Well, I have had the room for a year and have resisted any big changes or additions. Finally, I have got around to measuring the room response and have ordered some minimal room treatments from Echobusters, including two Echobusters absorptive panels for the first reflections from my Kharmas and a pair of Phase-4 bass absorption/diffusion towers. Also, we finally ordered a sofa to go in the back of the room, behind the Barcelona chairs. Once they arrive, I should post pictures.
I do want to add a TT, but perhaps a new SUV may be required instead.
Ha, another cycling audiophile. I've been cycling road since 89 and doing audio since 98. Presently on a Specialized Tarmac SL2 w/full Sram Force sitting on Eastons. Great set up(stereo and bike). Congrats.
The virtual reality images on the screen is one of the Spinervals DVD... THey are great training aids, to beat the boredom and create a structured indoor session..
THere are a few VR titles, including Autumn Country Training Ride, Lake Placid Training Ride, Madison, WI Training Ride, and Tuscon, AZ.
Now that the various magazines and websites have compiled their fav albums of 2007, I thought I would share my favorite list (in no real order... although top 5 probably reflect amount of play they received on my stereo, iPod, and iPhone.
1) Animal Collective: Strawberry Jam 2) Spoon: GA GA GA GA GA 3) Panda Bear: Person Pitch 4) Beirut: The Flying Club Cup 5) Radiohead: In Rainbows 6) Okkervil RIver: Stage Names 7) MENOMENA: Friend or Foe 8) LCD soundsystem: Sound Of Silver 9) White Stripes: Icky Thump 10) Andrew Bird: Armchair Apocrypha 11) PJ Harvey: White Chalk 12) Iron & Wine: Shepherd's Dog 13) Carbiou: Andorra 14) St. Vincent: Marry Me 15) The field: From Here We Go Sublime 16) The National: Boxer 17) Battles: Mirrored 18) Deerhunter: Cryptograms 19) Deerhoof: Friend Opportunity 20) Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer 21) Dirty Projectors: Rise Above 22) White Williams: Smoke 23) Scout Niblett: This Fool Can Die Now (with Bonnie "prince" billy) 24: Nina Nastasia & Jim White: You Follow Me 25) The Besnard Lakes: The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse 26) Arcade Fire: Neon Bible 27) Sigur Ros: Hvarf/Heim
Didn't put any Ryan Adams on the list, but Easy Tiger was good
Disappointments of 2007: New Pornographers, Rilo Kiley, Bloc Party, Devendra Banhart, Interpol, Bright Eyes, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Modest Mouse, Lucinda Williams, Shins, MIA (need to relisten as its on too many top lists), Band of Horse, WIlco ... (SOME OF THESE AREN'T THAT BAD... PERHAPS I'M BUYING TOO MUCH MUSIC TO LISTEN ENOUGH)
System edited: It's a real winter this year ! Bike is back in the listening room. I am praying for an early spring... although I hope it snows like crazy in Whistler and Sugarloaf.
Thanks for the compliments. I'm just a recreational cyclist as well, but after 15 years I really got obessed with it again last summer. I capped the summer off with a short trip to Gerona, Spain which was wonderful. With over 3000 miles last year, my weight is back in the low 150's and my climbing has improved. Of course, the 15 lb Cervelo doesn't hurt in that regard once it arrived in mid November !!!! The powertap may just add another dimension for upcoming season.
My 'Barcelona' chairs are actually knock-offs of the originals, which I bought in Canada through the furniture store Up Country. They were around $800 US at that time. SHortly after I bought them, it became increasingly difficult to sell or find such knock-offs, as the company Knoll which holds the Mies van der Rohe licence for the original chair was taking legal action against all copy cats. As a result, it has been a little more difficult to find a knock-off matching ottoman. The original chairs range from 3499-5177$ depending upon chrome or stainless steel finish.
I'm sure if you look hard enough you can still find some of the knock-offs.
Meanwhile, 2007 is turning out to be a good year so far for musical releases:
Currently, I'm enjoying the following while training on the trainer:
Menomena: Friend or foe Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? Deerhoof: Friend opportunity Shins: wincing the night away Bloc party: A weekend in the city The good, the bad, and the queen.
