Author Topic: Hello from another newbie  (Read 4144 times)

Offline eso200

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Hello from another newbie
« on: March 17, 2017, 07:49:39 PM »
Hi everyone,

I've been living in Pittsburgh for the past 2 years for fellowship training. Yesterday for some reason I decided to google "Pittsburgh audiophiles", and I came across this forum. Never realized this wonderful city had so many people interested in audio, I'm so impressed.

Anyway, I've been interested in tube audio for about the past 12 years only, when a friend of mine in graduate school invited me over to bring some of my records and play them on his system - a Mcintosh MC225 with an old pair of Snell speakers. Kind of a life changing event. He advised me to buy an ST-70 on eBay and rebuild it. From there I built myself random kits and eventually settled on a 2A3 SET amp that I listened to for years before getting curious about other tubes. I've since tried building amps with 1626, 71a, 45, and 46 as outputs. I like tracking down older tubes, as it makes the listening experience (for me at least) more special. The rest of my system is a Garrard 301/Denon 103r, EMIA phono, slagle autoformers made from kit, sometimes a Darling amp with 12SL7 driver, sometimes a 46 stereo amp with 417a driver, and Supravox 215-EXC field coils in open baffles. My speakers are actually down for the moment, as I am awaiting delivery of a tungar power supply for the drivers, and am currently using a small pair of old B&W bookshelf speakers (forget the model number) I got for a steal back in the day. The system may sound a bit "exotic" on paper, but it's actually quite humble. The amps really only put out 0.75-1.5 watt, and the drivers at the end of the day are just single drivers directly radiating and not some huge multi-way horn system. My cabling generally sucks, cheap stuff from Target. No power conditioning.

Lately I've been selling off gear that I've been stockpiling over the years. And I gotta say, it's harder than I thought to be a seller. Either you're settling for bargain basement offers or getting killed by the shipping costs. I was able to raise enough capital to buy the aforementioned Tungar supply (from Line Magnetic, much cheaper than I thought it would be given how "trendy" the line is now). Next I would like to upgrade my plinth into something more "professional". The current plinth is a wooden Frankenstein my father and I glued together a long time ago. I lived in the UK a while back, and came across an ad for 2 Garrard 301's. I bought both of them and carried them back in a suitcase with me to the states. Since then I've heard better turntables and even own a Verdier Nouvelle Platine (that I plan to sell), but I don't think I'll ever move on from my Garrard given the history.

Ok, I've rambled enough, sorry. I would like to eventually meet other like minded audio enthusiasts, so please send me a note if you are interested in similar things (old SETs, field coils, etc). Feel free to check out my sparsely populated blog that I plan to add to more regularly: http://eso200.blogspot.com

Thanks for reading!
Eric

Offline MacGeek

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Re: Hello from another newbie
« Reply #1 on: March 17, 2017, 08:56:49 PM »
Welcome eso.  To what do you like to listen?
Mac stuff, Sony HDR-F1HD AM/FM/HD tuner, Denon DRS 810 cassette, Denon CDR-W1500 CD recorder, Music Hall MMF-9 w/B&O MMC2, B & O 4002 w/B & O 20 CL, Revox A-77

Offline Sir Thrift-a-Lot

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Re: Hello from another newbie
« Reply #2 on: March 17, 2017, 09:09:29 PM »
Welcome eso.   

What is your specialty?   I'm an x-ray tech, which is kind of like being a medical professional.    8)

I have a Leak Stereo 20 for tubes and a Marantz 2230 for solid state, but I consider myself a record collector more than an audiophile.   I've played in bands for much of my life and was an opera major at The Boston Conservatory.   For me, music over gear, though I love both.

Offline Jim Pittsburgh

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Re: Hello from another newbie
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2017, 08:39:27 AM »
Welcome to the group.... nice guys and a great knowledge base.

Not much of a "tube" guy myself....( except a JD9 phono pre now in system #2)  Have a nice mix of vintage and new. More into the sound and music than the equipment... but it is a passion.

I plan on having a get together this spring/ early summer... will post it here.
a bunch of nice sounding stuff. Nice that I'm finally able to actually listen to file music for the first time...

Offline Vpgh

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Re: Hello from another newbie
« Reply #4 on: March 18, 2017, 03:19:01 PM »
Welcome to forum!
Wow! You are definitely the guy that I looking for. I built some tube amplifiers by myself also. I have low power (6W) PP amp with Lundahl OPT now and going to step into fullrange.

Vince

Offline eso200

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Re: Hello from another newbie
« Reply #5 on: March 18, 2017, 04:34:03 PM »
Thanks for the welcome everyone.

I guess I mainly listen to, for lack of better word, ambient stuff now. Because of my brother, I grew up listening to Krautrock like Harmonia, Canterbury scene stuff like Kevin Ayers and Robert Wyatt, and psychedelic music from Japan of all places like White Heaven. Lately, I've kind of just chilled out and mainly listen to monotonous long-form drone-y type music that my wife can't stand. If I had to pick my favorites, it would probably be Eliane Radigue, Stars of the Lid, Kevin Drumm, list goes on.  :)  I wish I could say I'm the kind of audiophile that just tunes in for the music and that's the most important thing to me (deep down inside I know Sir Thrift-a-lot has the right attitude), but honestly more and more I find myself caring so much about my gear and the sound of my gear - ugh it's so unhealthy.

Lundahl OPT's - nice. Man, I keep wanting to use these. They seem reasonably priced too. Have you read Thomas Mayer's blog? I think it's something like vinylsavor.blogspot.com. He seems to use Lundahl exclusively.

I work in transplant mostly. Pittsburgh is kind of like transplant city. We don't do as much as UCSF or Alabama-Birmingham, but our VA for example does a huge number of transplants for a VA.

Thanks again everyone, E


 


OldiesButGoodies

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Re: Hello from another newbie
« Reply #6 on: March 18, 2017, 05:40:54 PM »
Welcome to the forum!  I work in IT and have run into a few executives of companies that manage transplant logistics in industry meetings,  so yes,  Pittsburgh seems to be the place for transplant activity.

I am both a home theater and 2 channel audio fan,  and it seems that I collect fuses (yes - that seems weird,  but I do have a growing collection of glass and ceramic fuses, and feel bad when I run low on any given amperage). If you are into tape I am also a cassette and reel to reel aficionado. 

Regards,

OBG


Offline Sir Thrift-a-Lot

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Re: Hello from another newbie
« Reply #7 on: March 18, 2017, 06:07:54 PM »
(deep down inside I know Sir Thrift-a-lot has the right attitude)


I'm pretty sure you are the first person in the history of the board to say that.    >:D

OldiesButGoodies

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Re: Hello from another newbie
« Reply #8 on: March 18, 2017, 06:26:52 PM »
(deep down inside I know Sir Thrift-a-lot has the right attitude)


I'm pretty sure you are the first person in the history of the board to say that.    >:D

He has to get to know you Stal   ;D

Offline Kingman

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Re: Hello from another newbie
« Reply #9 on: March 18, 2017, 07:03:24 PM »
Howdy by god.....by god howdy!!!
IN REALITY IT ONLY MATTERS WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE TO YOU!!!!!