Hi Fi Audition

Just to write down a few thoughts after I attended my first hi fi audition in a hi fi dealer at warrington, about 45 mins drive from chester.


Really have to thank Simon for his insight and knowledge whilst my 3 1/2 hour at Doug Brady HiFi. 


As you know I like classical music lots.. especially symphonies.. and the more complex music ( don't know why... it's much more interesting to me ) so finding something that can be as close as a live orchestra is a difficult job.


First my room in kk is small, so that limits the speakers size. Hartbeth's little-est (lol) speaker is the P3ESR-2. And this was the speaker I heard only. It's very neutral, so you get to know what you are hearing is good or not, as well as the system.


Anyway started with Musical Fidelity's M1 Clic. A streaming type device with is like a all in one, then u need to add amplifier and speakers 2 work. Interestingly it shows that listening to WAV music is better than my FLAC music. ( WAV is the origincal music in CD, uncompressed). FLAC is lossless, it is compressed but retains most music in it. My ear was better that I thought lol. Anyway, the bass was much better in WAV than FLAC to me. bass somehow has importance to me... it gives weight to the music.


To cut things short, I settled on Rega DAC, and Sudgen's A21SE amplifier (class A - means it gets hot really) and the Harbeth. The music became much more comfortable, what i mean is... you listen to the music than rather the system. Still, something is lacking... the bass, that heavy weight. I put this down purely to the small speakers, but for their size they are doing an unbelievable job. 


nx stop: a 2 hour trip, to listen to Lavardin Amplifiers... I heard the lavardin IT and Living Voice Speakers in singapore, and that was the most 3D and real music I ever heard still.


some pics to show you:

 The Rega DAC

 Harbeth's P3 ESR

 The hot looking Sudgen A21 SE MK II

 French amps - Lavardin IS ref, the little brother

 Lavardin IT - the flagship amp

Lecontoure Mobile 160, same company for Lavardin amps

expensive stuffs tho the lavardin and lecontoure!

my recent purchase of music...

the CDs I bought within the past month:

I always look to purchase more CDs for classical music as I can... as I know they won't be easy to find once i return home. so i always attempt to buy some CDs in a couple of months. The repertoire looks good, the recent collection of Mozart is long overdue. Beethoven.. ah.. my 2nd set of complete symphonies... and this is a prized cycle that I must have. And now I have a complete Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto, so beautifully written, as expected by Tchaikovsky. everything arranged so well, and it lighted the orchestra, and the piano.

without a doubt I am familiar with Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky (well not all, but the popular ones). Shostakovich presented me a different dimension of music, how music flowed in the early 20th century. There is no doubt Shostakovich's music has moved centre stage now... and I have only started listening to his 5th and 10th symphony. I have to admit I still am trying to understand it, the 10th symphony. His 5th and 10th are arguably the more liked, and he produced 11 symphonies. Take my time to explore I will. And of course, there is another composer, Mahler's... to explore at sometime too.

I do favour symphonies somehow... it's the palette of colors, the weight, the emotion, the insight that captures my attention. I like concerto's too... but essentially, quality music is what I seek.

But as far as music I am concern, Beethoven's music will always be the centre for me. the reference point, the way to see how things flow, from the past, to the present.

Music 2 most of us, is important. We move with music. Music is like life, it has a beginning, and an end. Music always flow, like a river, in a way...be it flowing quickly, slowly... you know the idea. It moves fowards, and one wonders where it brings you to.

notes to self

Lavardin IT - Integrated amp - beauty
price: est GBP 5 000

different look of the amp

Lavardin IS Reference - cheaper than the IT amp
price : GBP 2400

Accidentally came across of the brand Lavardin yesterday from the what hi fi website. It gave it 5 stars and I researched this brand a bit. I have not heard of this brand at all. It is French haha. No wonder. I suppose British magazines will review more of their own british things, so brands like Chord, ATC, Naim, Cyrus are the usual big names that you hear. then the other brands like Marantz, Denon, Yamaha, Audiolab, Plinius (NZ manufacturer), Leema Antilla are the other brands that you also hear often. ( then the list of loudspeakers manufacturers goes.. like ATC, Naim, Proac, Tannoy, Dynaudio, Harberths, NEAT, Rega, PMC etc etc too many and long)

