Doctor's Orders-Part Two-The New Listening Room Of Steve Williams

[rando]

Octagon Portable Desk Lamp

 

[Ron Resnick]

I have been looking for many months for an ideal light to sit behind my equipment or even better a light that is not only bright enough but one that is slim and sleek enough to be able to sit on one of my shelves.

I finally found it 2 days ago while we were in New York City for several days visiting Marty and his wife. We spent an entire afternoon at the recently reopened Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) gift shop. We were finished touring the museum and on the way out we happened to stop in the gift shop and it was there that I found it. This light has won the Gift of the Year Award for its design and function. It is totally wireless as it charges by a USB connector with a battery charge life of 4-48 hours depending on how long it is on and at what brightness

The lights are entirely LED and the light is long thin and flat sitting on an Octagon that houses the rechargeable battery. The Octagon allows for 3 different positions of the light. Because it is wireless (which I had been seeking) there is zero noise imparted to the system and its size and weight make it easy to move from one component to the next if need be. For me it serves primarily by sitting on the shelf behind my turntable

What really makes the light interesting is that it has a touch sensor with 5 positions....low, medium, high, highest and off. At the highest level it literally produces enough light to illuminate my room

Finally the good news was the price.....all of $85 USD and it donates money to a worthy cause (MoMA). It is machine billeted aluminum that comes in 3 finishes.....black, white and mahogany. I bought mine in black

That is a great find, Steve!

I just watched the video –– it is a brilliant design!

Getting proper light in our listening rooms and especially near turntables is an oddly difficult project.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Getting proper light in our listening rooms and especially near turntables is an oddly difficult project.

not odd at all.

there are a number of fundamental conflicts inherent in our priorities, exacerbated by our diminishing eyesight (especially in low light) as we age.

involvement and 'zen' state from the music part is enhanced by dim lighting, but precision and care is required to navigate the vinyl process comfortably, and the real estate around turntables precious. then there are the factors of adult beverages and late night listening when us boomers are tired.

so very well considered lighting is important to meet all the requirements. you have all this (expensive) gear but stumble/bumble around unless you have a well sorted out plan. lack thereof ending up, maybe, an expensive proposition. waaay more expensive than good lighting.

i love my -4- Z Bar Gen 3 LED Floor lamps. not cheap; but they are thin and sit on the floor behind my racks and so don't require any attachment or real estate. i can move or aim them anywhere. the only negative is they are expensive. but they do last relatively forever. i've had three of them for 14 years so far.

 

[Steve Williams]

Mike

This was all of $85 well made and totally portable (no AC) with 3 sitting positions and 4 brightness positions while yours are floor lamps,and are expensive

This is truly the best light I have and is the best $85 investment I have made for a light. Plus proceeds go to MoMA.It gets me anywhere behind my racks or anywhere in my room for that matter. Peter asked to see it and I took a pic of it behind my turntable. I can move it anywhere instantly. No need to overthink this Mike. You might consider one as you might be missing something really good for $85 and no need to plug it in.Gives up to 48 hours on a single charge but as little as 4 hours depending on how bright you set it. I can tell you that the super bright position totally illuminates my room

I am now also using it on the small table to my right for purposes of picking my music.

I haven't had to recharge it yet. No brainer

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike

This was all of $85 well made and totally portable (no AC) with 3 sitting positions and 4 brightness positions while yours are floor lamps,and are expensive

This is truly the best light I have and is the best $85 investment I have made for a light. Plus proceeds go to MoMA.It gets me anywhere behind my racks or anywhere in my room for that matter. Peter asked to see it and I took a pic of it behind my turntable. I can move it anywhere instantly. No need to overthink this Mike. You might consider one as you might be missing something really good for $85 and no need to plug it in.Gives up to 48 hours on a single charge but as little as 4 hours depending on how bright you set it. I can tell you that the super bright position totally illuminates my room

I am now also using it on the small table to my right for purposes of picking my music.

I haven't had to recharge it yet. No brainer

agree that your light is a (one) great solution to the problem. was not trying to say any different. it's an important subject and felt it was a good spot to show alternatives as a helpful reference. not everyone has a spot to set a light down near their turntable. it's got to be attached to a wall or sit on the floor. or they need the light to show at an angle without holding it.

