Kevin Bresnahan

Stereophile is rag, plain & simple. They have long equated $$$ with "the best sound" and they go out of thier way to back this mantra up with bogus product reviews. I only own one SACD "dud" and that's Peter Gabriel's "Shaking the Tree". It is not that bad either, just not as good as it should be. Considering it's a greatest hits compilation, you would think the individual SACDs that also contain these tracks would sound the same but they don't. They sound great. I would guess that the remastering engineer screwed up... sound familiar?

Do they allow programming your CDs from different sources or rearranging the tracks, or do they make only 1 to 1 copies? Neither has a hard drive so they cannot re-arrange the audio on the fly. However, any standalone CD burner can make a compilation or re-arrange the tracks using the program function. Tedious. The only easy way to re-arrange tracks is to use your PC. As I've said before on other threads, I only use CD-RW discs on my standalone audio burner to record LPs. I take this CD-RW over to my PC, extract the .wav files to my hard drive, manipulate the audio (only if necessary) and then burn onto CD-Rs on my PC. The blanks are cheaper and the burn is much faster. Later, Kevin

I imagine the artist gets set # XXXXX like everyone else who gets comp copies. I always thought that Mosaic kept #1 in house for posterity? I know they have a copy of every set they ever made. That's something I'll have to ask next time I call. Later, Kevin

Well, I'm not Lon but I can answer from my perspective. I've never had any "silence" added to my CD-Rs by pressing the Index button during recording. All the index button does is add a flag to the bitstream indicating a new track and resets the timing info. Other than that, it's a seamless transition. I've ripped a couple of live LPs onto CD and added track breaks and the music plays back just like any other live CD. Kevin

If I had to buy one today, I'd get either a Tascam CD-RW750 or a Denon CDR-W1500. The Denon is a rock-solid machine and can even play back HDCD encoded CDs, which is a nice addition. Tascam's units are basically bulletproof. They have a transport that just won't fail. I believe Chris D bought a Tascam and he's still digging it. Later, Kevin

The website for this card looks pretty good. A few unanswered quaestions remain. They mention "premium digital audio converters" but then don't identify them. What are they? Burr Brown? Analog Devices? They also mention "SCMS copy protection control". What does that mean for PC audio? I wouldn't want SCMS on my PC so I hope it's not included. Kevin

The line out on a PC does not have any amplification. If you attach un-amplified PC speakers, they are simply loads and the sound level will be very low. You're much better off using either amplified speakers or an amp with speakers... which are technically the same thing. Kevin

The green one is a "line out" and it's the one you should use. Head to your nearby Radio Shack and buy an adaptor cable to adapt from the sub-mini jack to "RCA phono jacks" and you'll be ready to roll. Use any open line input on your amp except for the phono input, which has a pre-amp and it should work. You may have to fiddle with the "volume" level on your PC but it's probably easier to simply start at mid-volume. Kevin

Since my account is "linked" to my bank account, I would think that to have two Paypal accounts, I'd need two bank accounts? I thought I read that Paypal requires a linked bank account now just to avoid someone having two accounts? I'll have to look into this. Kevin

I just ran into this with a Mosaic deal... why doesn't Paypal give EU members the option to link up a bank account? Money? It could be. When I want to buy something with Paypal, I simply request a transfer of the amount I need and 3 days later, it's there. It's pretty simple. On the EU Paypal site, they refer to this and list a form you have to fill out. It should be possible. BTW, the way we got around not having this option was to have the money wired into my account. I wouldn't recommend this. The bank on that end charged around 5% and my bank on this end charged $10. What a pain. Are international money orders had to get and/or expensive over there? In the US, we can get them at US post offices. I've never thought of the US as an "easy" place to bank but it does appear that we have some conveniences that we take for granted. All this Paypal stuff drives me nuts. Every time someone sends me a credit card payment, I get asked to "convert" my account. I'd do it if it meant that credit card payments would then be charged 3%. Unfortunately, when you convert ALL charges from then on are charged 3%... that's just not right. Later, Kevin

