[Paladin79]

Know any tubes that can drive Apogees? Yeah, see that’s the issue for me.

They are literally the ONLY reason I don’t have any current tube amp/gear… but a good tube pre could easily change that. Alas, I’m not likely to ever find any tube amp that could remotely drive them, at least not at less than TOTL Lexus LS price points…

I had a roommate for a year that had stacked quad ESL63s driven by all tube ARC gear. Orgasmic, indeed. Yeah, no real bass, but the musicality of the mids? <shudder>

In college, frat brother’s father in law had an amazing 15ips R2R feeding a Levinson ML2 and thence into small tube monoblocks (alas this was 1979? 78? And don’t remember brand) thence to OG Klipschorns - the biggies. OMG, that was what launched my high end journey.

I get tubes, I love tubes. But I love me my ribbon planar speakers even more. But you can bet I’m watching what @Jason Stoddard and his boffins might be up to in re: statement tube preamp extremely closely.

I do believe a buddy has run his Apogees with tube amps, I know his monoblocks are capable of 900 watts RMS per channel and looking them up I get these specs.
“ With 900 watts RMS at 8 ohms (typically 1000 watts) of power per channel, the 2 chassis Silver Seven 700 mono amplifier can drive even the most difficult, low impedance loudspeakers with authority, regardless of the program material.” I have the solid state version but mine only gets to 450 watts per channel. Now he has other large tube amps but I am pretty certain he has switched the Carvers in before.
If I am there to listen he damn well better.

 

[dstrimbu]

But... Utopia was Todd Rundgren's band...

...yes it was. And I remember that Todd used to cram 25+ minutes of music on an LP side in the Utopia days. Because of this, the low-end was limited to ~50 Hz. Still loved his music. Something / Anything? (1972) is still one of my favorite all-time albums, IMHO. It was spread across four LP sides, so it wasn't bass-limited. I listened to it on my first system (with the Sony TA-5650, DCM Time Windows and that crazy Stanton 681EEE cartridge with the built-in brush) and I could rock the (i.e., my parent's) house!

Todd lived in Novato, CA back in the late '80s when I started working for Autodesk in Sausalito. I walked into the office one morning and he was sitting next to my friend Jamie Clay at Jamie's workstation; they were using Pixar's RenderMan software to create the album cover for "Nearly Human", his first album with Michele Gray. Super guy, very soft spoken and kind. Wow. Cool memories!

 

[33na3rd]

In college, frat brother’s father in law had an amazing 15ips R2R feeding a Levinson ML2 and thence into small tube monoblocks (alas this was 1979? 78?

Quicksilvers, perhaps?

 

[Paladin79]

Tom, just reading your words here (and seeing your work and the beautiful things that you've made for others) are enough for me.
I would be more than glad to make the extreme sacrifice ( ) of driving out to Point Reyes for you (when I get back home from this work trip, of course).

I will investigate the fine art of FedEx'ing cheese, and be awaiting your request(s). Cheers!

You are a man of class and style. I may take you up on that one day.

 

[Ripper2860]

Wow. Class and Style. That's definitely way better than the adjectives Tom has for me -- insignificance and crudeness.

 

[michael2v]

How about a Yggy an Urd and a nice big cake?

I’ve grown fond of birthday pies with each additional trip around the sun, but birthday desserts are perhaps best served like Schiit gear: one of each!

 

[Paladin79]

Wow. Class and Style. That's way definitely better than the adjectives Tom has for me -- insignificance and crudeness.

You hang around Cowen too much, some of his ways are bound to rub off. I really think he was raised by wolves. Romulus, Remus, and Bill.

 

[bcowen]

Well pure water is an excellent insulator but it has to be pure lol, combining it with cardboard would not help. A rubber boot would be fine if you could find one that fit in this application. It would need to work at 90 degrees. I could mention sorbothane but then Cowen would say it sucks music right out of a room. He also says maple sounds the best so you can use that to judge his veracity.

I would have to dispatch the guys in white lab coats to @Bowmoreman 's house if he ever tried to desecrate those Apogees with sorbothane. But the fact that he owns Apogees indicates he's much too smart for that.

 

[bagwell359]

Well pure water is an excellent insulator but it has to be pure lol, combining it with cardboard would not help. A rubber boot would be fine if you could find one that fit in this application. It would need to work at 90 degrees. I could mention sorbothane but then Cowen would say it sucks music right out of a room. He also says maple sounds the best so you can use that to judge his veracity.

Rubber is flexible why not wrap/affix part of it around the cable even with something as simple as zip ties?

 

[bcowen]

• Exactly why @bcowen insists on double-wall / triple-wall cardboard for his domestic high-rise "boardominium". Plus, he demands that each corrugation layer is criss-crossed -- for maximum strength!
• All the above is documented for borrowing purposes. For tax appraisal, it's single-wall (?) paper mache ... .

And depending on the application, I only use cardboard that is made from six-9's purity maple fibers. I have standards.

 

[Paladin79]

I would have to dispatch the guys in white lab coats to @Bowmoreman 's house if he ever tried to desecrate those Apogees with sorbothane. But the fact that he owns Apogees indicates he's much too smart for that.

I still want your wife to randomly stuff Sorbothane inside her clothing and walk into your audio room to see if you can tell a difference. It should be a blind test but I would also want you bound and gagged for the heck of it.

 

[Paladin79]

Rubber is flexible why not wrap/affix part of it around the cable even with something as simple as zips ties?

Or use large diameter standard heat shrink tubing, not adhesive type. I was mentioned in regards to wood strips instead of cardboard so I played along.

 

[bagwell359]

I still want your wife to randomly stuff Sorbothane inside her clothing and walk into your audio room to see if you can tell a difference. It should be a blind test but I would also want you bound and gagged for the heck of it.

dynamat is stickier

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

Wow. Class and Style. That's way definitely better than the adjectives Tom has for me -- insignificance and crudeness.

Don't blame yourself, you just caught him on a good day.


JC

 

[Paladin79]

dynamat is stickier

Yeah but this is not to ruffle the feathers of Mrs. C, Bill already has that down to a science.