A new beginning

[ajay124]

Staxx

When I was in my 30's, I used to live with the notion that old age and bad health were things which happened to other people. But subtle physical and mental changes begin happening as you enter your 40's. Cloudless blue skies gradually start turning ominous grey. Silver linings start assuming a tinge of rust. Your body and mind start sending you messages that it is time to s-l-o-w down. You may choose to listen to these messages. Or you may choose to listen to Johnny Rotten and Neil Young - "It's better to burn out than it is to rust"

I knew that the first thing I had to do was to free myself from my three packs a day smoking addiction. The fact that after 25 years I was finally able to break out of this prison gave me a lot of strength for taking further tough decisions. Next on the cards was to get out of my habit of consuming a quarter bottle of alcohol every day. Single malt helped me to get out of this one. The very first time I tasted a Laphroiag (still my favorite) I knew it was the end of my indian made 'foreign' liquor days. Once you have heard high end audio, you can't go back to m pee 3! As I could barely afford one bottle of duty free Laphroaig per month my alcohol intake went down. I also realized that for achieving an enjoyable high, the quality of alcohol being consumed is more important than the quantity!

And finally, (after winding up my catering business and retiring forever from the obligation of making clients happy) I stopped eating out and started developing interesting recipes which could be cooked at home. A chat with a dietician convinced me that it is not necessary to diet (or even exercise much) in order to lose weight. All that is required is to cut out a few ingredients which are a staple part of the indian diet. Sugar, refined oil, maida, dals and rice. And remember that casual, thoughtless snacking will prpbably make you obscenely obese! My current diet is soya milk and nutty cereals for breakfast. Two chapatis, vegetables and curd for lunch. A light bowl of soup with vegetables/meats and toasted whole wheat bread for dinner. Almost 1kg of fruits (no bananas) every day. Two large shots of Laphroiag every Saturday. I look and feel far more healthy now, than I used to 10 years ago

 

[GeorgeO]

Hear hear!

I think there are a few other interesting malts though-I like and keep Laphroaig most times in my stock, but hey Balvenie, Lagavulin, Caol Ila, and our very own Amrut Fusion arent bad either.. I picked up a bottle of Aberlour last week from Delhi d-f last week, and have a few more to try-Bunnahabban, Auchtentoshan, Bruichladdich, Oban, among others.

I've migrated mostly to wine though these days-must be because Ive moved from the 40s to my 50s and will be into my 60s in the not so distant future!!

 

[Gerry_the_Merry]

Hi Ajay

I heard macintosh MA6600 integrated amp and focal chorus 836 speakers fed by macintosh CD player (model one below the top end model) and was absolutely blown away. Totally and utterly heavenly. Also heard focal scala utopia and mac mono twins fed by top of the line CD player and was not that greatly impressed.. Do remember to consider macintosh also.

 

[moktan]

it is not necessary to diet (or even exercise much) in order to lose weight.

Be that as it may, the greatest simple pleasure i derive is when i make my 10km run in the morning.
i start when it is quite dark and by the time i am into my last lap the mellow sun light is just caressing the greens, the breeze sweeping my face and the sweat streaming down my brow....
Man it feels great!
A few push-ups and one could not have begun the day on a better note....

p.s. i am just waiting for the monsoons to finish to get back to this running routine. right now the fields are water logged and a dog bite put paid to my plans to jog on the road....

 

[Staxxx]

Staxx

When I was in my 30's, I used to live with the notion that old age and bad health were things which happened to other people. But subtle physical and mental changes begin happening as you enter your 40's. Cloudless blue skies gradually start turning ominous grey. Silver linings start assuming a tinge of rust. Your body and mind start sending you messages that it is time to s-l-o-w down. You may choose to listen to these messages. Or you may choose to listen to Johnny Rotten and Neil Young - "It's better to burn out than it is to rust"

Really good to hear your story. I worry about it....as I am now well into my 40s. I became a diabetic when I turned 40 and I know what that did to my Dad and very quickly. I still find it hard to give up sugar, being in India, but I try to keep it in some moderation.
Nice list of malts from GeorgO !! I only drink very sparingly and never smoked, however that does not make me any more healthier. I love wine, but auctioned most of it when I moved back. Have some very nice bottles here but not sure how best to store them (Mouton Rothschild 2000 for ex.).
Just need to get into a good exercise routine here. Am trying yoga three times a week, which makes me feel good but does not really help me lose weight.