So far, haven't heard any new alt.country stuff, but anxious to get the new Lucinda Williams out on Feb 13.
Hey Lawrence, great room and system, and bikes! We have a lot of the same tastes--cycling, alt.country, and high end audio--as well as trying to combine all hobbies into one room and one session! I am just a recreational cyclist and don't dabble in Powertaps etc. The most I use is a Cateye heart rate monitor/bike computer in the hot summers here in Wash DC to see what the heat and humidity are doing to my heart rate. Mostly the sweat is pouring off too hard to read the monitor! May I ask where you found your Barcelona chairs? They look like the ones Mike Lavigne has in his listening room. I'm looking forward to your list of fav albums for 2007. A lot of yours were on my list too!
My wife asked me to move my trainer to the audio room so I wouldn't wake her up early in the morning. The only benefit is my emmlabs blows the iPod out of the water. But, to be honest, when I'm on the trainer it is hard to concentrate on the music !!!!
It was -28 today with the windchill, but I'm still optimistic that spring is around the corner. (Knock on wood, we have had a relatively mild winter, with little snow) I'm going to San Fran in May to ride.
Funny you bring up the Powertap thing. I have become obsessed with the idea of getting a power meter. But like my stereo equipment, I have been researching this thing very carefully (I really should be working !!!). After I bought my new Cervelo, SRM is out of the question. While I can almost accept the price of the new Powertap SL wireless units, I am concerned about their reliability. Like high-end audio equipment, these systems are not free of problems. Remember how I aggravated over the Tenor amps. But, I am reading: Training and Racing with a power meter. ... so if I spent 20$ on the book, I'm likely going to take the jump. How 'bout you ????
Impressive set up for windtraining. Do you have watts on the trainer (ie powertap). I have been giving thought but find it hard to justify the price. Enjoy the winter, spring is around the corner. Take a peek at my system, added a new bike too.
System edited: Winter is finally here. Had to bring the Cervelo indoors and put my old Trek on the trainer. Due to the noise of the trainer/switching gears/Spinervals DVD etc. I decided to move it into my listening room. Elaborate set up. Play my music now through the Lamm/Kharma's (The Good, the bad, and the Queen, today). Then, hooked up my MacBook Pro to the video projector and used my iPod earphone buds to listen to the training video in one ear, while listening to music as well. Very motivating. Need a fan to keep me and the amps from overheating too much.
My fav CDs of 2006 (I bought way too many this year to listen to them all !) NO PARTICULAR ORDER:
Fox Confessor Brings The Flood; Neko Case Garden Ruin; Calexico Destroyer's Rubies; Destroyer the life pursuit; belle and Sebastian Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not; Arctic Monkeys The Warning; Hot Chip Yellow House Grizzly Bear Roots & Crowns Califone Nine times that same song; Love is all Ys; Joanna Newsom The Greatest; Cat Power Return To Cookie Mountain; TV On The Radio Post-War; M. Ward Silent Shout; The Knife Rabbit Fur Coat; Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins Rather Ripped; Sonic Youth The Crane Wife; Decemberists The Loon; Tapes n Tapes So this is goodbye; Junior Boys Ships; Danielson Eraser; Thom Yorke Dreamt For Light Years In The Belly Of A Mountain; Sparklehorse NOTHING THIS YEAR by RYAN ADAMS
Sorry, but I have been too busy watching the Tour de France and riding my own bike to update the system. In fact, I haven't listened to much music since the tour started 2.5 weeks ago.
The room is now virtually complete. When I get back from holidays, I will try to update pictures (including our sofa and room treatments). The room treatment has made some improvement, as the bass seems more focused and less muddy.
While I have been thinking of adding a turntable and/or better PC's for my emmlabs gear, I have decided instead to buy a new bike. I have ordered a Cervelo R3 yesterday.
Thom_y Really like your setup. Any updates on how have the room treatments evolved. I'd like to see what your minimalistic choices have been and how have they worked.
