[kevin360]

Gave myself a new AVA Vision phono in my Insight preamp. I've been commenting on it in the Audio by Van Alstine AC circle.

One of the phono preamps I was considering is the AVA - also thought about the Jolida (and some others costing just over $1,000). If nothing else happens, I'll think about it again in a few months. Just getting the projector back will be enough of a present, albeit belated. Besides, I still need a set of tires (not cheap) - always something, it seems.

Could you get a new projector for $1400 ?

Heck, they can be had for less than a grand, but I wouldn't want one. It may not be 3D, but I'm quite happy with the Runco. It was a 6 month old demo unit that I purchased from my dealer at a $9,000 discount - had just been replaced by a newer model (mine is actually a 'tweener - one of the different parts is the lamp, which I discovered when I ordered a replacement for mine (and it didn't match mine - not even close)). Anyway, this repair still doesn't even get my cost of owning this projector up to half its (former) street value. Still, one can purchase some excellent projectors that do 3D for under $4,000. In a few years, 4K projectors will be available for $4K.

I rather like Conrad Johnson equipment. They have a multichannel preamp that I've considered for a while - MET1 (I currently have a McCormack MAP-1 (SMc modded)). Unless I changed my crossover, I wouldn't want to replace my preamp for the CJ (but I do feel the desire).

[SteveFord]

I just gave a gift:
tickets to go see Dweezil do Roxy Turns 40.
I'm sure the crowd will horrify the wife, ha, ha.

[jk@home]

  Christmas this year will be special as our Daughter is getting married. ..

Congratulations, and I feel your pain. My daughter and son in law got married at the local courthouse last spring, because he was being deployed (Navy EOD) to the middle east. So we just came back last week from the "second" better wedding, a week on Azul Beach, in Mexico, and a beautiful beach wedding.

For Christmas, my wife gave me this fine piece of art for the man cave, I think it could be interpreted many ways. Next time I struggle with the sound differences of a wire or whatnot, I can look up and come back to reality. 

[SteveFord]

What a great picture!
I see why you married your wife.

[MGbert]

No input on audio related Christmas gifts, just a heartfelt "Merry Christmas" to all here.  Each new post is a gift.

MGbert

[Rocket_Ronny]

Steve and Charles will not be happy with me being more naughty than nice this Christmas.

O.K. here goes.

I sold my pair of Maggy 3.7s, gulp. I just did not have the power they demanded. I am firmly in the grips of tubes and don't have Steve's Manleys.

I was going to pull the trigger on some GTA 2s, and probably should have, but I came across a new pair of Pioneer S-1EX speakers for a price I could not pass up. Hopefully I will get them and not get burned by some scam. I have bought lots of used gear and everything has gone good thus far.

Oh, and Santa dropped a pair of Beyerdynamic T5Ps when flying away. At first I did not like them playing from my Mac or Iphone. But I got the Equ for the phone and can mess with eq and am enjoying them quite a bit. And I hear a JPS Labs C5P is coming as well. A Yamamoto 03 phone amp is on the radar, but so is the Woo W7. Don't know which would be better. The Woo does have a dac but does not connect to the iphone digitally. Maybe the JPS will be enough.

O.K. Now Shoot Me.   

Rocket_Snow Bells_Ronny

[Scotlynn]

I was going to pull the trigger on some GTA 2s, and probably should have...

Greg just dropped off my GTA2's yesterday after outfitting them with the new copper ribbons and bass drivers. The upgrades were my gift to myself and a fine gift they were! Been playing music nonstop since getting them yesterday (except for some obligatory sleep) and couldn't be happier. So Merry Christmas to me, and to all of you as well!

[jk@home]

What a great picture!
I see why you married your wife.

Well, I still don't have a Maggie in almost every room of the house, so still have some work to do...        Although I did buy her one of those cheapo tabletop turntables this year, so she's dragging me back into vinyl. I figure we can upgrade to something nicer later, with her approval.

[SteveFord]

Rocket,
I never tried Maggies with low(er) powered tube amps as I figured that too much would be just about right when I saw how quickly meters would bounce from 20W to 250W with the volume turned up.  EveAnna Manley said to go with 250s so who am I to argue with a lady - especially someone like her?
At least you had them for a bit and maybe your next purchase will be more suitable.

Those GTAs sound real intriguing, I wonder how they would play here? 

[Rocket_Ronny]

They would play LOUD with all that Manley love.

The Pioneers, I can't believe I bought Pioneers of all things, are trickle down tech from Tads reference. They use a coax driver with a berilium tweeter. Same sort of woofer cone material with oversized voice coils. Speakers are an honest 90 db according to Stereophile. When you compare the stereophile measurements of the Pioneers they are very much the same as the TAD ref. So the idea with the Pioneers is to get 85% of the Tad sound for in my case almost 1/15 the cost.

Rocket_Ronny

[Rocket_Ronny]

Boy, you sure can tell who the mainlining audio junkies are when they talk audio on Christmas. I think we need therapy.    O.K. then let's spin another tune.

Rocket_Ronny