They've Arrived 04/07/09 (my HT2-TL)

oneinthepipe · « **on:** 6 Apr 2009, 11:12 pm »

According to FedEx, my HT2-TL are scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. I am expecting a very exciting and very long day.

Tomorrow is a scheduled office day for me, and I hope that I can concentrate on work and don't succumb to my urges to 1) drive around my neighborhood searching for FedEx trucks (which I have done before); and /or 2) sit at home and wait for the truck (which I have also done before). When the HT2-TL are delivered, I will need to contact my wife and ask her to immediately drop whatever she is doing, no matter how important she thinks it is, to help me carry the speakers inside the house. Next comes the unpacking and installation of the plinths and spikes, leveling of the speakers, and connection of the speaker wires. By then, my wife will want me to help with dinner, and I'll need to play with the kids (and appear that I really want to play with them rather than fire up the speakers). When that is over, it will be time for me to put the kids to bed, and after they are in bed, I won't be able to play any music, except with the slightest volume, lest I risk waking them up.

As this scenario is foreseeable, drastic measures are necessary, and I think that I will ask my mother-in-law to come over tomorrow night to help with dinner, play with the kids, etc., while I tend to my HT2-TL. If she appears ambivalent, I'll tell her that my back is starting to feel sore, which will eliminate any ambivalence that she might have had, since a son-in-law with automotive and plumbing and electrical skills is indispensable. That is my plan.

Just checked FedEx again, and one of the speakers has made it to Willington, CT. I hope that the other speaker is not far behind.

floresjc · « **Reply #1 on:** 6 Apr 2009, 11:41 pm »

This calls for extreme measures. Mother-in-law included. If it were me, I'd grab a pizza coupon out of the newspaper and place an order ahead of time, and on the way home, pick up a couple of Ipod nanos for the kids to keep them away for a decade or two. You don't happen to be anywhere near Wash DC??? Which veneer did you get?

R Swerdlow · « **Reply #2 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 12:07 am »

I'm sure the time will ~~drag by~~ just fly.
Just be sure to stay away from the bathroom

. I've heard horror stories how FedEx drivers rang the doorbell once and drove away before the poor guy could zip it back up.

And congrats on your new speakers

!

oneinthepipe · « **Reply #3 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 12:19 am »

Quote from: R Swerdlow on 7 Apr 2009, 12:07 am

I'm sure the time will ~~drag by~~ just fly.
Just be sure to stay away from the bathroom . I've heard horror stories how FedEx drivers rang the doorbell once and drove away before the poor guy could zip it back up.

And congrats on your new speakers !

Why wait until it is zipped? These are serious times. JK

Actually, when my ST RT were delivered, even though there were Adult Signature Required labels on both boxes, the boxes were sitting in my driveway, and I drove up as the rain started falling.

UPS is just as bad. We had some Glock pistols refinished, and since they were "repairs," they didn't need to be returned through an FFL, and I had them shipped to my house rather than to my office. When I came home, there was a cardboard sleeve holding two "tupperware" boxes, each holding one of the pistols, sitting on my front steps. In large black type across the cardboard sleeve was "Glock." There were also the Adult Signature Required labels.

oneinthepipe · « **Reply #4 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 12:21 am »

Pizza, that is a great idea. I'll just have dinner delivered. If my mother-in-law does not crumble under my veiled threat, I might try to find a babysitter, although my wife might be a little annoyed, since I rarely get a babysitter to watch the kids so I can take my wife out. The more that I write here, the more I realize ~~the extent of my flaws as a husband~~ how important it is to listen to these speakers tomorrow.

Nuance · « **Reply #5 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 12:41 am »

Woohoo! It's a good Q1 of 09 to be a music/HT lover! I can't wait to see pics and get your impressions. Turn up the bass and let it knock you to the ground! YEEEEES!

rahimlee54 · « **Reply #6 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 12:50 am »

You cant trust fed ex or UPS one left my Plasma out on the door step and another one gave my wife's laptop to the neighbors. When my are delivered personal holiday all the way camera in hand. Congrats I know you will enjoy them.

oneinthepipe · « **Reply #7 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 01:11 am »

Quote from: Nuance on 7 Apr 2009, 12:41 am

Turn up the bass and let it knock you to the ground! YEEEEES!

There aren't any tone controls on my preamp.

Art_Chicago · « **Reply #8 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 01:34 am »

OITP,
great news! BTW, do you still own ST-RT? Anyway, it would be a nice comparison of the two. And, yeah, do not forget to emphasise how important the AVA electronics is for obtaining the best sound with the HT2-TL

oneinthepipe · « **Reply #9 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 02:01 am »

Quote from: Art_Chicago on 7 Apr 2009, 01:34 am

OITP,
great news! BTW, do you still own ST-RT? Anyway, it would be a nice comparison of the two. And, yeah, do not forget to emphasise how important the AVA electronics is for obtaining the best sound with the HT2-TL

Art:

No, I sold the ST RT (with Jim's assistance) a few days after I ordered the HT2-TL. Regarding the AVA gear, my Insight 440 provides more than 300 watts per channel of clean power into a 4 ohm load. With my Insight trio's ability to deliver deep bass and clear highs with extraordinary detail and without any perceivable floor noise, the HT2-TL will play without impediment. I also have a T8+ DAC, and I will be able to experiment a bit with the DACs.

