Winters and headcolds seem to go hand in hand, and unfortunately, I’ve spent the greater balance of my winter holiday recovering from one. Confined to the indoors for the better stretch of the last two weeks, I’ve found solace in other activities, such as binge-watching movies, boxing matches, and audio reviews, and listening to music — be it digital or analog. Sometimes, my wife, Belle, joined me. She has also been recovering from a cold, stayed home from work for several days, and commiserated with me. We spent all Christmas day covered in blankets on our listening area/family room, watching shows and listening to music — only rising to get food or go to the restroom.
Nevertheless, it was a productive time, as well. I wrapped-up my review of the Dynavector XX-2A MC phono cartridge (you can find that elsewhere by typing Juan C. Ayllon and Dynavector XX-2A), installed some spikes on my quartz speaker bases (you can read about that HERE), engaged in some experimentation, freed-up some funds by selling a few items, and discovered some new music.
One of the experiments I tried was, first, placing a couple five pound weights and, later, some heavy books atop my ATC SCM40 loudspeakers to see if they tightened the presentation. A friend had recommended it. The idea was to really ensure that the tweeters and drivers remained absolutely anchored and still with the added weight. However, in the end, I found the experience inconclusive; sometimes, the bass appeared a little tighter and weighty, and sometimes not.
Following the completion of my review of the Dynavector XX-2A, I sold my GoldRing Ethos SE MC phono cartridge. The latter is a very nice cartridge, however, I really enjoy the XX-2A even more, so I sold the GR to to help fund my purchase of the former.
I met the GoldRing Ethos cartridge buyer at a friend’s office and, afterwards, listened to an assortment of digital files and streamed music from Qobuz and Tidal on a pair tall ribbon speakers hooked up to a refurbished tube amplifier in a back room he keeps for listening purposes. I’ll definitely have to listen to some reel-to-reel tapes on that Ampex another time! My friend’s wife works at a front office during the work week, while he repairs audio equipment in one of several rooms in the back. One of his projects, a refurbished Ampex reel to reel tape player, sat in the large space. Catching up, talking shop, and listening to a variety of warm, rich, and sonorous-sounding jazz felt magnificent!
On another rare venture out, I purchased a couple vinyl albums. The Great Concert of Charles Mingus is one such album. I had noticed it several times in the jazz section of a local record store, but yesterday, I asked the owner to play it for me. Initially, I thought it was a bit more free form than I liked. However, I continued browsing while it played and, after a while, I decided that I liked it. Listening to this live recording reminded me of visiting jazz clubs like the Green Mill in Chicago back in the 90s and early 2000s. The musicians were superb, and the recording was excellent! What’s more, I appreciated some of Mingus’s comments on serious racial issues in America at one point during a song break. We had just watched a heart-wrenching movie entitled Till the night before. It dealt with Mamie Till-Mobley’s seeking justice for her 14-year-old son, Emmett Till, who was brutally beaten, hanged, and dumped in a river in 1955 while visiting relatives in Mississippi. Hearing Mingus talk briefly about the horrid race issues on a live mike added an extra sense of poignancy to the previous evening’s viewing, and gave the concert recording surprising historical context and social meaning and relevance. Needless to say, this album is a keeper.
Full disclosure: Other than a swipe with an anti-static brush, I didn’t clean that album before listening to it. However, I rationalized that it was used and had already been played a few times, so listeing to it one more time before an ultrasonic bath shouldn’t hurt. That said, afterwards, along with several other albums, I gave it the full ultrasonic cleaning treatment. It felt good to take care of my vinyl treasures like that!
And during the cleaning, I was able to catch up with a handful of friends over the phone. That was nice!
My throat took a turn for the worse that afternoon, getting a little sore, and so I had to cancel a poker night with the guys at my boss’s house. However, when Belle put her head on my shoulder as we watched another movie last night, my heart felt full. Even though we didn’t do much, I was good.