[thunderbrick]

House of Sound was sort of on Rt 1 although their address was Kent Ave.

Nah, Route 40 on  the West side.  Route 1 headed toward DC, more to the SW. 

Edi:  Route 1 is more to the southeast.   

[richidoo]

How hard would this be to recreate? 

Here are some free analysis apps you can use with a quality sound card to measure amplifier distortion. You need a test load like a high power resistor or something like this. 

http://rightmark.org/
http://www.trueaudio.com/rta_abt1.htm
http://www.fesb.hr/~mateljan/arta/index.htm

[rcag_ils]

Good page about the history of the clinics here

Interesting, I don't remember the clinic, since I am not as old as most of you. In picture #2. and #3, I regonize some of the test equipment on the workbench, the Hewlett Packard tube audio signal generator, needs about 20 minutes warm up time, said on the Air Force T.O.; Hewlett Packard distortion anaylizer, I remember nulling that anaylizer so many times; a couple of millivolt meters; and an older looking scope that I don't regonize. I used the same test equipment to t/s comm/nav systems while I was in the U.S. Air Force, I used to remember the model numbers of those test equipment, but no longer.

P.S. He also has the Pioneer RT-909 reel to reel deck.

[Don_S]

I remember getting my McIntosh 6100 tested and cleaned at several clinics.  The clinics made me feel "special".  Good thing too since I had hurt myself to buy the 6100 new.

I sold it over three decades later for almost what I paid for it (not adjusted for inflation  ).  Clinic results were part of the total sales package--6100 with immaculate walnut case, manual, schematics, clinic results and original boxes.  In addition I had a local tech who used to do warranty work for McIntosh do some tests and write a report before I sold it. It seemed like the right thing to do for an old friend.

[dlparker]

About a year ago ESPN did a feature, I think called "The Band That Wouldn't Die" on the Colts leaving Baltimore, and the efforts of the Colts (all-volunteer) marching band to stay together for many years after Irsay snuck out in the middle of the night.  Very powerful film making, very well done. I cried through parts of it.  Shows what a drunken, low-life, lying piece of scum Robert Irsay was. 
My sister is currently in the Ravens' band, BTW.

We now return you to our regularly-scheduled discussion of Mac amp clinics.   

And "WOW" again!  I don't have cable, and both my VCRs are on the shelf.  I've got VHS tapes of at least one show about Unitas exclusively, the '58, '59 title games and Super Bowl III.  Don't have the '64 title game but I have vivid memories of that.  Robert did his best to drive that team into the cellar.

I need to get a copy of the Colts marching song and learn it. 

And just to stay (sort of) on topic, I may eventually get my DH-200 repaired so I can have it tested, but I'm currently drooling over that Insight+ 250 listed on Frank's used eqpt page.

[avahifi]

$100 off on that Insight+ 250 if you order promptly!

Frank

[dlparker]

$100 off on that Insight+ 250 if you order promptly!

Frank

I'm starting to wear out "WOW!"  I've got a big (for me) invoice to collect, but only one gig this weekend, and the place we were scheduled to play next weekend has changed ownership and is closed for renovation.

But I'm working on it!

Thanks Frank!

[charmerci]

Is that a prototype Wilson speaker back and to the left? Or is it a Shahinian? 

[dB Cooper]

Is that a prototype Wilson speaker back and to the left? Or is it a Shahinian? 

My guess is it's a trash can  Who knows though, Norh makes a speaker that looks just like a Smithfield ham 

[dB Cooper]

Nah, Route 40 on  the West side.  Route 1 headed toward DC, more to the SW. 

Edi:  Route 1 is more to the southeast.   

Right you are. Haven't been over that way  in a lonnnnnng time.
And speaking of that scumbag Irsay, in the years just after the getaway, Baltimore fans used to go to Eagles games just to boo him and hang him in effigy. Even the Philly fans booed him. If he and Carroll Rosenbloom hadn't traded teams in the early 70s, the Colts would never have left.

Anyway, while House of Sound and The Discerning Ear (where I attended an A-T turntable clinic and a Roy Allison presentation) are long gone, Gramophone and Soundscape are still hanging in there.

[thunderbrick]

I worked at Sight and Sound (stereo AND photo) up in Belair in the late 70's, and eventually the owner, Dan Smith, opened The Discerning Ear at the Beltway and Harford/Belair/? Road.  I know the Dorsey clan that runs Soundscape.  I moved away around '77 and get back to visit family every few years.

[dB Cooper]

I remember S&S too! Damn! Next thing you'll tell me you used to eat at Gino's!

(And Discerning Ear was Harford Rd. Think the manager's name was Eric Church.)

[thunderbrick]

Gino Marchetti's?  You bet!

Eric was a great guy.  A little high-strung at times, with a very dry sense of humor, and a great victim of my practical jokes.  His wife was Ginny, I believe, and S&S/TDE had a great tech named Clifford, who worked at APG.  Can't think of his last name.

To keep things on thread, I am trying to remember if they ever had a Mac clinic.  I know I attended at least one in the Balmer area.

My father was principal at Mervo HS, and taught at City College for years.

[dB Cooper]

Did they handle McIntosh? If so, I wouldn't be surprised if they did, they did the Allison clinic (more a demo, really) and the Audio Technica clinic where A-T techs would inspect your stylus undr a microscope and calibrate your TT. My next door neighbor went with me; we all (including the tech) had a good laugh 'cuz his stylus looked like Dusty from ZZ Top under the scope.

I wish I could take one of these "home-theatre-in-a box" systems to one and test it. I remember looking at one "600-watt" system in a Radio Shack and noting that the AC power consumption was listed as 275 watts. In other words, more power comes out than is put in. SUUUUUUUUURE........ No wonder quality equipment is a much harder sell now that people have been dumbed down enough to believe total BS like that.

[JerryM]

Here are some free analysis apps you can use with a quality sound card to measure amplifier distortion. You need a test load like a high power resistor or something like this. 

http://rightmark.org/
http://www.trueaudio.com/rta_abt1.htm
http://www.fesb.hr/~mateljan/arta/index.htm

Sweet!  Thanks, richidoo!! 

[thunderbrick]

Did they handle McIntosh?

I think so.  We had Crown, A/D/S, Goldring, Maggies, Nakamichi, Klipsch (at least for a little while), Dahlquist, Bose (even though we had 901s and an 1801 amp on display, I doubt we ever sold any Bose after people heard the DQ-10s), Bose/Interaudio (sold a ton of those), Dual, B&O, Phillips 212 TTs, Tandberg, JBL and a few others.  For a while we branched out into recording small bands/orchestras for dinner theater sound tracks, and even recorded the Balmer Symphony Orchestra (once).  I helped haul the gear in for that one, and remember sitting directly behind a gap in the orchestra shell thinking "Wow!  This sounds exactly like my DQ-10s!"

This was all nearly 40 years ago..........