Just arrived at the Dordogne and got internet access again - but first priority is to do a few payrolls.  Thanks to Gordon and Ronnie for putting us up, and for a great curry by chef Gordon - the lamb curry in particular being a bit special.  Nice to finally meet, and play with the HiFi toys a bit.  The quads were a reassuringly familiar and welcome element - and left the Teufels for dead - which is not to say the mc's were bad - just the clingfilm jobs much more my cup of tea.  I think Gordon probably has the sub tuned to his particular hearing needs, so it was a bit heavy alround for me, but that was made up by the great choice of music.  The man has a collection of guitar records to die for.  May have to ask him for a catalogue and try my luck scouring the used records online.

The big surprise for me was how much Pip improved CD's, when I normally rate it primarily as a phono stage.  Especially as there were at least a couple of other boxes in the chain.  I was really aware how much richer and "instrument like" acoustic instruments sounded as well as that larger taller soundstage - but it will be interesting to see what Cagey thinks when we get down to Toulouse.

Many thanks again Gordon for the welcome and the curry!

You are very welcome Richard. It was great to meet you both.

I reckon the Pioneer stable platter machines are very under rated. As I said, mine cost me £29 on eBay and I rate it very highly. Don't forget also that you were listening to some of those 'flaky' glass bottle thingies

Sounds like a good time was had by all. It's good when computa stuff becomes real life.

Always a winning combo in my eyes.

And we have a live band warming up at the bar. If their act is as good as their sound check I think we'll wander down.. 

The tour goes from strength to strength.  Wonderful day yesterday with Kevin and Nathalie, their nephews and nieces and Kevins sister and husband.  Weather was mostly kind, so we got to sample the pool.  Oh boy did that NOT help with the frustration about not being able to move down here.  The man knows how to barbecue too!

Given the glorious weather, we had a brief play with the HiFi toys.  Kevins system is well sorted and the 2M Ortofon gives a relaxed stress-free experience with plenty of detail.  It was nice to be back in the company of an FXR arm again too, with its control and articulacy in the bass.  I think I was much more aware of the Pip going in than Kevin.  Its in the nature of the beast that it is quite subtle.  It tends to throw a bigger, richer soundstage, and give acoustic instruments a much more "real instrument" quality, without having that "needle fine" detail that so many "good" or "detailed" amps have.  All the subtleties are there, but the richness and warmth means that they are not shoved in your face.  For me, suddenly Mark Knopfler sounded like Mark Knopfler, not listening to Mark Knopfler on a record player.  However, the big surprises were yet to come.

Problem was - as at Gordons - the Pip was going into other preamps.  Now, for me it does 2 things.  Phono amp gets the RIAA on the nail, and so arguably is valid into another amp.  But, as we found with Gordons CD's - the line amp shows its qualities too.  A bit like interconnects - the line amp should be doing nothing.  It doesnt add to the sound - its not a signal processor.  It just fails to take away from or mask or spoil the sound given to it by the signal.  So IF Pip line stage sounds different from any other line stage, its because PIP gets it right, and the other amp loses something.  So its not helpful auditioning it through another preamp!

So - all new - the biamped arcams were replaced with the P10 and copper jumpers on the speakers.  Now we had an all new 100 amp Pip to P10 system, instead of the Arcam biamped pip, other control units, hotch-potch.  Magic!

Nope.  Not magic.  Some aspects magic.  But a feeling it had lost all its bass weight.  Really nice from (say) 200Hz up - although even then a bit thin and veiled for my liking.  WTF?  Well as a quick and dirty, we switched speaker cables to QED silver which Kevin had lieing around, rather than try to get his other cables (Van Damme??) out from their inaccessible hiding place.  He knew he didn't like them much, but they couldn't be that bad.  Could they?

They bloody well could.  I can't think when I have been so astonished by the difference speaker cables made.  Don't get me wrong - I am not completely cable-phobic, and bother a bit about the bits of wire I hook my system up with.  In particular, recently, for convenience, I tried a bit of QED 79 strand, and whilst not as disappointing as todays experience, it was disappointing enough to make me consider returning to my chords (and ended up instead happy with talk 3).  But this time the effect was very substantial.  With one half of the bi-wire cables in the "new" system, suddenly we were really rocking.  100 watts was that bit more effortless and stress free, and Pip was providing rich deep bass (within the limitations of the speakers) and natural depth and detail.

See - I told you cables are important !  (we didn't even get to have a chance for Kevin to dem his interconnects - I'll make myself a set back in blighty)

Great day!  Big thanks to Kevin and Nathalie

Interesting stuff. Just shows how subjective all this is. As I said, in hi-fi terms the Pip is the best pre I have heard in my system. However, the whole thing boogies better as it is and communicates the music to me better.

This is good because it means I don't have to even consider spending any more of my non existent dosh  as the system is right for us as it is.

I did wonder if it was just me and my deteriorating ears but Ronnie confirmed. She is not someone who would agree with me just to make me feel better. She knows very well that, even if the mouth was doing what it was told, her face would suddenly become a giant advertising screen blaring out the word 'porkies' in display caps.

You left here just in time. Its been storms, thunder, lightning the whole bit. Ta muchly for taking the sun with you.

Well, tonight I put the AT 150MLX back in, and I think I prefer this cartridge.
The tonal balance seems better as there is a touch more bass. Oh, how I would love to try the AT150Anv.

Hi Wonky

Tour has been good.  Chillin near Frejus.  Had Harry and his girlfriend with us for a week, and now can enjoy the run out as just the two of us again.  House hunting was frustrating, and we are ducking out for a while - at least until February, but we plan to have a year off next year.  We got mortgage finance approval for the converted garage, and then the owners took it off the market.  The french self employed tax (national insurance) nonsense is a serious blow - even with my best cunning plans for mitigating it.  Part of the problem of course, is that I enjoy such a daft priviliged low tarrif in the UK - but the French rates are still insane.

Predictably the council rejected our planning application to sort out the restriction on our house.  Agents plan to resubmit - addressing points raised by the council - but too late for us to respond in this application.  Then appeal.  But the process will take us at least until Christmas.  Meantime, the "bonus" - call for sites, is due to be decided by the council in January.

So back to chilling.  Sue has started singing again - we scratched our way through half a dozen songs this morning.  The "unlocker" was a visit to a cistercian abbey with the most amazing acoustic I have ever heard.  Listened to a bass, singing Gregorian chant on the "circuit" and we came in half way through.  I was looking for the PA speakers and head mike - because the effect as the echos overlaid the music was of a chorus and choir, not a solitary singer.  And although he was singing softly, it was PA loud.  Absolutely incredible.

Also - yet another band at the bar (twice now - every Thursday it would seem) who are way too good for a campsite.  Guitarist was class, but the drummer was the best I have heard bar none.  And yes, DQ - I've heard Collins live 5 times, 4 of them with Thompson.  Even Harry (a drummer) commented it was the best he had heard, and had his mouth open all the time. 

So - good tour, shame about the move to France 

Now you tell me....