I’m sitting in my living room, occasionally deriving an almost ridiculous amount of pleasure from my four foot tall lava lamp, and listening to some old Van Morrison on the stereo. I had a friend, Gordon, visiting who’s been recommending some new stereo gear to me, and I’m seriously considering it. I bought my current setup (a Rotel system with Lin speakers) about 12 years ago, and I’m feeling it might be time. He’s recommending some Consonance cd players and amps, and I might go that way. They’re bodaciously ugly, but he seems pretty confident. Of course he showed me these (http://www.supratek.biz/gallery.htm), which are cool, but aren’t in production any more, which is sad. There are too few beautiful things in the world, to see something pass out of it.
What else? I’m going through a “Oh my god, don’t make me read science fiction” phase this past couple weeks. Just seeing it makes me shudder, though I know this will turn around. It always does. It is, of course, convenient that this happened six weeks or so out from handing in the year’s best! On that score, do you have a favorite 2008 story? I have a bunch, but would like to hear yours. On that score, I’m waiting for the new Interzone, which should be here any idea. My pal Jetse told me it has a work of genius in it, and that’s plug enough for me.
Oh, and Margo’s Tender Morsels came in the mail today. Yay!
Hannu?
I haven’t read nearly enough (new) short fiction this year unfortunately, so I can’t really say… Still catching up on the last couple of years. So I might go with Tricia Sullivan’s Post-Ironic Stress Syndrome or one of the others from THE STARRY RIFT (the Al Reynolds was pretty cool…); or otherwise perhaps The Goosle? ;)
New stereo gear? My 22-year-old Philips FA880 amplifier broke down just before I went to Denvention. Since the rest of the stereo was the same age, I decided to go for a whole new kit.
Eventually bought a Marantz PM7001 amp (K.I. signature edition: sounded considerable better than the standard edition); a Marantz SA7001 CD-player (K.I. signature edition: ditto), and two Focal 816 W (also a special edition: if only to be consistent) speakers.
OK, it’s not a home theatre set — I don’t have a TV, by choice — although the home theatre set for the Marantz/Focal combination would look something like this.
I think they sound phenomenal, with the caveat that my musical taste is different. As a hardrock/heavy metal/progrock fan I tested them with the ultradisc version of Rush’s Moving Pictures for the warm, analog-era sound and Power Windows — also Rush — for the more aggressive and sparkling digital sound.
(While the Dire Straits’ Brother in Arms in 1985 was one of the first DDD albums, arguably made with the CD market in mind, Rush’s Power Windows — released a couple of months later — was also DDD, and also aimed at audiophiles. At that time Rush were with PolyGram, which were owned by Philips, the inventors of the CD. The album is an overwhelming aural attack, both in sound quality and in musicianship, as it stretched the possibilities of what a trio could do into new territories. But I digress…;-).
The Supratek amps look great, and while I’m not familiar with the Consonance equipment, I wish you the best of luck with getting a new set.
And the SF reading fatigue will pass, as you love the genre too much. Actually, getting a new stereo might help: while you listen to your favourite music with new ears, you might look at your favourite genre with new eyes.