two decades ago but it sounded just as fresh – maybe even better as
>>> it is such a rare occasion to have the opportunity to shut everything else
>>> out to solely concentrate on the music. It was somewhat meditative and
>>> definitely therapeutic not to mention artistically beneficial.
>>>
>>> Our friend Greg Wilson had a similar realisation and has started “Living
>>> to Music”. On the first Sunday of the month, people are encouraged to sit
>>> down with friends and listen to a selected classic album. There are
>>> suggested guidelines such as having time for small talk before the
>>> listening session gets under way and turning off all mobile phones (Yes!).
>>> Of course, these are all suggestions and it is hoped that is will
>>> cross-pollinate with people starting their own listening movements and
>>> selecting their own classic records.
>>>
>>> My husband and I sat down and listened to Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side of the
>>> Moon”, the second album chosen by Living to Music. We had the Mobile
>>> Fidelity version which is part of their “Original Master Recording” series
>>> which featured half-speed mastering by Stan Ricker. Whilst listening to
>>> this amazing recording, it just seemed rude not to share the audiophile
>>> experience with others. It also seemed like a good idea to have more of an
>>> exchange regarding the selected album with other people.
>>>
>>> With Greg’s nod of approval, Cosmodelica started a monthly London
>>> listening session called “Classic Album Sundays: A Communal and Audiophile
>>> Listening Experience”. So far we have covered The Beatles’ “Abbey Road”,
>>> Kate Bush’s “Hounds of Love” and De La Soul’s “3 Feet High and Rising”. In
>>> the next couple of months, we have David Bowie’s “The Rise and Fall of
>>> Ziggy Stardust and The Spiders From Mars” and Stevie Wonder’s
>>> “Innervisions” and there are many more fine albums lined up for the rest of
>>> the year.
>>> To get updates on future Classic Album Sundays events, please become a
>>> fan of the Classic Album Sundays on Facebook
>>> ------------------------------------------
>>> Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mon, Jul 15, 2013 at 2:23 PM, Darrell Keim <keim153 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> If they do, I'd like to meet then Ted!  I've got a very nice sounding
>>>> handmade tube based system, I even have occasional "audio get togethers"
>>>> with another friend.  But neither of us has anything like that.  It is fun
>>>> to see the best systems, like that one.  It is also fun to see how good the
>>>> sound can be for a fraction of that cost.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Jul 15, 2013 at 2:07 PM, Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com>wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Famous music devotee, dance DJ and audiophile, Colleen Murphy is shown
>>>>> below with a mind blowing vinyl stereo system, used at the NY Audio Show
>>>>> 2013...
>>>>>
>>>>> In one photo she is posed with the vinyl record cover of Talking Heads
>>>>> "Remain in Light"... Once upon a time I had superb Japanese import vinyl
>>>>> copy of this album, which sounded fantastic.
>>>>>
>>>>> This stereo system approaches the 200,000 thousand dollar price
>>>>> range...
>>>>>
>>>>> I wonder if anyone in the Inland Empire owns a system of this
>>>>> sophistication...
>>>>>
>>>>> Colleen's website regarding her "Classic Album Sundays" events. which
>>>>> are offered internationally, described as a "communal and audiophile
>>>>> listening experience:"
>>>>>
>>>>> http://classicalbumsundays.com/
>>>>>
>>>>> -------------------------------------
>>>>> http://www.stereophile.com/content/classic-album-sundays
>>>>> Classic Album Sundays
>>>>>  By Art Dudley <http://www.stereophile.com/writer/86> • Posted: Apr
>>>>> 14, 2013
>>>>>
>>>>> Colleen “Cosmo” Murphy, the record-store clerk-turned-internationally
>>>>> known DJ-turned-analog impresario, has set out to change the way we listen,
>>>>> one roomful at a time; based on my experiences at NYAS 2013, she is bound
>>>>> to succeed. I had heard that Ms. Murphy is as sound- and music-savvy as she
>>>>> is lovely, and I can only say those observations don’t do her justice.
>>>>> “Today, music is treated almost as aural wallpaper, as a cheap commodity,”
>>>>> Murphy bemoaned in her opening remarks before spinning the Japanese vinyl
>>>>> version of David Bowie’s *Hunky Dory* on a truly grand system,
>>>>> including a Spiral Groove SG1.1 turntable with Centroid tonearm and a Lyra
>>>>> Atlas cartridge; a VTL TP 6.5 phono preamp (with integral step-up
>>>>> transformer); VTL’s TL 7.5 line-level preamp and Siegfried monoblock amps;
>>>>> Wilson Audio MAXX 3 loudspeakers and Opus series cabling from Transparent.
>>>>> (When I visited the Classic Album Sundays room, early on the show’s first
>>>>> day, exact pricing details weren’t yet available; suffice it to say,
>>>>> everything was rather expensive.)
>>>>>
>>>>>  *John Atkinson adds: *Colleen played classic albums all weekend,
>>>>> following *Hunky Dory* with Talking Heads' (in photo), John Hiatt's *Bring
>>>>> the Family*, The Beach Boys' *Pet Sounds* (in mono), Kraftwerk's *
>>>>> Autobahn*, Steve Wonder's *Innervisions*, and ending the Show with
>>>>> the truly classic *Forever Changes* from Love, on a new,
>>>>> superb-sounding reissue from Rhino. I took in two of these sessions and it
>>>>> was a buzz being in a room of attentive audiophiles listening to an album
>>>>> in its entirety. You can find the Classic Album Sundays calendar at
>>>>> Colleen's website <http://classicalbumsundays.com/>.
>>>>> ------------------------------------------
>>>>> Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>>>>>
>>>>> =
>>>>>
>>>>
>>
>
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