Visit to Boston to Hear the Sublime Sound of PeterA

[PeterA]

Been waiting to read something about your boat Peter, you guys didn't go sailing?

david

Hi David, It was an interesting week. The J/70 world championship regatta was held here durning Ron's visit. There were 93 boats from around the world participating in what turned out to be an intense and wild five day regatta. Our small town was overrun by visiting sailors. My yacht club sponsored the event so it was quite exciting for the locals. I kept our motor boat in the water in the event that Ron wanted to go out and spectate. The sailboat was also available. It was very stormy for the first couple of days, so Ron and I visited Madfloyd, Al M. and basically stayed indoors. Near the end of the visit, the weather turned and was glorious, but Ron prefered to stay indoors, listen to music, and learn more about the effects of arm height changes.

When Ron headed to the airport, I went out for a sail to watch the races. It was an incredible sight with 93 boats out in the ocean all flying their spinnakers in the high wind. This was a major event in the sailing world this Summer.

Here are some photos of our Alerion Express 28:

 

[Steve williams]

you're a lucky man, Peter

 

[Ron Resnick]

But we had some amazing lobster club sandwiches at Peter’s nearby diner!

 

[PeterA]

But we had some amazing lobster club sandwiches at Peter’s nearby diner!

Indeed we did. I'll have to remember those for next Summer. It's funny how threads often switch to discussing food. I noticed this with Kedar and Tang on the AS2000 thread.

Thanks Steve.

 

[ddk]

Hi David, It was an interesting week. The J/70 world championship regatta was held here durning Ron's visit. There were 93 boats from around the world participating in what turned out to be an intense and wild five day regatta. Our small town was overrun by visiting sailors. My yacht club sponsored the event so it was quite exciting for the locals. I kept our motor boat in the water in the event that Ron wanted to go out and spectate. The sailboat was also available. It was very stormy for the first couple of days, so Ron and I visited Madfloyd, Al M. and basically stayed indoors. Near the end of the visit, the weather turned and was glorious, but Ron prefered to stay indoors, listen to music, and learn more about the effects of arm height changes.

When Ron headed to the airport, I went out for a sail to watch the races. It was an incredible sight with 93 boats out in the ocean all flying their spinnakers in the high wind. This was a major event in the sailing world this Summer.

Here are some photos of our Alerion Express 28:

View attachment 44068

View attachment 44069

View attachment 44070

I used to spend a lot of time on the water when living in Thailand and really miss it at times so if I make it to your neck of the woods it will certainly be when we can go out on your boat.

david

 

[bonzo75]

I used to spend a lot of time on the water when living in Thailand and really miss it at times so if I make it to your neck of the woods it will certainly be when we can go out on your boat.

david

I am sure the anchor and the sails don't require as much adjustment as a tonearm, so you two should be able to get on without much debate

 

[ddk]

I am sure the anchor and the sails don't require as much adjustment as a tonearm, so you two should be able to get on without much debate

That's probably very true !

david

 

[GMKF]

I am sure the anchor and the sails don't require as much adjustment as a tonearm, so you two should be able to get on without much debate

ha ! Trimming a sail can be very complicated

 

[PeterA]

I am sure the anchor and the sails don't require as much adjustment as a tonearm, so you two should be able to get on without much debate

This must be another one of your jokes, Bonzo. Good one!

On the contrary, the sails, sheets and tiller need constant adjustment for the constantly changing wind and sea conditions. And I don't even race my boat in which case it would be even more constant and matter much more. Your analogy is apt though. It is all about fine tuning, both the sailboat and the tone arm. For best performance in changing conditions, one needs to make adjustments. Perhaps that is why I am comfortable with both high end vinyl and sailing.

The boat has an anchor, but I don't really use it because I am either sailing or having a drink and dinner at the mooring. If I did use the anchor, that would actually need adjustments too, based on tide, wind direction, and proximity to the surroundings. You get the idea.

David could just sit back and relax while I try to make the boat go faster.

Two more nice images:

 

[Woofer and Tweet]

Indeed we did. I'll have to remember those for next Summer. It's funny how threads often switch to discussing food. I noticed this with Kedar and Tang on the AS2000 thread.

Thanks Steve.

