Greetings from Alaska

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vinylfreeze

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 39
Greetings from Alaska
« on: 15 Feb 2015, 10:18 pm »
Hello all VSA enthusiasts,

My name is Matthew(username:vinylfreeze). I have been an infrequent nonparticipating voyeur of the VSA circle  for over a year now. Figured I was long overdue to become a legitimate participant and member!

My goal is to continue the process of learning and building a quality system that will keep me smiling on a daily basis. Just reading and researching many of these posts has been very valuable and enjoyable. I hope becoming part of the conversation will benefit myself and others in the endeavor that is quality musical enjoyment.

I have,unfortunately,had minimal opportunity to enjoy the range of VSA products. However,the opportunity to hear the original VR4 immediately set me on the path to discover all that is VSA.

Here in Alaska VSA and other quality audio equipment is very scarce. Due, in part, to the introduction of large box electronic stores the  small local business' that were distributors of this exceptional audio equipment are nearly extinct.

 Luck and timing did enable me to locate a pair of VR4.5 in mint condition! These speakers have been a revelation for me and have confirmed my initial love of the VSA sound. One day these will be dedicated home theatre speakers(the day when I can step way up in the VSA product line!). At present they are specifically for my 2 channel system. I also purchased from same owner a LCR30/AM230 center channel speaker, also in mint condition. Owner was upgrading? to VR33 setup( kept the surround set).
 
System is obviously a work in progress(as all are!).
At this point setup as follows:

McIntosh MC402 amplifier(PS power/premier SC power cable)(Daniels Audio/Chicago Omega interconnects)
McIntosh MX118 a/v tuner control center(used as preamp/tuner=same tuner as McIntosh MR7083)
Marantz CD5003 CD player(acoustic research interconnects)
MacBook Pro/Audioqest Dragonfly USB DAC(Audirvana software)(Audioquest BigSur mht 2M/3.5mmRCA cable)
VonScweikert Audio VR4.5 speakers(Daniels Audio/Chicago Omega speaker wire)
Auralux/Sonex ilbruck acoustic room panels

Immediate future goals are:

Phono preamp(have over 2000 quality vinyl recordings)
biamp system(keep MC402 for lows/tube amp for mid/highs)
audio rack(lower design=accomodate my short interconnects & more aesthetically pleasing
Etc etc etc.....

I look forward to learning from the vast amount of experience and knowledge associated with this site and its
users. Thanks in advance for allowing my participation and reaping all this great information.
I'm proud to be a member of the VSA family and plan on continuing my membership!


Albert Von Schweikert

  • Industry Participant
  • Posts: 264
    • Von Schweikert Audio
Re: Greetings from Alaska
« Reply #1 on: 17 Feb 2015, 08:45 am »
Hello Matthew,

Welcome to our little club!  Those VR-4.5 were our best at the time of manufacture!  Congratulations on the start of a great system!  Viva la McIntosh (my first serious system as well).

Happy Listening,

AVS

Delacroix

Re: Greetings from Alaska
« Reply #2 on: 18 Feb 2015, 02:22 am »
Yes, welcome aboard Matthew, good to have you here. Sounds like Alaska might not be the hifi dealer hotspot I'd imagined (joke!).  Enjoy the circle!

Best

P.


vinylfreeze

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 39
Re: Greetings from Alaska
« Reply #3 on: 18 Feb 2015, 02:41 am »
Thanks so much for the welcome.

Appreciate you taking time out of your busy schedule to greet me.
I do have a few questions pertaining to the 4.5's.
Would it be appropriate for me to email the VSA website or keep it on this forum?
I have researched and read all posts I can find relating to 4.5's.
However,info. on this model seems a bit scarce.
 
Thanks again for the welcome. I'm really excited about my future relationship with VSA.
Your reputation for personal involvement,integrity, and obvious desire for customer satisfaction proceeds you.
Oh, and great products don't hurt either(unless  volume goes to 11!).

Thanks again,
Matthew




ASMAN

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 46
Re: Greetings from Alaska
« Reply #4 on: 18 Feb 2015, 01:36 pm »
Welcome!
 A great bunch of people here, very knowledgeable about great products.
This is the go to spot.

