Aquapiranha's visit to New Skaro

[Barry]

......... However if I am truthful while I enjoy visiting and helping others I do find the visit of a fellow enthusiast to hear my own setup a slightly daunting thing. My system(as I suspect yours is also) is a very personnel expression of all that I/you have learned on the journey so far, and in away, it is as close to me and you baring our audio mojo as you can get. The sum of all I feel I have achieved is open to your scrutiny and potential critique. While secure in enjoying the type of reproduction offered by the components selected, to best serve the music I love...there is always an element of presenting your small child to the world....for the first time.
.........

Neil, I know exactly how you feel. Whilst at the end of the day one can always say: 'Sod it, I like it and that's all that matters', it's nice to know that you haven't gone wildely wrong and that other listeners like your system.

Many years ago I knew someone who built harpsichords as a hobby, knew a lot about classical music and was enthusiastic about using equipment noted for their 'musicality'. He didn't use Linn/Naim gear but had a Rega deck and, I think, Meridian electronics with large bookshelf speakers, whose name I forget but were of suitable provenance. All this gear adheared to the tenants of the Linn-Naim school and espoused a different philosophy to my Quad gear. Anyway, he and his wife came round for dinner and to hear my system, and like you, I was slightly apprehensive. Most of the time we just commented on the recordings but at one point he did, with a certain amount of enthusiasm, say : 'Well you are certainly not offending my ears'. This comment is sufficiently ambigious that you could say that he was damming my system with faint praise, but I took it as compliment.

Similarly, I often hear my friend's systems, with the danger that I might come back to my system and be dissapointed. In all cases however, I am reminded of the strengths of their system (usually much better and deeper bass), but also hear other aspects which are not quite to my tastes. Again, we do very little talking about the gear but just get on and enjoy the music. Upon returning to my system, I am reminded of its strengths and weakness, but there is rarely a feeling of dissatisfaction, and if there is it is short lived.

Barry

[Barry]

In our house, the books have already taken over. This is partly because my wife works in a library and feels obliged to 'adopt' many of the books that would otherwise be pulped.

In terms of 'stuff' I have two complete hifi systems plus various bits and bobs. I've sold/given away plenty of things though, and this summer we're aiming to have a huge clear-out, though perhaps Japanese minimalism will a step too far!

Hello Joe,

I fully understand - I hate to see books being thrown out and often buy, for a song, books that my local library are selling off. Sometimes I find one or two CDs going as well. I really need to put up about 40' of shelving to get the books off the floor and I have about 6' worth of sci-fi books I have yet to read (pace Neil).

We all have a certain clutter tolerance level, I am always on the threshold of mine! Fortunately my listening room (if that doesn't sound too pretentious) is somewhat larger than 12 tatami in size.

Barry

[Spectral Morn]

Hello Joe,

I fully understand - I hate to see books being thrown out and often buy, for a song, books that my local library are selling off. Sometimes I find one or two CDs going as well. I really need to put up about 40' of shelving to get the books off the floor and I have about 6' worth of sci-fi books I have yet to read (pace Neil).

We all have a certain clutter tolerance level, I am always on the threshold of mine! Fortunately my listening room (if that doesn't sound too pretentious) is somewhat larger then 12 tatami in size.

Barry

I have a wall of books at the top of our stairs (I have to get some sort of bookcase) getting to any is problematic as it is very carefully stacked so as not to fall. Mixture of theology, thrillers and Sci-Fi. What kind of writers of Sci-Fi do you like Barry ?

As to thresholds of clutter I am passed mine...or should I say really that our house has reached its limit. I just can't find room for much more. I get most of my books out of S/H and Charity shops (picked up the hard back Of Devil May Care by Sebastian Faulks [a new James Bond novel] for 50p yesterday...unread in mint condition.


Regards D S D L

[Spectral Morn]

Neil, I know exactly how you feel. Whilst at the end of the day one can always say: 'Sod it, I like it and that's all that matters', it's is nice to know that you haven't gone wildy wrong and that other listeners like your system.

Many years ago I knew someone who built harpsichords as a hobby, knew a lot about classical music and was enthusiastic about using equipment noted for their 'musicality'. He didn't use Linn/Naim gear but had a Rega deck and, I think, Meridian electronics with large bookshelf speakers, whose name I forget but were of suitable provenance. All this gear adhered to the tenants of the Linn-Naim school and espoused a different philosophy to my Quad gear. Anyway, he and his wife came round for dinner and to hear my system, and like you, I was slightly apprehensive. Most of the time we just commented on the recordings but at one point he did, with a certain amount of enthusiasm, say : 'Well you are certainly not offending my ears'. This comment is sufficiently ambigious that you could say that he was damming my system with faint praise, but I took it as compliment.

