Hello Art of Sound.

[Spectral Morn]

Hi Guys and Gals.

I hope every one is keeping well

I will share a bit about myself, just so everyone knows where I am coming from.

Up until late September I was the manager of an Audio/video shop,with particular responsibility for the HI-Fi side of things. Like many in the trade, this shop entered the Multi-room/Custom Install side of things and did well until the almost total death of new builds early this year. As you would expect, cut backs had to happen(funny how Banks were everyones friend until recently), so I and a colleague got the old heave-ho.

Any way thats the past. The reason I mention this is I think it will be obvious to anyone and everyone that what I may have to say will probably sound like Trade. I should like to add that I am first and foremost an enthusiast and someone who has always put his money where is mouth is.

I am a bit of a collector(my wife would say hoarder), so I do have a bit of a collection of audio; along with collections of hi-fi mags,music(on all formats), books,dvd's etc.

I have along time preference for Valve/Tube amps but I also have used and have a respect for Class A soild state(using Mosfets) and Hybrid (Valve/Tube-Solid state). I like both vinyl and cd and while I would say I think vinyl has many strength that cd does not, I do find myself using cd more.

When it comes to CDP's I am a big fan of Marantz multi-bit players and have a small collection of such, with pride of place falling to a Marantz cd7

I like most genres of music(not really country or pure folk). I love electronica/dance music such as Afterlife, Rokysopp, Orb etc, Melodic rock (aor) such as Saga, Journey, Kansas etc. I also like female singer songwriters such as, Toni Childs, Kate Bush, Robin Holcolm etc. Jazz such as, Pat Metheny, Return to Forever, holly Cole etc. Prog Rock such as, Yes, Genesis,
, Flower Kings. I do listen to a fair amount of current pop music as well.

My main system(in the living room) is as follows. Moon Andromeda CDP, Sme Model 20 with Graham Phantom arm, various cartridges VDH, Ortofon and Lyra
Phono stage Bat VK 10se and a Pass labs X Ono. Marantz sacd 7. Amplification is a Bat Pre VK31 se with a Bat VK 75 and Music Reference RM 200 amplifiers. speakers are Anthony Gallo Ref 3.1 and cabling is Audience Au24 and Atlas Marvos. Every thing that is balanced is hooked up that way. I believe this makes a big difference I have a Leak Troughline Tuner with Ear Fm decoder and an Audio valve headphone amp with Grado 1000 headphones.

I also have a smaller room which is also valve based.

One thing I am not very good with is PC so if you want to see pictures I would have to suggest you look at Zero Gain where in the show me your system you can see photos of my main set up( sorry about this but a colleague did this for me and I will need to get help to post any pictures on this site. Something I will try to arrange soon)

Anyway I think thats about it for now.

Regards D S D L

[Marco]

Hi, and welcome to AOS!

What's the 'D' for, so we know what to call you

Interesting biography; I'm sorry to hear the way things worked out. Would you mind mentioning the name of the audio/video shop you used to work for? It just 'fills in the gaps' in your story, that's all

I also love valve amps and Marantz (and Sony) multi-bit players. The CD-7 is one of my favourites! As you'll see from my signature, I use a Sony DAS-R1 DAC with the venerable TDA1541s...

I also like your taste in music. Enjoy!

Marco.

[Spectral Morn]

Thanks for the welcome. I don't think it would be right to name who I worked for bearing in mind that is the past. And it may make things awkward for my previous employer.

As to what the D stands for its just a name I use on forums. Most people just call me D elsewhere so that will be fine for here, if thats okay?

I spent some time with a Sony R1 dac recently thanks to a friend. Very nice but like all TDa1541 dac's it seemed to want at least a week of power up. My Marantz cd94 mk2 and Cd7 are also like this. I know that statement is controversial but thats what my experience leads me to believe.

Glad you like my taste in music.

Just as an aside I am having some problems working out how to post here. Several times now I have been told I am not logged in and yet I haven't logged out. It then looks like I haven't posted, but according to my top of page count I have. Its probably just me.

Regards D S D L

[John]

Welcome I like a lot of you music choice Saga a really underatted bad Ian Crighton had some great riffs and the vocalist cool voice I would call your AOR taste more on the Pomp (progressive) side. I also like the Jazz stuff you like as well
If you follow the instructions and try a few times I sure you figure out how to add pictures. Its a lot less complicated than it reads
http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=2
Nice system by the way

[Spectral Morn]

I did have a really nice reply but once again I found myself not logged in when I was. So i post the reply and its lost after 15 mins of typing Ahhhhhhhhhhhh !

What am I doing wrong. Is there a time out ?

Frustrated D S D L

[Spectral Morn]

Thanks for the welcome John.

Saga would be one of my fave bands. With the departure of Michael Sadler I wont now ever be able to see the classic line up, unless he decides to come back. However in the last few years, I think they have been treading water a bit. The last really great album was Steel Umbrellas. Their best IMHO, would be
Saga, Silent Knights, Images at Twilight, Worlds Apart, their first four. However I love all their albums with the exception of Generation 13(What went wrong its horrible).

I do like as you put it Pomp/prog AOR but I also like the more heavy stuff as well but there must be Keyboards.

