It is 5 AM, Do you Know where Mikey Fremer is?

Since it takes about an hour to listen to an LP (including the preparation and flip ceremonies) and you have to get up every 20 minutes to perform the ceremonies, I can understand that an audio reviewer might be able to keep 250 albums in heavy rotation but how does a less fortuitously employed person do it?

My listening pattern is probably not like many others; I travel a lot on business and may not be home for 4-6 weeks at a stretch. But when I'm home I can spend 16 hours a day spinning records and probably more since I got Wi-Fi and can sit on my favourite couch while listening and working on my lap top. If, 10 years ago, it was said that this would be how I was clearing my desk, I would have laughed!
I tend to listen in themes, too. Like all Ella nights, Coleman Hawkins, Sonny Rollins,etc., which means listening to that particular artist and all the other partners they played or sang with.
I know only too well what you mean about deteriorating hearing, my wife and I used to listen and attend a lot of Opera but she now no longer enjoys it as her hearing has started to go.

I have about 2000+/- and probably have listened to 70% of them over the years. There are some albums I listen to at least 1/month and others only once. i average about 20/week so in a year, i will flip over 1000. Some weekends, i will go through 15 0r 20 if given the chance. There are not many nights that go by that i do not spin and I can not remember a solid week (unless I am on vacation for the entire week away from home) that i have not spinned records. Unfortunately, we have a great record outlet in Shreveport that has approx 20,000 lps and more 45's so i continually add

I have only heard the Ref 2 at CES this past week. I found the bottom end a bit fat and out of control, which is what I found on the PH7 too. I know because we brought the admittedly far more expensive Ypsilon VPS100 into the room (it was the Continuum room) to audition for the CEO of Atlantic Records and the difference was enormous--and the Ypsilon is also tubes. I liked much of what the ARC Ref 2 did, but if you have a full range system and a turntable that has deep, solid bass, i believe the Ref 2 will not provide you with all that your system and/or turntable can offer you. Just my opinion...

I agree with you on PH7 in a full range system Mike and sold mine for that reason, with not many hours. Just bought a Ref 2 and its away getting modified right now - will post how that turns out.
I heard what Ypsilon pre & power amps can do driving the big SoundLabs in Singapore with a Thales t/t set-up, made me think about my own system and how inadequate it sounded in some areas. Bit a out of my budget.