Botrytis' Pics for AK Fest 2005!!!

[botrytis]

I just Want to say to everyone that couldn't make it, YOU MISSED A GREAT F*%#KIN' TIME!!!!

Now I will post some pics up!!

Dave

[cruisaire]

We are beyond "rubbing it in", just post the pics comrade!

[bolly]

where's them pics? :D

[botrytis]

Here is the small system at the fest. I used a Denon PMA-500V integrated amp, A Pioneer Elite DV-45A Universal Disc player, Monster cable speaker wire (oxygen free stuff), and AR interconnects. I had two sets of speakers at the fest - Royd Envoys (on the Sanus stands - being played) and Rogers LS2's.

Dave

[SPL db]

One pic??? :D

Scott

[Manitoulin]

As I was not there; perhaps a stupid question, what did you do with the beds in the room? It looks like you set up where the beds were....

[botrytis]

This is a picture of Bigmacc and Mrs. Bigmacc. He was my Secret Santa last year - I was able to buy some stuff at Elusive Disc because of this!!! I bought "When Genius Loves Company" Ray Charles on Dual Disc SACD and "I got the T-Bone Walker Blues' by Roy Gaines. Both are excellent discs that I highly recommend.

All the people I met at the fest were fantastic. I can't say enough about this group!!!

Dave

[botrytis]

This is the group photo!!!!

Dave

[botrytis]

Echowars is in front. Kamakiri and Grumpy are to the right and behind Echo. Mrs. Kamakiri is right behind Echowars. I just wanted to point out a few people for all of you.

Dave

[botrytis]

Jimbecky/Retrostereo combined system. It sounded great!! Those Walsh 4's are great sounding. The amps were a Pioneer Spec 1 Pre and Pioneer Spec 2 power.

P.S. I like bright sounding systems!!! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Dave

[botrytis]

Pictures do not do these speaker justice!!! This is one of the Hartsfield's from CAR.

Dave

[botrytis]

The dogs on top of the speakers are sound tweaks. They make the speakers sound better!!!!

Dave

[botrytis]

The amp is an Audio Research 100 WPC tube amp. They really sounded nice!!

[botrytis]

I didn't take many pics, as I had my own listening room to man (and I had quite a few people come by!!), but I will post as many pics as I can.

Dave

[botrytis]

I think this was what Grumpy was thinking, as I took this pic. Reel to reel is on his left and my wife, Gloria, is on his right.

Dave

[botrytis]

We had the chance to see the Shanling Speical Edition CD player - WOW!!!! The speakers were from Shahinian Acoustics. The amps were Blue Circle. We were lucky to have a Blue Circle engineer with us for the two days.

Dave

[botrytis]

WOW!! They were as beautiful to look at as they were to listen to. The wood veneer is Waterfall Bubinga. Jim Salk makes beautiful looking and sounding speakers. We were really lucky to have him at AK Fest this year!!!

[botrytis]

In ribbon ebony!!!!

[botrytis]

Craig, from NOS Valves really builds beautiful tube amps. Here is one of his monoblocks which were powering the BIG Altecs. At low to medium volume, in this room, the sound was fantastic.

[botrytis]

This was a BIG-ASS Sansui that PunkerX had in his room. I think he could move mountains with it!!

[botrytis]

I am tired and will post more tomorrow.

Dave

[Mike Gibson]

Thanks for updating us on what's happening. It looks like a great event. Lots of really nice equipment to see & hear.

[Sandy G]

Dave- Don't take this wrong; I think yr wife,Gloria, kinda favors Laura Bush a bit. But I think Laura's a pretty lady as is Gloria...Grumpy & Gary look like they've just been caught doing Something They Knew They Shouldn't Have Done....maybe Gloria's the one that caught 'em !! She DOES look kinda pleased w/herself....<grin>-Sandy G.

[grumpy]

I was thinking exactly what Dave posted

[kcollins4]

Great pictures Dave! Thanks for posting. Does Grumpy ever , um,....smile? :)

Kevin

[RussinOhio]

botrytis,
Great pics. Thanks.
God those Altec A7's had to be ultra-overpowering in that.....what appears to be....small room.
("overpowering"...but good!)

Russ

[Parky50]

Thanks a bunch for the pics Dave....
Man, I gotta talk the wife into me making the next one !!! :yes:

[botrytis]

Well, I just wanted to show that Grumpy did sit down - this weekend - even if it was for a short time!!!

Dave

[grumpy]

Sure wish I could have sat and listened a whole lot more. Thanks for dragging me in there even if only for a short time.

[botrytis]

NP - Grumpy. I am happy you JUST SAT DOWN for a little while. MAN, you made me tired just watching you run around!!

This is Wardsweb listiening to my little system. He was SO impressed he offered to trade me his M-L CLS for my little Royd Envoys - of course I declined!!! :lmao: :lmao: :rofl: :rofl: :banana: :banana: (If you believe that - I have some desert land in Michigan to sell ya!!!)

Dave

[botrytis]

Another pic of Luther in awe and my wife waving while Bigmacc is telling about his idea for raising money for AK - A webiste with pics of big, fat and balding, middle-aged men in thongs!!!

Dave

[Dave918]

Who, Bigmacc sure looks different without the hat and sunglasses :D

/d

[botrytis]

PunkerX's Kenwood rig - MAN I love those rare pieces!!!

[botrytis]

One pic of Punker's Oracle TT. Isn't it a piece of art? I think it is!!!!

You had a great rig Punker!!!!

[botrytis]

PunkerX himself!!!

[botrytis]

Tubino!!! The deHavilland amps are beautiful looking and the Tannoys!! Holy shit - They made you feel really involved with the music. I understand now why they cost so much!!

[botrytis]

Dingus-Boy pawing through his vinyl. I think he has vinyl running through his veins!!! Not a bad thing, IMHO.

[botrytis]

Tubino trying my little Royd Envoys with the deHavilland amps. Mine are dwarfed by the Tannoy (which mine is on top of). I wicsh I could say I liked the sound of that combination, but all agreed there was just no synnergy between my speakers and those particlar tube amps.

[botrytis]

Reyneman working on his TT - putting a different tonearm on it.

[botrytis]

I forgot to post a pic of one of the deHavilland amps - well here it is.

[botrytis]

'nuff Said!!!

[botrytis]

Krimney, Reel to reel, and Mrs. Reel to reel.

[botrytis]

The Jim part of Jimbecky.

[botrytis]

Retrostereo!!!!

[botrytis]

Well, that is all of my pics. I am sure others will post more!!

Dave

[Sandy G]

Who's wife izzit that calls us "The Dead Pecker Club"?...I hope SHE was there...Maybe she got to find out differently...-Sandy G.

[dnewma04]

The dogs on top of the speakers are sound tweaks. They make the speakers sound better!!!!

Dave


I heard they help the presence of the woofers.

[botrytis]

I heard they help the presence of the woofers.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Those speakers really didn't need any help!!! Believe me!!!

Dave

[Cleve]

Pictures do not do these speaker justice!!! This is one of the Hartsfield's from CAR.

Dave

Hartsfields? Wow, I would have loved to have listened to those at length. I've heard they do everything the Klipschorn does, except better. At 250 lbs, a bigger, more robust and rigid cabinet (90 lbs heavier per speaker - the equivalent weight of a fairly large floorstanding speaker!!!) and the highest quality drivers/crossovers available. The K-horn on steroids!!!

[botrytis]

I really think they were strangled by the room!! The rooms were basic hotel room with anything that wasn't attached removed form the rooms.

The Tannoys - In the Dingus Boy/Tubino room and in one room of NOS Valves (on Sunday only) really shined in those small rooms. But, I bet they would have been amazing in a bigger room too!!!

Dave

[Dr. Strangelove]

Dingus-Boy pawing through his vinyl. I think he has vinyl running through his veins!!! Not a bad thing, IMHO.

Dingus-Boy listens to Ten Years After.

Doc

[piece-it pete]

I really think they were strangled by the room!! The rooms were basic hotel room with anything that wasn't attached removed form the rooms.

The Tannoys - In the Dingus Boy/Tubino room and in one room of NOS Valves (on Sunday only) really shined in those small rooms. But, I bet they would have been amazing in a bigger room too!!!

Dave

Agreed and agreed!

Pete

[Pioneer727]

Great Pic's Dave . You all look like you had a ball I wish I could have gone O well maby next year.

Ron

[tubino]

Hartsfields? Wow, I would have loved to have listened to those at length. I've heard they do everything the Klipschorn does, except better. At 250 lbs, a bigger, more robust and rigid cabinet (90 lbs heavier per speaker - the equivalent weight of a fairly large floorstanding speaker!!!) and the highest quality drivers/crossovers available. The K-horn on steroids!!!
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think John's version weighs 350 lbs each, with all TAD drivers. His is really a new speaker based on the old design, not just an old one that's cleaned up.

John has a propensity to put on bass-heavy stuff and turn it up to frightening SPL's. Very impressive in its own way, but it's a darn shame too, and here's why. On Saturday after 5 PM, he was persuaded to put on some fairly simple acoustic music with voice, at perfectly reasonable volumes, and it was a tremendous experience. I think a lot more people would have been pulled in to hear how effortless the dynamics are on ordinary familiar music, at normal levels. And for speakers this size, the imaging is better than it has any right to be.

He put on an LP of Buddy Holly (from master tapes, ca. 1956) that would make you cry. Unbelievably real. If he pulled people into the room with THAT, and saved the giant low-freq. SPLs till someone ASKED for it, IMO he'd give music-lovers a lot more reasons to look seriously at his speakers. FWIW, I'm sharing this with John.

