Speakers for Singapore

When I was having my holiday back in Singapore last week, I listened to my music using my boss av system but I was not very impressed by the sound. After all, it is an Av surround system made for the av world and not hifi.

As such, I am determined to set up a small system in Singapore by hunting for a pair of LS3/5 a..

陳奕迅：好久不見

這是一首非常大方的情歌，雖然己分了手卻可以給予分手女友同樣的關懷與祝福,沒有仇恨，只有一絲情感和思念,雖然她永遠沒法知道他對她的思念，但也無所謂，因為愛是給予和付出。，

我來到　你的城市　走過你來時的路
想像著　沒我的日子　你是怎樣的孤獨

＃拿著你　給的照片　熟悉的那一條街
　只是沒了你的畫面　我們回不到那天

＊你會不會忽然的出現　在街角的咖啡店
　我會帶著笑臉　揮手寒喧　和你　坐著聊聊天
　我多麼想和你見一面　看看你最近改變
　不再去說從前　只是寒喧　對你說一句
　只是說一句　好久不見

Fuller EL34 tubes

I have used these new Fuller tubes for the past few days and I must say I enjoy the warmer sound from these Fuller tubes..

Skeeter Davis : here's the answer

This is one of my favourite oldies where Sketter Davis gave all the answers to all the golden classic love songs...

I remembered listening to her sing live when she was on her International tour during the late 1980s.

Fuller hifi audio tube EL34

Just came back Singapore for a short break and found  these Fuller EL34 vaccum tubes. According to the seller, Fuller is a Canadian  brand with the key components and metal plate made with carbon coating (carbonized plate) in Canada while the glass tube was made in China. The carbonized plate was originally used in antique Mullard tubes

Hifi

Below is a set of the Altec 755c that I own , sold and came back to me this year..

I have spent the whole afternoon listening to the "new"  vintage Rogers Black badge LS3/5a, mainly to violin music and vocal music. Listening to these speakers brought back fond memories as my first serious set of hifi in Singapore was the Rogers LS3/5a + Unison research Simply 4. When I first came to Hong Kong, I bought a 11ohms Roger...and with these speakers, I met many good friends like John, Richard and Sing..

My relationship with the LS3/5a has always been an undulating one as this love hate relationship is like a couple. I have been trying to push the LS3/5a to do everything and yet I was looking for the next better speakers... 

Now, after all these trial and errors, LS3/5a is back playing nice music.....

Rogers LS3/5a black badge

After leaving the vintage hifi gears for a while, the return of the vintage 755c Fullrange speakers and my son's interest in hifi have brought back my interest in vintage gears.

As a result, I have set out to search for a nice condition unmodified LS3/5a. The gold badge prices are way too high for me to consider. Since I only intend to get one set, my intention is to get one with nice cosmetic condition, all original, 15 ohms. The choice came down to the 15 ohms Rogers Black badge, which is the best choice from the point of view of performance versus price.

The Chartwell and gold badge prices are too high while the black badge is still reasonable given that these were produced during the peak of the LS3/5a production and it has been considered by many to be the most matured products among the LS3/5a. (黑牌Rogers LS3/5a 大約是1979-1980間產品，是Rogers品質最穩定的時期)

I was lucky as I have managed to buy from a collector who has over 30 set of LS3/5a and this set was bought from the UK with no modification at all. I was really worried about the 6 in 1 set where the components were sourced from all over the place and assembled into one.

Knowing the limitation of the SLS3/5a, these will be used mainly for the listening to the vocal, violin and light instruments. Originally, I was hoping to upgrade to a set of Fabian Accardo  speakers priced around hK$48,000 (second hand price). 

In the end I have decided to let go the idea as the speakers will need quite a high powered amplifier to drive it and it will mean a complete change over of all my amplifiers which I was not prepared to do. Moreover, the price is quite high and I need to find a better alternatives.

Since this is my third attempt with the LS3/5a ( the first was in Singapore with Harbath and Rogers LS3/5A, and the second attempts was during 2005-6 before I upgrade to the big Tannoy speakers), my plan is to keep these for life as good and original set is getting more difficult to find as there are so many sets with newly made wooden cabinets or with modifications.

Well, despite my desires to upgrade to modern speakers, I still have to eat the humble pie of coming back to these vintage gears. Even though I have went through the circle of search, I am glad to listen to these speakers again even though these speakers have deficiencies and limitations. After all, there is no perfect speakers that can fit all needs. As long as it can satisfy 90% of the needs, my guess is that its good enough. Enjoy! Haha, I am back with these little monsters...

