Cheese and Crackers with Steve and Kathy

Hi-FiGuy

Member Sponsor
Feb 23, 2015
2,235
754
385
Good morning all, hope your day is going well so far! Yesterday afternoon I visited Steve and Kathy and of course listened to some music. My intentions were to also go to T.H.E. Show also but due to other life concerns this did not happen. Really wanted to go in show of support and meet up with forum members, next year.

Upon arrival at the Williams casa I was graciously greeted with smiling faces and a plate of cheese, crackers,chocolate and fresh strawberry's. Thank you Kathy for preparing the delicious unexpected treat, much appreciated!

It turns out that was the sustenance needed to get through the first bit of our listening session as Steve was telling me about this song he wanted me to here that is on one of Phillips demo discs. Steve pops the disc in the MSB, hits play and no left channel. So diagnostics ensue and about a hour and a half of cable swapping and tube swapping we find the bad tubes that are popping the fuse on the left amp and off we go. Steve has plenty of extra fuses and tubes and the inventory paid off.

Let me say that its been three years since I have been in Steve's room. So there have been many changes since then. The big three would be one, removing the subs from the room, two the addition of Center Stage footers and three the Master Built cable loom. Since all those changes happened its hard to pin exactly what did what as I was unable to follow the progression. I forgot to mention the SME and ZYX, and amazing combo, so big four.

I am here to tell you the improvement was not small, it is, and I am trying to avoid getting arrested by the R.O.N. police here, a game changer!

When I first met Steve and his room I walked away with a little tiny thought in the back of my mind of, why would a speaker of that magnitude in a room that small need sub-woofers. Well as it turns out he did not and the change was huge. The bass is so much tighter and carries much more authority and definition. It brought back the actual sound of the instrument itself.

The next bit I am not sure what made the changes individually but as a sum total the math adds up.

In every system I have listened to in all price ranges there is always a mid range "bloat" I will call it that annoys me to no end. I attribute a lot of that to life/career choices made with my hearing so I always keep it to myself. That bloat has been reduced to minimal levels, to the point I stopped thinking about it.

The entire system has picked up a large magnitude of clarity and definition. The sound-stage has increased in all directions, decays more realistic and the silence between the notes darker The sound has become more real/believable.

The first time I heard a ZYX cartridge I was smitten, to me they do most everything right, top, bottom, middle. To me a lot of expensive carts do one or the other extremely well at the expense the other. Once I get set back up, the SME/ZYX combination has a future home for sure.

I finally heard R.O.N.s Send in the Clowns and its a nice selection, great ambiance of the room, reminiscent of Jazz at the Pawnshop but better music. Dire Straits The Mans Still Strong has some deep bass passages that came through as they should and the song Brothers in Arms was splendid, the magic of the B3 with Leslie on full display was amazing. Side one of MOFI'S Santana Abraxas 45RPM is a fully sorted out game changer amazing pressing. Steve played a couple Leonard Cohn (sp) tracks that were incredible.Cowboy Junkies Trinity Sessions recorded through a single mic was a pretty special treat. We cranked out a couple usual suspects, Take Five and Hot Stix and the Pink Panther and alas it started getting late and I had to head out.

I do have to ask Steve what the track was that we listened to that sent us under the hood of his kit, all I remember is "a Norwegian gal". While the track sounds beautiful and basic, as it went on there is actually a lot going on in that recording, both musical and ambient, amazing and would like to hear it a few more times.

I was treated better than I deserve and Steves system, while hard to believe, has been transformed to another level, both digital and analog. Again I thank Steve and Kathy for the over the top hospitality.



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the sound of Tao

Well-Known Member
Jul 18, 2014
3,620
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Cheese, crackers, chocolate, nuts, berries, salami and Lamms... sounds like you had all the major essential food groups on a single platter. It’s good when music brings us together to enjoy life. Sounds like a very nice arvo.
 
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Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Hi Mike

It was good to see you after a more than 3 year absence

You never know how your day is going to go when tubes are involved. Thankfully with much patience and your help we got the problem fixed. It’s always good to have extra sets of tubes

The song was the first one I played for you

It’s called Liberty by Annette Askvik a Norwegian singer
 
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Hi-FiGuy

Member Sponsor
Feb 23, 2015
2,235
754
385
Cheese, crackers, chocolate, nuts, berries, salami and Lamms... sounds like you had all the major essential food groups on a single platter. It’s good when music brings us together to enjoy life. Sounds like a very nice arvo.
Without question! Over the years I have become pretty intimate with both Steve and Mikes kits and am always treated better than I deserve on my visits.
It is not just the tunes and equipment that makes the music sound spectacular!
 

Hi-FiGuy

Member Sponsor
Feb 23, 2015
2,235
754
385
Hi Mike

It was good to see you after a more than 3 year absence

You never know how your day is going to go when tubes are involved. Thankfully with much patience and your help we got the problem fixed. It’s always good to have extra sets of tubes

The song was the first I’ve i played for you

It’s called Liberty by Annette Askvik a Norwegian singer
It is what it is my friend, it just added to the total of the evening! As I said it reminded me of the days when my dad would hand me a bag of tubes from the TV or Stereo and some cash and send me down to the local Sav-ons on my bicycle to test and replace tubes as needed.
It was a fantastic evening!
 

Tango

VIP/Donor
Mar 12, 2017
4,938
6,268
950
Bangkok
Good morning all, hope your day is going well so far! Yesterday afternoon I visited Steve and Kathy and of course listened to some music. My intentions were to also go to T.H.E. Show also but due to other life concerns this did not happen. Really wanted to go in show of support and meet up with forum members, next year.