Gord_Toronto · « **Reply #10 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 02:18 am »

Quote from: oneinthepipe on 6 Apr 2009, 11:12 pm

As this scenario is foreseeable, drastic measures are necessary, and I think that I will ask my mother-in-law to come over tomorrow night to help with dinner, play with the kids, etc., while I tend to my HT2-TL. If she appears ambivalent, I'll tell her that my back is starting to feel sore, which will eliminate any ambivalence that she might have had, since a son-in-law with automotive and plumbing and electrical skills is indispensable. That is my plan.

The "bad back" story may look a little suspicious when she sees you lugging around extremely heavy and very large speakers and then flipping them all around to install the plinth & spikes. Or did you think she wouldn't notice?

bluemike · « **Reply #11 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 02:35 am »

A fellow Torontonian Welcome

oneinthepipe · « **Reply #12 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 02:55 am »

Quote from: Gord_Toronto on 7 Apr 2009, 02:18 am

Quote from: oneinthepipe on 6 Apr 2009, 11:12 pm

As this scenario is foreseeable, drastic measures are necessary, and I think that I will ask my mother-in-law to come over tomorrow night to help with dinner, play with the kids, etc., while I tend to my HT2-TL. If she appears ambivalent, I'll tell her that my back is starting to feel sore, which will eliminate any ambivalence that she might have had, since a son-in-law with automotive and plumbing and electrical skills is indispensable. That is my plan.

The "bad back" story may look a little suspicious when she sees you lugging around extremely heavy and very large speakers and then flipping them all around to install the plinth & spikes. Or did you think she wouldn't notice?

I'll tell her that I hurt my back carrying the speakers.

satfrat · « **Reply #13 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 03:02 am »

I don't know if it's been mentioned already but what veneer did you chose for your HT2-TL? I saw the dark walnut pair that Jim highlited in a prior thread but that's it.

Thanks.

Cheers,
Robin

oneinthepipe · « **Reply #14 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 03:37 am »

Quote from: satfrat on 7 Apr 2009, 03:02 am

I don't know if it's been mentioned already but what veneer did you chose for your HT2-TL? I saw the dark walnut pair that Jim highlited in a prior thread but that's it. Thanks.

Cheers,
Robin

Robin:

The veneer is pau dao. That is the veneer on Nuance's ST RT and the veneer on my former ST RT. I like the pau doa, and I had a compelling reason to ask Jim to use the same veneer on the HT2-TL that he used on the ST RT, and I hope that no one thinks less of me for the reason. I have three children, and the younger two are both six years old. Last year, the children gave me the ST RT for my birthday.

Although, after learning about the HT2-TL about two months after my ST RT were delivered, I could never sell, trade, or otherwise dispose of the gift that my wonderful children gave me on my birthday.

(Oh my, what was I thinking when I let my wife give the speakers to them to give me on my birthday?)

Fortunately, the HT2-TL, with the black baffles and black plinths, closely resemble the ST RT, and my children, particularly my two 6 year olds, will assume that the HT2-TL in pau dao veneer are the same speakers that they gave me for my birthday.

The way that they will likely come to this conclusion is a long and boring story that no one wants to hear.

My 12 year old will likely not notice, and if she did, she wouldn't care. Nevertheless, the children will be happy, and Daddy will be happy. Hopefully, if the children ever realized that the speakers were different, they wouldn't suffer any irreparable harm.

satfrat · « **Reply #15 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 03:41 am »

Hope you'll have a camera handy for "hopefully" tomorrow.

JerryM · « **Reply #16 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 03:43 am »

OITP,

So what are you going to put on the front end of your 12 year daughter's newly inherited Song Towers?

Have fun,
Jerry

satfrat · « **Reply #17 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 03:51 am »

Paldao HT-3,,, sweet veneer indeed.

Couldn't find any samples of pau dao.

Cheers,
Robin

ArthurDent · « **Reply #18 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 04:49 am »

Congrats, and Best Wishes for a speedy delivery ! A quick trip to HD for a cheapie hand-truck might help avoid some of those back problems, for real. And it's always a handy tool to have around for moving appliances.

Enjoy the 'new' tunes

oneinthepipe · « **Reply #19 on:** 7 Apr 2009, 05:41 am »

Quote from: JerryM on 7 Apr 2009, 03:43 am

OITP,

So what are you going to put on the front end of your 12 year daughter's newly inherited Song Towers?

Have fun,
Jerry

The ST RT were sold to pay for the HT2-TL. My daughter gets an old NAD 3240 PE integrated amp, a NAD 5425 CD player, and KEF C65 speakers, if she ever cleans her room, but she has her eyes on my AVA Omega 50 and Linn Tukan speakers.