NY Diary (19-6): What We Keep, Heathkit
Talk DIY: Kit Building

Today, at the library, I chanced onto a book, What We Keep (do visit the official site; it tells you everything about the book, which I am sure will have a sequel, as they are still soliciting stories). I could not stop flipping through it, and read the vignettes on why people treasure certain objects. I took it home.

The most amazing thing is how resonating and moving many of the stories are. We come from different walks of life, different countries, yet our hearts operate in the same way. The only difference is, the ones curated and quoted here are much more eloquently expressed.

As you can well imagine, when it comes to really personal things, audio is not worth a mention. So, I was delighted when I read one of the entires mentioned Heathkit (link). Here, the daughter built the kit with her father. I, as a kit builder, can fancy building one with my son.

A word on Heathkit. The book actually mentions Steve Jobs of Apple credited kit building with his growth. Also, I have several Heathkits. In my opinion, Heathkits may not have been the most reliable due to cost constraints, but they were almost all great sounding. I still own the W-5M monoblocks, which sound great with KT66. They all need some rebuilding but their sonics are not to be questioned.

NY Diary (19-5) Rigor, Music and Flamenco

The word "Rigor" has both good and bad connotations. Here it means discipline of a high order and is applied to pianist Igor Levit, whose repertoire, pianism and intellect incline toward the austere.

This 3-CD set, characterized by classics today as a " 'Triple Threat' Variation Tour-de-Force", is a famous one. I found the little known Rzewski piece, "The People United", absolutely riveting throughout its considerable length. There are effects galore, including howling and foot stomping, but they all serve the flow of music. Perfect for the audiophile and it sounded stunning on my horns.

Flamenco is flamboyant but highly rigorous. Every twist and turn is calculated, perfectly angled and poised. This past Saturday Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana (official link) performed at the Flushing library. Now, I have watched quite a bit of flamenco from Spain and can attest the four performers here were authentic. There were two dancers, one singer/dancer and a guitarist (Gaspar Rodriguez), who was highly virtuosic. I enjoyed it very much.

Incidentally, director Carlos Saura made several Flamenco films, the most famous of which is Carmen. It is a stunning film - watch it if you can (youtube trailer below).

The morning before I had to attend to some legal matter in Jamaica. Afterwards, I walked to the main public library and borrowed some CDs, including Igor Levit's set. Then for lunch I walked to Hillside Ave, which is populated by all kinds of Bangladeshi stores. There were three restaurants close by; two were almost empty while the other had lines. That makes picking easy, right? The canteen-styled Sagar Restaurant (official link) turns out to be a big thing in this neighborhood. The fellow behind me said it is mobbed on weekends. The goat curry, pulao rice and paratha were all delicious. Price is reasonable, especially considering the big portions (I had to take some home). The place was clean and friendly, though service was a bit chaotic. I shall definitely return!

NY Diary (19-4) Bach, Musica Antiqua Koln and Reinhard Goebel

Readers who read my classical recommendations know that I just cannot have enough Bach. It would not be stretching it to say I feel he occupies just as important a place in my heart as audio. Fortunately, the two complement each other.

Musica Antiqua Koln (MAK), the trail blazing early music ensemble under the leadership of violinist Reinhard Goebel, which dissolved in 2006, to me has never made a bad recording. In the early days of historically informed performance (HIP), although there were quite a few contemporaneous English ensembles (like the English Concert or Academy of Ancient Music), the MAK's driven ways and sheer virtuosity has always been surpassing. Indeed their Bach recordings, now still available in a super-bargain 13 CD box (from Universal), is indispensable. Grab it while you can.

The Brandenburg Concertos in that box has always divided opinions, being of extremely fast tempi and lean aesthetics, and is still a daunting listen today, when fast tempi are more common. The set also has a sterling account of the lofty Art of the Fugue. In my sidebar, I also recommended another version of the piece, but the MAK's more austere approach here is just as valid.

Goebel is today more of a conductor, and I just savored repeatedly his recent Brandenburg Concerto (from the library) set (from Sony) with the Berliner Barock Solisten (comprising members of the BPO, but playing in HIP-informed ways). Tempi are just as fast, but I find the playing literally even more breathtakingly virtuosic. The momentum is now better sprung and the dance elements are more noticeable. Indeed there is just a more color to the proceedings. At the same time, I also heard the Chailly/Gewandhaus set, but though not without interest, it did not capture my attention nearly as much as this one. Recommended without any hesitation.

Just like the Sony CD, there is a much later MAK recording of Art of the Fugue, likely recorded not long before they dissolved, but it is on DVD (from Berlin Classics, and still available). The MAK played in the stunning Langen Foundation (a museum near Dusseldorf) designed by renowned architect Tadao Ando. Not only is the playing definitive, but the photography and conceptual layout are so impressive as to illustrate why sometimes (even non-vocal) music benefits from well integrated imagery. Embedded below is an almost complete youtube offering.

Monoprice BHS-839 Bluetooth Headphone 8323

NY Diary (19-3) Another "Good Enough"
Capsular Review: Monoprice BHS-839 Bluetooth Headphone (Monoprice 8323 with Bluetooth)

Update (6/14/19): After reading some advice from the internet, I finally got my Macbook to pair with the Monoprice cans. See Addendum at end of article.

My last Diary entry mentioned what it means to be "Good Enough", a term most audiophiles, perpetually seeking that elusive incremental "improvement", would regard as having a negative connotation. Not so, here.

I sometimes spend a lot of time in the kitchen, and wish I have some music there. As I have almost 1 T of music on my Macbook, it would be nice to be able to stream it. So I got the Monoprice BHS-839 AptX Bluetooth Headphone (official link).

Initially, all I got was frustration. No matter how I tried, it just would not pair with my old Macbook. As my old iPhone has no music on it, I tried someone else's newer iPhone and it worked well. Obviously my old Macbook (circa 2013) is the culprit, and it is known that Apple Bluetooth often have compatibility problems with other Bluetooth devices (even with newer Apple's, one has to force AptX). Monoprice's technical support confirmed this.

Disappointed, with my Parts Express order I included a $11 small Bluetooth Receiver that has a 3.5mm input (output too). I plugged it into the Macbook's jack (identified as HK008) and within seconds it paired with the Monoprice (identified as BSH-1701)! Now, this device is certainly not AptX, but the result surprised me.

Right out of the box, the Monoprice made beautiful music with the AIFF lossless files on my old Macbook! Without warmup, no matter what I threw at it, string quartet, piano, or vocals, the sound was smooth and rich in the midband, with clear highs and reasonable bass. All this, with the most basic Bluetooth, sans AptX. I'd think sonically it likely can shame many more expensive counterparts. It also has a regular version (8323) without Bluetooth that costs only $16 - I'd love to hear it, but beware sometimes the captured connection/wires have a great effect on the sound.

For $27, construction is reasonably good, though the plastic creaks a little. Also, my head is big, so it barely covers my ears. I am also not sure of the reception over distance. In my crowded listening room, it is less than 20 ft, but that can also be due to the bluetooth dongle. If you, likely unlike me, have a more current source device, with AptX, it would likely be smooth operation when it comes to pairing. Even if you don't, given the sonics, it is a still a great bargain! Highly recommended!

Addendum: Pairing Finally!
I searched the internet for solutions and came across this useful article. After Option 2, it still didn't work. Then I tried Option 4, debug and reboot. It took a while but my Macbook Pro finally found the Monoprice and paired (as BSH-1701)! However, my other Bluetooth AptX receiver, the Dayton Audio BTRO1, is still MIA.