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Post by Boomzilla on Jan 30, 2024 8:43:12 GMT -5
I agree - back in the day, I liked Grado cartridges (also the Empire ones), but I left moving magnets behind for good when I heard the Denon 103s moving coil. Loved that one, and used it until I “went digital.” It took almost a full decade until digital became as satisfying as the Denon 103s had been. But today, NO amount of $$$ could convince me to return to analog. Not EVER.
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Post by PaulBe on Jan 30, 2024 11:47:27 GMT -5
I agree - back in the day, I liked Grado cartridges (also the Empire ones), but I left moving magnets behind for good when I heard the Denon 103s moving coil. Loved that one, and used it until I “went digital.” It took almost a full decade until digital became as satisfying as the Denon 103s had been. But today, NO amount of $$$ could convince me to return to analog. Not EVER. I never left LP's because I have too many and I'm not willing to spend money to replace most of them. It was an era. It's the music that moves me, not the equipment. That said, I used Empire, Stanton, Audio Technica, Denon 103D, Dynavector Ruby, Various Shure V15's, Sumiko high output MC with the sapphire cantilever, and a few Grados. I heard quite a few more, including a lot of Grado prototypes because a friend of mine was a friend of Joe Grado. Joe would periodically send him cartridge prototypes to evaluate. Then, they would speak by phone and discuss the prototypes. It's not always the most expensive cartridges that produce the best sound. I still have the bodies for 2 Shure V15 type V's, the Sumiko, 2 Grados, and an Ortofon Bronze. They are all good. I'm currently using the Ortofon Bronze. I would still use the Shure V15 type V if the inexpensive replacement styli were available. The Shure had the best tracking, least hum, best sound/cost, and was very gentle to LPs. Shure quit making them and the Library of Congress bought all the remaining stock. I procrastinated buying replacement styli. Alas... I thought the Grado was a MI not a MM... MC, MM, MI, yada yada yada. Pick your sound and enjoy the music.
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Post by leonski on Jan 30, 2024 14:40:35 GMT -5
Last I saw, Grado was made in some building in Brooklyn. Actually? 'Grado Labs'.......if that matters.
Sorry, Boom, NEVER was a fan of Empire Carts. They were 'free' with many TTs of the time but I ended up with Pickering or Shurer.....
My Ultimate? I bought an ORTOFON shaped like the nose of the Concorde and had a built in adaptor to the tone arm....so NO shell
or other mounting issues. Just plug in and turn the knurl. It also came with a lighter counterweight. the weight on the tonearm was
too heavy and would not balance. even pushed all the way forward to the pivot...With the new setup, I had to use an external scale.
That cart sounded wonderful. I'm not 'wordy' with these descriptions, but that was the best I ever heard. Made my M91ED seem like
a chunk of granite on the end of the tonearm.... I suspect the drop in mass (weight, if you live in Peoria) was the reason. Entire tonearm
system must have been 20% less massive......
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Post by leonski on Feb 26, 2024 0:25:37 GMT -5
Todays Movie Double Feature:
1. Earth Versus the Flying Saucers. 1956 Hugh Marlowe. Title tells the story. Pesky Aliens don't seem to get it.
2. It Came From Beneath the Sea. And decided it wanted to eat San Francisco. Faith Domergue and Kenneth Tobey.
Poor Giant Octpus just HAD to be taken out by a submarine. You may have also seen Faith in This Island Earth......
I think letting it eat SF was a coin-flip
Boy, the 50s sure were a great time for sciencefiction movies!
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Post by leonski on Feb 28, 2024 20:28:00 GMT -5
I just wanted to add that I'm a FAN not an 'Expert'.......So I tend to note movies I like, even if not in line for 'Academy Consideration'...... For example? I like Battlefield Earth. John Travolta and Forest Whitaker. Horrible. Awful, even. But I laugh at all the stupid stuff. I'm sure L.Ron Hubbard got a yuck out of writing it.
