About Lugnut -- Patrick Malone

Pat, if your well enough to talk politics, your on the mend. Welcome back!

I should have kept my mouth shut about politics. He he. Honestly though, my vantage point has changed a great deal. I find it very frustrating during this time to even contemplate all the various events that are shaping the future, a future I will not have to endure. I'm saddened because I want so much more for my fellow man than what the current crop of leaders world wide seem to have planned. All of you that are young enough to live well into the future are going to be faced with challenges the likes I don't even want to utter. What we need is a benevolent king but all I see are self serving dubiously elected officials world wide that are hell bent on morphing the elected into a royal class for the future. Curiously, at the core is a common theme, again world wide, to drive the masses into a life of common peasants. When I connect these dots I see a grand scheme where Satan is alive and well and this makes me closer yet to the one, true benevolent king. Sorry if this is a turn off for the unbelievers and I promise to not mention politics again in this or any other thread. Understand though, that God has touched me in many ways during this time with not so gentle reminders that he is alive and well also. This thread is proof that He took extreme measures in my case to send a message. Many of the posters, gift givers, readers and private coresponders with me since this started will know exactly what I mean. That is why I earlier mentioned that what is going on here needs to be shared as widely as possible after all of this has played out. This is not about audio. This is not about the "stuff" given. This is about how we should be living and interacting all the time. If noone picks up on this and writes about the real meaning then please allow this experience to be burned into your memory so that you can share this throughout your life when the need arrises. Lugnut as preacher is finished preaching and I sinerely hope I haven't offended.

On the brighter side I eagerly await the two most anticipated packages yet, the Ridge Street cables and the Starsound products. This is stuff old Lugnut has only been able to dream about owning. Steve Dobbins was over yesterday and we inserted the Syrah into my system. This isn't the first time we discovered the transformation this wonderful preamp does to my system. It is a jaw dropper of the first magnitude. Beyond belief. I've used Steve's Ridge Street cables before and the improvement is very significant and well worth the cost of admission. I wish that the speaker cables that were coming were two pairs so that I could use my current speakers to best advantage but if someone knows of a good adaptor for the banana's that Linn uses to spades I'll get a set and use the RS cables on the high frequency side of my current set up. I'll let Steve (hopefully) chime in on how wonderful this rig sounds. I trust his ears and have deep respect for the system he keeps putting together! ROTFLMAO. I've learned a great deal from Steve and I've really corrupted him. He's shown me how very close great digital can come to good analog and the impact cables can have IF you have a system that allows the differences to really be heard. The Syrah allowed that to happen. LOL, me corrupting him because he now looks for releases on vinyl before searching for the SACD or CD equivalent. When I was a kid mothers used to tell their sons to stay away from my influence and this is proof!

Unfortunately, the Syrah has developed a problem and we had to remove it from the mix. You technical types: please read this and post an opinion in the hope that the thing can avoid going back to Australia for repair!!! When the preamp is cold it sounds wonderful and my cartridge is happy with the standard, recommended loading of 47k. As a side note all troubleshooting reading are correct when cold also. After about 45 minutes into listening the sound very quickly becomes strained similar to inserting a very low powered, cheesy amp. Nothing sounds right. It's congested, with little detail. The bass is pretty much gone. It sounds horrible. Now, if we change the loading to 10 Ohms the sound is much improved although all magic is gone and many of the negative qualities remain. We're thinking that maybe there is a solder joint or even a tube socket that is failing at an elevated temp. Unfortunately, readings have never been taken when warm and this would be the first thing to do. Tubes are not the problem as I've spent considerable time with every tube that is recommended in the "preamp deal of the century" thread and the problem remains. Any ideas on this would be most welcome. This piece is central to making the most out of what gear remains after playing with all the new stuff you great guys have sent my way.

Any idea why the edit my post option is no longer available? I found that out yesterday with my last post.

An attempt at censure!!!

Yeeeehaaa, Pat is on his AUDIO JIHAD!

Hi Everyone, first I want to say that I belong to many clubs and the audio people are, BY FAR, the most down to earth, genuine people I know. Of course there are exceptions to every rule and you know who you are, LOL.
Seriously, you guys have made a hugh impact on Pat & Barb, and I mean that in the best of ways. Thank you very much.
Pat's sound room just came alive yesterday when we inserted the Supratek. When the stylus dropped on the Pro-Use version of "Take The A Train" you had to listen. You could not talk, read or even think about anything else but the music. The bass grabbed you by short hairs and would not let go. The dynamics just made us shake our heads. This modest stereo would embarress several much more exspensive systems I have heard. At least for about thirty minutes.
I would enjoy giving you my opinions on the Mid-East situation but I don't have the time right now...maybe later if I get enough requests.

Steve