 

[ajay124]

Staxx

It is difficult to give up smoking. It is relatively easier to give up sugar. The tempting little sugar and calorie bombs sold by sweet shops can prove to be as deadly as those little white sticks. Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in India. I lost my dad to this disease. He was an extremely healthy and active individual. He became diabetic in his late 40's. But he did not change his eating habits until the silent destruction caused by diabetes became apparent in his mid 50's. He finally succumbed to renal failure in his late 60's. His two year battle with renal failure involving endless rounds of nephrology departments and depressing biweekly cycle of hemodialysis will remain etched in my memory forever. I lost both my parents by the time I turned 40. I believe to some extent we retain our childhood as long as our parents are alive. Somewhere in the back of our minds we view them as bulwarks protecting and sheltering us from the terror of death. But once they are gone we finally come face to face with the transient nature of our life.

I hope this does not sound too serious for a hifi forum. But even hifi can only be enjoyed if we are blessed with good health

 

[prem]

Hi Ajay

Great to hear you have finally taken the plunge to settle in Goa.

Now that you are planning to rebuild a system, maybe you should consider a different kind of speaker. To me a speaker is like a whisky or a wine. Different flavours but they can all be intoxicating. You have lived with dynamic speakers. Maybe you should look at an open baffle or a single driver or an electrostatic. Amp can be decided once you firm up your speaker. IMO there is no need to consider another cd player now. You have a pretty decent one.

 

[ajay124]

Dynaudio C 1 + McIntosh + Clearaudio Champion - YouTube

 

[square_wave]

dude, i moved form a totl JRDG Coherence 2 Preamp + Krell FPB 200 (then Bryston 4bsst2) to a Accuphase E-460... and believe me, it is an upgrade... unless you hear an Accuphase, you really do not know what you are talking about!

The 460 has a superb pre-amp section and an outstanding power section. to do better i'd have to spend a big big packet of money and even then, it would amount to a debatable 5% betterment.

But, yeah, how to I explain it unless you hear it yourself??? Many FM's have come, heard and understood what i am writing about!

But believe me, just because you are moving away from a pre/power set up to an integrated, does not mean that you are downgrading....

it like saying that you are moving from a big Honda Accord to a (small) MINI Cooper, hence you are downgrading! LOL!

I agree.

There are no rules like that. Purposefully designed intergaretd amplfiers can easily beat comparably price seperates.

Some integrated amplfiers I have heard and especially like for Classical music.

Accuphase - I have heard them intermittently. It would be an awesome experience to hear the E 350 and the absolute tune in the same system for a comparison.

Symphonic line RG 10

Einstein Absolute tune There is completeness to the sound with this amp which I have not heard in anything else. The combination of this amp with the blumenhofers is awesome ! perhaps Malvai can also comment on this combnation since he spend a lot of time with it recently.

 

[square_wave]

Staxx

When I was in my 30's, I used to live with the notion that old age and bad health were things which happened to other people. But subtle physical and mental changes begin happening as you enter your 40's. Cloudless blue skies gradually start turning ominous grey. Silver linings start assuming a tinge of rust. Your body and mind start sending you messages that it is time to s-l-o-w down. You may choose to listen to these messages. Or you may choose to listen to Johnny Rotten and Neil Young - "It's better to burn out than it is to rust"

I knew that the first thing I had to do was to free myself from my three packs a day smoking addiction. The fact that after 25 years I was finally able to break out of this prison gave me a lot of strength for taking further tough decisions. Next on the cards was to get out of my habit of consuming a quarter bottle of alcohol every day. Single malt helped me to get out of this one. The very first time I tasted a Laphroiag (still my favorite) I knew it was the end of my indian made 'foreign' liquor days. Once you have heard high end audio, you can't go back to m pee 3! As I could barely afford one bottle of duty free Laphroaig per month my alcohol intake went down. I also realized that for achieving an enjoyable high, the quality of alcohol being consumed is more important than the quantity!

