rrstesiak
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Allen:

Very well and simply put. I have personally gained a lot of joy out of this always changing and shifting hobby. Way more enjoyment than I predicted.

Kind Regards,

Ron

michael green
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Hi Allen

There's nothing like it :)

It's one of those lifestyles that never runs out of gas. When we look at all the different types of audiophiles, whether they call themselves that or not, it's shocking how big of a hobby it really is. I'm reminded of this sometimes when I buy a music collection, or part of one, from someone and find music I never knew existed. Somebody may be sitting there with an old Marantz system and this huge collection and doesn't even know what TAS stands for. They're completely off in a different world, that's just as big as the one we live in.

It's huge!

Today I had to get some stuff for my sinuses. So I'm in my doctor's office and she ask me "you ever been to muscle shoals"? I said sure there's a cool studio there. She spent the next 45 minutes talking about this documentary about the guys who created the Vibe. It was like I was in music history class. You think about it. The history of these studio guys and what they do and have done is every bit as big as any other part of the hobby, and there are tons of other sub-chapters to get lost in. That's why for me, it's all about the soundstage. I want to see the music stories come to life around me. Millions of different stories, and we will never have the time to visit all of them.

one more boring story then I'll shutup

getting deep

You can see this on TuneLand, but over the last few months (years really) I've been gathering wood. People would stop by or some of the exotic wood houses would ask me "what are you doing"? I'd stop by when a rough cut comes in and I'm looking at it like someone studies aged wine. When I look at the wood, or talk to them about the speed of their saw and types of blades, they give me a weird look when I say it's for a tweeter plate. Tweeter plate? It's funny to me to hear people talk in this industry about high end and here we are going to wood collections to pick up a $100.00 + small block of wood to shape into a tweeter plate. People are still discussing how to kill the vibrations with thick MDF and rubber and here we are making musical instruments to play our music on. there's simply no end to how far we can go in this hobby, even the high end part of this hobby, which is still just a baby when it comes to materials and vibration.

Think of what this hobby will be like when we actually build products like musical instruments! Not the talk of musical instruments as a sales pitch, but actually make speakers for example like instruments, "variable" instruments that produce real timbre. Now that's high end audio. And the same happens with electronics.

Many say and spend money like we are there, I say we've only barely begun. We haven't even implemented the most advanced technology to our hobby yet. What will this hobby be like when it is variable? We'll look back at discrete and laugh.

Yep, one wonderful hobby my friend!

michael green
MGA/RoomTune
http://tuneland.techno-zone.net/

rrstesiak
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Gentleman:

I can personally state I have no conflict of interest with the NAD and Michael's work... Michael is a professional.. I'm just a hobbyist.

However, I am rapidly moving in a direction of the hobby that parallels and enables me to leverage my own unique skill set in my version of tuning: digital music servers.

I am already making solid and steady progress on this wonderful new project. I do hope to come back to the NAD and attempt my version of tuning it as well... I still believe this unit to be somewhat of an overlooked gem.

I also have the goal of saving serious money... Especially with the music server... I'm certain I can match and in some cases exceed the performance of commercial units for roughly 1/4 the price.

I look forward to reading about Michael's tuning journey and hope he re-visits the NAD 516 at some point. I also enjoy checking in here on Stereophile almost daily to see what others are doing in this vast hobby with a myriad of approaches.

Respectfully,

Ron

Allen Fant
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Thank You! Ron and Michael.
there is more than ample room for all (professionals and hobbiest)invested in our wonderful endeavor.
I look forward in reading more adventurers in this particular thread.

Allen Fant
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Ron and Michael-

looking for an update on your modding projects ?

rrstesiak
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I am working very hard on my digital music server... It can be found in the Digital Sources section titled "$250 Digital Music Server Equaling $1,800 - $2,400 Commercial Servers!"

As all of my free time is consumed with that project, I've placed the NAD 516 on the back burner. However, it has served as an excellent reference to aid me in my tuning of the music server and the little thing still impresses me as a very good value. I just listened to its internal DAC today and it presented a warmer soundstage than my Bryston or Creek DACS.

Best Regards,

Ron

michael green
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Hi Allen & gang

Been pretty busy around here lately. I have gotten in a few more players, but keep being pulled back to the flexibility and overall tone of the little Magnavox players. Seems like when listeners visit this is the sound they've been gravitating toward as well. You know when you have folks over and they keep saying "can I hear that again" after a while you start to say, why am I even messing with other players. Over the last 3 years I've seen the listeners choose the little maggies (made tunable) over albout every source listeners have thrown at it.

So as I'm having fun with some of the other toys, it's kind of a forgone conclusion type of thing. I know that this burst the bubble for a lot of folks who can't get over the money and perhaps false high end pride, but there comes a time when you have to just say, it is what it is, and let it be so.

