J Larsen

Hi, Is anyone else still waiting for their set? I preordered ordered back in July and am still waiting. Thanks. Edit: In case it was unclear, I was asking about the Eternal Myth set. Thanks.

Did you go last night? How was Parker/Shipp? Really wanted to catch that set, but between the rain and an early meeting today, it seemed like a bad idea.

Not so simple for us working folk... Really looking forward to David S Ware tonight, even if I do have to sit up in the 110 degree bleachers again.

There was some great music last night, but goddamn it was hot in there (especially up in the balcony; easily 110 degrees up there). I'm a little on the fence for tonight. One the one hand, it is always fun to see Kid Jordan play, and the Shipp/Parker set should be incredible. On the other hand, that is a long walk home through a forecasted thunderstorm. Definitely going tomorrow night for David S. Ware. Does anyone know why there is such a long break in the schedule between Kid Jordan and Shipp/Parker tonight?

Thanks - I got will call tix and hope to be there for the start of the 7PM set.

I saw it Monday and enjoyed it. The Hemingway character is great! I can't say the film really affected me, but it was a pleasant way to pass a couple hours on a hot summer night.

I'll be there tonight unless work intervenes. I assume tickets are still available?

I have been dealing with eustachian tube dysfunction for about 4 years, and it isn't fun. (Frequently feel like my head is going to implode, occasional bouts with very loud tinnitus, etc.). Nothing works all the time for anyone, but here are a couple things that work sometimes for some people: 1) Exhaling moderately forcefully through your nasal passages while pinching your nose hard. This can cause a little pain in the eardrums, but often solves the problem (at least temporarily). 2) Med pack, which is a graduated dose of prednisone as Jim R suggested. Needless to say, this is prescription only. It can hurt your stomach a little, but is the most effective pharmaceutical I've found for this problem. 3) Nasonex, which is a rather powerful prescription-only antihistamine that you spray up your nose. If you are lucky, a few droplets will find their way into the eustachian tube, and provide at least temporary relief. It sounds like you are basically dealing with a temporary case of ETD, so it is worth discussing these options with your doctor (option 1 can be safely attempted without calling a doctor first).

Japan's nuclear agency has conceded that a meltdown may have occurred at Fukushima: http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/12/japan.quake.nuclear.failure/index.html?hpt=T1&iref=BN1 I dearly hope this is not the case.

Glad you are okay, Dave! We were thinking about you today. Trang has a lot of family in Japan right now; thankfully they are all okay too. Please let us know if there is anything we can do to help.

The FMP box has been rocking my world for the last couple days. I expected it to be really good, and my expectations have been wildly exceeded.

Another vote for Etymotics. BTW, they make great custom-fit musicians' earplugs, as well.

Thanks! I can use EL34s, though the manual says I'll lose a little power. (Given that my amp is loud enough for the neighbors to complain with the dial at 10 o'clock, I'm not too worried about that, though.) What do you think of the Winged C KT88s? http://www.upscaleaudio.com/tubes/kt88/sed-kt88.html Thanks, Porcy. I'm bidding on a pair of Telefunkens on ebay right now, but they seller has 100% positive feedback from nearly 1000 reviews (including lots of tubes), and they come with the original boxes, so hopefully they are legit. I'm of the impression that NOS isn't as important for preamp tubes, because they draw so little power to start with so they have much longer lives. Do you agree with that? I definitely plan on trying lots of different types, but I want to pace myself. I am, after all, standing at the top of a long, steep, slippery slope!

I'd like to try some new tubes in my integrated stereo amp. I've picked up a few ideas from some of the dedicated audio forums, but thought I'd solicit opinions here as well. My amp takes 4 KT88s for the power section and 2 12AX7s and 2 12AU7s for the pre section. For the KT88s, I just tried the Gold Lion reissues from Russia, but am not happy with the bass definition (compared to the Prima Luna tubes I had in before). I really have no idea what to try next. For the 12AX7s, I'm thinking about used Telefunkens or NOS Tungsrams. For the 12AU7s, I'm thinking about used Telefunkens or NOS Mullards or Radiotechnique. Any thoughts would be appreciated - also vendor recommendations would be great. Thanks.

Not sure if he's been mentioned yet, but I'm a big fan of Bambino (sometimes "Bombino" on records). His output is pretty diverse; here are a few samples: