Speaker Shop

...I know what you're saying...

...who the heck is Matt, and why does he get a section of the Speaker Shop website dedicated to him? Well, he's me! And seeing as how I'm the guy responsible for all of the content of the website, and no one is here to stop me, I'm making this little space for me, and I'm going to fill it with stuff I think is cool. Maybe they'll stop me, and maybe they won't - only time will tell. So strap yourself in, and let's see where this leads!

This ain't no party, this ain't no disco...

...this ain't no foolin' around! Watched The Talking Heads "Stop Making Sense" over the weekend... what a great show! I always dug their sound, but I'm a pinch confused why it took me 26 years to experience this. David Byrne is such a trip, he moves like he's made of silly putty and springs - which somehow perfectly fits the tunes, as well... worth checking out!

Da Hotrod Done Blowed Up.

Stuck in a few ruts...

It's kind of sad, really... there's been a couple of albums that have been stuck in my listening repertoire over the last twelve months. If my bride hears me singing the lyrics to another song off the Monster Magnet album "Powertrip", she's likely to hit me with a coal shovel. And it would be justifiable. "Officer, he kept repeating the words 'I'm never gonna work another day in my life - the gods told me to relax, and said I'm gonna get fixed up right.' " They might even offer her a cash reward... anyhow, here's a list of what's been running in heavy rotation:

	Monster Magnet - Powertrip This is the finest collection of bad rock & roll music since the release of the original Black Sabbath album. Bad guitar riffs, genius lyrics, lead singer on the cover making the secret devil sign - pure awesomeness. If (like me) you haven't managed to develop past 8th grade, you'll love it. If you don't like loud things, don't bother. If you don't understand the term stun guitar, don't bother. If you're offended by curse words, you're likely not going to talk to me - or like this album, so don't bother.
	Modest Mouse - Good News For People Who Love Bad News There's no doubt the guy fronting this band has had a tough life. The vocals are dischordant and strained, the lyrics are just this side of upsetting, being both sardonic and witty. My initial brush with this album was one of distaste, but like a cut on the roof of your mouth, you just can't keep from touching it with your tongue. I'm glad, really... although the overall theme has an oily layer of bitterness and hopelessness, there's a surprising release from being able to accept it and laugh!
	Amy Winehouse - Back to Black This girl has hurt me "a thousand times". The recording quality sucks (so bad in fact, that originally I couldn't listen to it!), the nouveau R&B/hiphop influence is overblown, some of it feels forced... but the voice. Oh, the voice... it's raw, completely untrained, unpolished, not fitted to the chassis that delivers it.  But I CRAVE IT. Her lyrics speak of things she may or may not have lived, but when she sings it, it is true. I'm captured by it. The title cut is a perfect example of what I'm talking about here, so check it out.
	Muse - The Resistance I was speaking with a customer one day when this album was playing, and I interrupted him because I didn't know which Queen album we were listening to, and I know  Queen when I hear it - or maybe not! This band channels the late Freddie Mercury, and managed to sound so much like him that I gave the whole thing a listen. Replete with melodrama, soaring vocals and themes of sophomoric rebellion - good modern progressive/alternative rock.
	Devo - Something For Everybody You either get them, or you don't. If you're expecting something new and different from the boys from Akron, Ohio, you're in for a disappointment. Nonetheless, their gig is perfecty suited for here and now - perhaps more now than ever. Their blend of pop and ironic social commentary is right up my alley - as I said below, they're a real thinking man's band. This new release is no different!

Canine versus rosewood.

I've decided that this pair of Harbeth P3ESR's will be my next speakers. For far too long I've put off buying a new pair of speakers... not without good reason, mind you. If you knew there was even the slightest chance of damage to a gorgeous wood cabinet like this, you'd have reservations, too! However, the lummox is finally slowing down a bit, and it's been a while since any of the furniture has mysteriously moved while we weren't home (ahem), so it might be safe.

SAVANT!

...while I was out at Savant's training facility, I took a side-trip to visit some friends. One of them was my pal RJ Martin, maker of the world's finest tactical knives. We did a quick bit of fishing in the Atlantic, and had a blast fighting stripers!

Tube awesomeness!

	Speaker Shop has acquired a connection to tube manufacturing giant Shuguang. We've brought in their finest series of tubes ever - The Shuguang 50 Years Treasures tubes. Before I shot this image, I loaded a set into one of the Tri integrateds... it's warming up now, and after I adjust bias we're going to do some serious listening. Honest, this is work! This is my job, after all... ; )

Are we not men? We are DEVO!

