GoodSoundClub - Romy the Cat's Audio Site

In the Forum: Audio Discussions
In the Thread: Summary: my/your audio: year by year

Post Subject: A Year Goes By Like NothingPosted by Paul S on: 12/24/2009

The Big Deal for me this year was programing, in the sense that I now have more ready access to more music since I figured out the correlation between (measured) record thickness and arm heigth (VTA). Now I just put the record on the platter, adjust the arm height once, dust the record, drop the stylus, then sit back and listen, remote in hand. Very nice.

Second place for me is still program. I found and tuned into some new-for-me material that injected new life into my hi-fi at a time when I might otherwise have just dropped it. Since I do this 95/05 music/hi-fi fun, I have no plans to continue the hi-fi part without musical reasons to do it. I have gotten reasons enough this year, but just barely, in view of the final cost/benefit ratio.

Some big things have not changed much this year. The Same Old Shit for me is - - - what else?

I am almost happy for the one or two people who may have figured out a serious way to address the effing electricity. I will make another inane post to the electricity thread, anon. Meanwhile, the sudden arrival of very good electricity makes me feel both elated and let down at the same time. Elated because I can hear what I yearn and have strived for. Let down because I hear this so rarely that several times again this year I came to question pretty much everything I've done to date, at one time or another during the year.

Of course I have read everything that's been written about fixing bad electricity, and I have tried to get a feel for what all the talk means. In this and other matters I tend to use "reason and logic" right up to the last second, then I make an intuitive decision. I wish I felt comfortable with APS, or at least comfortable with their "customer service"; but I just don't. And now that my free time has shrunk right along with my income, I have to weigh such decisions all the more carefully. Two years ago I might have just taken a flyer, come to that, with reserves sufficient to eat it and free time enough to make them want to settle with me, as they (finally) did with Romy. But I no longer have these options.

Today, among other tunes, I listened again to Ravel's Piano Trio and String Quartet. The electricity was great and I was swept away with the wonderful performances and the phenomenal music, both. This is why I do hi-fi. So, being short-sighted as well as stupid and lazy, I think I've ended this year on a high note (and I'll start the New Year the same).

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,
Paul S.

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