Quote from a famous audiophile, which describes some of our feeling:

http://www.wretch.cc/blog/apophoto/27694076

以前年輕氣盛，只盲目追求刺激，也是年過四十不惑之年後，才能體會這種生命的韻味，魔力要比魅力還要更極致，它會直接憾動內心深處，每次聽它演繹的音樂，除了感動還有感傷，這無法用頻譜去量測，也無法用規格去標示，就像一種歲月之音，一種亙古而動人的旋律，簡單卻寧靜。我也總算明白，為何一些老玩家在看遍天下名器後，最後總是情歸ls3/5a，或許他們曾經歷太多驚濤駭浪，最後發現簡單才最是彌足珍貴。

我想起了二十多年前，香港雜誌上一句Rogers LS3/5a的廣告詞──「渺小見偉大」。

一路從好奇、追尋、迷惘、唾棄，到頓悟，其間花了我無以數計的金錢和十多年的歲月，一路上我與它分分合合，就像人與人間的緣份起滅，或許此時的相遇，是彼此最對的年歲，如果人的一生只能帶一對喇叭前往一座孤島，我會毫不猶豫舍下昂貴的guarneri而選3/5a。人生風雨已太多，恬靜的角落卻難求。

Rogers Ls3/5a

金牌編號：099/100——so3185 

黑牌編號：so3354ab——so16182,   

白牌編號：so17408——so25337,(白肚臍) 

小銀字母：so25294——030997（15欧） 

              031220——036029(標15歐，實際11歐)   

大银字母：36321——42821(直标11歐，凸出式端子) 

              43082——050775

Schindler's list

Just watched the movie again last night followed by the listening to the Cd. 

This is a good show and the cd is great as the music is composed and conducted by John Williams, with violin solos by Itzhak Perlman..

John Towner Williams, Jr. (born February 8, 1932) is an American composer, conductorand pianist. He is considered to be one of the greatest film composers of all time.^{[1][citation needed]} In a career spanning over six decades, he has composed some of the most popular and recognizable film scores in cinematic history, including Jaws, the Star Wars series, Superman, the Indiana Jones series, E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, the first twoHome Alone films, Hook, Jurassic Park, Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, the first threeHarry Potter films, Memoirs of a Geisha, War Horse, and Lincoln. He has had a long association with director Steven Spielberg, composing the music for all but two (Duel andThe Color Purple) of Spielberg's major feature films.

Vintage speakers

My son has started to appreciate listening to music. Having played with vintage Tannoy, Ls3/5a, full range speakers and new speakers, I am wondering if I should get a pair of these classic so that he can also enjoy the journey of the vintage speakers and the new?

Recently, my interest in hifi has returned with my teen age son starting to be interested in hifi. As a hobby, we also need companion and this has motivated me to start the hobby again since it will provide me with additional topic of discussion with my son...

Vintage gears, wait for me....I am coming..

Ella Fitzgerald : Twelve Nights in Hollywood.

This morning, its typhoon no 8 in Hong Kong and we will have to wait till typhoon 3 in order to get back to office.

Since I have to wait, I might as well listen to some music and this morning, I took out Ella Fitzerald 12 nights in Hollywood....

Recording information: 1961.Verve originally released Ella Fitzgerald's Twelve Nights in Hollywood, drawn from performances at the Crescendo nightclub in 1961 and 1962, as a four-CD set in 2009. I was lucky to be able to buy the 4 CD set.

Album Features
UPC:	602527044026
Artist:	Ella Fitzgerald
Format:	CD
Release Year:	2010
Record Label:	Hip-O Select
Genre:	Classic Pop Vocals, Pop Vocal
Number Of Discs:	4

Track Listing

DISC 1:

1. Introduction

2. Lover Come Back to Me

3. Too Close for Comfort

4. Little White Lies

5. On the Sunny Side of the Street

6. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive

7. Baby, Won't You Please Come Home

8. I Found a New Baby

9. On a Slow Boat to China

10. My Heart Belongs to Daddy

11. Perdido

12. I've Got a Crush on You

13. But Not for Me

14. You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me

15. Across the Alley from the Alamo

16. I'm Glad There Is You

17. 'Round Midnight

18. Take the 'A' Train

19. Mr. Paganini - (mono)

DISC 2:

1. Nice Work If You Can Get It

2. I Can't Get Started

3. Give Me the Simple Life

4. Caravan

5. One for My Baby

6. Lorelei

7. A-Tisket, A-Tasket

8. Witchcraft

9. Gone with the Wind

10. Happiness Is Just a Thing Called Joe

11. It's De-Lovely

12. Lady Is a Tramp, The

13. That Old Black Magic

14. Lullaby of Birdland

15. Ella Introduces the Band

16. Imagination

17. Blue Moon

18. Joe Williams' Blues

DISC 3:

