Hello!

thase13

VIP/Donor
Feb 22, 2018
39
0
246
Las Vegas, NV
Greetings from Las Vegas. I was born in the age of analog and still hold fond memories of my first matte black Technics SL1200 Mk2 turntable. My best friend had one, as did all of the "cool" kids at school and I can count how much gas I had to pump and how many oil dipsticks I had to check to finally be able to afford to buy one (gas was 49.9 cents/gallon then).

Later, I lived in an old garret apartment above a small shop in Old Town, Alexandria and spent many, countless hours in a record store that used to be on Union Street. I survived the age of the 8-track, cassette, and then I stumbled on the Meridian Boothroyd Stuart CD player (with a very brief side trip into MiniDiscs) and left the analog world and never looked back…. until now. While I've long forgotten the rather short list of the various components I've owned but strangely the people associated with them are all still vivid memories.

Of course, there are some pieces that stand out, not always for their proficiency, but rather for their ability to transport me back to another time and place in my life. The Technics turntable, the Meridian CD player, the Artemis Eos speakers that were very much like me at the time I purchased them, young, open, and filled with possibility. The Mark Levinson 39, 360s, and 380s were solid and stable products that shepherded me through my midlife. And now, it seems quite curious yet natural that I've come full circle and returned to analog (although I won't dispute that I find digital to be so much more convenient, and therefore indispensable, on many occasions).

My needle drops come with a bit more unsteadiness in my hands, and I won't be engaging in any debates here about the Loefrgen A, B, or Stevenson or who makes the better alignment protractor since I can no longer see the damn crosshairs on the template clearly anymore anyway. I no longer listen critically, since I'm trying to put my days of criticizing behind me (coincidentally, my ears are as old as my eyes) and quite frankly, that’s not why I listen or what I listen for anymore. But I will revel in the exuberance and wonder in the discussions of those of you with young(er) eyes and ears and who marvel at the beauty of everything that came before and who dream with boundless hope and enthusiasm of what still lies ahead. For me, I've come back to the future.
 

Folsom

VIP/Donor
Oct 25, 2015
6,024
1,490
520
Eastern WA
Hi! Welcome.

It sounds like you've reached a zen state where you damn well know whether or not you're simply enjoying the music or not. A great place to be.

There are plenty of downright music lovers here, too, I'm sure you'll find topics you enjoy.
 

thase13

VIP/Donor
Feb 22, 2018
39
0
246
Las Vegas, NV
Hi! Welcome.

It sounds like you've reached a zen state where you damn well know whether or not you're simply enjoying the music or not. A great place to be.

There are plenty of downright music lovers here, too, I'm sure you'll find topics you enjoy.
Thank you for the warm welcome!

Zen state, I could only hope... I would imagine that I'm simply coming to terms with my own frailty and limitations and consequently have become more intellectually supple and appreciative of that which make us human. I still don't profess to understand things like John Coltrane's Ascension, but for some reason its ineffability is something that makes me love it even more. I've wrestled and fought with it for decades but ended up appreciating not only because I stopped trying to force fit it into my own intellectual mold but because it, in fact, made me fight with it so long and so hard to accept it. It's still not an easy listen, but it's definitely not as hard as I used to make it.

In turn this has caused me to ponder about all of the other moments I might have missed simply because I was too busy looking the wrong way. Enlightment? Probably not, in my case I think it's a more simplistic concept driven by the fact that I knowingly have more life behind me than in front of me so I should just stop looking around and relax and enjoy the music and the moment that's right there in front of me without the added burden of aspiration.

There are so many diverse topics and interests here. I'm sure I'll enjoy it!.
 

GMKF

VIP/Donor
Aug 15, 2017
432
86
135
Munich
Welcome from me aswell ;)

How is the Magico-Mark Levinsion combo sounding ? I don't remember reading/seeing that combination before...
 

thase13

VIP/Donor
Feb 22, 2018
39
0
246
Las Vegas, NV
Welcome from me aswell ;)

How is the Magico-Mark Levinsion combo sounding ? I don't remember reading/seeing that combination before...
Extremely neutral and precise although, I must admit, the SPODs surprisingly added additional tonal mass and focus to the bass. For example, on Johnny Hartman's rendition of "In The Wee, Small, Hours of the Morning" off of the 45 RPM ORG version of "I Just Dropped By To Say Hello", all of the natural timbre and warmth with just a hint of cigarette char was already evident in his deep, haunting vocals without the SPODs however after the SPODs were installed, I picked up additional texture and detail that seemed to suggest air moving from the depths of his diaphragm and not just blowing out across his vocal chords. It added an almost surreal, lifelike, resolution to the picture without brushing up against the boundaries of artifical coloration.

