jp11801

I love Bostan and may need to plan a trip around this meet, I had a blast the last time out.

it's alright but if it were me I'd be saving my pennies for a EC ZD. The DNA sounded flat and somewhat boring to me.

Black Magick by Voodoo Brewing seriously good stuff “This is an Imperial Stout that is brewed to great strength and complexity. We then gently age that beer in Elijah Craig 13 1/2 year old Bourbon Barrels for one year and then primed and bottled to bottle condition for continued aging and celler life (to achieve cask-like) characteristics. Black Magick should be able to be aged up to about 5 years, to heighten the complexity and smooth nature of this beer. This beer should be opened to breath, pour into snifter and enjoy at 55-60 F.”

Picked up a pair of Alon Lotus SE Signatures. I had hoped that they would completely outclass my already great Lotus SE speakers and thank goodness they did! They are a three way all AlNiCo magnet speakers with an outboard crossover unit that sits behind the speaker. Originally about $9k new but after 15 years of depreciation I got them for $2400. now to sell off my Fi 2a3, Bob's Step up, maybe the Melos SHA gold ref, Alon Lotus SE and various other audio stuff laying about here.

they are a great buy at the retail and a steal at the now $900 used price.

In response to Amos' claim that they sound better with more power. Well for a laugh I hooked them up to my Fi 2a3 amp and they sounded better than I've heard before. Now the hum is pretty unbearable when music is not playing but when the music starts it does sound great. I'd love to have a 45/2a3 or 46 tube amp for these. Justin no one would listen at the full 2w just like no one listens at the full 500w that a McCormack DNA 500 delivers.

Must have one PS Al I love the Idiot IPA my local pizza pub gets it on draft from time to time

Must have one PS Al I love the Idiot IPA my local pizza pub gets it on draft from time to time

I love this stuff

Beau's Winter Brew made with what taste like a shitload of coffee. Cask ale that taste like a lightly roasted cup of coffee. Very nice Toronto is a great beer town

Unless something radically changed since the last email from Jamie Harvey it's should be in my hands by late April. They have the amps fixed the spdif issue and am working on a last bit of the flash programming.

Happy Birthday Al, I hope you are having an awesome day!

I am fairly certain that the spdif and the analog in share the same jack and there was never any mention of asynch so I doubt it. From what I understand and I could be wrong this should make it to our hands in April sometime, with Vicki and I being in the same batch as I'm #4 I believe (was 7 or 8 but moved down due to cancellations and Vicki I think you are ahead of me. It really doesn't matter as I'm sure they will ship in batches of 20 or more once the 3a is complete.

The gods were shining upon me today, went to Walmart ( god I hate them) and they were sold. Went to Best Buy and the line was over an hour long to get the white 64gb Ipad. Then a Mom and son walked in with a black ipad 64 gb and wanted white and sold me their black one for my place in line and the chance to get a white one. So for going rate I got my black ipad2 64gb with time to spare to pick up some beer at my local pizza and beer joint. Hip Hip Hooray for me! It feels substantially lighter than the ipad 1 even thought it really isn't. Off to ebay with my ipad gen 1 64gb tomorrow.

yes there was no working proto just the 6 channel amp with the dsp/xover being performed by software in a netbook

This weekend did not see a ton of listening as my folks were in town visting. I did a bunch of casual listening with speakers, the Audio Technica AS 2ks and the Alon speakers. The speaker sound was fantastic, very detailed but also very musical but ultimately the Alons do need more power maybe like a 300b or an 845. The EC 2a3 bested the Fi X 2a3 and the Dared 845 both amps are amps that I really like but the EC 2a3 is in another class altogether. At low levels the EC 2a3 shined but did run out of gas with dynamic peaks or recordings with full dynamic range. This is not a knock on the EC 2a3 just a fact of a 3 watt amp powering a three way passive crossover speaker. I've always loved the AT AD2k and the EC really reenforced my love. The common knock on the ATs are they are airy (what the fuck does that even mean) and lack bass extension and power. This was largely mitigated by the EC 2a3 as the AT's shone like a light on the recordings that I threw at it. I downloaded the new Rolling Stone HD tracks 24/176 of Though The Past Darkly. Man of man it was like being in a studio control room listing to the masters. Little details jumped out. Ruby Tuesdays strings had stunning bow attack and Jagger's voice was so freaking papable. Jumping Jack Flash was a blast, Jagger takes a breath right before singing and I never really noticed it before " I was born in a crossfire hurricane" and it's like he's right there in fornt of you! Switching to the LCD2s its a totally different perspective instruments are weightier bass is powerful and driving. Details are still there but its like going from a studio monitor to Maggies. Both are awesome but they just portray the music in a very different way. I played some Beatles from the 24/44.1 usb stick that came out and same great results weighty detailed and musically invovling. Right now I'm using an RCA 5ar4 instead of the Chinese rectifier that was provided. I pulled the Sylvania 2a3s and popped in the JJs I had on hand and both are really good. The JJs have more bass and are overall thicker sounding where the Sylvania tubes are cleaner but have less bass weight and extension. I've got a few 6sn7 variants here but for now have stuck with the United Electronics that Craig sent. I do plan on popping in a 6fg8 and maybe a 7n7 as well for kicks. I also plan on playing with the Bendix 6106 (?) and 5y3 I have here too. While likely not the TOTL experience that the BA is and the only comparision I did was in NorCal the 2a3 does not give up much if anything. It's not balanced like the BA and the PS in the BA is arguably better but the 2a3 is dead nuts silent. Next up is more HD tracks stuff and tube rolling, I wish I still had the Zu's to get a better feel for the speaker taps but I was on the last days of the trail on those. Also some more impressions using some fucked out tunes that we all know and here at audio shows. Pics to follow as well as my camera is among the missing and my iphone is not going to do the EC justice.

