Thoughts and Non Thoughts

The Schiit Mani . There's a lot of reviews on the web of this $129 Schiit, this one from Stereophile among the better-written ones. I don't want to add another review, just want to share how the addition of the Mani made my system more flexible, particularly due to its various gain settings. The importance of phono gain settings can't be overemphasized in matching carts and amps. Here are two threads from an audio forum that cover this in detail. (The advantage of forums like this over FB is the archival and search-friendly properties.) This one is more technical and mathematical, specially in calculating optimum phono stage gain. Selecting appropriate phono preamp gain This second one is more subjective but no less insightful. The good the bad of too much gain Going back to my system, the analog input sensitivity of my integrated amp is 200mV. Applying the formula for a 5-mV output cart gave me an optimum gain of 32 dB at the phono stage. Most phono stag...

Now that Shure has announced that thry will discontinue their phono products (Shure announcement) some DJs and audiophiles are suddenly taking stock of their Shure cartridges and styli. "Turntablists" specially are talking about the M44-7, which has become the standard DJ cartridge. It is now out of stock at Amazon, except for some vendors selling at $150 (previously $79). The M97xe, aimed at audiophiles, doesn't have the mid-bass hump that the M44-7 has, and has a lower output. There were some quality-related issues reported, particularly incidences of a channel going dead. Nevertheless, for those who got good copies, not a few preferred the M97xe for home audio listening. Save for a couple of years when I put in a Rega Exact on my Technics SL1200 mk2 (the Exact is now happily singing on a RP3), I have been using a M97xe on this table. I got it for $61 when it went on sale at Amazon almost 9 years ago. I can say it's the best $61 I've spent on analog gear...

Though the Shure cartridge is the cheapest component (except for the cables), it doesn't let the rest of the system down. The SL1200 also comes into fore as a capable player, worthy of any audiophile. I wrote my first impressions briefly here , but have since tweaked and optimized it with my system. Here's the rest of the system and settings. Shure M97xe cartridge: 1.25 g tracking force brush up, 1.25 g anti-skate, arm level or slightly tail up SL1200 turntable with 3mm mat underneath original rubber mat LSA Standard Amplifier with NOS Tesla 6922 tubes , Mundorf caps  Straightwire Chorus interconnects from built-in phono to line Dynaudio Contour 1.3 mkII speakers on wooden stands with metal base Van den Hul CS122 speaker cables But it's how it's put together, not the individual components, that makes this rig very musical. Hours of set-up, tube rolling, and, yes, cables to get that perfect synergy. One can talk about soundstage, ton...

Grabbed a few LPs from Burlington Square in Singapore, including the one playing above, along with some vacuum tubes. Now I haven't tube rolled in a long while, but neither have I spent a lot of time with my tube system, favoring instead the plug-and-play LSA integrated. But with a couple of hours on my hands, decided to try the Mullard 12ax7 reissues in the tubed phono stage (Jolida JD9). It was great. But like any system, you change one part you have to adjust the whole thing. So what started as a phono tube tweak turned out to be a changing of the tubes. Jolida JD9: Mullard 12ax7 reissues are in, Tungsol gold pins (New Sensor) are out. Tono Violin pre-amp: RCA black glass 6sn7s are in, Raytheons are out. CJ MV55: Svetlana EL34s are back in, Tungsol reissues are out. The result: bliss. Test records: Style Council's Café Bleu. Simon and Garfunkel's Parsley, Sage, Rosemarie and Thyme. Oh, and Ed Sheeran sounded great.

Let's grab some breakfast from Dean and Deluca A hearty choco sig You be the newborn I'll be your new dad Way back in '91 Your sweet smile, look at you -- my grown-up girl ... Come to your old dad tell me -- who do you love Who makes the traffic interesting Rescues a dreary Sunday Who makes me feel like a hero again Honey it's you -- my grown up little girl (adapted from lyrics of Steely Dan's "Janie Runaway")

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

Tubes used: Sovtek 12ax7LPS on the JD9 Tesla e88cc on the LSA amp Settings on the Jolida Impedance 300 ohms Capacitance zero (all off) Gain dip switch #1 Hi output I will not describe how this system sounds because that would be pointless. Whatever audiophile words are used, they will be subject to the personal interpretation and experience of the reader. I will say instead that it brings childhood memories of the old record player filling an old house with happiness in bubbles of liquid notes floating in the air; that a song of lost love tugs at the memories in my heart; that a dance tune tickles my soles like those late night outs of youth; that it makes me appreciate the genius of a piano player's touch that can both be strong and gentle on the keyboard; that the vibrations of brass from saxophones recorded half a century ago make the hairs on my skin quiver; that the singer whispering late at night wets my neck with her mo...

