thanks much Simplicitymusic and Gunbei for your kind words. the panasonic th-42pa20up 42" plasma edtv is sitting on a bell'o wavs-12 stand.

funny i got into audio when i wanted some speakers to "go with" my tv...i was so innocent then...
scottie

szutinglee April 19, 2005 19:08

That's a beautiful set up! The AV rack your TV is sitting on is gorgeous too. What kind of TV is that? Looks like your little boy likes the system too!

gunbei April 19, 2005 18:15

hi,youre lucky you have a nice system and a beautiful treasure great.

enjoy.

simplicitymusic March 12, 2005 14:45

just replaced philips ge 5814a and chinese 12ax7 with mullard cv4003 and cv4004 on my jadis ja30 amps. i can't be happier. my goal was to tame the treble a bit. the mullards not only give me that, the female voice is now silky smooth all over the mids and highs.

the mullards also lighten the bass a bit, while revealing more bass details and definition. it feels more punchy and tight, as opposed to pressing and loose. although i prefer a bit more weight, the details not heard before are very welcome.

the entire presentation is more lively and engaging, especially for vocals.

nos rocks!
scottie

szutinglee March 11, 2005 05:32

I hope my gf won't be reading this... you have a sister?

viggen February 24, 2005 02:59

You have a beautiful system and should be proud! Thanks for sharing it with the group.

J

jackman February 23, 2005 23:21

Good and healthy honest interchange. Thanks for the weblinks to the sites to order Asian music. I think that integrating audio and video is the ONLY practical way to go for most family people. Your family is BEAUTIFUL and your gear looks sharp!

We just left our old TV in the cabinet and I upgraded my gear to play high end 2 channel but look at the images on TV. Eventually, we'll do the TV upgrade, but it's later and not sooner.

Suggest a good sub. I agree with the guys.

docw February 23, 2005 20:38

ever since i received the amplifiers 3 months ago, i have been worried about my audio equipment getting blemished by my baby son for the past 3 months. but as i was posting a picture of my family listening to the system, i realized that if risking equipment damage is part of sharing beautiful music with my family, then i am fine with it. because enjoying the music is more important than me wanting my equipment to be in perfect condition. it was hard for me to mentally accept this risk (since the gear cost so much), but i am glad i have come to peace with it.
happy listening!
scottie

szutinglee February 23, 2005 20:10

The Sig 805's are fine. You have a wonderful system. What is now needed is a powered subwoofer. not just any subwoofer, but one that intergrates nicely. Oriental music certinally does not need this, but when you want to watch a movie on that nice TV you will definetly appreciate a sub. Also, since the sub handles the lower frequencies, this can take the strain off the 805's and they will drive an easier load if resistors are used in the pathway.

surfgod February 02, 2005 09:34

Hi Scottie,
First of all congrats on a very nice system. I found that much of the higher frequency glare of my Sig 805 went away when I added a larger area rug my room (has hardwood floors) and a better power cord on the CD (you already have this). I don't find the S805 as bright as the JM Lab speakers I had previously used and I did not like the full-range speakers nearly as much as the S805.
Al

adasilva February 01, 2005 17:09

Sorry Mike, I used to have a few links which served me well years ago for downloading clips, but they are all non-functioning now...

For purchasing Asian music, www.malmusic.com is a good on-line store.

Good luck!
Scottie

szutinglee February 01, 2005 15:33

Hi Scottie,

Nice looking system you have there.

We combine 2-channel with home theatre in one, and soon two, of our systems. And not just because of very real space and economic contraints... I really love watching movies with audiophile quality sound.

But... I have a question. You have a very nice list (more than one actually) of your favorite Asian musicians. I would love to be able to get some CDs of some Asian music, instead of just hearing this kind of music as soundtracks in Hong Kong martial arts movies...

However, the only website I found that sells the CDs of the musicians you list is YesAsia.com - very much like Amazon.com, and in English which is nice for Asian-language challenged people like me - but they do not have any music clips (MP3 or RealAudio or something) of sections of the songs on the CD so that I can hear if I like the particular artist/CD or not.

I have become addicted to hearing what parts of the songs sound like on Amazon.com (and using the Amazon player, one can set it going and it will automatically play about 1 minute of every song on a CD, which is a nice way to get a feel for an entire CD - and a way to learn a lot about all the music out there).

Actually, I think Amazon in Japan (amazon.co.jp) also has some of these CDs but the langauge is in Japanese and anyway they do not appear to have music clips of the songs either.

So, finally..., my actual question is (yes, I really have one and I... am.. about.. to... ask...it :-): is there a website that has music clips of the songs of these artists somewhere online?

Thanks! and good luck with your system building,
-Mike

audiofederation January 30, 2005 01:42

Hi Douglas_schroeder,

Hopefully, one day I will have saved enough for a pair of Avantgarde Trios and Basshorns... But I am sure you haven't heard the Signature 805. After hearing many full range systems (Avantgarde Duos, McIntosh tower speakers, B&W Signature 800,...), I can honestly say that I am fairly satisfied with the amount and quality of bass they pump out.

Hi Bemopti123,

I was born in Taipei, capital of Taiwan. We have been living in New York City, our current home, for 17 years. No doubt we LOVE Asian music!

Cheers!
Scottie

szutinglee January 29, 2005 06:45

Would be a wild guess, but is this a HK based system or at the very least, a heavily Eastern based system. Do not ask me why, but I just feel it is. And, it has nothing to do with your name.

bemopti123 January 29, 2005 04:34

My goodness, Man! Get some SPEAKERS! Not puny bookshelves. What you would hear if you had some great floor standing full range speakers!!! Or at least a good subwoofer! You're missing half the vocals!

douglas_schroeder January 29, 2005 00:49

Hi Mjcmt,

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. I totally agree that the audio gear should be in the center, but for now I am actually trying to protect them from my baby son and soon to be born baby daughter :)

The S805's were a bit bright when I was feeding them with a Sony DVPNS999ES universal player and a Denon 3803 receiver. But I just love the S805's midrange and wide soundstage, so I kept them and went with tubes. Now the vocal highs are very smooth and satisfying. Details I haven't heard before just flow from everywhere, especially from the lower midrange/upper bass.

I am expecting all of the gear to relax a bit more in the next few months, as the speakers and amps are 3 months into breaking-in so far, the cd player is just 2 weeks young.

Cheers!
Scottie

szutinglee January 26, 2005 17:41

It would be great if you could seperate the 2 channel audio from your tv/movie watching. It is nice that the speakers are out in front for better imaging.
At least on a artistic level all the video/HT gear looks ugly, while the beautiful audio gear is hidden. I would display the amps, preamp, and source in the center.
Do you feel that the B&W's are bright for oriental music?

mjcmt January 26, 2005 14:14