If you like Saga their DVD's are worth having a look at Silhouette (Compilation/greatest hits) and Worlds Apart (that album preformed live plus other songs).

Most serious music lovers don't like this type of music, but before all other genres this was my first love and I return to it often. I started of listening to the likes of Toyah, Hawkwind, Steve Hillage and Gong. A local chain of recored shops Smith's (now sadly gone), had a great bargain bin section, cutouts and the like. So when other kids were runinig around with the likes of UFO, Deep Purple, and Thin Lizzy on their school bags I had Saga, Max Webster, Rush, Renaissance and the like. Who are they I would be asked. Boy I miss the days of real Record Shops. I was so lucky to get into music when I did back in the late 70's early 80's.

I was watching a live Journey DVD the other night, mainly because Daniel on the X Factor sang Open Arms by Journey(not miss Carey, as was stated). I wanted to let my wife see how poor Daniel's cover was. The Escape album came out in 1981, boy do i feel old. Best Journey album IMHO and a classic of melodic rock/AOR.

Once again John thanks for the welcome.

Regards D S D L

[John]

Ah you heard of Max Webster now there were quite interesting
I seen Saga a good few times really tight band but agree often not taken to serious which is a shame. Seeing you like quite obscure Pomp/AOR have you heard the Fortune album or Winterkatt The Struggle I used to go Shades every week hear all the latest imports and always end up with something.
For me it was easy to Listen to UFO one night then perhaps Kansas the next do you like some of the Prog metal scene like Dream Theater they have keyboards I can recomend lots of bands in that style with keyboards for me a lot of them have quite pomp influnces like Enchant. Myself I can enjoy keyboards but do not need them. So you a bit more into the melody than me
Agree Escape a classic

[Marco]

As to what the D stands for its just a name I use on forums. Most people just call me D elsewhere so that will be fine for here, if thats okay?

Yep, D - no problem

I spent some time with a Sony R1 dac recently thanks to a friend. Very nice but like all TDa1541 dac's it seemed to want at least a week of power up.

I can't really say I've noticed this to the same extent as you, but then I keep all my transistor gear switched on 24/7 so that it stays warmed up and ready to perform at its best.

Marco.

P.S I'm sorry, I've got not idea what's causing the posting problems you're experiencing - perhaps some incompatibility between your computer and the forum's software?

[Spectral Morn]

Hi John

Wow, Shades record shop. My Dad used to go on business trips to London and I would get him to pick stuff up for me. Plus ordering from them mail order. Finally got to go myself a couple of times. That narrow lane and door, down the steep steps into paradise. Its a real pity Shades is gone.

Yes I like Enchant and Fortune, not heard of the other band though. This is what I love about sharing, you find out about new bands. Probably the biggest thing I will miss about being out of things now, is the exchange of music with customers. I remember well the first time I heard Nitin Sawhney's Beyond Skin album coming out of the dem room. Amazing album and artist but what Genre would you put him in ? I would like to thank every one who over the past 6 years broadened my musical experience particularly a guy called Steve Porter, Thanks Steve.

Max Webster fantastic band. Love all their albums but feel that their last was probably their weakest IMHO. Most people rate it because of the link with Rush on Battle Scar but I don't. Million Vacations, Waterline, High class in borrowed shoes much better. John if you like Max Webster then you should check out Kim Mitchell, the bands lead vocalist and guitarist. He has put out a number of excellent albums. Rockland, Akimbo ologo and Shaking like a Human being being the best IMHO.

Yes I like melody in my music, so the Prog/Metal genre hasn't done much for me so far. However suggest a few things bearing in mind I prefer good melodies and hooks and I will have a Look.

Its really nice to chat with some one who likes the likes of Kansas (fabulous band probably my second fave band after Saga). I must say the advantage of living near London is the bands who play there and never come to N Ireland. You have seen Saga a lot. I wish I had too.

Hi Marco, no I suspect the problem is me and not the PC. But your Forum isn't quite as smooth in operation as ZG's. Just a small point IMHO. I log in and decide to post a reply. Section comes up at bottom of page. I type reply-submit and the screen comes up to tell me I am not logged in and yet I have not logged out. I re log in as told and then have to go back to find what I wrote and re-submit it and then it works. My PC use Windows Xp. What might be wrong ?

Regards D S D L

[Filterlab]

Hi Marco, no I suspect the problem is me and not the PC. But your Forum isn't quite as smooth in operation as ZG's. Just a small point IMHO. I log in and decide to post a reply. Section comes up at bottom of page. I type reply-submit and the screen comes up to tell me I am not logged in and yet I have not logged out. I re log in as told and then have to go back to find what I wrote and re-submit it and then it works. My PC use Windows Xp. What might be wrong ?

Regards D Louth

Hi D,

Sounds to me like your browser's cookie folder is not updating the log-in request cookie when you type your password. Could be as simple as clearing your cookies and cache out, or it could be your security settings. What browser are you running?

This forum is a little heavier than ZG's as we have more graphics and colours, larger avatar file sizes, more animated smilies and larger signature blocks. Takes its toll a little on RAM usage and browser cache space, but it's worth it.

Welcome by the way!