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Minimalist Magic

Yesterday I quickly cobbled together a system in the back listening room to provide background music while I rearranged the system in the front room.

The system bridled at the notion of ‘background music’, however, and drew me to the leather club chair in the sweet spot where it held me prisoner for several hours.

What sorcery is this? Only the best, most synergistic sort:

  • Acoustic Plan DigiMaster CD transport
  • Chord Electronics Hugo TT2
  • Jadis Orchestra Black integrated amp
  • DeVore Fidelity Orangutan 96
  • Luna Cables Blue and Orange AC cords, Red BNC’d SPDIF, interconnects and Blue speaker cables
  • Musical co-conspirators:
      • Tony Bennett and k.d. Lang – ‘A Wonderful World’
      Dongfeng Liu – ‘China Caribe’
      Susheela Raman – ‘Ghost Gamelan’
      Trio Da Kali & Kronos Quartet – ‘Ladilikan’
      Yo Yo Ma – ‘Obrigado Brazil Live in Concert’

    You are welcome to come experience this or any number of other combinations of captivating components at Old Forge Audio. Just jump to the Contact page and drop me a line.

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    Isabeau Corriveau

    I just met the lovely, charming and extremely talented Isabeau Corriveau and purchased a copy of her LP “A Leap of Faith” which she kindly autographed.

    I also purchased a number of additional copies which are available for sale at Old Forge Audio.

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    Wand 14-4 Turntable at a Glance

    Here’s a birds-eye/x-ray view of the Wand 14-4 turntable. You can see it, touch it and most important – hear it! – at Old Forge Audio, as well as at Capital Audio Fest November 1-3 in Rockville, MD.

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    Invaders from Planet SME

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    The SME 12A, consisting of the new SME Model 12 turntable and 309 with upgraded Crystal cabling, arrived at Old Forge yesterday.

    First thought: This is a huge carton for what I expected to be a rather compact turntable.
    Second thought: This thing is packed to survive a nuclear incident!
    Third thought: Man, it’s compact, alright, but it weighs a ton.
    Fourth thought: This is one of the most beautifully finished, easily assembled turntables I’ve ever come across.

    Thoughts Six through . . . Wow, that sounded great! What are we gonna play next?

    Many more thoughts to follow once I get the arm fully set up . . .

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    Oh, look! It’s the new family tree! (The mighty Vinnie Rossi L2 Signature lurks below the Garrard 401.)

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    The Audio Beatnik Drops the Other Shoe

    The other shoe has dropped in Part 2 of Jack Robert’s review of Pure Audio’s ONE integrated amplifier.

    There are so many comments I’d like to share, but I’ll just quote his ‘Wrapping Things Up’ and suggest you read the full review for the full scoop. https://theaudiobeatnik.com/pureaudio-one-integrated-amplifier-review-part-2/

    “ “If I had to choose one sentence to describe this amp, it would be, “With the PureAudio One, my system enveloped me in the performance more than I had ever experienced before and by a significant margin.”

    The performances were just as evocative whether I was listening to jazz, rock, classical, or solo piano. I particularly enjoyed the way it took me to the venue and that on certain recordings I was able to transcend the sense that I was listening to recorded music.

    I could not imagine giving a piece of audio gear a higher recommendation. I would feel the same if it cost $50,000, but luckily it costs only $10,000.”