In a week or 10 days, I'll list the next double feature. Won't be sci-fi.....But I'm thinking of other aspects......of worth...
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Post by SteveH on Feb 29, 2024 20:27:50 GMT -5
I just wanted to add that I'm a FAN not an 'Expert'.......So I tend to note movies I like, even if not in line for 'Academy Consideration'...... For example? I like Battlefield Earth. John Travolta and Forest Whitaker. Horrible. Awful, even. But I laugh at all the stupid stuff. I hear you leonski, my friends cannot understand the movies I watch and love. They tell me the movies are stupid. I am all for stupid movies that keep me entertained and laughing. The best enhancement to stupid/bad movies is Mystery Science Theater 3000. However, MST3K went through good and bad hosts. I am sure your old movie/Sci-Fi tastes are well covered by MST3K remakes.
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Post by leonski on Feb 29, 2024 23:54:45 GMT -5
I just wanted to add that I'm a FAN not an 'Expert'.......So I tend to note movies I like, even if not in line for 'Academy Consideration'...... For example? I like Battlefield Earth. John Travolta and Forest Whitaker. Horrible. Awful, even. But I laugh at all the stupid stuff. I hear you leonski, my friends cannot understand the movies I watch and love. They tell me the movies are stupid. I am all for stupid movies that keep me entertained and laughing. The best enhancement to stupid/bad movies is Mystery Science Theater 3000. However, MST3K went through good and bad hosts. I am sure your old movie/Sci-Fi tastes are well covered by MST3K remakes. But so much MORE. I was going to save this for later, but how about Film Noir? Or the films of 1939? Or PRE Stagecoach John Wayne? Certain directors are to be or Can be followed. Hitchcock? sure. But Stanley Kubrick and many others...... Even some TV, like The Prisoner rise to greatness. Stay tuned for my double feature recommendations....!
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Post by Boomzilla on Mar 2, 2024 9:00:35 GMT -5
Feeling SO zonked this morning - my blood pressure is 80/50. Time to reduce my blood pressure medicine again!
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Post by leonski on Mar 2, 2024 20:09:03 GMT -5
Feeling SO zonked this morning - my blood pressure is 80/50. Time to reduce my blood pressure medicine again! Pulse rate? Exercise level? Does your meter keep a graphic history or can it be downloaded to a computer?
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Post by Boomzilla on Mar 2, 2024 20:39:06 GMT -5
Daily blood pressure (and trending) plus blood sugar levels are automatically sent by my cell phone to my doctor's office. Within minutes, I get notifications by text message of any significant changes or "out of range" results. As a result of lower blood pressures recently, I have an appointment next Wednesday to discuss appropriate changes.
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Post by Boomzilla on Mar 2, 2024 21:17:26 GMT -5
I took another BP reading this evening. My systolic reading is now up to 105 mm Hg, but my diastolic reading remains low (52). I’m also still feeling dizzy. If I don’t feel better by tomorrow morning, I’ll drop into the corner doc in a box or else visit a local ER. Dizziness is highly unusual for me, and I’ve felt dizzy all day.
