Wierd Mirror/Archive/Stolen Content Blog

I saw this when I was checking referring sites in my blog stats. Someone has made a blog of my random (or perhaps edited) posts. I've reported the unauthorized use of copyrighted content to the highest authority, Google.

Rega Planar 2.

This is a true budget classic. It exudes elegance and precision. It's a simple design, well made, and still sounds great.

The new Pioneer SX-828 is in the champagne finish.

Just arrived.

I have another Pioneer SX-828 receiver, one of the most beautiful receivers ever made. I also just got an original Rega Planar 2 turntable with original RB200 tonearm. The Pioneer is making beautiful music with the Energy Pro 22s as I write.

Cowboy Junkies.

Just arrived. Energy Pro 22s

I bought a pair of these brand new from Bay Bloor Radio for about $400 in 1979. They replaced my Polk Monitor 7s, and were driven by a Marantz 1070 amp, then an NAD 3020. They're as good as I remember, and are much better than the 22.2s I had a couple of months ago. The hyperdome tweeter is known to fail, the leads from the voice coil becoming corroded by the adhesive used in their manufacture. There is a shop in Halifax which owns the original manufacturing equipment, and 'remanufactures' the tweeters for about $300/pair. The tweeters on the pair that just arrived are working and sound fabulous.

A stunning Sony integrated amp.

I had a wonderful Sony TA-F5 in 2009. It was a 70 watt/channel DC coupled amp, with beautiful industrial design and some useful features (moving coil and moving magnet phono inputs with gold plated jacks, for example), and advanced technologies (like the excellent pulse power supply powering the amp). I've really missed it, and haven't seen one since. Now I've got a TA-F4A. It looks almost identical, but uses a conventional power supply, and doesn't have a moving coil input. Depending on where you get your information, it's rated at either 40 or 55 watts/channel. My guess is 55. A friend described it as an amp that would look at home on a submarine. I think that's a high compliment. It sounds fantastic.

Just arrived. Another fantastic mini component from Technics.

It's half the width of the Nakamichi below.

Just arrived.

It plays tapes, and all functions seem to work, but the recordings sound terrible so far. I think it needs a good cleaning (heads, pots etc), and maybe more. It's massive, very heavy, and I can't believe it's in my place.

Technics by Panasonic SA-5350 Receiver.

I really like this vintage 1975 line from Technics. The styling is very clean, and just about perfect in a modernist sense: clean, functional and elegant. It would be great to have it in a real wood veneer case, but even the woodgrain vinyl used is inoffensive. This is rated at 28 conservative watts/channel, and sounds great.

Rega 2 speakers, Sansui AU-777 amplifier, Axis Bold As Love.

Rest In Peace.

He changed my world.

Al Jarreau.

Look To The Rainbow. Listen to Take Five...an hommage and a brilliant reinterpretation at the same time.

Mission 770s, cabinets restored.

The grain matched rosewood veneer is beautiful. There's a spot on one back where the original finish was completely gone, and try as I might, I haven't been able to make it disappear.

The speaker connectors in the original 770s are in a recess on the bottom of the speakers. They originally came with matching, x shaped stands designed to accomodate this. The stunning backs of these speakers is the aesthetic reward. The owner of this pair put 1 inch rubber feet on the bottoms to give clearance for speaker wire, and used them as floorstanders. I've got them on stands, driven by the Sansui AU-777 and they're fantastic.