Hello, and welcome to a new, and different ‘blog’
The old blog is now archived and available from a button on the main dashboard.
I have kept it alive as it contains all of the work done to create the three listening rooms here, and as such, a fairly valuable resource for anyone about to undertake such a journey.
For sure, it’s my take on a great many aspects, and all done from research, mostly via the internet.
The results for me are interesting both visually and sonically, and it took a great deal of time, effort, and funding.
The idea of this blog (II) is to highlight the kit I use / retail, and to try and give some answers to many questions asked when guests / clients arrive here.
One big question is always – what music do you play to show off what you have?
Multiple answers to that one I’m afraid.
My music tastes are somewhat chaotic, and very varied.
While it’s great to play some astonishingly well recorded tunes, that really play to the strengths of what we have here, it’s not always quite what someone wants to listen to.
Yes, the inevitable “Hotel California & ‘Keith Don’t go’ get asked for, along with ‘female vocal’ and do, on occasion, get played..
My preferences are somewhat different, as those tracks I got to hear just a little to often in the past.
So, I thought it would be fun to take a wander through various albums / tracks that I do actually use to evaluate both musically and sonically through the kit in use at the time.
These will be in absolutely no order whatsoever, usually what’s playing right now or in the recent past.
They will certainly not all appear within just one post here, but many along the way.
Currently in use from source to speakers :-
Innuos Statement music server (with full PSU upgrade)
Chord Electronics M Scaler
Chord Electronics Dave
Chord Electronics Pre 2
Chord Electronics Ultima 3 Mono Block Power Amps
Bowers & Wilkins 801 D4 Speakers
All joined together with a full ‘loom of Chord Co’s ‘Music’ cables
& assorted Chord Co power blocks / English electric Power Pro devices.
So not exactly small beer kit, of that I am acutely aware.
Today has been a full on loud, well produced, high dynamic kinda day for me, so :-
Trent Moller :-
The Last Resort.
Been around for a long while now, and this album would sound amazing on a tiny, tinny transistor radio as far as I’m concerned..
Excellent dynamics, bass that moves a lot of air, and actually god to listen to.
Unkle :-
The Road – Part I
Again, great recording, dynamics and a joy to listen / sing along to.
Unfortunately, ‘Part II didn’t quite reach the heights of this album for me, but Part I is most definitely worth a go if you have not heard.
Jessica Curry
Everybodys Gone To The Rapture.
Difficult to find, as it is actually a soundtrack to a ‘Playstation’ game, but how hauntingly beautiful it is.
Well worth seeking out.
With thanks to Maurice for pointing me in this direction.
Yello
The Eye.
Absolutely everyone needs to have at least one Yello album in their collection.
This is a pretty good place to start.
It got me into heaps of trouble at a big HiFi show in Vegas (another time, another story)
It WILL test your system to the limits, such is the mastery of Boris Blank at production and dynamics.
There will be plenty more mentions of Yello for sure later in these pages..
Finally for today, as it’s now home time :-
Peter Schneider & The Stimulators
(great name eh J )
Voodoo Swing.
See if you can pigeonhole this album musically then.
Astonishingly well produced, it’s almost as if you are in that smoke filled clubroom..
A version of “St James Infirmary” I would dearly love to have been at the recording of.