1. Lady's in Love with You, The

2. Love Is Here to Stay

3. Come Rain or Come Shine

4. Anything Goes

5. This Could Be the Start of Something Big

6. Candy

7. Little Girl Blue

8. You're Driving Me Crazy

9. It's All Right with Me

10. Just Squeeze Me (But Please Don't Tease Me)

11. 'S Wonderful

12. How High the Moon

13. Deep Purple

14. In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning

15. Mack the Knife

16. Exactly Like You

17. Rock It for Me - (mono)

18. Stompin' at the Savoy - (mono)

19. Love for Sale - (mono)

20. St. Louis Blues - (mono)

DISC 4:

1. All of Me - (mono)

2. Hard Hearted Hannah - (mono)

3. Broadway - (mono)

4. My Kind of Boy - (mono)

5. It Had to Be You - (mono)

6. C'est Magnifique - (mono)

7. How Long Has This Been Going On? - (mono)

8. When Your Lover Has Gone - (mono)

9. Taking a Chance on Love - (mono)

10. Good Morning Heartache - (mono)

11. Clap Hands! Here Comes Charlie! - (mono)

12. Hallelujah I Love Him So - (mono)

13. Angel Eyes - (mono)

14. Ol' Man Mose - (mono)

15. Teach Me Tonight - (mono)

16. Medley: Too Darn Hot/Ella's Twist - (remix, mono)

17. Too Darn Hot - (mono)

18. Bewitched - (mono)

19. Bill Bailey - (mono)

20. Bill Bailey Reprise - (mono)

Details
Playing Time:	251 min.
Distributor:	Universal Distribution
Recording Type:	Live
Recording Mode:	Stereo
SPAR Code:	n/a

Album Notes

Personnel: Herb Ellis (guitar); Paul "Scooby" Smith, Lou Levy (piano); Gus Johnson , Stan Levey (drums).Audio Mixer: Val Valentin.Liner Note Authors: Harry Weinger; Richard Seidel.Recording information: The Crescendo (05/11/1961-06/30/1962).Photographers: Rolf Ambor; Riccardo Schwamenthal; Chuck Stewart.An appearance in Hollywood for a first-rate jazz vocalist was not necessarily an opportunity to broadcast your visage and pander to everyone from Tacoma to Tallahassee. It could also include a date at the Crescendo, the Sunset Strip's best chance to find premier jazz. Gene Norman's nightclub hosted dozens of jazz legends (and a comic or two), and produced more than its share of excellent LPs recorded on location. Better even than Mel Tormé's 1954 classic, the Ella Fitzgerald LP that resulted from her May 1961 appearances generated one of the best (and certainly most underrated) live records in her discography -- and almost 50 years later, it became a four-CD set compiling ten days' worth of performances. All of her hallmarks (technical wizardry, breakneck scatting, irrepressible humor and warmth) are on full display, with a small but expressive quartet backing her performance, including pianist Lou Levy, guitarist Herb Ellis, drummer Gus Johnson, and bassist Wilfred Middlebrooks. Although it's full of brilliance, the highlights are clear: a seven-minute scat masterpiece of "Take the 'A' Train," with chorus after chorus of variations, and the shorter but still excellent "Mr. Paganini." The balladry is masterful as well, with "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home" high on the list. Verve label-head Norman Granz recorded each of Ella Fitzgerald's sets between May 11th and 21st, 1961, at the Crescendo, and Twelve Nights in Hollywood contains the fruits of that labor -- 75 songs with nary a repeat in the list (although the fourth disc actually consists of a 1962 date finding Fitzgerald back at the Crescendo). Although its comprehensiveness may be a hindrance, Twelve Nights in Hollywood is a classic glimpse of Ella at her on-stage best. ~ John Bush

Editorial Reviews

5 stars out of 5 -- Fitzgerald is utterly immutable -- her instincts beyond the reach of time, her vocal powers scaling the heavens.

Down Beat 

Now, the collection has been repackaged as two two-CD sets. On the third and fourth discs, Fitzgerald reveals herself as an engaged performer with a strong sense of communication with her audience. She takes requests, whether she can remember the lyrics or not. (It doesn't matter, since she can improvise good words or just scat.) She introduces ringside celebrities including Walter Winchell and Carl Reiner. When she spots songwriter Mack David, she spontaneously decides to perform his song "Candy," noting, "I hope I don't mess it up. That's the only ones that sell these days." She is thinking of her recent Top 40 hit version of "Mack the Knife," on which she went up on the words to delightful effect. "You're Driving Me Crazy" has an appropriately crazy arrangement, with tempo shifts galore, while "How High the Moon" typically serves as a platform for the album's most ambitious scatting. She borrows from Billie Holiday's repertoire for "Good Morning Heartache," providing a good example of the contrast in their styles; in Fitzgerald's reading, there isn't much heartache, but it's a powerful musical performance. Toward the end, she takes up the then-current fad for twisting before finishing with two versions of "Bill Bailey," in which she sings impressions of Sophie Tucker, Della Reese, Pearl Bailey, Louis Armstrong, and Dinah Washington. In other words, these shows are anything but formal jazz sessions. Rather, they represent an entertainer dedicated to entertaining by any means at hand, who also happens to have the best vocal jazz chops in the business. ~ William Ruhlmann

Chario Piccolo star speakers

I have bought a pair of Chario speakers for my son. Since, the speakers are still with me, I have took the opportunity to help him to run in and do some testing.

