Sorry, Culpeper, no matter how nicely you ask, I'm busy this weekend. You've got the wrong plumbing for me. If you're REALLY interested in a male playmate from MIT, you'll have to find one on your own. Good luck, and I hope you find fulfillment. Clifton

There once was a clever young lad
Whose limericks were really quite bad
He got along fine
Till the very last line
When he usually found he had quite a few too many words.

Cheapskate, I love the meter -- it has a certain, uh, flow to it. I believe that last line is a textbook example of what Milton Abrams calls "wrenched meter." It would also have pleased Hopkins, who frequently sprung rhythms.

A hairy pianist from Rio
Seduced a violinist named Clio.
As she pulled down her panties,
She said, "no Andantes,
I want this Allegro con Brio!"

It's about the music, right? I think you and Jeff should do an anthology. I'll be the critic who makes you famous, as my muse just passed out.

Quote:
First you have to have a number of dealers lined up to even be considered for a possible review.

Not true. Stereophile reviews several direct mail order companies products. Outlaw comes to mind.

It used to be review policy, yes, there where a certain number of dealers, etc...that was pre internet. Rules change. So we should see some more reviews of direct sales companies, some that come to mind....Legacy Audio, which i think is on tap for some WHISPERS...how bout some VanAlstine, great stuff, makes the WHISPERS come alive, Frank AVA does direct factory sales. Close to 40 years, hey, that was another previous requirment for review, longetivity in business? well no, they had Audio Alchemy, they went poof in a few short years, actually a lot of companies have come and gone, that where reviewed. AVA is STILL making it great, must be doing something right to stay in busienss for almost 40 years!!! That's maybe longer than StereoPhile itself? How many owners at StereoPhile?, Frank Vanalstine has been like say only one, himself? Pretty cool, in this day and age of highly comptetitive consumer electronics business. Many have dissapeared, only a few are as old, Harman,Audio Research, McIntosh (few owners recently),Legacy Aduio over 20, one new owner, now back to Bill D., Marantz, like 60 years, and didn't fold into just another brand, that turned into making junk, still makes good stuff, but has had a few owners, Fisher,AR,Advent,all nothing, just a name, for junk. Phase Linear all gone, Carver poof goes all them "breakthrough" nonsense ideas. JBL still going with top PRO lines, owned by Harman, Crown, also Harman now...AKG, through a few owners, Philips had em, now Harman..so the ones who stay independant for so long is truly a great achievemnt. StereoPhile should do an article on the HISTORY of all teh audio companies that have come and gone, and who are still independant and making great stuff

Yo, Pantagruel...er, DUP. Actually, this is a great idea. While I am not as enthusiastic over VA and Legacy as you are, I DO recognize them as legitimate players in the high-end arena. And, as you note, they are survivors in a tough business. When the Focus was reviewed, the reviewer DID briefly summarized the company's history, and it was informative. A similar review of VA gear would be welcome. Since ALL gear has strengths and weaknesses, it would be fun to put the microscope on this equipment and see how it shapes up against the competition. I suspect it would be a mixed picture, with plenty of positives and negatives (it always is...), but I would certainly like to see everything laid out in detail, as per Stereophile's usual thoroughness. The only problem is, would Mr. Van Alstine be willing to take the risks? He has an advocate on the TAS staff (Sue Kraft, I believe) and thus could submit his equipment to that publication with trust and confidence. Would he allow Stereophile the same leeway and send over his best stuff? Maybe JA has already tried and been turned down. Cheers, Clifton

I dig the way both companies function, do business, and especially the great stuff they make and sell. And the greatest customer service, response to questions etc. For both of em. Highest quality without the nonsense, and priced for mortals. Straight top quality design work, no BS, no magic. I had the pleasure of meeting Bill D. last week at the local distributor. Cool dude, interesting to hear him speak, about anything. Music, musicans, audio, speakers etc. And explain his ideas on speakers. VanAlstine is equally one of teh straight shooters, no BS, just incredible design work, without frills and nonsense that don't add to sound or the great reliability of all the AVA stuff I've used, and upgraded to over teh many years. One negative, I'd like his latest Ultra Hybrid pre amp and phase inverters to be rack mountable, so I can eventually rack everything and straighten out this mass. Between Legacy speakers and VanAlstine powering them, why go anywhere else? These last couple of months I'm meet the audio celebs, John Atkinson, Bill D., Jeff Wong, last week Seen my friend Matt Oree Smoke the competiton in Chicago and WIN BIG, the Guitarmegedon www.guitarcenter.com at House of Blues!!! There I got to see B.B. King, John Meyers on the same stage as the winner Matt Oree!!! www.mattoree.com

Did the House of Blues use AVA and Legacy gear?

If not, the show must have sucked.

I think you should go buy some real speakers, like Marshalls. I've never seen any Legacy Whispers in any REAL blues club.

Real blues clubs have SLAM and SPEED...no Whipsers in sight.

Excuse me, Buddha, but I'm having trouble getting off the floor. "Would we please (mmph, grgl) stop attacking DUP (snort, snfffl) for HIS choice of (snrk) speakers..."? Bwa... mbwaaa... bwahaha... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Ooooh, my. I think I just busted what's left of my gut. Pantagruel, the sensitive soul. So understanding of our different approaches to sound. So...so...SYMPATHETIC, EMPATHETIC, so TOLERANT of others' differences. Hark, did I hear a tear fall? Nah.