[MikE]

Just kidding. :D Didn't see any pics of BrianB. Was he there? MikE

[Andyman]

John has a propensity to put on bass-heavy stuff and turn it up to frightening SPL's. Very impressive in it's own way, but it's a darn shame too, and here's why. On Saturday after 5 PM, he was persuaded to put on some fairly simple acoustic music with voice, at perfectly reasonable volumes, and it was a tremendous experience. I think a lot more people would have been pulled in to hear how effortless the dynamics are on ordinary familiar music, at normal levels. And for speakers this size, the imaging is better than it has any right to be.



I gotta agree with Tubino on this. I popped in a few times, but each time the sound almost pushed you out the door.

Late Sunday afternoon, I wandered in and John was playing WardsWeb's brand new audiophile copy of "The Allman Brothers Band, Live at the Fillmore" at a much more reasonable volume. "Stormy Monday" was up, and I was captivated. I sat down in the "2nd Best Seat" for what was my audio epiphany of the fest. Basically, it was like being stage level center at the Fillmore that night. Clean, clear, and crisp; I was blown away. Stunning imagery, soundstage, depth, you name it; I don't think I've EVER heard any system sound so astounding.

Thank you to both John and Luther for that magic moment, and to AK for bringing it all together; I'll probably be telling my grandkids about it someday :thmbsp:

[yungin's-dad]

Bo,

Thanks for all your work putting these pic's up. I really wish I could've gone. It sure is nice putting some faces with the handles. I gotta go next year, and if he's still with the living, maybe I'll bring the yungin'. You guys tell him he needs to get better grades.... LOL!! He is improving though. Maybe a trip to AK Fest will get him over the hump.

Thanks again,

Ron

[Cleve]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think John's version weighs 350 lbs each, with all TAD drivers. His is really a new speaker based on the old design, not just an old one that's cleaned up.

John has a propensity to put on bass-heavy stuff and turn it up to frightening SPL's. Very impressive in it's own way, but it's a darn shame too, and here's why. On Saturday after 5 PM, he was persuaded to put on some fairly simple acoustic music with voice, at perfectly reasonable volumes, and it was a tremendous experience. I think a lot more people would have been pulled in to hear how effortless the dynamics are on ordinary familiar music, at normal levels. And for speakers this size, the imaging is better than it has any right to be.

He put on an LP of Buddy Holly (from master tapes, ca. 1956) that would make you cry. Unbelievably real. If he pulled people into the room with THAT, and saved the giant low-freq. SPLs till someone ASKED for it, IMO he'd give music-lovers a lot more reasons to look seriously at his speakers. FWIW, I'm sharing this with John.


LOL - It wouldn't have discouraged me - quite the contrary - John sounds like a man after my own heart... I woulda ran, not walked, to the room issuing the seismic level vibrations. :banana:

I DO feel sorry, however, for the poor bastids with rooms UNDERNEATH these demo rooms! :yes:

[botrytis]

That was the floor with the rooms where the AK folks were staying!!!

Dave

[piece-it pete]

And it was GREAT!

Pete

[NOSValves]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think John's version weighs 350 lbs each, with all TAD drivers. His is really a new speaker based on the old design, not just an old one that's cleaned up.

John has a propensity to put on bass-heavy stuff and turn it up to frightening SPL's. Very impressive in it's own way, but it's a darn shame too, and here's why. On Saturday after 5 PM, he was persuaded to put on some fairly simple acoustic music with voice, at perfectly reasonable volumes, and it was a tremendous experience. I think a lot more people would have been pulled in to hear how effortless the dynamics are on ordinary familiar music, at normal levels. And for speakers this size, the imaging is better than it has any right to be.

He put on an LP of Buddy Holly (from master tapes, ca. 1956) that would make you cry. Unbelievably real. If he pulled people into the room with THAT, and saved the giant low-freq. SPLs till someone ASKED for it, IMO he'd give music-lovers a lot more reasons to look seriously at his speakers. FWIW, I'm sharing this with John.

I'll third the notion. The same effect was in my room Saturday with the Altecs. If you were in the main portion of the room where the sound didn't get a chance to start echo effect it was spectacular at reasonable SPL but at high SPL the entry way into the main part of the room could be painful. On Sunday with the Tannoy's (Thanks to Tubino!) the sound was absolutely wonderful at any volume. This was also the case in Tubino's room with the Tannoy's these speaker are almost immune to room problems.



Craig

[BrianB]

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the photos! And I REALLY enjoyed your "small system" - I only wish that I could have spent more time hanging out in your room!

Cheers,
Brian

[BrianB]

We were lucky to have a Blue Circle engineer with us for the two days.

That wasn't just a Blue Circle engineer, that was Mr. Blue Circle himself! Gilbert Yeung is the owner, designer, and primary builder of Blue Circle Audio.