a visual collective outlet of inspiration
the pxl-2000 was a rare gem. It used an audio tape to record, what we may now call, low-fi video. poke around the internet to find a few examples of the amazing images it was able to record. if you want to find out more, check it out here. by bw
audio-electronics
symbol audio
don’t know what it sounds like but it sure looks sharp. here by pp.
vintage gear: technics SU 8600 amplifier and ST 8600 tuner
it’s really, really, hard to convince yourself to buy one of these new black painted tin-can stereos with digital displays when you see how were made back then. by dd
Apple computers after Steve Jobs
yep! the prince died and snow white was kidnapped by the evil witch. by dd
Dunlavy SCIV loud speakers: customized and altered
just over 500 pounds a pair, here are the legendary pair of dunlavy SCIV loud speakers in oak that i wrote about earlier (original article)
like most of the amazing audio designers, john dunlavy had no patience for aesthetics, and while the speakers, are world renowned for their sound, their cosmetic design cues belonged to the likes of raymore flanagans.
some cosmetic intervention was necessary before blessing them into the house of god.
this started with stripping the speakers and taping off the front panel for protection. several coats of epoxy paint was applied. enough layers to mask the wood with out hiding the oak grain.
the final result was a gorgeous lacquered white ash finish including the vertical wood grains on these over 6 feet tall speakers
next was the question of what to do with the base planks?
we thought of discarding them and using a straight edged plank of wood sans the curvature but at the end we decided to keep them and modify them.
what we did was that we sand-blasted and stained them into dark walnut to contrast the white speakers and blend into the hard-wood floors below.
next, what about the aging black grills? white of course was the way to go, but what material could we use that was acoustically transparent yet visually opaque to hid the metal structure and the drivers?
when in doubt call france. we sourced these white sturdy acoustic fabrics from texaa in france with thanks to flow labs, and had them shipped. next was the issue of stretching them and adhering them to the metal structures.
this proved to be the hardest part, as the fabric has no elasticity. on round one the fabric was stretched and adhered to the metal bars using super 77 and tack glue on the edges. it was held into place with micro clips to dry. it worked great at first. but a month on, the stretch is losing its grip and the super 77 is proving not to be very super. another solution must be out there and well come back once we find it. until then. by dd
pass the amp
they will be running hot this weekend. by dd
good start to a friday
by wn
Dieter Rams TP1
this beautiful object by 50’s designer dieter rams is really something to look at. the record player was a portable 45rpm braun named TP1 and designed in 1959 for mass distribution. they simply don’t make them that well. great gift for a hobbiest record lover. by dd
cello audio suite pre-amplifier
instead of being founded by an electrical wizard like most brands, cello was founded by a musician. the audio suite preamp above was always my favorite of the line, from the time i saw it decades ago when i could not afford one to now that i can afford one but it has become obsolete. even so, i still love to have one just to touch the volume controls. cello was a respected company; however, their preference and advocacy for equalizers was always against the purist notion of audio and that alone made them seem in “our” eyes less rigorous and purist as the rest. nonetheless, it’s still a beautiful piece of equipment inside and out. not an easy one to find but i found one here and here for 16K (the latter includes the amps). by dd
sound porn
magnepan speakers, they are the stanley kubrick of audiophile speakers, just know what you’re getting into; sold mine, miss em, but happier with the new ones. by dd
big speaker without the big bad bass: Dunlavy Audio Labs SCIV loudspeakers
dunlavy SC-IV, anechoic response on HF axis at 3m with grille on, with nearfield midrange response below 400Hz, nearfield woofer response below 700Hz, and complex sum of nearfield midrange and woofer outputs in the ratio of the drive-unit diameters.
colin jordan of the boiler room mastering studios on his dunlavy SCVI-A’s (the “A” stands for the newer generation of SCIV’s with modified bass drivers producing slightly deeper bass than the SCIV’s)
dunlavy audio labs: the DAL factory in colorado springs before it closed down
hand made to last a lifetime
its been over a year that i have been looking for a pair of speakers that can fill my large room at low volumes without dealing with exaggerated bass or loss of midrange. i seriously considered magnepan 3.6 or 3.7’s (a brand i owned years ago) but ended up here. i finally had a pair of dunlavy SCVI’s delivered over the weekend and i’m super excited to set them up. they are to be customized for me in white (pics to follow) to blend the 6 foot tall monoliths into my space a bit. dunlavy loudspeakers are a rather special bunch (measurements/specs), hand produced for a short period of time in the 90’s in colorado springs USA by john dunlavy (formerly head designer of the duntech out of australia) before DAL disappeared, as most idealist companies do… john dunlavy also passed away in 2007 making his speakers, and life’s work immortal. the SCVI’s were honored as stereophile’s 1994 loudspeaker of the year and then product of the year. stereophile editor robert deutsch who reviewed the speakers in april 1994 ended up not returning the speakers as they do with the usual reviews and instead ended up buying a pair himself. back in 1994 (more than 18 years ago) they cost what many considered a reasonable $4,995-$5,495/pair or $6,995-$7,495/pair for SCIVAs plus shipping (a considerable amount given they are over 500lbs, 250lbs each) plus tax. today they are still sought after by those looking for an un-exagerated, flat bass, and neutral mids that is due to its dense un-ported modular cabinetry that houses each driver separately. i had listened to them before purchasing them and while they fill the room beautifully at low volumes they still have the incredible ability to be fast unlike the magnepans. i will write more later. by dd
bergmann belt drive sleipner danish turntable: a record player you can fall in love with
while the U.S. still kicks ass on the turntable hall of fame, the danes are not doing so poorly either. i think the problem with U.S. audio industry, is that they simply have no clue about the fact that we have to stare at ‘their’ ugly contraptions on a daily basis while we listen to our beloved music. the danes on the other hand, are perhaps more used to beauty as a part of life. for one thing, everyone there weighs a fraction of those in the U.S. so streamlining is a part of cultural engraine-ment (sorry that’s a new word i just invented). second, the danes must have discovered material beyond the readily available and disgustingly common natural oak. now of course, the sonic capabilities are to be judged by discerning ears everywhere; but, at approx $4,800 bergmann sleipner sustem gets an “a” for aesthetics in our book. well done… turntable: airbearing design. vacuum hold down or clamp. high precision digital controlled DC motor. belt-driven. tonearm: linear tracking airbearing tonearm. carbon armtube and headshell, moulded in one piece, for optimum stiffness. armtube damped inside. counter weight decoupled from armtube. adjustable in all angles. by dd