Lavardin? who? was my first response. after much research, this seems to be a fantastic manufacturer. and it is particularly good for jazz and classical music. well, others are good, but the difficult music like the likes of classical music, seems to be handled VERY well by the lavardin amp. I am now DREAMING of owning one. well.. that will be five years time i suppose haha. as it is not cheap at all. I rather spend big on good items and spend once. once and for all rather than keep on upgrading. so.. save i will! hehe... good thing singapore has a distributor for Lavardin!

but i guess i will be going for the NaimUniti first.. for the house first.

and on another note, i should not need to remind myself a lot, but I will always treasure her happiness first than mine. =) and she is so mine. haha... so happy, to have her back in my life, listening to me, helping me, and supporting me and spending time with each other. wonderful. you already know this too well haha - you are so mine, Sherry Chong Jai Wei aka kawui. =p

Where to start?!

pictures do the talking

walk around salcombe

a

walk around salcombe

night view stokenham

sunset view stokenham

salcombe

salcombe

its been about 3 months not updating my blog...

so much has happened. from 'borrowing' internet from my landlord's wireless for 4 weeks, to sorting out the place I live, to adjusting into the transitional phase of student to dentist. it has been stressful, and still is.

all i can say is I am not really enjoying work. hmmm.... few of my friend are on the same boat with me. i guess we are just inundated by the amount of work we have to do + time pressure.
i haven't been performing well really, and I still am not happy with my performance at times. too many to reflect, too many other work to do for this foundation training, and also the visa issue that needs sorting out very soon.

one thing to note. there is an OBVIOUS difference between people from the north and south. people from the south generally are a bit wealthier, BUT FAR MORE NOT FRIENDLY. I also do not like some of their manners. however the local friends (nurses, landlord and my neighbour and his gf) has been friendly and kind.

pictures of the places I have been. some at stokenham, some at a walk close to salcombe. haven't been doing a lot of walks as planned, mainly because of haha I rather do something else with someone. =) she's too important for me now... hehe.

gotta have a rest now... bye!!

devon, here i come!

After a graduation celebrated with the heaviest down pour of rain this year... and sending off my parents at Manchester International Airport, the time has come for me to go to Devon.

I will be going on wednesday, just waiting for one last confirmation of B&B by my trainer.

So, the time has finally come. My comfy times of just hanging around Flat 22 is coming to an end. Havent really done much. watching world cup, reading manga, reading a book which I somehow didn't finish in the 6 weeks time i have and chatting on msn. I wonder whether I have wasted my time? Not spending too much was a priority.. hmmmmm...

On the other hand, I got my driving license, been to london for 2 days, got a car, graduated and sent a friend off. not bad i guess.

time to move on... and Devon is now calling. It's going to be a change, and I hope I adapt to it well.

what will I miss?

in order to distract myself from thinking too much of d driving test tmr... i blog. LOL.

Have been asking myself what I will miss Liverpool after I left.

I guess it's beyond my ability to put into words what I will miss. The train station that I have walked past at least a thousand times, the tesco I visit every saturday without a miss mostly and the staff there that I see (esp some cashiers!). I will definitely miss the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, their chief conductor and their performances. I guess I will be deprived of live concerts down in Devon unless I go to see the LSO in London. That will be in a way bad as that makes me forgot the real sound of orchestras, and the excitement of a live performance. D'oh.

What else? Not really sure... people? well, I will miss my bunch of good friends surely. Daf, Colin, Dan, Yaz, Nik, Will, Sarah and Fleur. The lectures where we have mostly sat together, lunch together, work together, gone for movies together. Everything is coming to an end after graduation. Daf will work in Wales, Colin n Dan at the Mersey, Nik at the South West but far from my place, Yaz at Oxfordshire, Will at the far North East of Newcastle, Fleur at Cambridge and finally, Sarah at the Dental Hospital doing her final year. I really wish all of them the best...

Feelings have been good lately... due to a certain person. I hope this leads to more better things to come... (=

goodbye, liverpool?

listening to a good recording of Brahm's Symphony 4. sweet.. it is. Just how I wish I have a proper & well assembled Hi-fi to enjoy the music. hmm... maybe hire an orchestra to play it is better :p



anyway... back to the title.

I do wonder whether I will come back to Liverpool next year. No is the answer for now. I guess after 5 years of Liverpool and a bit of the North West (mainly Manchester), I want a fresh challenge, I want to see different things at a different place now.

Hence... I better bid farewell to everyone I meet during graduation day, and to friends' of mine in Liverpool. This farewell, maybe a farewell forever, where I will not see most of them for the rest of my life.

So prepare... I will be.

Au'revoir, Liverpool... in 4 weeks time.