Thoughts and Non Thoughts

"No crackling fire or chestnuts roasting, But we got some coconuts and rum for toasting Don't need a snowman we'll build castles in the sand I'm in a Christmas Paradise You and me underneath a beach umbrella, we don't need no mistletoe at all No need to hurry we don't have to worry there's no where else to be But the starry sky and the Christmas lights when the sun sets on the sea" - from Christmas Paradise by Carole King

This yearly event has gotten bigger and bigger. It's new home, the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati, is a perfect venue, with a few function rooms occupied by the big set-ups and the demo rooms now occupying two floors.  These Wilsons driven by Plinius amps from Listening In Style are quite impressive and weighty. In looks and in sound. The Focal-based system from AVDI is very good indeed. Detailed and neutral. If I had to choose a cost-no-object system, it would have to be this system from Architectural Audio. Magico Q5 speakers driven by Hegel amplification with Naim as source.  It is very realistic, as if the performance is right in front of you.  Just natural sound, music playback at its best, and what hi-fi should be about. Proudly Philippine made.  The Harana Audio brand can stand toe-to-toe with the megabuck imported brands and systems.  These are built by hand by audio enthusiasts and designers.  This horn-based syst...

Found use for my iPad first gen as a dedicated music server, streaming Spotify into my stereo system. I was very pleasantly surprised at the very good sound quality, considering I'm using the headphone out jack. A little search on google showed that this iPad uses a very good Cirrus Logic DAC and the output impedance from the headphone out is low (ie, good). Apparently RMAA measurements are very good too. Really enjoying Spotify through this set-up. Played James Taylor and Diana Krall. Sound is clear yet not thin or digital sounding at all. I daresay that it compares very well with vinyl playback on my Technics SL1200 with Rega Exact cartridge played through the same system. What a treat! System: LSA Standard Integrated amp with NOS Tesla 6922 tubes LSA 2 Towers connected via Rega speaker cables

Canon DLSRs of recent years have in-camera features that are supposed to extend Dynamic Range. One feature - Highlight Tone Priority (HTP) - aims to retain details and prevent clipping of highlights (bright areas). Another feature - Auto Lighting Optimizer (ALO) - aims to lift details from shadows (darker areas). ALO is deemed useful for high contrast scenes, eg, backlit subjects; HTP is deemed useful for high-key shots. Both are used on jpegs. For the Canon 550D, HTP is enabled or disabled within the menu (Cn Fn 6), while ALO has four settings (Off, Low, Standard, Strong). ALO is disabled if HTP is turned on. I did a few test shots using the EF 17-40 mm F4/L lens. The images below were taken a few seconds of each other and have not been edited except for resizing. Aperture f/5.6 and shutter speed at 640 and ISO 100, except for the image with HTP on at shutter speed of 1250 and ISO 200. The effects of HTP and ALO are not s...

There are many versions of the "Wimbledon Effect", but a simple one is about weekend tennis players playing better after watching Wimbledon on TV. I watched The Masters at Augusta on TV last night. Some observations: the players don't swing out of their boots -- they swing smooth and not jerky and it doesn't seem forced. I also noticed that their arms seemed relaxed and not stiff. So this morning I tried to swing like the pros. No need to go for that extra ten yards, swing smooth, go for accuracy. On chips, pitches and putts tried to keep arms relaxed and grip firm but not tight. The result -- I scored my best game from the blue tees on my home course so far. Definitely the Masters Effect. Hope it is not temporary, like the temporary bump in club membership applications after every Wimbledon.

When you really come to think about it, life is nothing but a collection of memories.

\   Party time Catching the last of the sun   Night light    The morning after the night before...  Nice F*ing life

A scenic route to Pico de Loro and Punta Fuego, via the Cavite coastal road.  

Happened to pass by Talisay, Batangas. It's the town next to Tagaytay, right beside Taal Lake. The town is preparing for its fiesta, which is on Feb 10. The San Guillermo Church, named after its patron saint. It's worth the short stop.   The altar and interior of the San Guillermo Church.   Going up to Tagaytay on the winding road, I passed by this Buko Stop, complete with a view of Taal Lake. (photos taken with an iPhone 5)  

Living in the city... another day.

For a nice Tagaytay experience, Breakfast at Antonio's is a popular destination.   It's along the main highway at the west end of Tagaytay, on the ridge side, so it has some views of Taal Lake.   The food is good, probably at the same level as coffee shops in international hotels in Manila.      There's  nothing like a waffle to satisfy one's palette after the hour-and-a-half drive from Manila. Anotonio's version of Eggs Benedict. Smoked salmon for something light and savory. And you can go with good old BLT and chips for a filling meal. Expect to spend between P400 - P700 per head. The waiting line can be 30 -45 minutes but it passes by quickly in the cool breeze of Tagaytay. Service is quick and courteous. There's also a bakeshop cum deli where you can get bread or their bacon and chorizo if you want to take some home. Recommended to try at least once.