-
Enjoy XS650.com? Consider making a donation to help support the site.
XS650.com receives a small share of sales from some links on this page, but direct donations have a much greater impact on keeping this site going.
Other Hobbies/Interests
- Thread starter FrankS
- Start date
... Gulfstream large pelagic species? Very cool!
Last edited:
O.K., just don't go all Keith Moon on us. Miss him.
Me too and all the other greats like Bonham and Neil Peart.
Love it. I quit that addiction and lost 40+ pounds.
I’m still all in on that. I’m out to disprove or prove that it will kill me.
Woodworking when I get a chance. Love making the components of the project just as much as the projects themselves.
Made a chess set for the youngest last year.
Made a chess set for the youngest last year.
Last edited:
MUSICAL FIDELITY AUDIO SYSTEM
Music has been a constant in my life; from my earliest memories as a boy Mum and Dad would play 78rpm records of Sinatra, Dean Martin, Mario Lanza and Doris Day; Lots of Jazz orchestra stuff mixed with more modern era records from the Beatles and the Carpenters. I then learned to play trombone in school and guitar but was better at precussion / drums so ventured that way. Of course with music comes audio gear and I now have what I coveted from my youth, that I could only dream about back then. All items were sourced second hand and rebuilt.
It all started with a Michell Gyrodeck which looked like something from the space age to me.
Currently running Rega RB300 arm / Sumico Blue Point Evo.
SME IV is being rewired to match a Van Den Hul cartridge.
Next was to get the Musical Fidelity M3 Amplifier and CD player.
Launched in 2004 they were / are something special.
Only 500 were produced of each unit. They contain Nu-Vista valves wich were used in USA misiles!
Mine have been rebuilt by the origonal engineer (John Simpson) and the amps now put out 600 watts per channel into 4 Ohms; 350 into 8 Ohms.
The amp and power supply weigh around 39Kg!
The stand this lot sits on is from Townshend and is suspended to isolate from air born sound wave shocks and the floor vibrations.
Speakers are Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 804
Matched to a B&W 800 Sub with 1Kw of digital amplification (Housed in a cabinet).
Image of the system in my listening room:
Most interconnect cables I have built myself using Professional Studio Grade silver wire stock and connectors. Set up took a lot of trial and error but was worth it. When I put anything on the turntable I shut my eyes the artists are in the room; be that Led Zeppelin or Walter Trout.
My favourite demo album is Frank Sinatra with the Count Basie Orchestra ‘Live at the Sands’ I’m at the venue, and you can even hear the knives and forks of the dinners hitting plates, awesome. Or try Morrisey Live, full frontal power chords!
Am I happy? Of course, but like our bikes there is always something else to tweak.
Ads.
Music has been a constant in my life; from my earliest memories as a boy Mum and Dad would play 78rpm records of Sinatra, Dean Martin, Mario Lanza and Doris Day; Lots of Jazz orchestra stuff mixed with more modern era records from the Beatles and the Carpenters. I then learned to play trombone in school and guitar but was better at precussion / drums so ventured that way. Of course with music comes audio gear and I now have what I coveted from my youth, that I could only dream about back then. All items were sourced second hand and rebuilt.
It all started with a Michell Gyrodeck which looked like something from the space age to me.
Currently running Rega RB300 arm / Sumico Blue Point Evo.
SME IV is being rewired to match a Van Den Hul cartridge.
Next was to get the Musical Fidelity M3 Amplifier and CD player.
Launched in 2004 they were / are something special.
Only 500 were produced of each unit. They contain Nu-Vista valves wich were used in USA misiles!
Mine have been rebuilt by the origonal engineer (John Simpson) and the amps now put out 600 watts per channel into 4 Ohms; 350 into 8 Ohms.
The amp and power supply weigh around 39Kg!
The stand this lot sits on is from Townshend and is suspended to isolate from air born sound wave shocks and the floor vibrations.
Speakers are Bowers & Wilkins Nautilus 804
Matched to a B&W 800 Sub with 1Kw of digital amplification (Housed in a cabinet).
Image of the system in my listening room:
Most interconnect cables I have built myself using Professional Studio Grade silver wire stock and connectors. Set up took a lot of trial and error but was worth it. When I put anything on the turntable I shut my eyes the artists are in the room; be that Led Zeppelin or Walter Trout.
My favourite demo album is Frank Sinatra with the Count Basie Orchestra ‘Live at the Sands’ I’m at the venue, and you can even hear the knives and forks of the dinners hitting plates, awesome. Or try Morrisey Live, full frontal power chords!
Am I happy? Of course, but like our bikes there is always something else to tweak.
Ads.
Blimey I can taste that through the pictures!
That's awesome, Ads... probably way above my ability to properly appreciate. What I can appreciate is the refinement necessary to pursue that level of fidelity.
True enough, and it is a little ‘high brow’ for most; but any guests that sit and listen are blown away by the realism this system delivers. As a side stat, I bought my first house at the age of 22 for £27,000 If I had to replace this system with similar kit today I would be spending upwards of £30,000. Of course I bought second hand gear over the years (I’m 63 now) so It was achievable.
Ads
VERY impressive, DE. Did some diorama work myself as part of a model railway, but nothing even remotely close to what you've shown us.Are you SURE you want to pry the top off that particular box, Pandora?
I'm an attention whore and I have a digital camera...
I'll just leave these links for now:
Model Cars and Trucks
Thanks, Atom. I really enjoy the process.
I started building models as a pre-teen and had big ideas but didn't have the experience or resources to implement them.
I started building models as a pre-teen and had big ideas but didn't have the experience or resources to implement them.
... and look where it led!
Exactly, and a big reason why I enjoy it so much...delayed gratification...
A couple of pieces of equipment I worked on in the Navy used nuvistors. I got minor burns on numerous occasions "wiggling" them with my pointer finger to make sure they were seated properly. Fairly often, that would cure an intermittent problem. Often enough to make a singed nose-picker worth it...
Like a few other musical members here I was once musician; a precussionist / drummer; did a few sessions for a number of local bands, and even cut some singles too. I no longer have the space form a permanent drum set up so returned to guitar for my musical fix. I still have my Takamine acoustic from my youth and my wife gifted me a beautiful Taylor 910 series non-electric guitar about 10 years ago. Both get used sturmming away to favorite records as is my want.
Last edited:
OutgunnedOverbudget
XS650 Member
After becoming a father at 18, I didn’t get much time for hobbies haha. I finally pulled the trigger on a bike this year (hence my presence here) I also finally got back into fishing last year, which to my delight my kids also enjoy! Don’t have time for much else, it’s awesome to see some very talented people on here 
Sounds like you’re a good one. If the kids grow up around bikes they tend to love them too.After becoming a father at 18, I didn’t get much time for hobbies haha. I finally pulled the trigger on a bike this year (hence my presence here) I also finally got back into fishing last year, which to my delight my kids also enjoy! Don’t have time for much else, it’s awesome to see some very talented people on here