My buddy Alex caught the DEVO show in town (supporting their recent album release "Something For Everybody") last week, and this is what he said about it:

"I thought they were rather tame on Letterman so was not sure what I was going to hear....turns out they rocked better than 30 yrs ago..Sound was tight and intense! Background computer graphics were outstanding, nice compliment. Whether deliberate or not, it was pretty much a sing-a-long show, everybody within earshot knew them all... most deviant/subversive riff goes to "Mongoloid"!"

Most people think of DEVO as a one-hit wonder from the 80's. Nothing could be further from the truth. These guys are a thinking man's band, with a slashing wit and a crystalline view of the world. Check 'em out!

A really big wrench...

This thing is just too cool not to show people... I had to buy this monster to work on one of my other hobbies (if you think the wrench is big, imagine what kind of machine has bolts on it big enough to NEED a wrench like this!) This puppy weighs 10 pounds, and is designed to be struck with a sledgehammer in order to tighten or loosen bolts. Works so well it makes me want to drive around and find bridges or something and see if any of them need tightening! ; )

My Favorite D/A Converter...

My favorite D/A converter. Over the weekend I got into a discussion with a good customer (triggered by this little web foray, interestingly enough)... Jeff had queried me on a couple of D/A converters we carry, and where I stood on them. Fact is, I wasn't as sure as thought I should have been, so I did some serious listening and reached a conclusion. For music that originally started as cd (such as everything on my server), the McIntosh Labs MDA1000.. this is the crown prince. As good as many of the other units were, this one still won out. What's most interesting is that this particular piece is getting long in the tooth, yet it bested the newest-bestest-fastest pretty handily. So there you have it, Jeff - my favorite digital piece!

Triode Corporation integrated tube amplifier model TRV-35SE:

Yeah, I know - what's the deal with picking a line named Triode and NOT using one of their triode tube designs?!?! I'll tell you why - this amp is impossibly well built, will drive darn near any speaker you might want to try it with, has the warm, lustrous tubey sound of good EL34's, and looks like hot electric sex. AND IT'S CHEAP!!!!!

OFFENSIVELY CHEAP!!!!

As I'm fed up with having to flip the demo unit in the store over & removing all the screws for the bottom plate to show folks how awesome this stuff is, here's a couple of pics I snapped:

Point-to-point wiring, perfect bends and clean wiring layout, fantastic components, pristine...for crying out loud, all the cable ties are aligned and cut perfectly! Made in Japan!

If I could leave the darn things flipped over and use them, I would. Wiring like this just doesn't happen anymore (or at least not often enough, and sure as heck not at this price point without being built by slave labor in countries where you can't drink the water without glowing for a few weeks afterward.

Here's a shot of the back:

Before anyone says it, I'll jump into the fire - yes, it sounds as good as it looks. We had it hooked up to the new Monitor Audio Silver series towers, and everyone that listened to the system (incuding the staff) agreed it was the best they'd ever heard the speakers sound. Lush, smooth, plenty of bottom end. For $1900, this is not to be overlooked. If you thought tube gear like this had to cost a fortune, he's proof that you were wrong - and we all know how much I love telling you that! ; )

I've had a couple folks call or stop in and point out that they didn't understand what the big deal was with the interal pics of the amp, so for a reference, here's a 'classic' amplifier's internals from the 1950's:

COFFEE!!!!

So, I've been roasting my own coffee lately. A relative sent me a little counter-top roasting machine that needed some TLC and an almost-impossible-to-find relay. Lots of searching and a little soldering later, we're making the house smell awesome (enough to overpower the stink of the dumb lummox mastiff!), and the morning experience is an adventure every day. This morning was Honduran. We're buying from Sweet Maria's.  Neat cup, lots of texture and full bodied with just a tinch of acid at the finish. One of the guys here has been roasting his own for a couple years, doing it with a stovetop popcorn popper. His results are spectacular, so it's obvious you don't have to spend any money to do this. I'm just lazier than he is!

3DTV...

There's a lot of buzz about this. You've got some folks panting and raving like lunatics that this will rival the next coming of insert deity you subscribe to here, and there's plenty of sneers and jeers from naysayers that probably don't like anything, anyway. We've got it for demonstration. It's pretty interesting how different everyone's reactions have been, as well as how polarizing (I can't believe I just made that pun) it is. My own thoughts go something like this: If you're predisposed to dig stuff like this, you're gonna dig it. I think the greatest penetration will be with gamers, but you just can't rule anyone else out. Like any technology advance, the 'deal-sealer' will be how quickly the various software companies manage to release stuff that people can wow themselves with.

AWESOME...

This picture makes me happy.

Remember, people... if you haven't experienced a listening session of Lesley Olsher at Mach 5 volume levels on one of the reference systems we've got upstairs, you don't know just how good you have it. Make sure you ask for an audition when you stop in!