Capt. Beefheart and Magic Band in Rome (1968)

 

Candies shop

 

Sure a plane 😇

 

Like a rolling stone

 

The Clamp Mk2 - the success of a failure

 

Has been an hell of an year, yet - audio-wise - has been a veritable turning point - my Studer C37 was rescued after being kidnapped for almost two years, I left multi-amping on my Gotorama choosing the uber-resolution of a small 2,5W triode DIY amp, I further refined my Garrardzilla, being back to Micro CU500 mat and Jean Hiraga pigskin mat (amazing!), the DaVa field coil cartridge arrived and it blew away anything else, and I conceived and made a groundbreaking, composite-clamp which - humbly said - further HUGELY improved the overall sound to an unexpected level 😳

On first sampler, I used a 25 years old, luthier-grade African ebony which was lathed and made the outer part of a bronze part; the choice was suggested by the smoothness of silky ebony so pleasant to handle and the bronze weight and vibes rejection properties.

While I’m still using one of the above mk1 ebony/bronze (aka Ebronzy) gizmos, a sampler I shipped to Northern Europe, after (probably) the deep-freeze temperature during cargo flight, after being used for a week or so by a friend with great pleasure and satisfaction, the ebony began to show some small fissures, a clear sign of wood-stress after being lathed and changing temperature and humidity.

To my my surprise, my sampler remained and still remains after a couple of  months of daily use, just perfect as when it was delivered by the lathing workshop.

... but - what a lesson! - applying the trial&error discipline, from a potentially painful accident I learned, stopped, breathed and... began searching and mumbling and searching... I was so positively impressed by this double material clamp after years using a bronze-only one, I decided to explore further and further and... yeah!!!

I found it! 

There is a marvelous material called “ebanite”, a composite created in 1849 whose use spreads from sax and clarinet to smoking pipes mouthpieces.

I sourced it - at a cost😇 - and had it lathed instead of potentially self-destroying ebony to become the outer part of clamp.

The appearance was superb, indeed... silk-smooth and dead sounding when coupled to bronze inner-core, yet highly pitched when hitting on a solid surface.

A promising mk2 clamp was made and I brought to my Studietto leaving on a shelf, still using every day the mk1 ebony/bronze one.

Two days ago I felt I had to give a try to the mk2... out of curiosity more than needing further sound improvements, must say...

I placed on Garrardzilla’s platter a beloved disc of mine, Collin Walcott’s Grazing Dreams on ECM, an highly sonically praised record (also appreciated by Arthur Salvatore, whose hearing skills and tastes are first-rate).

The Don Cherry’s trumpet and flute and John Abercrombie’s liquid electric guitar are to be listened to be believed, so full of nuances and so powerful!

I placed mk2 clamp on the fly and seated on my lounge chair... no one was there but me to witness my face when I heard first notes!!!

A sense of infinite power, grain-free on whispering shimmering cymbals to sitar and trumpet carved in space, every note clear and zest and lively.

Effortless!

I shot the whole disc like I was listening to my system for the first time... a seldom experienced sensation!

I changed to the double record-set Valentine by Bill Frisell Trio and again, WOW! the system was disappearing, no wires and electronics and horns and drivers... only music 🎶 and a sense of trueness and righteousness hard to believe!

After about two hours I tried to return to ebony/bronze mk1 and the clarity I previously so much appreciated was slightly substituted by a syrupy smoothness, not unpleasant, but less fiery and life-like than mk2 “ebanite”.

Audio-jewelry 😇

The new clamp is 1650 grams, 200 grams more than mk1, but I strongly suspect the crazy improvement I experienced isn’t due to weight increase, only... the vibes taming properties of the twinning materials and the matching with vinyl disc sure plays a role.

Must considering that - how much I love this music and audio passion - from a failure comes a success, a new benchmark... sure a personal one!

I ended an exhilarating listening session with a vibes/double-bass/trombone weirdo, in awe...

Happy New Year, folks🥂🥂🥂

The best wishes

 

GEC A1834

 

The very best non-directly heated double triode on the planet?

Tubo Cochleato

 

RIP for Tony Rice

 

Beside not being myself a flat-picker guitar player, Tony Rice (and Norman Blake) always intrigued me... Tony was a maven and his ex-Clarence White ‘35 enlarged soundhole D28 represented a musical Zenith in bluegrass, Dawg and NAM!