Boom
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Post by ttocs on Mar 2, 2024 22:59:31 GMT -5
I took another BP reading this evening. My systolic reading is now up to 105 mm Hg, but my diastolic reading remains low (52). I’m also still feeling dizzy. If I don’t feel better by tomorrow morning, I’ll drop into the corner doc in a box or else visit a local ER. Dizziness is highly unusual for me, and I’ve felt dizzy all day. Boom Boom, Sorry for your ills. Hope it's figured soon. This sounds serious! How is your pulse rate? Higher than normal? Consistently rhythmic, or jumpy and inconsistent? Any chance you could be sodium deficient? If it's ok for whatever medical condition(s) might be in play, you could try a 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a glass of water. This can positively affect an ill condition in a short amount of time, assuming dehydration (low electrolytes) is a possibility. Background I donated my left kidney in December, was improving for 6 weeks, but then had steady - then increasing fatigue for the next two weeks, but blood tests showed perfect results. My left adrenal gland was suspected as being imbalanced from the surgery and its severed arteries, so, a cortisol test was suggested along with thyroid if the fatigue continued for another couple weeks. At week 9 I tried a dose of 1/2 teaspoon of salt in water one evening (a common Keto trick when in high ketosis and minerals get flushed out too quickly - Keto Flu) and the next morning I felt much better. My sleeping heart rate fell down to what is normal for me, I slept soundly for the first time since surgery, and my fatigue and weakness were much improved. 12 days later on continued extra salt intake and I feel great. Now, at almost 11 weeks post surgery, daily extra salt consumption solved my fatigue issue along with imbalance (dizziness), sluggishness, and muscle weakness. We, the doctor team and I, don't know yet if this sodium escalation is for the short term or maybe longer. I had a blood draw this morning to test various things suspected to be imbalanced, but which are supposed to adjust over time to having a single kidney. We'll see. BP is back to normal, but was a bit low prior to the increased salt intake. I tell you this as background so you can understand that I'm not just repeating something I read somewhere. I'm an actual test case with real test results, still ongoing. FYI my sodium level was perfect, in the middle of the scale - as was every other metric (the usual blood/urine tests plus all tests related to kidneys and heart specifically), prior to increasing my daily sodium intake.
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Post by Boomzilla on Mar 3, 2024 8:56:24 GMT -5
Thanks kindly ttocs - My BP & pulse rates are back to normal today. I suspect (strongly) that now that I'm on the gout diet (no beef, pork, shellfish, or high fats) that my BP has dropped "naturally" as a result and I no longer need my BP medicine. I texted my doctor and he agrees. So for this week, I'm foregoing my BP medicine entirely, and will use my daily BP reading as feedback. If I begin to approach hypertension, I'll restart the BP medicine as needed. My normal bi-annual lab work will happen this week and the doctor and I will review results. More information than you really needed - I know - but thanks for your concern (and your information). Glenn
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Post by Boomzilla on Mar 3, 2024 11:02:49 GMT -5
Initial feedback on the HIFIMAN HE-X4 planar-dynamic headphones: 1. NOT for use with portable devices. The reviews all say this, and they ain’t wrong. Want to see your battery level drop before your very eyes? Just plug these cans into the audio jack and be AMAZED at the current suckage. It isn’t just the low sensitivity but also (I’m assuming) the low impedance that reduces playing time so much. But whatever the reason, these aren’t for use with phones or pads. 2. Not lightweight devices. Got neck issues? These phones seem heavy. I’ve previously owned (by weight - from heavy to light) Audio-Technicas, Sennheisers, and Koss Porta-Pros. These seem heavier than the Sennheisers but maybe not as heavy as the ATs. Probably the magnets for the planar-dynamic drivers? 3. Hot on the ears. The “over-the-ear” cups DO let heat build up. If you’re one who wears cans for hours on end, these may not be for you. I don’t find these as hot as the ATs were, but 30 to 45 minutes is my comfort limit with these. Note that I haven’t yet said a darned thing about how these headphones SOUND. My initial impressions are that they’re very good, but I want to give them a more in-depth listen before I offer a serious opinion. I’ve also invited garbulky (whose ears I trust) to borrow these headphones and chime in. I hope he has the spare time to do so - a comparison of these to his big Sennheisers would be interesting… Boom
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Post by leonski on Mar 8, 2024 2:24:32 GMT -5
MOVIE DOUBE FEATURE
Last entry was a pair of 50's sci-fi movies.
This time? I'm sticking with a single Director.
John Boorman has made many movies from about 1965 ON.
But his best work, IMO were the movies 'The Emerald Forest' and 'Excaliber'.
Call this pair from the 1980s.......and are powerful stuff.
Excaliber is a telling of the King Arthur 'legend' but really adds some power.....Casting is strong and the Visuals are very 'rich'.
The Emerald Forest deals with a European engineer who goes to Brazil to build a dam. But his Son wanders off and is taken in by 'The Invisible People'..... The son finds his way back to his father and succeeds in stopping the project...... Another 'lush' visual experience.