Rega  turntables and arms have developed quite a good reputation. But they make some nice carts too, most of the time, matched with their turntables. I recently got a Rega Exact, the model that sits atop Rega's MM offerings, and mounted it on a Technics SL1200. The first word -- Dynamic. The gain from this cart is higher than many MM carts, and it matches well with old solid state or tube pre-amps and amps. Old records come to life. Herb Alpert's Whipped Cream and Other Delights sounded like it was just recorded yesterday. The music almost jumps out of the vinyl like the girl on the cover. I won't be surprised if you'd feel like dancing to it. It is not an analytical sound, nor would I call it neutral. Rather what it does is let the music through. So the second word -- Musical. You listen to the music and not to your system. Listening to Charlie Byrd's Byrdland, the warmth of the recording is there from the first n...

 (photo taken with an iPhone) Enjoyed the concert of Tony Bennett at the PICC in Manila. He is the picture of a happy man. He loves what he does and is doing what he loves. You can feel how much his music means to him,  and that he will continue performing for as long as he lives. And people will continue listening to his music and watching his concerts because of this.

(taken with an iPhone 4s) Had this set up for audition/demo. The Brio-R is an excellent integrated amp that comes with a phono stage for MM. Though its spec sheet says 50 watts per channel, it punches way above its weight. The RS1 speakers aren't left behind too. With just an iPod into the Brio-R and RS1 combination, the musicality is apparent -- smooth liquid mids, extended highs for a wide soundstage and the bookshelf speakers going deep. It's just as comfortable with Dianna Krall and Frank Sinatra as with Pink Floyd and Bon Jovi.  It's a transparent system, so it will reveal good and poor recordings; its phono stage clearly contrasted a bad pressing of Bruce Springsteen's The River with an excellent pressing of Tunnel of Love. But it's been sprinkled with a little warmth for that classic "British sound."  It's an excellent system, a shining example of synergy the Rega way.

A classic album. The Pinoy heart speaking.

Goosebumps. Excellent cover of a great Bob Dylan song. Adele is Amy Winehouse, Norah Jones, Rickie Lee Jones, and Macy Gray put together.

Aja When all my dime dancin' is through I run to you Up on the hill They think I'm ok Or so they say Chinese music always sets me free Angular banjoes Sound good to me Aja When all my dime dancin' is through I run to you (Steely Dan)

Something for mid-lifers and not so mid-lifers...

I have always experienced some hum or static noise with my analog playback. Found a phono cable that minimized RF interference. But some noise remained, I theorized from lack of proper grounding, static crackle when I touched the tonearm, for example. I ignored it and just turned the volume up. Then I changed amp (to an integrated) and the first thing I noticed was how much quieter my system was. But the static crackle and occasional hum was still there. A quick search led me to some previous discussions regarding grounding. So I whipped up some cable and connected my phono stage and amp to the window metal grill with alligator clips. Absolute silence. I think someone wrote somewhere that one could either raise the listening volume or lower the noise floor. I was discovering lower noise floor. And ticks and pops? When I played this LP it was full of ticks and pops. But when Ella sang Someday he'll come along The man I love... And when he ...

Jazz Seen . Jazz heard. Jazz felt

Ugnayan is a great jazz CD. Featuring the best Filipino jazz performers such as saxophonist Tots Tolentino playing inspired compositions by Maestro Angel Pena. Directed and produced by Gerard Salonga, this is a treasure that should be given more exposure. Great to enjoy with a top-notch audio system.

Great rendition of a great song A real artist.

I like it I'm not gonna crack I miss you I'm not gonna crack I love you I'm not gonna crack I killed you I'm not gonna crack I'm so happy 'cause today I found my friends They're in my head I'm so ugly, but that's okay 'Cause so are you

He was a storybook, magical, tragic, larger than life figure even in death. He will be ranked among Marilyn Monroe and Elvis Presley as an iconic personality. Neverland will become like Graceland. He wasn't able to launch his comeback in life, but in death he will make his comeback with a vengeance. May he rest in peace.