 

[Steve Williams]

agree that your light is a (one) great solution to the problem. was not trying to say any different. it's an important subject and felt it was a good spot to show alternatives as a helpful reference. not everyone has a spot to set a light down near their turntable. it's got to be attached to a wall or sit

i understand and agree. I achieve that effect with my overhead LED’s which go around the perimeter of my ceiling

 

[Ron Resnick]

. . . i love my -4- Z Bar Gen 3 LED Floor lamps. not cheap; but they are thin and sit on the floor behind my racks and so don't require any attachment or real estate. i can move or aim them anywhere. the only negative is they are expensive. but they do last relatively forever. i've had three of them for 14 years so far.

I once looked for your lamps to purchase, and I could not find them. I don’t think they are available anymore.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

I once looked for your lamps to purchase, and I could not find them. I don’t think they are available anymore.

the words in my post are a clickable link. or just go to amazon.

these lamps use to be called i-Tower, now it's Z Bar Gen 3.....same thing from the company Koncept.

the price went up from around $250 (14 years ago) to now around $380. but the same lamp. just bought another one Friday.

one other note is if you have thick carpet you may need to place some sort of weight on top of the base so it's steady. a weight from a bar bell works perfect if it's flat on one side. i also cut a piece of round rubber mesh to place between the weight and base so it can't rattle.

you can choose silver or black metal finish, and warm or cool light.

 

[KeithR]

I've been looking for a TT lamp myself - this might work, Doc!

 

[Steve Williams]

Keith

it’s the best accessory I have bought. I’m still in the first battery charge. There are 4 levels of brightness it’s mobile and hand held. It is thin enough to get behind my racks and see everything.
For $85 you just can’t get better

 

[Steve Williams]

https://store.moma.org/for-the-home...k-lamps/octagon-portable-desk-light/6757.html

 

[Ron Resnick]

the words in my post are a clickable link. or just go to amazon.

these lamps use to be called i-Tower, now it's Z Bar Gen 3.....same thing from the company Koncept.

the price went up from around $250 (14 years ago) to now around $380. but the same lamp. just bought another one Friday.

one other note is if you have thick carpet you may need to place some sort of weight on top of the base so it's steady. a weight from a bar bell works perfect if it's flat on one side. i also cut a piece of round rubber mesh to place between the weight and base so it can't rattle.

you can choose silver or black metal finish, and warm or cool light.

That’s great, Mike. Thank you.

In the future equipment room I have six wall mounted lights on swing arms above the areas where the racks will be located. But I will need some floor mounted lights as well.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Between Mike’s lamp and Steve’s lamp I think most of our lighting problems are solved!

 

[microstrip]

That’s great, Mike. Thank you.

In the future equipment room I have six wall mounted lights on swing arms above the areas where the racks will be located. But I will need some floor mounted lights as well.

I am particularly fond of my old wood swing arm lamp, the height is also easily adjusted for tonearm work!

 

[Steve Williams]

I posted yesterday that my way of dealing with the very correct points Mike makes is to do a whole room solution and for that I use ceiling LED's which go completely around the room and are controlled by my Lutron wall system. The lights are hidden in the ceiling soffits

Mine at lowest level is blue and at its highest intensity is a bright white with 10 positions between highest to lowest. Here are 2 photos of just these LED's one at the lowest and the other at the highest

 

[Steve Williams]

 

[Steve Williams]

 

[Mike Lavigne]

How about this one?? Perfect for tt set up.

View attachment 58677

the lights are cool too.

 

[Steve Williams]

I can make them all colors but I use this color for vague overhead lighting.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

been traveling this week for business to Pelican Hills (near Newport Beach) and had a free afternoon, so connected with Steve and he was open to a quick visit to his beautiful home and room. met his son Jeremy, and very friendly dog, Stanley. Steve, as always, was welcoming and the perfect host.

was there for almost 2 hours, and really enjoyed the talking, and the listening. heard digital (Extreme + PD MPS-5), vinyl, and tape.

it had been three years since my last visit and to my ears Steve's system, which i enjoyed during both prior visits, has gone to another higher more complete level of performance. it's now more neutral and organized sounding, with high level separation of images and fine coherence. during the last visit, Steve still had the f113 subwoofers in room, but not connected. and CenterStage footers were not yet a product. the bass was good before, but not as articulate as now ( a little wooley). the bass now is really great, and even when Steve pushed it, everything held together and the weight and power was good for any system, and incredible for 32 watts.

i think Steve has some truly outstanding music reproduction and should feel wonderful about it.

bravo Steve, and it was great for me to hang with you and enjoy your system. thank you!