Thanks for compliment ... You are not the first to bug me 'bout the lack of treatment. I am sure my room is far from perfect. Yet, I am amazed how well it sounds to my concert/walkman/ipod damaged ears, despite the lack of treatment. But, I am sure I can improve. I really don't want to go crazy to start with. I have been meaning to at least start with absorbtion panels in front of the speakers, and perhaps bass busters/traps in the front corners.
Dear Thom: Great audio hardware you have and in a dedicated romm!!!!!!!
Maybe you are really lucky and your room don't need any treatment. My experience told me that almost any room needs some kind of treatment. This room treatment is a must to have for you really can know and can enjoy all the quality music/sound reproduction that your audio system could give you. The room link in the whole audio chain is extremly critical an important for to get the best of the music at home. My advise is that you take a little of your time/money for do that job, you will be on music heaven when you achieve that target.
Thank's Thom, i must get around to updating my system, the Tannoys and table are about the only remaining components. I should of also mentioned my favourite single for year was LCD sound system- Daft punk is playing at my house,(what a ripper) did you check that album out.It would appear you enjoy alt country, have you heard Ween 12 golden country greats, it features some of the best Nashville players with many funny songs. I would expect Lucinda to be great live,(i had tickets for a show she cancelled last year), yep the old Ryan has some good records, i would agree about his live performances after seeing him here in Melbourne. If you like funky rock/soul i would recommend Betty Davis, her first three albums are fantastic IMO, I'm not sure why she seldom gets a mention. I should shutup now, i love talking about music and can get a bit carried away. Great system too Thom. Enjoy, Rob.
I love your system ... beautiful Tannoys and table. I would love to get a table, but my wife is not keen on me spending any more right now. I was looking at a JA Michell Orbe or gyro with Whest PS 2.0, until I mentioned it to her !!!
I am a huge Lucinda fan (and alt.country fan as well ) and agree the live album is remarkable ( heavy on the World without Tears/Essence stuff which is her best). I am desperate to see her live ... but I hope she is better than Ryan live. I also like Bonnie Prince Billy, but I haven't bought the live album yet. I saw him with Matt Sweeney in Baltimore in the spring.
System edited: Most bizarre concerts of 2005: Stupeflip (paris) [check out stupeflip.com] Ryan Adams (montreal) I love him on record, but he is difficult in concert !
Hi Thom, many great albums listed here, if i was to compile a list for 2005 it would probably include almost half of the ones you mention. In particular Antony and the Johnsons(moving!), Spoon and Sleater Kinny, Another couple of my fav's for this year would be Lucinda Williams-Live at Fillmore. Mia Dyason-Parking lot. Betty Lavette-I've got my own hell to raise.(what a voice) Bonnie Prince Billy-Summer in the Southeast. Best gigs for the year for me where- Catpower. Michelle Shocked. Martha Wainwright. I must admit Thom, it always puts a huge smile on my face when i seen another audiogon member with a system like yours enjoying a wide range of music.(not just the usual audiophile stuff). Regards Rob.
Sufjan Stevens: Come feel the Illinoise Iron & Wine with Calexico: In the reins Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: S/T Akron/Family with Angels of Light: Animal Collective: Feels Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Howl Bloc Party: Silent Alarm Bright Eyes: I'm awake ... Decemberists: Picaresque Deerhoof: The runners four Antony & The Johnsons: I am a bird now. Devendra Banhart: Cripple Crow Holopaw: Quit +/- Or Fight Jens Lekman: Oh You're So Silent Jens Martha Wainwright: S/T The New Pornographers: Twin Cinema Sigur Ros: Takk Sleater-Kinney: The Woods Spoon: Gimme Fiction Super Furry Animals: Love Kraft Vetiver: S/T Clientele; Strange Geometry Wolf Parade: Apologies to the Queen Mary Architecture In Helsinki: IN case we die
Best concert this year: Arcade Fire (toronto); Sufjan Stevens (Paris); Bloc Party (Toronto); U2 (Montreal); Broken Social Scene (montreal)