One might suggest a bit of confirmation bias, but I was originally thinking myself a bit of a fool for spending that much for "spikes" and consequently, my expectations were pretty low going in.
 
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asiufy

Industry Expert/VIP Donor
Jul 8, 2011
3,711
723
1,200
San Diego, CA
almaaudio.com
Hi Ted!

You look familiar... Welcome :D
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
Welcome to WBF. My memories of great sound with Mark Levinson are still present - sometimes my music loving side tells me I could have stopped with the ML31.5 - ML30.5 -ML380s - ML20.6s + Transparent Audio cables!
 

RogerD

VIP/Donor
May 23, 2010
3,734
318
565
BiggestLittleCity
Welcome from Northern Nevada. Good to have have you here at WBF...lot's of fun!
 

thase13

VIP/Donor
Feb 22, 2018
39
0
246
Las Vegas, NV
Welcome to WBF. My memories of great sound with Mark Levinson are still present - sometimes my music loving side tells me I could have stopped with the ML31.5 - ML30.5 -ML380s - ML20.6s + Transparent Audio cables!
Those exemplars were definitely from the Madrigal golden years when Mark Levinson was peaking. The new company seems to be back to delivering the same great, clean, sound, hopefully this time without the hubris.

Thank you for the warm welcome!
 

Ron Resnick

Site Co-Owner, Administrator
Jan 24, 2015
16,017
13,346
2,665
Beverly Hills, CA
Welcome to WBF, thase13!
 

Mike Lavigne

Member Sponsor & WBF Founding Member
Apr 25, 2010
12,471
11,366
4,410
hi Ted, welcome to WBF!

and i'm another one with Mark Levinson roots, from the late 90's. started with No. 37 & 36S, and 38S and 335, then graduated to a No. 32 preamp, 33H's, and then the big No.33's......I look back fondly on those beautiful ultra cool Levinson electronics. still sets the standard for hifi industrial design.
 

BruceD

VIP/Donor
Dec 13, 2013
1,509
576
540
Indeed Welcome Thase13--I had chuckle at your quoting Audio Purgatory:b in LV-- dead right--! when I lived there and apart from CES it was wasteland for Hi End!

There is /was a relatively well set up store I think on Durango near Warm Springs end--went there once. There is a member here with serious Hi end Von S/VAFs /etc dedicated room, also I've been to another gentleman

-Peter near Red Rock with a superb system he hosted Philip O Hanlon's Demo I attended --you may run into them. A fellow ,David Apolian (RIP) tried to start an Audio club

--sadly he passed away and I don't think it survived although the Website is still up

http://lasvegasaudioclub.blogspot.com.au

There were some crazy way out systems on couple of those visits! The only dude of note I met was the Dagogo Reviewer Gary Lea--he has superb Cathedral space listening Room-- he lives past the Red Rock end of the 215.

Nice to have you aboard;)

BruceD
 

thase13

VIP/Donor
Feb 22, 2018
39
0
246
Las Vegas, NV
hi Ted, welcome to WBF!

and i'm another one with Mark Levinson roots, from the late 90's. started with No. 37 & 36S, and 38S and 335, then graduated to a No. 32 preamp, 33H's, and then the big No.33's......I look back fondly on those beautiful ultra cool Levinson electronics. still sets the standard for hifi industrial design.
Agreed! And thank you for welcoming me to the board, Mike!
 

thase13

VIP/Donor
Feb 22, 2018
39
0
246
Las Vegas, NV
Indeed Welcome Thase13...

...Nice to have you aboard;)

BruceD
Thank you Bruce. Sadly, most of high/mid end audio shops that have managed to survive the regional downturn have shifted their focus primarily toward home theater where the demographic is a bit broader. There was a high end audio shop in Boca Park that managed to last a few years and the B&M shop on Fort Apache and Sahara seems to be our last surviving hold out (more power to them!). We do have a few vinyl shops that help keep things bearable though.

I've heard of the audio club and I've visited the website but there doesn't seem to be much traffic so I would imagine the stark landscape that you painted still rings true - desolate, with a few outposts scattered throughout the region. Sadly, even CES participation seems to be falling off as vendors look to other national and international conferences to launch their products. We seem to have made it through the worst of it and there's a ton of major construction going. We'll have a football team in 2020 and a new stadium for our minor league 51's. Hotels are either expanding or undergoing major renovation even though occupancy rates are either flat or growing slowly. So hopefully all of that new development is a harbinger of better times ahead and we can, once again, enjoy the benefits of local economic expansion.

On a more positive note, from what you've written, it seems like all of the audiophile action is out on the Summerlin/Red Rock side of town!
 

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