With Dodge Ram pickups, make sure you check under the dash on the passenger's side after a heavy rainstorm. These trucks are notorious for leaking in the corner of their wrap-around windshields. If left unchecked, it wreaks havoc on the electrical system. 1,600 lbs is a lot and I'd be a lot more worried about how safely the truck will drive rather than damage to the suspension. With that much weigth, turning at speeds above 30 will be tough and plan well in advance for stopping. The brakes will fail if you jump on them... expect major brake fade. Be careful. The worst thing about getting into an accident with that much weight is that it's all right behind you. Slabs of ceramic tile being thrown at you at 65 mph is likely to cause a very painful death. Later, Kevin

Outlaw receivers: 1070 (AV): and RR-2150 (Stereo only): Later, Kevin

Dmitry, I agree the RR-2150 is very goofy looking (the 'R' supposedly stands for "retro), but the 1070 looked pretty good to me... at least the mock-up pictures I've seen from the CES show. Also, the RR-2150 is stereo-only and Impossible is looking for HT. The 1070 will probably be a good choice. I only wish I could've waited for it. I even put my name in to be a Beta tester but I never moved ahead on it once I got my Rotel. Later, Kevin

A good place to do some research is at the AVS Forums. I found this thread started just yesterday that seems to show that there are still some people having problems. In looking around the forums, I see that the Cambridge Audio 540R is getting good reviews so the heat may not be an issue. BTW, I saw the CA 540R for less than Spearit's price. In fact, I believe it was around $550 when I looked at it. Another place to look into HT receivers is the Home Theater Spot or the HT Guide forums. The Audioholics are pretty good for generic audio advice. If you decide used is OK, make sure you visit AudiogoN often. I have bought most of gear from this place and not had a problem yet (knock on wood). I think Outlaw Audio will be coming out with the 1070 by year's end. They have been working on it for many months and they planned to announce pricing/availability at the CE show in San Fran... too bad the show just got cancelled because of a labor dispute. BTW, I eventually bought a used Rotel RSX-1055 for $800 from someone who advertised on AudiogoN. It waswas a lot more than I wanted to spend but so far, it's been great. The only difference between the RSX-1055 and this year's RSX-1056 is Dolby IIx, which isn't a big loss in my book. I use the thing in Dolby Digital or Stereo/Multi-channel audio (SACD/CD music) almost exclusively. I've seen RXS-1055's for as low as $700 on ebay (there's one at $650 right now). It is well worth that! Later, Kevin

I did a lot of research on NAD's receivers about a year ago and I got scared by what appeared to be a lot of quality issues with them. Apprently, there have been quite a few that are DOA. There's also supposed to be a very loud cooling fan. I was worried that this fan, which someone described as sounding like "airplane in the room" would drown out quite scenes on movies. I eventually bought a Denon but I didn't like the user interface so I sold it and bought a used Rotel. However, if I was in the market and I didn't want to look used, I would look closely at the Cambridge Audio 540R. The only negative I've read about this model is that it gets very, very hot during use. If time is not important, wait a few months until Outlaw Audio, an "Internet-only" company, comes out with their new HT receiver. Outlaw has a very good rep as the best "bang for the buck" in audio amplification. As an added bonus, their receiver is reportedly going to have a built in DVI switch... a nice feature for next gen video sources. Later, Kevin

A couple of things to note here: 1) Most of today's wireless phones broadcast at the same frequency as most wireless LANs. If you want to avoid this, stick to 900 MHz. 2) Almost all cordless phones have at least 2 channels. In many environments, one or more channels are weaker than the others. Try switching channels. As for models, my Dad loves Sony but I don't know why... he's on his third one. I have a Uniden model but it's so old, I don't even know if they're still in business. A friend of mine loves his 2.4 GHz Panasonic phone system. He bought the base station and 3 handsets. The only problem is that every time the phone rings, his Internet connection dies. Later, Kevin

Boy, has this thread twisted out of bounds! I am not a human of the female persuasion so I can't identify with this, but my wife considers the "C word" to be the most offensive slur for any woman. Many years ago, she nearly punched out another woman who called her that. In the 25 years I've known this woman, it was the closest I ever saw her come to physical violence. I don't know what it is about that word, but up here in the northeastern section of our country, it's tantamount to calling a woman an "Internet whore" on-line. Later, Kevin