And finally, (after winding up my catering business and retiring forever from the obligation of making clients happy) I stopped eating out and started developing interesting recipes which could be cooked at home. A chat with a dietician convinced me that it is not necessary to diet (or even exercise much) in order to lose weight. All that is required is to cut out a few ingredients which are a staple part of the indian diet. Sugar, refined oil, maida, dals and rice. And remember that casual, thoughtless snacking will prpbably make you obscenely obese! My current diet is soya milk and nutty cereals for breakfast. Two chapatis, vegetables and curd for lunch. A light bowl of soup with vegetables/meats and toasted whole wheat bread for dinner. Almost 1kg of fruits (no bananas) every day. Two large shots of Laphroiag every Saturday. I look and feel far more healthy now, than I used to 10 years ago

Great thoughts there bro. I too hit 40 recently. I can totally relate.

 

[mpw]

I am on the verge of 40 too and i can relate to your point about giving up smoking and parents being a subconscious bulwark or protection..

good health to all..

mpw
==================================================

Staxx

It is difficult to give up smoking. It is relatively easier to give up sugar. The tempting little sugar and calorie bombs sold by sweet shops can prove to be as deadly as those little white sticks. Diabetes is one of the most prevalent diseases in India. I lost my dad to this disease. He was an extremely healthy and active individual. He became diabetic in his late 40's. But he did not change his eating habits until the silent destruction caused by diabetes became apparent in his mid 50's. He finally succumbed to renal failure in his late 60's. His two year battle with renal failure involving endless rounds of nephrology departments and depressing biweekly cycle of hemodialysis will remain etched in my memory forever. I lost both my parents by the time I turned 40. I believe to some extent we retain our childhood as long as our parents are alive. Somewhere in the back of our minds we view them as bulwarks protecting and sheltering us from the terror of death. But once they are gone we finally come face to face with the transient nature of our life.

I hope this does not sound too serious for a hifi forum. But even hifi can only be enjoyed if we are blessed with good health

 

[Thad E Ginathom]

Staxx

When I was in my 30's, I used to live with the notion that old age and bad health were things which happened to other people. But subtle physical and mental changes begin happening as you enter your 40's. Cloudless blue skies gradually start turning ominous grey. Silver linings start assuming a tinge of rust.

...

Once you have heard high end audio, you can't go back to m pee 3!

And one one starts to seriously loose hearing, there ceases to be a point to the desire to upgrade to better sound. It was only a few days before the last hearing test that I answerd the question, if rich, how would you spend your money, with "Audio equipment... lots of it, just to play, to try out, to experiment... " But I suppose I just have to include a studio-quality EQ and I can start dreaming again hyeah:

Youngsters: Look after your ears now or you will regret it later!

It is difficult to give up smoking. It is relatively easier to give up sugar.

Giving up smoking is easy: I did it lots of times!

No, the final time was not easy ... but giving up sugar? Oh heck ...just not possible :sad:

 

[metalmickey]

will touch 30 coming november and this thread though seems loaded with shades of grey still a valuable read to warm me/warn me of how life will be in a decade for me!!!!!!!!!as for smoking am still in that 2-3 puff sticks /day need to bring that down/quit...atleast before marriage

 

[musicbee]

Giving up smoking is easy: I did it lots of times!

No, the final time was not easy

Sailed the same boat... 3-4 pack per day smoker and tried to quit many times... finally did too!

but giving up sugar? Oh heck ...just not possible :sad:

That would be hell... I need dessert after every meal and if nothing is available then at least I will raid the refrigerator for ice cream or at the very least Dairy Milk (which truth be told I consume by the dozen every week)... and no I'm not in my preteens... early 30s but I spend most of my money on CDs and chocolates when traveling abroad.

Anyways back to OP's topic... have always dreamed of relocating to Hawaii or Goa when I retire. Nothing like a house by the beach.

 

[manoj.p]

will touch 30 coming november and this thread though seems loaded with shades of grey still a valuable read to warm me/warn me of how life will be in a decade for me!!!!!!!!!as for smoking am still in that 2-3 puff sticks /day need to bring that down/quit...atleast before marriage

I think marriage is more dangerous to health compared to 2/3 smokes per day. hyeah:
You have that coming!

 

[ajay124]

Two interesting quotes in the previous two posts:

Without music, life would be a mistake - Friedrich Nietzsche

It's perfectly fine to have a 'Preference', just don't push that as 'Reference' to others.