My deepest condolences to his wife Pam and daughter India for their loss ❤️🌸❤️

A Fab Christmas 🥂

 

Disc of the Month

 

... not my fault this disc dates back to... 1965! 😇

Thanking my pal Frank 🥂

An Ornette Coleman Christmas

 

A Steve Lacy Christmas

 

Arvo Pärt’s season’s greetings

 

Rory Gallagher’s Fender Stratocaster and records collection

 

A 1961 vintage Strato road-worn to the bone with a lot of mojo!

Sad news: TdP passed away!

 

I’m devastated, folks... Baron Tim de Paravicini, the Godfather of audio and true lighthouse for yours truly and many many others, passed away yesterday in Kyushu, Japan.

He was fighting cancer like a warrior, remaining curious and witty ‘til the last breath.

I’m really sad and am not able to express the pani I feel...

It was such an honor spending some hours in his company, enjoying his conversation... and enriching experience.

His broad knowledge will be a treasure for the world and the many who know and appreciated him.

I’ll miss him dearly...

My deepest, sincere condololences to his bloved wife Mrs. Oliva Yoshino, and to his sons and family.

 

Studer C37 is back 🥇🥇🥇

 

2020 in a picture

 

The Christmas Yard Sale 2020

 

Mostly showing on-consignment goodies - i.e. the property of dear friends of mine, downsizing their super audio systems - for this pandemic yard-sale edition:

Philips AX5 stereo tube tuner

A one of a kind Technics SP10 mk2 in bespoke plinth and PSU, ready for SME 12” (SME312 shown isn’t included)

RULLIT Aero-9
-------------------------
a wonderful and unique realization of full-range loudspeakers with rare 9 "single-track Alnico field coils handmade by Oleg Rullit, as well as the leather upholstery, Whizzer Cone and even the super light membrane. Each speaker made by Rullit is a unique piece, like all his production (each couple is different from the other).
Cabinet design made by Rullit, top execution with black mirror lacquer; furniture, engineering of the whole and super power supply with components of the highest level performed by Climenaudio, full description here:
https://www.clinamenaudio.com/p-1134-atelier-rullit-aero-9-field-coil
Made on December 2019, played very little, really still new, absolute purity, musicality, transparency, speed.

Thoress F2A11

with great reluctance for sale an immaculate specimen of the THÖRESS F2a11 Single-Ended Triode Integrated Amplifier MkI. The device has been kept in an absolutely maniacal way, is complete with original packaging, manual etc and has played very little. The web reviews speak of this object in an absolutely sublime way in its ability to deliver music in a natural and refined way ... and indeed it is.

"Extreme" amp for SATYA headphones: E55L Mono valve + Audeze LCD-3 headphones

SATYA TECHNICAL SHEET

Made with very high transconductance triode and Custom Clinamen output transformer with Vacoperm core
Valves: 1 x EZ81 / 6CA4
Single valve circuit ty
p. 2 x E55L
Custom Clinamen 1: 2 translating input transformer with Vacoperm core
at clipping (medium high) -> 800 mWatt RMS
Input sensitivity for 500
Output power with distortion below the 1% threshold -> 500 mWatt rms
Output power
 mWatt rms power -> 900mVolt rms
Selectable output impedance, via external switch on 32 or 128 ohm
3 RCA inputs selectable by rotary switch
nductive filtering with independent
Bandwidth at -1 dB: 16 Hz -> 67 KHz
zero feedback
Filaments fed continuously with independent power supplies
Valve straightening with EZ81
I LC decoupling for each stage
weight: 12 Kg
 

HEADSET AUDEZE
https://www.audez
Cork dampened polypropylene anodic capacitors
Output Noise: 0.20mVrms
Absorbed electrical power: 37 Watts
Dimensions (including front knobs): L: 50cm D: 28cm H: 20cm
ge.com/products/lcd-3

FEASTREX VIVACE 5 "- The Vivace loudspeakers use a particular version of the 5-inch electro-excited Feastrex 5ex driver called CW loaded in a tuned chamber cabinet. The efficiency of over 95 db makes them particularly suitable to be combined with refined monotriodes or small solid-state amplifiers of a few watts. The sound has electrostatic transparency, richness of detail and extension that makes the use of additional tweeters and subwoofers completely superfluous. Unsurpassed tone and harmonic richness. For true music lovers with a capital M. ! The speakers work with a very high quality Feastrex external-power supply, supplied with the speakers.

Please email to stefanocello-AT-gmail-DOT-com