Gazing at you I get the heat

[austin_dern]

So I bought from a friend a Harmon Kardon set of soundsticks, and that woofer resembling a great glass torus. I'm not sure just why; at S$200 that's about ten times what I'd ever spent on speakers. I'm not what any sort of audiophile. Usually I'm not sure whether the sound's in stereo. The other speakers I've bought were a US$10.00 set because the speaker of my PowerBase 180 was so awful even I couldn't stand it; and a cheaper set of earphones I got to listen to Internet radio in the library. I don't listen to much music; I have a total of 20 CDs, and use song lyrics as my subject lines because it is fun to tax my mind that way.

I haven't figured out a permanent placement, or even whether to keep it in my office, where I listen to stuff most often; or home, where I can play louder. It comes with a huge mess of new wire tangles. When I got them I had on an old-time radio drama; I heard timeless dialogue like ``Not even drink would make you do such a heinous act!'' in mono with hisses and pops, but great bass. The Theme to The $20,000 Pyramid, Linus and Lucy, and Beatlesarama made a better test. I am the Walrus was great, though it always is.

And why are all speakers set up so ``a bit too loud'' is one-fifth along the volume slider, and ``ear bleeding'' is one-third the theoretical maximum? ``This amp goes all the way up to three,'' says my inner Nigel Tufnel.

Trivia: The Dutch East India Company theorized the Arctic Ocean was ice-free, and commissioned Henry Hudson to sail to the Indies through it. Hudson ignored his instructions and sailed to North America. Source: Nathaniel's Nutmeg: How One Man's Courage Changed the Course of History, Giles Milton.

Currently Reading: Revolutions of 1848: A Social History, Priscilla Robertson.

Comments

[porsupah.livejournal.com]

I admit, much as I'd love to enjoy a top-flight audio system, my setup's current far more modest. The center channel was one of a pair, marked down at Monkey Wards a few years back, for the princely sum of $30, whilst the rear pair were some pifflingly cheap set from Electron Hut. The left and right, meanwhile, are virtually family heirlooms, built years before me, by the same family friend who lured me into amateur radio.

Oh, did I ever show you the BBC promo short (http://irresponsiblecybernetics.com/~porsupah/BBC%20-%20Curiosity.mov), vaguely Koyaanisqatsi in style, with I am the Walrus as the soundtrack? (20MB QuickTime) Appropriately enough, the audio capture was quite a distance from high fidelity, but it's nonetheless a remarkable piece, if rather brief.

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

I didn't know you were into amateur radio. I got my ham license a few years ago¹, but haven't done much with it. I just haven't got the gene that makes people able to tell fine details, somehow; past preferring letterboxed editions of movies I just don't know the difference.

I'd never seen the ad before, no, but that is an amazing piece, really beautiful on every account. Thank you.

¹ Partly in the hopes of impressing a woman, which shows the kinds of circles I move in. It didn't work.

[chefmongoose.livejournal.com]

Mmm. I do love a good potent bass; Especially when listening anything in either Techno or Punk Rock. My current setup on the computer is a 4.1 Creative Labs with a nicely potent woofer; my stereo (including the 300-CD changer (which holds about 2/3 of my collection)) has a $90 pair of Sony speakers that are crisp enough for my listening.. and will get a woofer added on at such time as I *cough* move out of Mom's and can play Goa Techno at 3am at unreasonable volumes.

It sounds like you can hear the difference in audio quality from the old speakers.. sometimes it'll be hisses and pops, but that's part of the 'improvement'. Sounds like a good investment, even at the price and with 20CDs; and the Harmon Kardons do have a nifty look if they're the ones I'm thinking of. I'd vote for leaving the speakers in your office, just on the grounds it's where you'll do the most listening.. so should have the best music. Home speakers might be a later upgrade, as well, if you get used to the richer sound.

--Chiaroscuro

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

Well, my music tastes, such as they are, kind of stopped somewhere around 1972. Still, I imagine Beatlesarama and the Technicolor Web of Sound are going to be great, and I'm curious how the old-time radio recordings will turn out.

I'm leaning towards leaving it all in my office, since that is where I do the most listening. It'd be nice to have a ridiculously overpowered for my taste speaker set for the video games I play, but that's only a tiny slice of the week (often not even that).

If you're thinking of the speakers that are long clear-plastic sticks with four speakers on a little foam ring, with the woofer that's the big crown-roast size plastic doughnut, you've got it.

1972

[c-eagle.livejournal.com]

woo!

*wags* Oh!... and Internet Radio (http://www.voiceofhawaii.org) :>

oooo! and Headphones (http://www.elmulab.de/wiki/Sennheiser+HD+420) 8>

Re: 1972

[austin-dern.livejournal.com]

Ooh, neat toys, thanks!