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What music are you listening to currently?

I'm an analogue kind of guy.;) Only buy CDs when I have to and never buy downloads. I do have a DAC that I use to stream music from Tidal and play my CDs. I guess I just can't live without a hard copy. Besides, you never really own anything when you buy a download; except perhaps permission to play the music.

Doc
With 5,000 albums (2500 of mine the rest my Father's) and 3 working turntables (2 w/ AT Moving coils) I can see that but I also have a media server with 48TB in it too. No MP3 or lossy - all flac or iso and a few MKV with full audio passthrough.
 
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If anyone digs Irish/Pseudo-Celt Punk like Flogging Molly and DKM, give a band called The Rumjacks a listen. I played their first album, "Gangs of New Holland" all the way through again today. I can listen to that album start to finish any time. Their most recent is good, too, and they have a new one coming out next month.

Thanks for the tip on this one. I will check it out.

I will be seeing Guided by Voices again on Friday night. Just plain great stuff.
 
all flack or iso and a few MKV
What are you using to play the Flac files? I'm trying to figure out the hi rez file deal, and trying to see if I need something like JRiver or some other interface.
 
What are you using to play the Flac files? I'm trying to figure out the hi rez file deal, and trying to see if I need something like JRiver or some other interface.
Foobar 2000 usually but sometimes VLC for the computer playback or a direct feed into my Pre-pro for the main HT system. I really don't use the direct feed that much since the HTPC has to be on to play movies or the iso files so usually I'll just use that. I track most of the audio files with Media Monkey but it doesn't like DTS encoded CDs, iso, or SACD
 
You know what's scary? I know what Ray is talking about. But, I like the analogue ritual. I have a VPI 16.5 RCM and use Audio Intelligent 3 step cleaning fluids. I have records that are 50 yrs old that are as quiet as the day they were pressed. I also have a lot of money invested in my analogue front end. I need to play with my toys. There's not much to play with digital.

Doc
 
You know what's scary? I know what Ray is talking about. But, I like the analogue ritual. I have a VPI 16.5 RCM and use Audio Intelligent 3 step cleaning fluids. I have records that are 50 yrs old that are as quiet as the day they were pressed. I also have a lot of money invested in my analogue front end. I need to play with my toys. There's not much to play with digital.

Doc

Doc, I love analog and had a huge 20 year collection of albums and spent years trying to build a good system on a cheap budget. I also used and loved the 3 step AI vinyl cleaning process.
My wife and I lost everything, including my album collection in an EF5 tornado 5 years ago. My collection numbered around 20,000 albums collected over a 25 year vinyl addiction. It really killed my enjoyment of music and I haven't bought any music since that day. Hopefully someday I will get some of that back.

I was able to salvage my mono tube amps and my speakers, turntable and preamp. But all took a beating and had to be gone through. But I hardly turn it on any more. I hang on to it hoping my love of music will return someday.

I would love to hear about your system. Is it tube or SS?
 
Fine tuning my BBQ playlist for this upcoming weekend. Right now got a little Jamie Cullum going.
 
Doc, I love analog and had a huge 20 year collection of albums and spent years trying to build a good system on a cheap budget. I also used and loved the 3 step AI vinyl cleaning process.
My wife and I lost everything, including my album collection in an EF5 tornado 5 years ago. My collection numbered around 20,000 albums collected over a 25 year vinyl addiction. It really killed my enjoyment of music and I haven't bought any music since that day. Hopefully someday I will get some of that back.

I was able to salvage my mono tube amps and my speakers, turntable and preamp. But all took a beating and had to be gone through. But I hardly turn it on any more. I hang on to it hoping my love of music will return someday.

I would love to hear about your system. Is it tube or SS?

That's an incredibly sad story. I hope you come around soon, but you're alive and well.
I have an AVA T-8 tube pre-amp and an AVA 450 Synergy SS amp. I do believe the signal should pass through tubes somewhere along the chain.

Doc
 
That's an incredibly sad story. I hope you come around soon, but you're alive and well.
I have an AVA T-8 tube pre-amp and an AVA 450 Synergy SS amp. I do believe the signal should pass through tubes somewhere along the chain.

Doc

I bet your system sounds great. And I agree on tubes in the mix somewhere. Due to budget restraints I went the vintage route. A pair of McIntosh MC40 tube monos, Conrad Johnson PV10A tube pre and a pair of Altec Lansing Model 17 604-8g speakers. I do hope my interest will return. I still fire it up for a couple of hours every few months.
 