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Post by jackfish on Mar 25, 2024 11:26:03 GMT -5
Don’t forget Deliverance and Zardoz as a rehabilitated cult favorites.
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Post by leonski on Mar 25, 2024 14:28:03 GMT -5
right you are. Nearly limitless choices. I was going to cover Zardoz when I wrote a few lines about Sean Connery......a terrific talent with a large list of good movies.....
I JUST took a look at Zardoz is yet another John Boorman movie......That might qualify me as a 'fan'...../?
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novisnick
EmoPhile
CEO Secret Monoblock Society
Posts: 27,228
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Post by novisnick on Mar 26, 2024 16:32:49 GMT -5
Thanks kindly ttocs - My BP & pulse rates are back to normal today. I suspect (strongly) that now that I'm on the gout diet (no beef, pork, shellfish, or high fats) that my BP has dropped "naturally" as a result and I no longer need my BP medicine. I texted my doctor and he agrees. So for this week, I'm foregoing my BP medicine entirely, and will use my daily BP reading as feedback. If I begin to approach hypertension, I'll restart the BP medicine as needed. My normal bi-annual lab work will happen this week and the doctor and I will review results. More information than you really needed - I know - but thanks for your concern (and your information). Glenn Hi Glenn, somehow I missed your wows, sorry about that. So very glad that your back to ‘hic’ normal. God Bless
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Post by leonski on Mar 26, 2024 18:56:39 GMT -5
Thanks kindly ttocs - My BP & pulse rates are back to normal today. I suspect (strongly) that now that I'm on the gout diet (no beef, pork, shellfish, or high fats) that my BP has dropped "naturally" as a result and I no longer need my BP medicine. I texted my doctor and he agrees. So for this week, I'm foregoing my BP medicine entirely, and will use my daily BP reading as feedback. If I begin to approach hypertension, I'll restart the BP medicine as needed. My normal bi-annual lab work will happen this week and the doctor and I will review results. More information than you really needed - I know - but thanks for your concern (and your information). Glenn Hi Glenn, somehow I missed your wows, sorry about that. So very glad that your back to ‘hic’ normal. God Bless When I use my BP 'thing-ee' I do so FIRST thing in the morning. No coffee. Take maybe 25 steps Max, to the living room and settle for a minute or so before cuffing up..... If I'm concerned for any reason? I'll repeat late afternoon and prior to any big meal.... I just WISH my meter would dump readings with date / time to a computer database. Nothing beats DATA I'd also confirm MY meter with whatever the DR is using at a checkup so i wasn't using broken equipment for an important measure. When you get your Labs? INSIST on Vitamin 'D' as part of it. Most (not many.....most) are either off-scale low or very deficient........I supplement and after next labs (who knows when?) will probably increase my daily intake........ www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9573946/Just cut down to 'results' and 'conclusions'.......
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Post by leonski on Mar 26, 2024 19:07:09 GMT -5
This weeks review is of a single ACTOR.
Everyone knows of Jack Nicholson. He is justly famous and I hope well compensated for his efforts.
But few know he started off working for Roger Corman. His 1960 bit in Little Shop Of Horrors (much better than remake)
as a dental patient who ENJOYS pain is an absolute classic. Character? Wilbur Force.
He made a couple more for Corman, The Raven and The Terror. I can't remember which, but one of 'em was shot using sets
from another movie and used the sets on the day before teardown. Kind of meant you GOT the scene or forget it.
Before the end of the 60s? Easy Rider put him with Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper. Nice work if you can get it.
I could go ON and ON with a simple list of movies and accomplishments.
On the Must-See list? Chinatown. One Flew Over the *bleep*oo's Nest. The Shining. The Last Detail.and Mars Attacks! (a parody of himself, maybe?)
This guy DID the work and made it big. I'm not going to quibble of what you do or don't like as a 'favorite', but it's ALL GOOD.
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