Upon arrival at the Williams casa I was graciously greeted with smiling faces and a plate of cheese, crackers,chocolate and fresh strawberry's. Thank you Kathy for preparing the delicious unexpected treat, much appreciated!

It turns out that was the sustenance needed to get through the first bit of our listening session as Steve was telling me about this song he wanted me to here that is on one of Phillips demo discs. Steve pops the disc in the MSB, hits play and no left channel. So diagnostics ensue and about a hour and a half of cable swapping and tube swapping we find the bad tubes that are popping the fuse on the left amp and off we go. Steve has plenty of extra fuses and tubes and the inventory paid off.

Let me say that its been three years since I have been in Steve's room. So there have been many changes since then. The big three would be one, removing the subs from the room, two the addition of Center Stage footers and three the Master Built cable loom. Since all those changes happened its hard to pin exactly what did what as I was unable to follow the progression. I forgot to mention the SME and ZYX, and amazing combo, so big four.

I am here to tell you the improvement was not small, it is, and I am trying to avoid getting arrested by the R.O.N. police here, a game changer!

When I first met Steve and his room I walked away with a little tiny thought in the back of my mind of, why would a speaker of that magnitude in a room that small need sub-woofers. Well as it turns out he did not and the change was huge. The bass is so much tighter and carries much more authority and definition. It brought back the actual sound of the instrument itself.

The next bit I am not sure what made the changes individually but as a sum total the math adds up.

In every system I have listened to in all price ranges there is always a mid range "bloat" I will call it that annoys me to no end. I attribute a lot of that to life/career choices made with my hearing so I always keep it to myself. That bloat has been reduced to minimal levels, to the point I stopped thinking about it.

The entire system has picked up a large magnitude of clarity and definition. The sound-stage has increased in all directions, decays more realistic and the silence between the notes darker The sound has become more real/believable.

The first time I heard a ZYX cartridge I was smitten, to me they do most everything right, top, bottom, middle. To me a lot of expensive carts do one or the other extremely well at the expense the other. Once I get set back up, the SME/ZYX combination has a future home for sure.

I finally heard R.O.N.s Send in the Clowns and its a nice selection, great ambiance of the room, reminiscent of Jazz at the Pawnshop but better music. Dire Straits The Mans Still Strong has some deep bass passages that came through as they should and the song Brothers in Arms was splendid, the magic of the B3 with Leslie on full display was amazing. Side one of MOFI'S Santana Abraxas 45RPM is a fully sorted out game changer amazing pressing. Steve played a couple Leonard Cohn (sp) tracks that were incredible.Cowboy Junkies Trinity Sessions recorded through a single mic was a pretty special treat. We cranked out a couple usual suspects, Take Five and Hot Stix and the Pink Panther and alas it started getting late and I had to head out.

I do have to ask Steve what the track was that we listened to that sent us under the hood of his kit, all I remember is "a Norwegian gal". While the track sounds beautiful and basic, as it went on there is actually a lot going on in that recording, both musical and ambient, amazing and would like to hear it a few more times.

I was treated better than I deserve and Steves system, while hard to believe, has been transformed to another level, both digital and analog. Again I thank Steve and Kathy for the over the top hospitality.



View attachment 53821 View attachment 53857 View attachment 53858 View attachment 53859 View attachment 53867
The salted cashew nuts, parma ham, cheese and the Williams' hospitality, I say, have bigger role in enhancing terrific sound than the zyx/3012R possibly could.

Tang :D
 
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Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
You don't biamp Wilsons.

I am running my Lamm ML3 Signature amps which are dual mono dual power supply at #2 wpm Pure Class A with DHT

After over 5 years of running a pair of subs in the room I was finally convinced that the bass was better and tighter without the subs. I have never looked back
 
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microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
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ack

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member
May 6, 2010
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Boston, MA
Steve and Kathy are the best hosts!
 

JackD201

WBF Founding Member
Apr 20, 2010
12,308
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1,820
Manila, Philippines
So near and yet so far Stevie. I just now returned from a two week stay in the bay area to attend a wedding and to play Golf at Spyglass and Spanish Bay. Hope springs however as I am expected to visit SoCal later this year <wink> :)
 
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NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
It's ok Mike, Kathy took good care of you with strawberries and cheese and salami and crackers.
This is an excellent thread with a good human touch.

And Steve was also very accommodating with fresh new spare tubes.

What can a good man ask more for.
 

Tango

VIP/Donor
Mar 12, 2017
4,938
6,268
950
Bangkok
I
This is another proof of how are special forumer of WBF
I looked up Merriam-Webster dictionary and found no "forumer." :D
I am glad the owner of this forum give us non native English spoken forumers a break on vocab and grammar.

Tang
 

Hi-FiGuy

Member Sponsor
Feb 23, 2015
2,235
754
385
This is another proof of how are special forumer of WBF
Your presence was with us as we spun Pink Panther as well as DDK David helping us get the amps back on line.
It truly is a community effort and passion.
 

NorthStar

Member
Feb 8, 2011
24,305
1,323
435
Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
I

I looked up Merriam-Webster dictionary and found no "forumer." :D
I am glad the owner of this forum give us non native English spoken forumers a break on vocab and grammar.

Tang

Yes, my French creates grammatical errors occasionally as a foreigner forumer, but the administration is very flexible and accomodating. ...The grammar police.
 

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