I've also been referencing recordings done in my studios for mastering, and in this case it's very important that the playback system is extremely accurate in reproducing what was in the recorded chain. This is kinda my own private part of the hobby. Not many folks get the chance to hear their own studios in action and judge the chain and engineers based on their recording merits and skills. It's one thing playing music as a hobbyist, but playing music as a critic of your own work blended with others is a completely different ball game. And I might add, there's also a different set of egos and tip-toe-ing that is particular to each part of the chain, and every part of the audio chain (the whole audio chain) has it's own unique set of judging perameters.

Sometimes when I'm here, I get the rolling eyes feeling because certain things get talked about that are so far off the real script, and I have to stop and realize that unless someone is in that live room, control room, mastering or even duplicating they really have no idea of what just happened. The same is true with the physical components people use. If hobbyist only knew how much of this hobby was looks, weight and ego I would be surprised if the topics here and other places would even be close to the same as they are.

I do get it, believe me. This hobby builds a lot of man-ly sexy toys, but from my point of view the difference between that pretty face and what makes the sound are two different hobbies and even industries. I think it's really cool that we have so many varied options, but I also know that the hobby of listening is a far different one than the hobby of high end audio. I hope that by me being here (maybe not as much) there becomes a little more of a balance. The class A,B,C,D thing is cool and is one hobby within itself, but I think it's nieve to make this the only religion of audio. There's so much more to getting great sound.

example

The other day I did a consulting job for an extremely high end listener in another country. Know what my job was? He went to 3 different apartments and knocked on the walls ceiling and floors for me to listen to, so I could help choose the right place. That's just the beginning (tip of the ice) of how serious many listeners are. Some of these guys are so far beyond the component game that they will send me materials from their locations for me to listen to. No joke, this is how high end this hobby gets past the equipment game.

What I think my job is here, is to not get involved in the audiophile level of debate, but more expose listeners to true high end thinking beyond a marketing brochure. Now that the troll/flaming thing has been nailed around here it's time to look at audio. Maybe my job in this is to do what I just did over the past year or so. Someone brings up devices, I went and bought them and had others do it too and did our own labs. Same with these players. My hope is minds can be opened up not by talking but by doing, and if it takes me doing the doing that's fine with me. Nothing like the truth of actually doing something. It does two things. One it gives you proof, and two it affords you the ability to know when someone else is talking without the actual doing.

well, enough of my rambling I got tunes to enjoy

michael green
MGA/RoomTune
http://tuneland.techno-zone.net/

Allen Fant
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Very interesting MG, which country did you visit on your consultation?

Allen Fant
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Thanks! for sharing- Ron.

michael green
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Hi Allen the tests were sent from Ecuador live. Next step is he will be visiting here, where we will set up the dupicate system in one of our tunable rooms. He will then go back home with the tools and reference. At that point we will reference together to the same music till he has the sound he wants.

good to see you

We're also doing several systems since I last was here on the 9th. Fun times!

Got to run, but one more piece of news. All of you remember Toledo. He is at present installing his Tunable System Platform, which will be loads of fun to play with.

michael green
MGA/RoomTune
http://tuneland.techno-zone.net/

Allen Fant
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Very interesting- MG.
Let me know which cd/SACD players you are "tuning".

michael green
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Hi Allen

I'll see if Harold is planning to bring any SACD during the winter stay. Last we talked it was mostly going to be about the speakers and Audolici, but you never know. Plus Andrew Staub will be here so we'll see what goodies he wants to play with.

Can you believe it's almost Nov?

michael green
MGA/RoomTune
http://tuneland.techno-zone.net/

Allen Fant
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Yes, NOV is just around the corner- MG. What is Audolici ? Whom is Andrew Staub?

michael green
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Hi Allen

The weekend is here, quite the busy week.

Here's a link to Audolici http://tuneland.techno-zone.net/f4-sound-consultant-distribution

And here's a link to Andrew (Drewster) Staub http://tuneland.techno-zone.net/t90-drewster-s-room

This winter my Audolici will be here, can't wait! Soon, I'll be warming my hands over some classic tubes.

michael green
MGA/RoomTune
http://tuneland.techno-zone.net/

Allen Fant
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Beautiful looking gear- MG.

michael green
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Hi Allen

Yep it's quite charming with some serious class. I love that Audolici uses special old school Caps and are so particular about tube selecting. They have a nice stock pile of Russian beauties.

This product line, selling at these prices is like stumbling over a goldmine in todays high end audio market.

great to see you, and keep an eye out for my reviews on these

michael green
MGA/RoomTune
http://tuneland.techno-zone.net/

Allen Fant
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I will- MG.

michael green
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http://tuneland.techno-zone.net/t339-coop-reviews-audolici-audio-a-25m

michael green
MGA/RoomTune
http://tuneland.techno-zone.net/

pentode
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Rather than starting a new topic, I thought I'd ask here if anyone has experience with the old Cambridge D500SE? I paid more for that 15 year old model than the NAD 516, which I just started breaking-in.

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