Hello from Australia

[ChrisP9]

Hello to everyone,

I've been invited to post on the site for the first time, so here goes! It seems I joined this site back in 2003, and promptly forgot all about it! We've moved houses a couple of times since then, and my hi-fi gear hasn't been setup seriously until about three months ago.

I would describe myself as a 'wannabe' musician, my problem being that I cannot co-ordinate anything, particularly my two hands! I tried learning violin and piano many years ago, and managed to achieve couple of certificates. I sang for many years in choirs and choral societies in the UK, until too many cigarettes and too much amber liquid took their toll. I observed a long time ago that I'm a much better listener than a performer, so I stick to that, hence my interest in audio.

My audio setup is mostly old and simple, a bit like me!, but it gives me lots of listening pleasure. I only have a small study for my gear, but again, despite the size and shape of the room, I spend hour upon happy hour listening to my music!

Back in the 70's I invested, what for me at the time was a lot of money, in a Marantz 1060 amplifier which my friends used to drool over! Foolishly I sold it when my marriage broke up and times got a bit hard! These days I have a Marantz 1070 amp that I picked up a few years ago, and I'm very happy with it most of the time. A bit of crackle in the volume control but I can live with that, unless someone can tell me how to fix it? I do like the old style hi-fi gear from the 70's and early 80's. My turntable and receiver are relatively cheap Pioneer models from years ago. The turntable is direct drive, sporting a Shure M75 cartridge, and I'm very very happy with it, tracks perfectly and passes the Shure torture tests with flying colours! I don't consider FM radio in Australia to be 'hi-fi' so I don't expect serious quality from it, but I have setup a dedicated FM antenna to drag in a few extra stations to where I live out in the 'bush'. My speakers are Wharfedales, the Valdus 200 bookshelf model which I bought a while back on ebay, and they are sensational! I've built a couple of sets of speakers over the years, and have been happy with them, the last set however are waiting to be re-built as they vibrate like crazy! When all is said and done, the measure of hi-fi gear is the pleasure it gives you, it doesn't have to cost a fortune, it just has to make you feel rich!

My listening room is also my study, so as well as my hi-fi there are computers and all sorts of other gear. It's cosy and a good environment to concentrate on the work I take home, and also to switch off and listen to good music. These days I fiddle around trying to hook up my laptop to the hi-fi gear. My efforts to convert vinyl to mp3 varies with the type of music, and the amount of time I spend cleaning the vinyl first! I've just invested in a Creative Audigy2 ZS card for my laptop, hopefully that will help improve the sound quality. The software I use, Audacity, is ok I guess, especially the price!, but the settings on the audio input to avoid 'clipping' aren't that good! Maybe I'm going to have to spend some money on a better program.

OK, now you know where I'm at with my setup, so I'll shut up, browse the site, and see what I can learn from all of you.

Cheers, and thanks for the welcome

Chris

[basite]

well hello there to you too

that's a very nice amp you got there, the crackling volume control is most likely dust in it, so a contact cleaner (Deoxit, preferably) will take care of that


Keep them spinning,
Bert.

[Worf101]

Been to your beautiful country twice before, last time was in 1997. I enjoyed myself immensely both times. Welcome to the forum and I hope you learn alot and have some fun as well.

Yours...

Da Worfster

[DEVO]

Hi there Chris! Welcome again...

[kexodusc]

Hey ChrisP9 - welcome to ar.com.
Like Basite said, the volume pot on the amp is probably just dirty, some contact cleaner should do the trick - or take it into a shop but that could get pricey. Worth it for that piece though, IMO.

Great to finally see an Aussie here. My wife just spent 8 months in Victoria, and was offered a job in Melbourne - could be two Ar.com-ers down under soon enough.

[ChrisP9]

Thanks guys!, I'm hoping the service guys at my hospital will have some contact cleaner, otherwise it'll have to wait for my next trip to the one of the closer regional centres, Bendigo or Ballarat. Kexodusc, living and working in Melbourne is ok, for a while. We moved to the country 14 years ago, 100k from Melbourne, huge drop in salary, huge gain in lifestyle! Best move I ever made, after marrying my wife of course! Thanks for the welcome.

