Road Trip

As I was driving through Iowa today, I decided to see if I could find any audio dealers in the area. I figured as I do not live in Iowa, there might be some dealers that carry some products that I do not usually get to listen to, and maybe I might find something cool. Well, I found Audio Video Logic a home theatre and high end audio dealer in Des Moines, IA. I decided to stop in on my way through town to see what I could see.

Well, I found a cool store with some great guys working in it. If you are in the area I recommend checking them out. Knowledgeable staff and some great equipment. I was able to listen to a system consisting of a pair of B&W 705s and a Rega Apollo, which I had heard before, and a First Watt Aleph J amp with a Pass Labs X1 preamp which I had not heard before. I had read a lot about both companies, particularly First Watt and I was excited to actually hear some of their products.

It was quite an amazing sound. A huge soundstage, way bigger than the room I was in. All of the music was very crisp and clear as well, very much a pleasure to listen to. The thing that impressed me the most, however, was how silent the system was when there was not anything playing. The silences in the music were truly silent. It was great. The sales guy I spoke with suggested it was the fact that the X1 has an outboard power supply and that isolates it and keeps things quiet. I dunno if that is true, but whatever the cause it sure produced a great effect. I look forward to a day that I can hear more from both companies.

Continuing Revolutions

Since we last chatted, I have been continuing my journey through the world of records. Over the past weekend I replaced the Shure cartridge on my turntable with one from Grado Labs, the entry level Prestige Black. It has made a world of difference. I do not know if I can say it is a better cartridge than the Shure one, but the Shure one was maybe 20 years old, so anything is better. Right away the records were cleaner, clearer, more alive.

To go with my new cartridge, I also picked up a copy of Mike Doughty's Haughty Melodic on vinyl. I really wanted to hear what a new record sounded like, and as this is one of my favorite albums, it is one that I know well and I knew I would listen to a lot. I gotta say it is amazing. I am not quite yet prepared to say that the vinyl version is definitively better, but it is definitely different. The record sounds more present, more authentic, for lack of a better word. I did feel at first that there were some details that I was missing on the record that I heard on the CD, but after listening for them specifically I could hear them, they were just quieter than I was used to. This could be because the record is less detailed, or it could be because the CD is just more compressed and the record is what the musicians and engineers actually intended. I wish I knew.

What I do know is that I am really enjoying the records. I think it has a great, fun sound. And while I am not sure if CD or vinyl is better, or if that can ever be determined, I am sure having fun comparing them.