After almost 5 years of not playing my stereo regularly I hooked my stereo back up yesterday - it was like kissing an old girlfriend.
Long story, but I decided to get into physical shape about 10 years ago.
4 years of mostly watching what I eat and increasing activity including experimenting with some manual labor for 1-1/2 years.
3-1/2 years of working out 6 days a week (at very serious levels), 1/2 year of every other day workouts.
Then came moving out of our house of 27 years, 6 months of prep, 6 months of moving in (similar to dead lifts).
Two days ago I decided to unpack my stereo despite having made plans/design for building some wall and laying out lots of Mass Loaded Vinyl soundproofing.
Well, later in the afternoon yesterday I was able to play music once again.
About 20 minutes of FM radio, mostly fuddling with my quickly crafted split wire antenna and positioning it (FM 107.1 WQKL).
About 25 minutes of a Nil Lara CD rescued from my truck because the Eco-friendly cardboard was looking tired.
And the last track on ELP's Lucky Man LP, "Lucky Man" the song. I looked for my Gnarls Barkley (Crazy) LP but my wife had come home, time for dinner.
Overall the acoustics were more friendly than I ever had reason to expect.
I did tweak the location of my DIY center-stage absorber, and did toe back out the left channel near a wall, but other than that it was a room with good bones.
Now I know what the room sounds like without any room treatment or isolation (or purpose built walls).
One good thing is the open stairwell allows almost all of the frequencies into the upper living level (walk out listening basement room).
What this means is, unlike our old house you hear more than bass booming upstairs, you hear music.
This is important because I could not play my stereo in my old place with my wife upstairs and me downstairs, it really was unbearable upstairs.
My home office is now in the lower level stereo room, so I have tunes while I work if I want them. I've had a difficult time putting in hours with just a portable radio that poorly gets in one or two radio stations, been starving for some real music.
One curious thing, my old Martin Logan - Aerius speakers look smaller than I remembered them despite the new space have a slightly less than 7-foor high ceiling. I guess that without sandbox platforms or concrete patio platforms under them (I have a concrete floor slab + carpet now) they are a few inches shorter.
So imagine not consuming one of your favorite foods (or drink) for five years, then getting a taste of it - that's what it was like.
Kind of like getting your old sports car back on the road again come spring time, nothing like it.
Back in the saddle again.
EDIT:
Because it is easier to stay in shape than to get into shape I hope to do more stereo listening from now on. It really is hard to have more than one hobby at a time, but will manage like everyone else does.
Long story, but I decided to get into physical shape about 10 years ago.
4 years of mostly watching what I eat and increasing activity including experimenting with some manual labor for 1-1/2 years.
3-1/2 years of working out 6 days a week (at very serious levels), 1/2 year of every other day workouts.
Then came moving out of our house of 27 years, 6 months of prep, 6 months of moving in (similar to dead lifts).
Two days ago I decided to unpack my stereo despite having made plans/design for building some wall and laying out lots of Mass Loaded Vinyl soundproofing.
Well, later in the afternoon yesterday I was able to play music once again.
About 20 minutes of FM radio, mostly fuddling with my quickly crafted split wire antenna and positioning it (FM 107.1 WQKL).
About 25 minutes of a Nil Lara CD rescued from my truck because the Eco-friendly cardboard was looking tired.
And the last track on ELP's Lucky Man LP, "Lucky Man" the song. I looked for my Gnarls Barkley (Crazy) LP but my wife had come home, time for dinner.
Overall the acoustics were more friendly than I ever had reason to expect.
I did tweak the location of my DIY center-stage absorber, and did toe back out the left channel near a wall, but other than that it was a room with good bones.
Now I know what the room sounds like without any room treatment or isolation (or purpose built walls).
One good thing is the open stairwell allows almost all of the frequencies into the upper living level (walk out listening basement room).
What this means is, unlike our old house you hear more than bass booming upstairs, you hear music.
This is important because I could not play my stereo in my old place with my wife upstairs and me downstairs, it really was unbearable upstairs.
My home office is now in the lower level stereo room, so I have tunes while I work if I want them. I've had a difficult time putting in hours with just a portable radio that poorly gets in one or two radio stations, been starving for some real music.
One curious thing, my old Martin Logan - Aerius speakers look smaller than I remembered them despite the new space have a slightly less than 7-foor high ceiling. I guess that without sandbox platforms or concrete patio platforms under them (I have a concrete floor slab + carpet now) they are a few inches shorter.
So imagine not consuming one of your favorite foods (or drink) for five years, then getting a taste of it - that's what it was like.
Kind of like getting your old sports car back on the road again come spring time, nothing like it.
Back in the saddle again.
EDIT:
Because it is easier to stay in shape than to get into shape I hope to do more stereo listening from now on. It really is hard to have more than one hobby at a time, but will manage like everyone else does.
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