I bet your system sounds great. And I agree on tubes in the mix somewhere. Due to budget restraints I went the vintage route. A pair of McIntosh MC40 tube monos, Conrad Johnson PV10A tube pre and a pair of Altec Lansing Model 17 604-8g speakers. I do hope my interest will return. I still fire it up for a couple of hours every few months.
I'll bet that rig delivers a classic sound.

Doc
 
I bet your system sounds great. And I agree on tubes in the mix somewhere. Due to budget restraints I went the vintage route. A pair of McIntosh MC40 tube monos, Conrad Johnson PV10A tube pre and a pair of Altec Lansing Model 17 604-8g speakers. I do hope my interest will return. I still fire it up for a couple of hours every few months.

Early 70's Model 17's are just classics. I was seriously looking at them before I decided to go with JBL L-200's. That equipment list doesn't sound (no pun intended) like there was too much budget constraints. Where are you sourcing your tubes now?
 
Early 70's Model 17's are just classics. I was seriously looking at them before I decided to go with JBL L-200's. That equipment list doesn't sound (no pun intended) like there was too much budget constraints. Where are you sourcing your tubes now?

Thanks AVB and Doc. AVB, I love JBL L-200's. A buddy had a pair several years ago and he was always flipping gear and he sold them to try something else. He regretted it later.
As far as tubes, back around 2007 I bought the contents of an abandoned storage unit that was FULL of vintage audio. It included approx 600 mostly NOS audio tubes. Everything from Genelex Gold Lion KT88's, about every 12ax7's you can name and everything in between. Those got blown away too, but I got to roll a bunch of tubes in my gear before SHTF. I haven't had to buy any since but there are still lots of reliable places to get them.
From that storage unit buy, I also got 33 tube amps, preamps and tuners along with Altec horns and drivers and just LOTS of audio stuff in various states of condition. Apparently the guy that had accumulated all this stuff passed away, his son put it in a large storage unit and then never paid any monthly storage payments for over a year. Contents listed on Local Craigslist for $300 by the storage building owner and I jumped.
 
Dang, you guys are talking about some great old Speakers.

Regarding old tubes, I used my last NOS Mullard GZ34 Rectifiers in my previous Amp (Cary), and gave away a couple of NOS 12AX7's, a couple of few years ago. The fellow I gave the 12AX7 has a recording studio. A young fellow. He knew Tubes helped, has a tubed pre-amp, but did not realize that the NOS stuff is superb. He called me ecstatic with the results, and I think he hasn't given up yet searching every hole for more.

I got rid of a Cary SLA-70B (midrange magic) due to having to open it up when Biasing. High Voltage is scary. Got rid of a Counterpoint SA 3.1 Pre because the danged stepped attenuator was a pain to get at a sweet spot volume. But, it was fantastic Sounding pre-amp.

Current Main Music system is all tube. AES Constellation Pre, PrimaLuna Dialogue 4 Amp, Thiel CS 1.2 Speakers.
Thorens TD-160 / Ortofon Red Turntable. CD Player is an Emotiva ERC-2.

I have a Yamaha CDX-1050 super modded by Stan Warren, but he disappeared and it needs a repair. Sweet sounding and musical player, albeit limited to old CDs.

Playing Vinyl James Taylor JT this morning. Was given to me as a gift back in the 70's. I'm eyeing Crosby Stills Nash and Young for a possible follow on. My 12 yr old son loves CSNY.
 
JBL L300's :)


Had my eye on those but went into the JBL pro line instead first with a set of 4343 and finally 4350's both used but who cared. Helped that I was working part time for Harman International (Japan) and got ridiculous pricing as the clubs upgraded or changed. Only had the 50's for a year as they were WAY to big to move around, one time taught me that. Downsized to 4 L-100s and that worked much better since I still had quad. Sold a lot of the 4333 which are the pro versions of the 300s as they were much easier to hang then the next models up. Those Summits damn sure looked better though and the glass tops just worked so well. Really sweet speakers that I wouldn't mind owning today.
 
Second album by the tribute band to Flatt and Scruggs, The Earls of Leicester.
the-earls-of-leicester-rattle-and-roar-album-cover.jpg

Tidal Hi Fi.
Doc
 
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