Similarly, I often hear my friends systems, with the danger that I might come back to my system and be dissapointed. In all cases however I am reminded of the strengths of their system (usually much better and deeper bass), but also hear other aspects which are not to quite to my tastes. Again, we do very little talking about the gear but just get on and enjoy the music. Upon return to my system, I am reminded of its strengths and weakness, but there is rarely a feeling of dissatisfaction, and if there is it is short lived.

Barry

To be honest and I am not wanting to sound cocky or anything, but I rarely if ever come back feeling my system is worse that those I have heard elsewhere. Only once in awhile do I hear a system that is as good but arrived at in a different way.

I think as an audio professional the worst thing was going out to a problem system and finding it was awful having to say so as diplomatically as possible and then finding away to sort it out....I was always diplomatic but it was hard sometimes to find the right words....


Regards D S D L

[Barry]

I have a wall of books at the top of our stairs (I have to get some sort of bookcase) getting to any is problematic as it is very carefully stacked so as not to fall. Mixture of theology, thrillers and Sci-Fi. What kind of writers of Sci-Fi do you like Barry ?

As to thresholds of clutter I am passed mine...or should I say really that our house has reached its limit. I just can't find room for much more.

Regards D S D L

Rather like my taste in music I have very wide tastes in literature: the classics (Herodutus, Homer, Vigil etc.), modern stuff (Umberto Eco etc.), 'holiday' reading found in airport departure lounges (Amy Tan etc.), travelogues, humour (Spike Milligan), books on comparative religion, philosophy and ethics, factual books on ancient civilisations and medieval history and of course sci-fi.

Of the latter I used to read a lot of Arthur Clarke, Asimov, van Voght, Heinlein and Stansilav Lem. I like space opera: Frank Herbert, Bradbury and Ursula Le Guinn and Anne McCaffrey; although I am a little wary of some fantasy authors. (I have been spoilt by Tolkein). These days my tastes now tend towards the philosophical and psychological: I love P K Dick, Eric Frank Russell and the short novels of Ray Bradbury and Connie Willis. I also like the sci-fi humor books of Toby Frost; continuing the thread started by Douglas Adams and Grant and Naylor's 'Red Dwarf'.

Barry

[Spectral Morn]

Rather like my taste in music I have very wide tastes in literature: the classics (Herodutus, Homer, Vigil etc.), modern stuff (Umberto Eco etc.), 'holiday' reading found in airport departure lounges (Amy Tan etc.), travelogues, humour (Spike Milligan), books on comparative religion, philosophy and ethics, factual books on ancient civilisations and medieval history and of course sci-fi.

Of the latter I used to read a lot of Arthur Clarke, Asimov, van Voght, Heinlein and Stansilav Lem. I like space opera: Frank Herbert, Bradbury and Ursula Le Guinn and Anne McCaffrey; although I am a little wary of some fantasy authors. (I have been spoilt by Tolkein). These days my tastes now tend towards the philosophical and psychological: I love P K Dick, Eric Frank Russell and the short novels of Ray Bradbury and Connie Willis. I also like the sci-fi humor books of Toby Frost; continuing the thread started by Douglas Adams and Grant and Naylor's 'Red Dwarf'.

Barry

I would love a good rumage through your book collection sounds very interesting as is your music collection also I would imagine. I know what you mean about modern Fantasy...way to derivative of older work. I like most of the writers you mention. Very sad that Arthur C Clarke has gone now...I love Child Hoods End, the Rama books to name a few. I am reading his last two books at the present time and well so far they are not up to standard IMHO.


Regards D S D L

[Joe]

Hello Joe,

I fully understand - I hate to see books being thrown out and often buy, for a song, books that my local library are selling off. Sometimes I find one or two CDs going as well. I really need to put up about 40' of shelving to get the books off the floor and I have about 6' worth of sci-fi books I have yet to read (pace Neil).

We all have a certain clutter tolerance level, I am always on the threshold of mine! Fortunately my listening room (if that doesn't sound too pretentious) is somewhat larger than 12 tatami in size.

Barry

It's not helped by the fact that the house contains three English graduates and (out of term time) one English undergraduate, so we have multiple copies of many books (three copies of Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility, for example).

Most people gazing at the acres of bookshelves say 'Have you read all of those?' Actually I've read most of them several times!