audio_PHIL_e

I too wish I had his HiFi budget, I wish I had a lot of things that other people have, and if they acquired them honestly then I don't begrudge them. I do however feel p1ssed off because it seems that circumstances conspire against me ever making the best out of what I already have (with which I could be very happy): injuries & illness preventing redecoration of my bungalow, CH not working and NOBODY even replying to requests for help to get it working, people taking deposits for building work and then not getting on with it ... etc etc. The only progress I've made recently is in the kitchen, where Mr Gas Safe installed my LPG cooker (replacing the old fashioned and horribly inefficient electric cooker).

I don't even like them

i dread to think what would happen to the turntable if the mounting brackets for the LP cubes gave way. A cube with that amount of vinyl in it is 'kin 'evvy!

I do have solid walls, but hadn't thought of attaching shelves to them, mainly because of the weight the shelves would have to support. Shelves with front legs might be an option.

I feel 80 but I'm 64.

I agree they are less hassle than laces for arthritic fingers, but you still have to bend down to do them up. Slippers FTW!

You should see me put my socks on in the morning. Right pantomime. Such a long way to reach my shoelaces I think what else can I do while I'm down here? Sometimes things stay on the floor as they can't fall any further and it's such a fag trying to pick them up. Unfortunately I already know the outcome - a twinge down the back that makes me fluent in Anglo-Saxon. They should give me an Honorary Doctorate for it.

I don't like milky drinks incl Horlicks The obvious solution is to put tables along the wall, then stack your LP cubes on the tables. I guess the 6ft DVD towers will have to go, and the lower shelves of the industrial grade shelving rack will have to contain things other than LP cubes. You could put infrequently-used guitars under the tables.

I have too much investment in LP & CD to be bothered with phones.

Why do all equipment racks sit on the floor? Why do LP & CD storage racks sit on the floor? Why can't I have something that will let me store infrequently-accessed items at low-level, and present me with my gear or recorded media starting at waist level? Sorry, but I'm NOT bending down to find the next LP or CD. Neither am I getting on the floor to push a CD into the machine. I't enough hassle getting down there and way too much hassle getting up again.

is that where the buyer works?so long as he's paid, I don't think you need to care where he asks you to send it. I've had stuff sent to my employer's address before.

You know more about English FM radio than I was giving you credit for! Spot on.

or one which thinks "classical" music is only for relaxing to after taking the kids in the chelsea tractor for the school run (and intersperses every other track with adverts for pensions or other "investments") (English listeners will know which one I mean)

Even if you ignore the presenter's opinion of which recording is "the best" (ie his preference) it's still a good way to check out what's available and see if you like it without having to buy it first.

Addendum to previous post You might find it useful to classify "classical" music by period, eg Renaissance, Elizabethan, Baroque, Classical, Impressionist etc. I prefer stuff written between 1500 and 1750, which probably limits composers to working between 3PM and 10 to 6 ...otherwise its like saying you like "rock" but can't tell the difference between Led Zeppelin and SoundGarden

Try also the Building a library programme on R3 (Sat AM, iirc). he contrasts various recordings of the same piece - and some of them are remarkably different, even though they are all being played by good players under good conductors from the same dots - everyone has their own view of how a piece should sound. If you like form and counterpoint, try the baroque stuff, of which JS Bach is IMO the best example. Otherwise just try a bit of everything, see what you like most, then get more of the same.

My phonostage is EAR834P. I like the sound of it, but as previously mentioned on the WAM, the shiny nuts on the o/p sockets often come loose which loses the signal on that channel and require tightening to restore the signal. Apparently putting them down with Loctite stops them from coming loose. If I were in the market for a new phonostage I'd deffo consider another one of Tim de P's.

My LP12 has a Naim Aro tonearm with a Dynavector XXIL cartridge. The lid sits too low for the fingerlift on the headshell when playing a record, so I don't use the hinges. Instead I keep the lid as a dustcover when not using the turntable, and lift it right off when using it.

he said, quoting the Quad strapline (nothing wrong with that btw)

You have probably read this, which I should have done before posting.

On the subject of constant speed I used to hate the sound of my guitar on 4-track cassette, whereas once I'd got to a digital workstation the wobble completely disappeared.

Isn't that why the MiG 21 uses valve electronics? I like the Russians' approach to problem solving: NASA spent $$$ on trying to make a biro work in zero gravity, the Russians used a pencil.

When someone presses the big red button and the Electro-Magnetic Pulse knocks out all the semiconductors our Leak Stereo-20s will still be running ... that's if there's any power supply

Now you're talking. I lurve my Radford!

They are good. Best of luck acquiring one (mine's not for sale )