Even though the speakers are very small in size ( 10 inch x 7 inchx 5 inch) the sound stage it projects is quite impressive. The bass and the dynamic aspect of the leakers are truly impressive and one will not believe that the Sound come from such a small pair of speakers. One of the lesson I learn is that science and technology will really help build better items! 

I am a collector of vintage pens and fountain pens and my collection of these are due to the recognition of its scientific break through during the era as well as its beauty and the nostalgic feel. In term of watch development and fountain pen development, there are no serious break through as many of the modern watches are using the same technology developed many years ago. The improvement comes in the form of design, material used and elaborate dials.

As for hifi, my believe is that there are many good speakers of the golden age but there are also more good speakers using modern parts making the sound even better...

http://www.amthanhvang.com/en-us/zone/117/product/171-piccolo-star-satellite.aspx

Chario Star

My son has requested for a pair of speakers for his room use and after searching for several weeks I have found these Chario to be one of the best buy. Price wise is very competitive plus it was made in Italy...

David Bowie The Singales 1969 to 1993

For those who wants to have an easier y to have most of David Bowie's songs can get this cd compilation from the 1993 which features many of his hits including the famous Heroes, Soace oddity, Ziggy Stardust, Young Americans, sound and Vision, Beauty and the beast, Cat people, Let's dance,China girl,  plus hit together with Queen Under Pressure, and Dancing in the street with Mick Jagger..

Altec 755c speakers

i have sold off almost all of my vintage gears except the original cabinets for the 755 speakers. The empty speakers cabinets have been left alone for some time and I have decided to look for a nice pair of vintage full range drivers.  After some searching, the pair of 755c that I have sold off many years back some how came back to me... Small world indeed...

For a good write up:

http://jelabsarch.blogspot.com/2012/06/wealtec-755-part-1.html

Jay Chou

Listening to Jay Chou is the result of my son's influence. When I finally listen to his singing, I began to understand why he is so popular. In Hing, we have Eason  and in Taiwan we have Jay! Life is good with greate singers and great music!

陳奕迅: 認了吧

Even though this is  2007 recording, it is a very good cd. Good vocal and recording..

淘汰

快樂男生

紅玫瑰

愛情轉移

愛情轉移

 

作詞：林夕

作曲：Christopher Chak

編曲：陳珀 / C. Y. Kong

徘徊過多少櫥窗　住過多少旅館

才會覺得分離也並不冤枉

感情是用來瀏覽　還是用來珍藏

好讓日子天天都過得難忘

熬過了多少患難　濕了多長眼眶

才能知道傷感是愛的遺產

流浪幾張雙人床　換過幾次信仰

才讓戒指義無反顧地交換

 ＊把一個人的溫暖　轉移到另一個人的胸膛

　讓上次犯的錯反省出夢想

　每個人都是這樣　享受過提心吊膽

　才拒絕做愛情代罪的羔羊

 　回憶是捉不到的月光　握緊就變黑暗

　等虛假的背影消失於晴朗

　陽光在身上流轉　等所有業障被原諒

　愛情不停站　想開往地老天荒　需要多勇敢＊

燭光照亮了晚餐　照不出個答案

戀愛不是溫馨的請客吃飯

床單上鋪滿花瓣　擁抱讓它成長

太擁擠就開到了別的土壤

 感情需要人接班　接近換來期望

期望帶來失望的惡性循環

短暫的總是浪漫　漫長總會不滿

燒完美好青春換一個老伴

 

你不要失望　蕩氣迴腸是為了　最美的平凡 

這是一首非常難記卻是一首難得的情歌。這首是為戀愛的人們所寫，也為那些尋找真愛或對愛情有所迷惑的人而寫的心聲。希望大家都能找到真愛！

Vivaldi the Four seasons using Altec 755c

This evening, I have finally found the time to listen to this Vivaldi The Four Seasons by Hugo from 1998, using my Altec 755c speakers which came back to me after one round. It was previously sold to a hifi audiophiles after I have upgraded and bought the 755a. 

Following my streamlining of all vintage hifi gears, some how, this set of 755c came back to me with the old Altec cabinets.

These pair were put on sales in R33 for a long period of time and my guess is that the poor economic condition has really hampered the desire of the people to purchase.

After some running in of the speakers, the old familiar sound of the full range come back and I must say that these speakers play the best violin music!