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

Thu Jul 18 14:54:05 PDT 2013

Those were my first go at speakers.  They are BIG, and have a low WAF (Wife
Acceptance Factor).  I made them bright since they are in the basement.
Brighten up the dark room.  And, as a designer friend mentioned:  Yellow is
a great color for such a large speaker.  It is hard to look at, so it
causes the eye to look away.  They sound good enough I haven't felt the
need to tinker.

hat URS6 looks like a beast!  Loads of power for tubes.  Loads!!!

On Thu, Jul 18, 2013 at 2:15 PM, Ted Moffett <starbliss at gmail.com> wrote:

> Your speakers look amazing... I've built several speaker systems, one with
> Dynaudio drivers.
>
> I was reading the latest edition of Stereophile magazine last night, which
> featured a short review of the Unison Research S 6 integrated single ended
> tube amp, for a mere $4895.  What was interesting was the use of parallel
> tubes to achieve 35 wpc in a single ended design.
>
> http://www.stereophile.com/content/unison-research-demos-audio-doctor
>
>
> The S 6 uses six EL34 output tubes to deliver 35Wpc and proved a better
> match for the Dali Helicon 400 Mk.II loudspeakers.
>
> We next listened to the Unison S 6 integrated amplifier ($4895). This is
> an all-tube, single-ended, class-A design. It uses the same ECC82 preamp
> tubes as the Unico 50, but employs six EL34 power tubes for a rated 35Wpc.
> It offers five line inputs and a tape out. Switching to the S 6 resulted in
> a subtle, but significant change in the overall presentation. Bass was less
> robust, but more tightly drawn, resulting in better top-to-bottom
> coherence. The saxophone may have lost some edge and extension, but I heard
> more space around it, and the guitar sounded appropriately vibrant. I felt
> the S 6 to be a better match for the Dali loudspeakers. That combination
> more easily transported us from Dave Lalin’s room to the recording space.
> -------------------------------------------
> Anyway, some audiophiles love a single classic 300B tube in a single ended
> design... Simplicity, but not much power.
> ------------------------------------------
> Vision2020 Post: Ted Moffett
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jul 17, 2013 at 11:19 PM, Darrell Keim <keim153 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> 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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