Delacroix

Re: Greetings from Alaska
« Reply #5 on: 19 Feb 2015, 04:33 am »
Matthew

In answer to your specific question -- it is appropriate to ask here AND to contact VSA directly -- no wrong way. AVS is a regular here and is invariably happy to engage, as you can see, but sometimes posters act as if they think he's sitting somewhere in front of a screen with nothing to do but answer questions on Audio Circle, and they get irate if an answer is not immediately forthcoming. If you really need to talk directly to VSA or to Albert, you should not hesitate to call the company or PM Albert. But this group is here to help (and occasionally to gripe, but we tend to keep those exchanges short ;)

Best

P.

gammajo

Re: Greetings from Alaska
« Reply #6 on: 20 Feb 2015, 12:22 am »
A warm welcome from gammajo in North Carolina where we are going down to zero tonight (almost unheard of in the South. So time to fire up the Von's and listen by the stove

vinylfreeze

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 39
Re: Greetings from Alaska
« Reply #7 on: 20 Feb 2015, 06:29 am »
Yes, welcome aboard Matthew, good to have you here. Sounds like Alaska might not be the hifi dealer hotspot I'd imagined (joke!).  Enjoy the circle!

Best

P.
Unfortunately "hotspot" is not typically applicable to this neck of the mountains :lol:
Thank you for the greeting and founding/mediating the VSA circle.

vinylfreeze

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 39
Re: Greetings from Alaska
« Reply #8 on: 20 Feb 2015, 06:39 am »
Welcome!
 A great bunch of people here, very knowledgeable about great products.
This is the go to spot.
Thanks, so happy to be at the "go to" spot. It's been so long can't even remember what that looks like :icon_lol:
Definitely a welcome addition I was unaware was included as a membership  :thumb:
Much obliged!

vinylfreeze

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 39
Re: Greetings from Alaska
« Reply #9 on: 20 Feb 2015, 06:48 am »
A warm welcome from gammajo in North Carolina where we are going down to zero tonight (almost unheard of in the South. So time to fire up the Von's and listen by the stove
Appreciate the warm welcome.
However,at present time perhaps I should be extending some warmth back at you?
Only 20ish degrees F* here tonight! Going to Florida next month,hope I don't need to pack my parka :scratch:
Warming to some Charlie Haden with the Von's this evening myself. Bundle up and enjoy. :peek:

jimdgoulding

Re: Greetings from Alaska
« Reply #10 on: 20 Feb 2015, 03:56 pm »
Hi. Hagerman makes phono pre's that do justice to the music.  Inexpensive ones.  Expensive ones.  Vista Audio is another highly affordable one that does the same.  Two thousand albums sittin on a shelf is a crime you'll have to answer for when your time comes.  The angel at the gate says, "You must be some kind of idiot!  Idiocy isn't normally an offense of its own- God Knows that it's pervasive amongst his flock- but in your case that is a punishable offense.  YOU are ignoring some of his best work.  Digital is bits.  Analog is vibration.  Vibration is organic.  Bits are synthetic.  Get yourself a low output moving coil cartridge and come back later".

Join us before its too late.

vinylfreeze

  • Jr. Member
  • Posts: 39
Re: Greetings from Alaska
« Reply #11 on: 21 Feb 2015, 02:56 am »
Hi. Hagerman makes phono pre's that do justice to the music.  Inexpensive ones.  Expensive ones.  Vista Audio is another highly affordable one that does the same.  Two thousand albums sittin on a shelf is a crime you'll have to answer for when your time comes.  The angel at the gate says, "You must be some kind of idiot!  Idiocy isn't normally an offense of its own- God Knows that it's pervasive amongst his flock- but in your case that is a punishable offense.  YOU are ignoring some of his best work.  Digital is bits.  Analog is vibration.  Vibration is organic.  Bits are synthetic.  Get yourself a low output moving coil cartridge and come back later".

Join us before its too late.
Thanks for the semi appropriate chastising :green:

Full disclosure=I do have a couple more vintage Sansui systems, one I am presently spinning vinyl on.
However, not at near the quality Level I am aspiring for.
Basic Polk audio speakers,monster cables with my Harmon Kardon T40 turntable I purchased in high school!

My most recent acquisition to my system, the antiquated MX118 did not even come supplied with a low
level phono input :duh: Guess vinyl was out of vogue during it's short production period?
I am in full agreement with your bits/vibration analogy :deadhorse:

Yet admittedly I have been compromised by bits for a spell. I still have my album collection which
I started in grade school though, so I never completely embraced the nonorganic side!

Certainly if finances presently allowed I would be upgrading mt TT etc to accommodate my desires now.
One of my main selfish goals when joining this circle is to pick the brains :idea: of all you knowledgable
VSA owners to determine what phono preamp will best mix with the McIntosh setup I currently have.
Upgrade of speakers/components probably a couple years away :?

Thank you for your input. I have read many of your posts in the past and appreciate your, and other
members' guidance and advice in my quest :D


jimdgoulding

Re: Greetings from Alaska
« Reply #12 on: 28 Feb 2015, 08:49 am »
Btw, I, too, have some Charlie Haden albums.  A duo with pianist Hampton Hawes comes to mind.