It's always all about the food. If Google Maps simply mentioned eateries on where to turn, I'd never get lost.

Great pics Peter, except you're missing the pic of the lobster club ;-)

 

[tima]

View attachment 44073

I can almost hear the sails in the wind.

 

[bonzo75]

I can almost hear the sails in the wind.

+1

 

[sujay]

Hi Peter, apologies for going off topic but your photos are brilliant and very ‘natural’, perhaps an extension of your exceptional music system. Could you please tell me what camera you use? Is it better if I PM you instead?

Brgds

Sujay

 

[PeterA]

Hi Peter, apologies for going off topic but your photos are brilliant and very ‘natural’, perhaps an extension of your exceptional music system. Could you please tell me what camera you use? Is it better if I PM you instead?

Brgds

Sujay

Thank you very much, Sujay. These were taken by me while on the boat sailing single handed, so I think they were all from my iPhone 6. I am surprised at what this little phone/camera can do. The one of the whole boat sailing at sunset was taken by a friend as we sailed past her sailboat. I think she also used an iPhone. It's tough when there is a lot going on and you are trying to control the boat with at least one hand to use anything more complicated than a point and shoot type camera.

I do use a Nikon D500 with a pro 70-200 lens and a 200-500 for taking pictures of my kids racing on the water, but I do that from a spectator boat which is stable. The great thing about the iPhone is the convenience and easy accessibility so you can capture the moment when it happens.

I might start a thread for posting sailing photos. They can be a lot of fun. Thanks for the comments. Yes, "natural" is what I strive for in sound reproduction, too. Funny.

 

[sujay]

Unbelievable, Peter!!!! I would never have guessed.

Sometimes, the simpler they come, the better they are. Much like in audio where, for instance, my old friend (and a brilliant technician) in Johannesburg who has built himself DIY speakers (tannoy Canterbury lookalikes) with an external crossover using the 15” Altec compression Woofer and midrange and drives them with a 10 watt tube integrated amp, which he built himself too. Probably one of the most amazingly realistic midrange that I have heard yet. In our constant quest for the better, instances like these are humbling, to say the least.

Cheers

Sujay
PS: will lookout for your thread on photo shoots.....

 

[bonzo75]

Do you guys think David writes on a blog as Fremer? Just read this.

"Audiophiles who tweak VTA to compensate for record thickness are wankers! Sonic differences, real or imagined, are usually because changing VTA, particularl on unipivot arms, will change azimuth and that is easily heard."
Read more at https://www.analogplanet.com/conten...tone-arm-still-captivates#zjLmd2tzzAU2K6x5.99

 

[bazelio]

LoL

 

[PeterA]

Good one, Ked. No, they are not the same person.

David would never declare that azimuth always changes whenever VTA is adjusted. He knows this is not the case with the SME V variants because the bearing is offset at the same angle as the headshell. Fremer should know this too.

This statement is also a bit weird. "So does an inability to precisely set VTF! Small changes in VTF yield large sonic shifts." There are small changes to VTF everytime one changes record thickness precisely because arm angle (SRA/VTA) changes if you don't compensate by adjusting the arm height. Many would contend, including me and probably David, that the small changes in VTF caused by differences in record thickness are sonically insignificant. Fremer seems to imply the opposite.

Finally, David has a much friendlier tone than is evident here with Fremer's frustration: "Set your SRA to 92 degrees and you are done, regardless of record thickness, time of day, temperature, humidity or your political affiliation. Audiophiles who tweak VTA to compensate for record thickness are wankers! Sonic differences, real or imagined, are usually because changing VTA, particularl on unipivot arms, will change azimuth and that is easily heard." David adjusts his arm by listening. Fremer does it with a USB scope. Yikes.

Thanks for polluting Ron's travel blog thread with Fremer's nonsense.

 

[bazelio]

Maybe he didn't word the statement as well as he could have, but (many/most/all?) unipivot arms certainly do have the limitation of azimuth and VTA affecting each other. Is SME V unipivot? Either way, nothing in audio was ever more frustrating for me than using a unipivot arm which simply was never "set and forget". On the fly VTA was pointless as I'd need to get out the Fozgometer to bring azimuth back in line each time.

 

[MadFloyd]

Why does perfect azimuth (as opposed to 'close enough') matter?