[kexodusc]

Thanks guys!, I'm hoping the service guys at my hospital will have some contact cleaner, otherwise it'll have to wait for my next trip to the one of the closer regional centres, Bendigo or Ballarat. Kexodusc, living and working in Melbourne is ok, for a while. We moved to the country 14 years ago, 100k from Melbourne, huge drop in salary, huge gain in lifestyle! Best move I ever made, after marrying my wife of course! Thanks for the welcome.

Ha! After Atlanta and Toronto, Melbourne was a paradise.
We moved to a small rural Canadian city almost 3 years ago - tons of lifestyle (because it's incredibly affordable) but in hindsight, it's really a place I'd like to retire to in about 25-30 years. Young and foolish as I am...

[ChrisP9]

Kexodusc, I had relatives living in Toronto many years ago, before they started a mink farm in Manitoba or Saskatchewan or somewhere. Bought my first ever vinyl LP in Canada too, little place called Three Rivers on the St Lawrence River, good grief, that was 44 years ago! Modern Jazz Quartet I seem to remember, long gone, but replaced with more MJQ

[ForeverAutumn]

Hi Chris! Welcome to the site...or welcome back, as the case may be.

I hope that you'll stick around and spend some time here. Aside from the mountains of knowledge available here, there are some pretty darn nice people too.

Kex...you better come and visit me before you move down under! Remember there's a beer with your name on it waiting for you in Toronto.

[Feanor]

Hello to everyone,
...
Back in the 70's I...

Cheers, and thanks for the welcome

Chris

If you're talking the '70's we've got some thing in common.

Welcome to the AR Forums!!

[ChrisP9]

Hi FA, I can see there are a few 'characters' on the site! Have been reading a few threads that have nothing to do with audio! Dog washing, favourite eating places etc. I anticipate garnering a great deal of essential information from you all! I don't tell too many people, but I also have a couple of Supertramp albums that get a spin every now & then!

[kexodusc]

Kex...you better come and visit me before you move down under! Remember there's a beer with your name on it waiting for you in Toronto.

Ha ha..I'm working on that. I'm in Toronto every 8-10 weeks or so on work's dime, so I rarely have enough time for leisure, but stay tuned
And let's not put the cart before the horses - a lot of things have to line up right for this to go forward. I won't know for sure until sometime between November and March.

Kinda sucks being in limbo this long - it's put me in a real compromised position - my car lease is up in August for starters and something has to give. Don't want to buy it out, don't want to lease another until I know what's going on.
And I can't buy any cool stereo/home theater equipment, power tools, an ATV, or anything. Might have to sell my snowmobile

And if I leave, we've decided most stuff is being sold or given to relatives including all my stereo equipment and TV
The things I sacrifice for my wife....

Anyway...enough of Kex's whining...

[ForeverAutumn]

I don't tell too many people, but I also have a couple of Supertramp albums that get a spin every now & then!

Keep your head up and be proud. Supertramp is nothing to be ashamed of.

[ForeverAutumn]

Ha ha..I'm working on that. I'm in Toronto every 8-10 weeks or so on work's dime, so I rarely have enough time for leisure, but stay tuned

I hear ya. I travel for work too (not as much as I used to), so I know exactly what it's like.

Last month they shipped me all the way to Victoria for four nights and I only had about four hours of free time one afternoon. By that time I was so exhausted from my meetings that I didn't even want to do anything except rest in my hotel room.

[kexodusc]

Keep your head up and be proud. Supertramp is nothing to be ashamed of.

As I confessed to in another thread recently, I am also a closet Supertramp fan. Today's the day I come out...
I am Kexodusc and I'm proud to be a Supertramp fan:

"We Here! We Like Supertramp! Get Used To It!"

[bobsticks]

Hey Chris. Welcome to the forum.

You'll be in some good company as several here enjoy vintage gears. My grandfather has some vintage Marantz and I can attest to how well some of those units hold up and have great sounds. Good on you and good to have you on board.

[ChrisP9]

Kex, Basite, the contact cleaner did the trick, all the crackles are gone!
I took the opportunity to take the covers off and clean inside all my gear. I also spent some time tidying up my cables, moving power cables away from everything else as much as possible, and improving the terminations on my speaker cables. I'm amazed at the difference, not only have the crackles gone but the system seems so much quieter. With my laptop starting up there has always been what I would call static in the speakers, but that has now gone as well. I have a question on earthing each unit but I'll start a separate thread. Thanks for your advice!