Home Visit: Studer/Revox/JBLOften it's not easy to enjoy hifi in a small living room. But I have always managed to do so with ease at Rick33's place. That's not only because of his gears, it's also because he's a real music lover.
My last visit must have been more than a year or two ago. This time tubediyer and I went in the afternoon. A bottle of French red was already airing and we lost no time in enjoying ourselves.
Rick's system has undergone a near-complete makeover. With the baby around, rick's place is bursting at the seams. I doubt he can upgrade much further, though he's thinking about a tube preamp. Here's the equipment list:
--STUDER D732 CDP (replacing D226)
--REVOX B286 tuner-preamp (internals in last pic below; classy heh?)
--UREI professional electronic crossover
--2x STUDER A68
--JBL L101 (LE175DLH + LE14A) plus passively connected HEIL 斩崩刀 (replacing 4311)
The sound was a significant step forward from the last setup. I was mightily impressed by the live presence and horny character. JBL 小蜂巢有料到！ Sound was quite balanced and after two hours of high-level near-field listening I was still fine. The good P.R.A.T. contributed to the Happy Hour Atmosphere. Most importantly, Rick always plays good songs and balances his playlist between jazz/R&R classics and more esoteric stuff. Nina Simone and 陈升 I recognized instantly, but Jonny Cash (as senior citizen) surprised me a little. Before we left, we listened to a little RTHK4 on the 286's tuner. Excellent, full sound! Finally, Rick unwrapped his Miles Davis Kind of Blue LP and played it on his friend's cheap Project Debut TT (stock cheap Ortophon). Sound was magnificent, the place was bopping! Many expensive TT setups may not sound as good! I have always have high esteem for Project.
Since 唐吉柯德 放了飞机 (are you reading???)， rick33 took me to the Outback bar, where he's a regular. More pints there and I barely made it home. I think I forgot to pay. Thanks Rick, I had a grand time! Next time you go to that bar, please call me and the drinks are on me.