Hey! What's wrong with Marshalls? Saaay...you ain't attacking Buddha's choice of speakers, are you??? 'Cause if you are...well, you'd just better not, that's all.

"This rag is a joke!"

I've been enjoying it on and off since 1990. I must admit that it isn't as good as it used to be when I first started subscribing. The equipment reviews used to read like novels[which I loved!] and there was a much larger music review section. Stereophile turned me on to much great music in those days! Then there were the special features like the series where the whole gang of reviewers and staff got together and discussed the "philosophy" of being an audiophile. Oh, and I liked the digest size better too. I don't know why. Easier to handle maybe? More "Reader's Digesty"?

I liked the digest size editions as well. When you consider what Stereophile offers on the net as well as what the dead tree edition covers, I think we get way more than a bargain for our subscription price. Still, the mid 90's kept me looking for the first issue to hit 400 pages! They got damn close several times!

Marshall does not make speaker drivers, they use Eminence and Celestion...guess who makes the woofers for the WHISPER? To Bill D. specs, Eminence in Kentucky, U.S.A. Eminence and Celestion are major driver makers, for everyone, Marshall, Fender, Line 6, Komet...matter o' fact I have a Marshall amp head small one 100W tube, I think the JML 800 reissue, model number may be wrong, I'm TIRED and some cheapie SS ones. On stage where some Fender , didn't see a Marshall, at NYC leg they had both Marshall and Fender and a Line 6, Fender became used teh most after Matt O' used it, then all teh toehr s switched to it!!! Ya' gotta do what teh master does, the Marshall wasn't the best sound, good, nothing like a wall of Marshall cabinets looks cooool. Komet, Fuchs make super duper heads....made to order, Marshalls are mass produced, still good stuff, Matt has a Marshall cabinet 4 X 12 he uses and a Komet head, or a Fuchs driving the Leslie!!! Komet makes some sound for 60W tube, it is great, super reliable, built like a tank, it's also over $3,000 just for teh amp head, great stuff, built for teh tough jobs, so are Marshall, so are teh Fender bassman amps, plugged, unplugged, moved, bounced around, they just keep on going, they are all well made, some sound different though, between one Fender bass cabinet then Gene stacks the otehr, big difference in bass detail, using a 300W Fender tube head, great stuff. PA system had EV up both sides of teh great stage...I counted maybe 12 cabinets on each side, in a curved array, some bass cabinets at floor level, the EV cabinets went up to teh ceiling, used to be an opera hosue, great place, gooood sound, no boom, no shrill, it was GREAT!!! Legacy has numerous systmes in studio situations, FOCUS voted one of the top monitor speakers for studio use. The wHISPER is not a Pa speaker, not designed for that purpose....The EV's sounded great, don't know what kind of amps where driving them, I see a lot of CROWN in use and QSC, Starland Ballroom has 32,000W of CROWN power in a very large arena. Legacy has designed some special speakers for commercial use in PA situations, not for consumer use.....didn't see any BLOSE either, nor any other high end speakers for REPRODUCING not producing the event...they mike the guitar amps, the drums most of it, it was well done, no boom, no shrillness, very clean HOB Chicago, check it out, great place

DUP,

Great post! You know your stuff. Got them dead to rights and boy did they deserve it. That's the kind of come back I was referring to in my "Why Must We Fight? post. No rancur, just well some stated facts to prove his point and maybe, just maybe shut some people up and let them know that he what he's talking about. DUP - You Da Man!

Quote:
This rag is a joke! From stupid uninformed political commentary to an in-depth review of a $90k turntable that performs like a Radio Shack "Realistic" unit. 99% of your readers can't afford this overrated junk let alone have an opportunity to actually see it or hear it. I can't wait for the next issue to come in the mail so I can show my coworkers what in Christ's teeth these editors are going to think of or come up with next. One thing that is for sure is that I won't be renewing my subscription. I might as well take a twenty dollar bill and set it on fire. Stereophile is nothing but a small group of audiophile snobs with an agenda that is not a going concern for the magazine. About the only article I have found useful thus far is the one on the retro-Advent speakers. You guys can get your hands on elitist audio equipment but you couldn't pair up the serial numbers on a couple old Advent speakers? Got Ebay? Give me break. Tee hee!

Culpeper
The Anti-Pollution!
culpeper@myway.com

Really funny. A twenty-something collegue of mine was singing the virtues of SACD, 5.1 surround sound etc etc. Waxed lyrical about how he was able to detect the precise location of instruments/sounds etc. When I told him that a half-way hi -end turntable did the same thing easily with only two speakers, he was amazed - and he's a vinyl man himself. Even more so when I described the 3D effect from same. He has a nice cheap DJ turntable and the usual low-fi electronics. A more convincing demonstration of the validity of hi-end efficacy is difficult to imagine. Another one for the fold: when he gets a substantial pay-rise that is! If you can't afford a Ferrari, you go for a Lotus Elise etc, etc.