Up Next!

I am back in the listening cave after taking a break for Brunch.  I also listened to the Dallas Wind Symphony's program via laptop and ear buds. They had removed all talk between songs and most applause thus condensing it to one hour...not as impressive as in person of course, but still enjoyable the second time around.

Now I'm re-listening to Sonny Rollins' "The Bridge" LP with the headphone setup. Just amazing...there are no words.  I may have the volume a little high...the meters on the Taboo are dancing a bit.  Mark.

I can't believe I have to leave the Listening Cave later to go to dinner at the Parents.  I just took them out to dinner last night. I think I could stay in here for a couple days at least.

Lon, that last Jobim album is set up on my spotify window for a listen next time I'm on the laptop and not in the Listening Cave.

Next LP...re-listening to this one...

Had to switch to the Torii and speakers.  My head was starting to hurt.  I can only wear headphones so long then it stops being fun.

Next CD up...

Playing disc #1 of this set which is Miles Davis' album "ESP" and the first four tracks of "Miles Smiles"

Lon, I have a TT question.  As you know I have a Rega RP6 with Exact Cart.  I have always noticed a hum that gets louder as the tonearm is moved closer to the center...I'm assuming closer to the motor.  With the headphones it is even more noticeable. Aside from this the TT functions well.  Is the Exact not properly shielded and thus affected by the magnetic field of the motor increasingly as the two get closer. It would seem Rega would build their Carts and Motors to avoid this problem...it's annoying.  Any help would be appreciated.  Mike B., do you have any ideas or suggestions?  Mark.  

LR, I got my Vegh box set one or two days after ordering it.  It was sent 2 day priority mail. You ordered the same day as I did so you need to make sure it's a back order issue and not lost.

Lon, Marky,  thanks for your response. Late last night I did a google search and there are countless threads where Rega TT owners with a Rega Cart have had this problem.  Some say it is normal for Rega... others, like Lon don't report this issue and have no hum. There also was...is? a quality control problem with Rega Carts that may also explain the intermittent distortion in one channel or the other that I often experience.  I'd been ascribing it to the LP but now I wonder. The Rega has a good warranty and the treads had many people who took their TT to the dealer and were given new carts.  So I will have to get my TT and Cart to a Rega Dealer at some point before my Warranty expires.

Lon, I have had from day one, a very low level hum from the Torii that isn't noticeable unless you put your ear near the speakers...mine have a sensitivity of 99dB.  There is also a bit more low level, tolerable hum from the ZP3.  The Rega TT hum is several magnatudes higher though and needs to be eventually corrected if I am to enjoy listening to LPs with headphones.  

Lon, I've listened to two tracks on Spotify so far from your last Jobim selection...very nice.  Mark.

Disc 27. I figure: Dad just got up. This won't put him to sleep wil it? Time will tell.

OK Lon,  I'm going to challenge you. I know this will be difficult. I want you to give me your top three Jobim albums, and two or three of Paula M. or other Brazilian female vocalist's albums.  I intend to get more bossa in my life.  Mark.

Fantastic Lon, I'm off to shop.  I hope that after Christmas sales will bring at least a little discount.  The Dylan Mono Box was so much more than the Miles box every where that it put me off...i'll see if it is lower now. As you know, I haven't done much buying in the past decade or so during my Hi Fi Hiatus....I have some catching up to do!  Mark.

PS...feel free to add more recommendations to your post, as i see you have.  Also how about giving me some of your favorites of all those Bethlehem reissues you've been posting.  Where did you buy them?  Mark.

i ordered a Vegh box set also back on 12/11......still on backorder...ugh

Lon, I've got several CDs and LPs in my cart at Dusty Grove.  Most of your recommendations are Sold Out or Out of Stock but I will be able to buy a few as well as a Mel Torme reissue.  

I have a question about LP grading....reading there interpretations, I'm inclined to not buy less than VG+ vinyl.  There is a Sarah Vaughn LP I'd like to buy but it is rated only Very Good.  What do you think, would I be disappointed and should wait for a better copy?

I'm going to search more for my current buy at dusty grove then later at amazon.  Once I've done it, I'll let you know what I ordered.  Mark.

I've gone back to re-listen to this one with the headphone rig...

Lon, I have had the disease since my late teens.  I was only temporarily in remission. As I look around my Listening Cave at all the new hardware and don't forget the HR-1's yet to come....I also want to try a used and broken in pair of Omega speakers sometime. Anyway just what I can see is well over 15k in the prior 6 months. So the return of my binge buying of Music (Software) has a long way to go to catch up with the Hardware Binge that's occurred...hehe. But now that I think of it...yes, you could consider yourself the "Crack Dealer" of Jazz....I got some good stuff today...come on, just try a little, you'll like it.

On another note, Miles' second great Quintet's Music on this Headphone Rig is outa this World Amazing.  I think I may just go straight through the whole 6 CD box today.

I'll pass on the LP I spoke of...my thinking is the same as yours.  I'd even prefer to get a remastered CD with extra tracks...not sure there is one but I'll do a search.  This is the one I want if anyone can help...Sarah Vaughan Sassy Swings The Tivoli  Mercury, 1963  Mark.

Vol. 4 of the Lars Gulln series from Dragon Records, "Stockholm Street."


Followed by

From a 3 album box set.

The Sassy's going too expensive, I agree.

No real hnt about where to find the Brazilian recommendations, maybe Hans (beowulf) will chime in with a remembrance. Maybe. .  Seotember posts?

I paid probably about 90 or 95 when the Dylan Mono box came out, I had pre-ordered it from amzon.com

Right now

Lon. so $86 isn't to bad.  Maybe I'll put together a US buy.

I was going to try a little Grateful Dead...the one I played in the recent past was sitting in front of the CDP.  I picked it up and the below CD was under it.  Popped it in.  I remember when I bought this.  I was shopping at a used CD shop and this was playing as I shopped.  Finally I couldn't stand it...I went to the counter and asked "which Hendrix album is that".  The guy behind the counter told me and asked if I wanted it.  I said "yeah but keep playing it and when I check out I'll get it".  So now it's in the CDP once again...Billy Cox is powerful on this headphone setup.  This was much different than the "Experience" albums I had at the time.  Mark.

Band of Gypsies is one of my all time favorite releases and I love that band with Cox and Miles. I never was a Noel Redding fan (though I always love Mitch Mitchell) and when these recordings with old army buddy Billy Cox started coming out, starting with this one, THAT'S the Hendrix I really love. Grooves just so heavy and yet so tight. Jimi and Billy had worked a lot of patterns out before he joined up this time when they used to play together, and they really concentrated on pushing the music forward with really locked in grooves and deep fat sounds. This is the stuff . . . this is the album that made me grab both a guitar, and then a bass.

mark58 wrote on 12/26/13 at 22:06:19:


You did some serious sleuthing Mark! Hope it proves useful.

I can't stand headphone listening...having the soundstage squashed down and between my ears sounds so unnatural to me.

I really want to like 'phone, so I can play late at night without bothering Brianne, but I don't think that's going to happen without some sort of crossover circuit to simulate live speakers.

I hear you. I burned out on headphones when I was recording bands that I was in (and one other) at the end of the 'eighties. Just don't want to wear them again. Keeps me away from iPods etc. You know I haven't even ever tried out my CSP2+ preamps as headphone amps, I'm that uninterested in headphone listening.