I read Friedrich Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra in a farmers hut which was dangerously perched on a lonely mountain top. It was Christmas eve and snowing heavily outside. But I had a bottle of Sea Pirate to keep me warm. And Nietzsche's sparkling and life changing prose. My teachers have mostly been the great writers, philosophers and poets of the 18th and 19th century. I have given very little credence to anything that anybody else has tried to teach me.

"The surest way to corrupt a man is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently. "

Believe me! The secret of reaping the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment from life is to live dangerously!

-Friedrich Nietzsche

 

[ajay124]

I got my new speakers yesterday! Dynaudio Focus 110 have been on my wish list ever since Sidvee put them for sale several months ago. It is incredible that they were not snapped up immediately. I doubt if there are many speaker available in India for 50K which can stand up to the Focus 110. One pm each way was enough to close the deal. Sidvee mailed me a lot of pics of the speakers even though they were not needed. Based on Sidvee's posts and his set up I would blindly trust him to buy good stuff and take good care of it.

The speakers arrived promptly yesterday. The packing was excellent but it seemed to have been opened at some point during the shipping. One of the tweeters had deflated inwards. I made a funnel over the tweeter with my hand and inhaled hard. It worked! The tweeter is back to its normal shape. I expected the speakers to be very good, but I am absolutely astounded at how good they actually are. I have not heard them before and had no idea that a small bookshelf could perform at this level. Sine I only have one interconnect at the moment, I mated them with my Esoteric cdp+Cyrus 6VS2 amp. The Dyn's yawned and looked at me sarcastically. They were clearly not impressed with 50 Watts of mid-fi British amplification. Sound was crisp and detailed but the amp was clearly no match for the speaker. I dug up an old interconnect which is normally bundled with cheap electronics. Shifted everything to my main set up in the 25x16x13 living room. I used the Transparent Audio interconnect from the cdp to the pre and the cheapie one from the pre to the power amp.

My amps have been lying idle for a few days. It took them 20-30 minutes to warm up. Gradually things started getting interesting. I had initially placed the speakers around two feet away from the front wall. Gradually I moved them further into the room. I used a pair of Dynaudio Audience 122's as makeshift stands. Final position is 2.5 feet from the side walls. 5 feet from the front wall. Distance between the speakers is 8 feet. Distance from my listening chair is 10 feet. As the speakers are placed atop the Audience 122's the tweeters are not at ear level when I sit down. But the Dyns don't allow you to sit down. Their restless, probing and darting energy is truly incredible. They are highly musical and highly detailed. Absolutely no distortion. And they love the 4B SST'S 500 Watts. I am sure they would love a 7B SST even more! I am no longer sure whether a 150 Watts Accuphase or Esoteric will be able to drive these hungry little speakers. They may be little in size but they are as capable of filling a 400 sq feet room without breaking into a sweat. They are a worthy successor to the Vienna Acoustic Beethoven Baby Grands. Not superior. Not inferior. Different. They bring a much needed change to the sound of my system. A new beginning. The new amp is coming soon. A new system which I am looking forward to enjoying for a couple of years at the very least. Yesterday's music session lasted from noon till midnight!

Going back to the music. More later

 

[mpw]

its not surprising.. not in the least.

There's hardly anything to beat a good 2 way bookshelf for stereo..

My speakers are pulled about 7 feet from each other and about 5 feet from the rear wall and about 2 feet from the sides when i am in the mood for serious listening.

The Dyn Focus 110 were on my shortlist too but i plumped for the Epos M12i partly because they were cheaper for me and partly because the rest of my chain would accomodate the Epos better.

daane daane mein likha hai..

see if you can get some good stands and that would make it even better.

)

rgds
mpw

 

[manoj.p]

Ajay, Very nice write up, detailed post. Nice proportions on speaker placements in the room. can you also try one more thing and move your seating distance to 8 ft, same as the distance between speakers? See if you can feel the expansion of sound stage and overall spaciousness.

 

[Staxxx]

There's hardly anything to beat a good 2 way bookshelf for stereo..

Nice write up Ajay. I demoed a very good 2 way bookshelf today as well in Bangalore...the Harbeth P3ESR...very natural, dynamic and balanced. Outstanding imaging. But of course, you must pay for these excellent qualities !