Tubegroover .....
Life is so good. I am sitting on my porch, waiting for FedEx to bring the Nakamichi MR-1 that I purchased ( at auction ) here on A'gon. More candy, but I thinking about how good that it will sound with the DeCapos.
You addressed comments on looking for the best in audio.. Perhaps coming to own it. A short story.
Late sixties or early seventies.... Nome, Alaska.
I lived in Nome for about seven years. I moved there after living on St. Lawrence Island (one of the two places in Alaska that one "can" see Siberia). I worked for Nome Light and Power as one of the three lineman for the city of about two thousand (many transient from the outlining villages). I was a fledgling Audiophile at that time. Being an Audiophile was rough work then. Pouring thru whatever literature that I could get my hands on and of course the crazy review rags... most just leaflets stapled together. There was no TV at that time and telephones were sky high in price for calls "outside". One summer, in 71, I think, I took some time off and flew out on an adventure to California for about a week. I wanted to see a place called Stereo Warehouse (Warehouse Stereo ? I can't remember exactly now) many of you old folks will remember that place... They put out a great catalog, packed with info and some very good package deals on assorted stereos. I spent endless hours, sitting on the honey bucket, drooling on the pages. Although I can't remember him personally at that time, Joe Abrams work there... He now has a dealer membership here on A'gon. A great guy, and true to life Audiophile, that is gifted with golden ears. While I was there, looking at the large quantities of audio toys, I spotted the best things that I had ever seen in my life. They were in the very back of their warehouse .... they were a drop dead gorgeous pair of Altec Lancing A7-500-W speakers. The nickname for them were "the Magnificent's" ... And "that" they were. The Voice of the Theater speaker, wrapped in real walnut with walnut lattice grills. Orgasims were not just allowed, but mandatory. I bought them on the spot. My reward for climbing every stick in Nome a hundred times. I had to have them shipped to Seattle, then barged up to Nome, just missing "freeze up" by a short time.
We lived in a converted freezer building that was small, but had thick walls and could be heated with a candle. It had a small but comfortable living room. When they arrived, my wife (at that time) just went completely wild. She flew around the house like a balloon with a hole in it, hissing and making babbling sounds that would make an exorcist run. During one of her moments of complete collapse... I drug them in and set them up. I can't remember just what I had to drive them with at first, but I think that it was a Marantz 250. I know that the turntable was an Empire 598 with a Stanton 681. It was about as close to SOTA as one could get back then. I was so proud. So was the divorce attorney. Could those beauties rock !!! You could hear them all over Nome. And the bass... It was about as good as it could be back then ( except for a few select speakers like the EV 30 inch woofer in the Patrician !). I still remember looking down into the "honey bucket" and seeing the pulsating rings like that scene in the movie Jurassic Park !!
Fond memories of just one of my best. Certainly not even close to the best now. But I guess that is our point regarding the DeCapo vs the "best". It all just keeps on a-changin' ... Just like the DeCapo has.
Come on FedEx... Hurry up.
Tubeears
Life is so good. I am sitting on my porch, waiting for FedEx to bring the Nakamichi MR-1 that I purchased ( at auction ) here on A'gon. More candy, but I thinking about how good that it will sound with the DeCapos.
You addressed comments on looking for the best in audio.. Perhaps coming to own it. A short story.
Late sixties or early seventies.... Nome, Alaska.
I lived in Nome for about seven years. I moved there after living on St. Lawrence Island (one of the two places in Alaska that one "can" see Siberia). I worked for Nome Light and Power as one of the three lineman for the city of about two thousand (many transient from the outlining villages). I was a fledgling Audiophile at that time. Being an Audiophile was rough work then. Pouring thru whatever literature that I could get my hands on and of course the crazy review rags... most just leaflets stapled together. There was no TV at that time and telephones were sky high in price for calls "outside". One summer, in 71, I think, I took some time off and flew out on an adventure to California for about a week. I wanted to see a place called Stereo Warehouse (Warehouse Stereo ? I can't remember exactly now) many of you old folks will remember that place... They put out a great catalog, packed with info and some very good package deals on assorted stereos. I spent endless hours, sitting on the honey bucket, drooling on the pages. Although I can't remember him personally at that time, Joe Abrams work there... He now has a dealer membership here on A'gon. A great guy, and true to life Audiophile, that is gifted with golden ears. While I was there, looking at the large quantities of audio toys, I spotted the best things that I had ever seen in my life. They were in the very back of their warehouse .... they were a drop dead gorgeous pair of Altec Lancing A7-500-W speakers. The nickname for them were "the Magnificent's" ... And "that" they were. The Voice of the Theater speaker, wrapped in real walnut with walnut lattice grills. Orgasims were not just allowed, but mandatory. I bought them on the spot. My reward for climbing every stick in Nome a hundred times. I had to have them shipped to Seattle, then barged up to Nome, just missing "freeze up" by a short time.
We lived in a converted freezer building that was small, but had thick walls and could be heated with a candle. It had a small but comfortable living room. When they arrived, my wife (at that time) just went completely wild. She flew around the house like a balloon with a hole in it, hissing and making babbling sounds that would make an exorcist run. During one of her moments of complete collapse... I drug them in and set them up. I can't remember just what I had to drive them with at first, but I think that it was a Marantz 250. I know that the turntable was an Empire 598 with a Stanton 681. It was about as close to SOTA as one could get back then. I was so proud. So was the divorce attorney. Could those beauties rock !!! You could hear them all over Nome. And the bass... It was about as good as it could be back then ( except for a few select speakers like the EV 30 inch woofer in the Patrician !). I still remember looking down into the "honey bucket" and seeing the pulsating rings like that scene in the movie Jurassic Park !!
Fond memories of just one of my best. Certainly not even close to the best now. But I guess that is our point regarding the DeCapo vs the "best". It all just keeps on a-changin' ... Just like the DeCapo has.
Come on FedEx... Hurry up.
Tubeears