Ryan owned the one I did but he also owned the later release with the outboard ammp box PS. The one you heard that Bryan also owned was likely the later and not the acid etched thick chassis original. The one you heard was likely better than the original as the PS was improved and outboard. I'd love to see how the new compares with the older ones. I'd wager it is better given Craig's work on the PS but only a face to face will tell. For those with highish sensitivity speakers this may just be a no brainer as it is a fantastic HP amp with a great flea watt speaker amp. At the meet the new EC 2a3 also kicked ass with the k1000s. In speaking with Craig he said he did a bunch of work to iron out the drive for the k1000s. He also owns a pair of LCD 2s which is why they sound so freaking great with this amp. This does not supplant the BA as the BA is a high end pre amp and balanced drive but is very close in overall HP sound quality IMHO albiet with a different flavor.

Last month Craig Uthus of Eddie Current debuted a new amp at a smallish gather of friends in NorCal. I've heard many amps by Craig and I've been impressed by his output with some of his amps like the BA and HD25 hitting it out of the park for me. I've owned a few of Craig's amps notably one of the original Moth 2a3s that was a visual masterpiece and sonically one of my all time favorites. To this day it is the one piece of gear that I regret selling. He's made better sounding amps like the HD 25 and Balancing act since then but the marriage of industrial almost gothic design, old school innards like brass plugs for switching output impedance and wax cloth wires and pluse sound quality earned a special place for me. Enter the new 2a3, Craig's had multiple iterations of the 2a3 design at Moth from an his first more expensive units, scaled down more entry level and finally his 2a3/45 SI ammo box units. This new amp can switch between 2a3 and 45 tubes with a toggle switch located in the rear. Users that try to run 45s in 2a3 mode will most likely learn quickly that 45 tubes do not like to be run in 2a3 mode (POP goes the NOS tube). So like all things a little care and knowledge goes a long way. The amp is a two box affair with a 5ar4 driven power supply with the amp hosting a pair of 2a3s (Craig supplied Sylvania tubes) but I'll also run my big bottle JJ's in there as well and a 6sn7 for the driver tube. I'll likely try and sub a 6fg8 with adapter in there at some point in the trial. There are three single ended inputs, a set of speaker taps, and both a 4 pin and 1/4 headphone plug out front. I'll be running the amp with a pair of Alon Lotus SE speakers ( http://www.sonoris.co.kr/review/reviews/tas/lotussemk2.htm ) , a pair of Audeze LCD2s, Audio Technica AD200s and the JH13s. As a source I've got the Metric Halo ULN 8 (badged as a Sonic Studio 305) and an Origin LIve Sovereign turntable with their encounter tonearm with either the ZYX Atmos cart or the Miyajima Shilable cart (still can't make up my mind about which to keep). I received the amp last night have given it a few listens with the speakers, LCD 2 and JH13s and so far it is very favorable. This is an uber quiet amp with gobs and gobs of detail, glorious tone and drive. It really splits the difference well between pacing, detail/extension and the all elusive musical expression. Some amps do one or two of those but its tough to find an amp that has rhythmic drive, extension gobs of detail and great tone. as of this red hot moment the 2a3 is hitting all three equally well. I'l see over the course of my time with it how it fairs over the longer haul. Later on I'll have separate thoughts as a speaker amp as well as more detailed views with the headphones listed as well as some picture porn (or at least as much as my meager camera and limited photo skills can muster).

Nate Happy Birthday bud, heres to wishing you the very best on your birthday!

I wish I could make this but I leave for Florida for a week on the day of the meet. It's going to be a great one and I am sad to miss this

Steve how do you think it compares to wave editor, I've got my processing/edits down to 45 minutes an LP in WE.

I love them both, JH 13s are more open and potentially more revealing. The LCD 2s sounds better over a wider range of music even compressed rock like the Goo Goo Dolls sounds fantastic. Since all things sound good sometimes great things do not sound their absolute best. The 13s are revealing of more flaws in recordings with greater detail. I'd not want to give up either as to me both are top of their game in their category This is just flat out wrong, your first post crashed and burned. May want to read and chill before a second one you may be wrong as on several occasions I've seen my LCD2s walk on water and turn water into wine

it looks like it was a really good meet, well run and tons of participation.

Nice sampler, 2 Hearted, Gemini, Double Trouble, centennial and Lost Abbeys Judgement Day. Mongo by Port Brewing on cask, seriously great DIPA

This show was amazing!!! Vinicius was great he and Frisell had a blast. I've seen BF a few times and this may have been the best. See this show if a tour date is near you.