Thoughts and Non Thoughts

I've had this phono stage for almost two years now. It's been paired with a Dynavector 20XL cart mounted on a VPI Scout. It's a pretty good phono stage, very dynamic. It has a tube output stage, and tube rolling the pair of 12ax7s really has a big impact on the sound. The stock Jolida tubes I found quite forward. I have tried a few 12ax7s and here are my impressions: Tungsol (new production) - sound is more restrained, a bit dry. Electro Harmonix - quite forward, with a lot of gain, but rough. Sovtek LPS - big bass and heavy bottom end, but has a peaky upper midrange. Telefunken (NOS) - very detailed but sometimes sounds bright. JJ (Slovak) - warm and smooth, but with less gain than the others. This is the tube I left in the Jolida. Settings of the dip switches 100 ohm (#1 on) 0 capacitance (none on) Gain at #2 Output RCAs used is "Hi"

It looks cool - It sounds great too, perfect for the bedroom. Don't expect that much bass, but the midrange is quite warm. Compatible with ipod classic and the new itouch. Comes with a remote. Worth considering if you're looking for ipod dock speakers.

It looks like the (selective browsing) problem with PLDT myDSL happens when you set your DNS to automatic. There's a couple of solutions: 1. Set the DNS manually at the TCP/IP Connection setting. Here are some of PLDT's DNS servers: 58.69.254.3 58.69.254.4 58.69.254.8 58.69.254.9 58.69.254.43 58.69.254.46 58.69.254.70 58.69.254.72 58.69.254.103 58.69.254.104 58.69.254.106 58.69.254.133 58.69.254.134 58,69.254.135 58.69.254.137 202.57.96.4 203.87.128.3 203.172.11.21 203.172.11.25 203.172.11.26 2. Use Opendns servers: simply use the ff in the DNS setting 208.67.222.222 208.67.220.220 Just be aware that there have been reported cases of Opendns blocking some google pages. I used the first PLDT DNS server listed above and it has solved my problem completely. I also noticed webpages loading faster than before. Hope this fix is going to hold up. 3. Update >>> You can now use Google DNS 8.8.8.8 8.8.4.4 Hope this helps.

Got these earphones to replace the stock ipod earphones. What a nice surprise! The music played through these 'phones have the right balance between detail and weight. I played Miles Davis's "Kind of Blue" on a 5.5 gen ipod and the bass lines are well defined and tuneful. The texture of Miles' trumpet and the sax solos are tangible with just a hint of warmth. Cymbals decay naturally. These are great value for less than $20 and bring the ipod experience to a new level. They may not have the same level of resolution and warmth as good in-ear monitors (IEMs)like the Shure e2c, but they are no less enjoyable, especially for day to day use when the noise reduction function of IEMs are not needed.

It's been a week now. Some websites won't load. This sucks.

The pairing of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson provided a sideshow that took center stage Sunday at the US Masters. At one point, it looked possible for Phil Mickelson to take a share of the lead. And if that was possible, then of course Tiger could as well. But their sideshow faltered at the end and they had to surrender center stage to the leaders. The trio of Chad Campbell, Kenny Perry and Angel Cabrera provided one of the most entertaining endings to a Masters, when they went on a three-way sudden death playoff. Campbell couldn't deliver when it mattered, though he played solidly. I feel the most for Kenny Perry, I think he should have won it, during regulation. And he still had a chance in the first playoff hole. But such is golf, and no one can fathom the minds of the golf gods. Who would have thought a second shot bouncing off trees would give Cabrera a perfect set up for an approach shot to save par? Cabrera seemed like he was playing Sunday with nothing to lose and, in the

Chad Campbell proved his first round lead wasn't a fluke by staying at the lead at the end of round 2. Tiger has not made his move, and he's running out of time. Anthony Kim was a big surprise with a round of 65, breaking the tournament record with 11 birdies. I think he's the guy to watch.

Backswing with the shoulder, downswing with the arms...

Or Con whimper ?

You can still be famous...