Regardless of her show, regardless of any studio trickery, her CD is not that bad. I have no problem with making fun of the girl for this screw up, which, BTW, was the drummer's screw up. But to leap from a small mistake to "talentless young women" or to the extreme, "no-talent media-whore". That's just totally uncalled for here. Believe me people, I hear all kinds of stuff that gets called "music" by my daughters and Ashlee Simpson's "Autobiography" is one of the few that I don't get up and shut off. It's a hell of a lot better than Eminem or Simple Plan or (shudder) Justin Timberlake or Backstreet Boys or (God No!) Hansen or countless others that get blared non-stop. The thing that grates on me the most is that the radio stations seem to loop the latest crap about every hour. It's so annoying. On the bright side, my youngest just loves Herbie Hancock's "Head Hunters". Later, Kevin

Have any of you posters ever heard Simpson's CD, "Autobiography"?? I have. I have heard it several times, in fact. That's what happens when you have teenaged daughters. It is a very good CD considering some of the other shit that my girls play. Really. She has an OK voice and it doesn't sound all that dressed up in trickery like most others on the radio today. She a little like Avril Livigne with the major difference being that Livigne writes all her tunes. One thing Ashlee Simpson is not is a Brittney wannabee. Britney's stuff got a lot of playing time in my house years ago and every tune sounds like a different "Brittney" because she runs her voice through all these filters. Give the (19 year old) girl a break. She made a mistake. She should have just laughed it off, told the band to stop playing, and kicked off the tune again. Immaturity certainly played a part here. The band, particularly the drummer, should get their asses fired quick. The drummer's screw up likely cost the band a lot of money. Later, Kevin

Wasn't it Malcolm Addey who did the original transfers to CD? According to this post in another thread he was involved. Well I'll be... you are right... Malcolm Addey is listed on the original BN CDs. Well, I know for a fact that when I got the Mosaic I had someone swap the old BN CDs into my system for a blind comparison and no one in the room could tell a bit of difference. Now that I think of it, I seem to recall Michael Cuscuna saying that he didn't remaster these live dates for the Mosaic... I think he said they just pullled the old CD master off the shelf and made Mosaic CDs with it. I'll have to check that. Later, Kevin

I have both the old US CDs as well as the Mosaic, both remastered by Ron McMaster. The overall sound quality isn't all that great so I doubt that RVG can do a whole lot with these masters. Of all the material in the Mosaic, these live dates are usually what I play most often. Very good playing by all. Is it worth $40 for the JRVG? Well, as I was once told by a reissue producer many years ago, "If you want it, buy it, because you never know when you'll see it again. But if you don't buy it, don't worry... it'll get reissued." Later, Kevin

I like "Dippin'" a lot but there's no way it could supplant "Soul Station" as my favorite Mobley date. "Soul Station" has it all... the players, the tunes and flat out great Hank. "Soul Station" is my favorite Jazz date period. I listem to it constantly, but especially when I need a pick-me-up. Later, Kevin

This morning, I am spinning Mobley's "Another Workout". I love this date. It blows my mind that it sat in the vaults for so many years. The tempos are perfectly suited to Hank and he blows lazily behind the beat in the most hip fashion. Philly Joe is in prime form. The echoes off his kit are pure Philly... I would know it was Philly after two drum beats. As for Wynton Kelly, man, he comps so well on this date. I love the trills he adds to "Gettin' and Jettin'". All in all a fun, swingin' date for the Hankster. Later, Kevin

Did you catch that Pittsburgh/Dallas Sunday night?? Dallas absolutely blew it, in "Pisarcik-ian proportions". All they had to do was run a couple of plays, kick a field goal and make a defensive stand against a hobbled Steelers offense. Instead, Testeverde bumps into his running back, fumbles, and the Steelers seal the W. Steelers should've lost that one. The Jets are an enigma. Like NE, they've played some pretty weak teams (that's what we get with the Bills and Dolphins in our division). Who knows if their 5-0 is real? At least we have two tough W's. Not the Jets. Belichick seems to have Pennington's number though. Later, Kevin

When you pop an unfinalized CR-R into a machine with EZ CD Creator (and maybe Nero), there is an option to finalize the session or CD in one of the menus. You should be OK. Much better off than you were with a dead hard drive. Later, Kevin