Wednesday

Breathing new life into the music.

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It is ages since I scribbled anything on this blog. Then came the gentle failure of our 14 year old, 37" JVC HD-ready TV. This meant a replacement had to be found. Something hopefully future proof with a PQ worthy of investment. Over the years I have occasionally visited the big electronics sheds with walls of TVs and sneered at the often dreadful pictures. Or the stuttering lateral movements. We were never so troubled at home.

Only recently has OLED thrown itself across my tracks and demanded my attention. The trouble was the considerable expenditure could not be balanced against the continuing satisfaction with our current TV. Until, as already mentioned, the old one started to misbehave. 

Then came the annual, manufacturer's stock clearance. As this year's models were trundled forth. It was decided to invest in a middle sized, mid-priced LG OLED from last year at less than half the original price. If it lasts 14 years, like our last one, then we shall be in our mid eighties by then and probably long past caring. Who knows what visual entertainment technology will have been invented by then?

Anyway, to finally get to the point, it was decided to clear the stage where our TV sits just above the open stairwell. That meant the dismantling and removal of the 4x15" upper bass "augmenter." Leaving all bass duties to the original, in wall, 4x 15" IB subwoofer on the left. 

As a sound check I put "Tzar of Instruments" [Russian Organ Music] in the BDP and settled down. It was immediately obvious that the weight and quality of bass was back. I listened all the way through after tweaking levels. Very enjoyable it was too. I'd now like to get rid of the old BFD and have the Onkyo '818 AVR separate the subwoofer signal. With nothing more than rough levels under its control. Further fine, level adjustment can come from the 4000. Which is back to each channel driving a pair of 13Hz, AEIB15s in series. 

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