As I ponder the hours creating and uploading documents, reformatting them, emailing and documenting electronically, I am reminded of John Naisbitt's 1983 book, High Tech, High Touch. Required reading for my bachelor's degree, it spoke to the pitfalls of lives dominated by technology, as well as an increased need for personal -- and even tactile -- connections. 

In his article entitled, ​"13 Observations on Ritual", Ted Gioia talked about the need for regular, genuine ritualized practices in our postmodern world -- and things like tapping and swiping on our phones, Binge-watching, Zoom, and FaceTime calls don't cut it. 

Perhaps the rituals associated with vinyl playback -- unsheathing the disc, plattering, and wiping it, lowering the needle, admiring the large album cover's artwork, and reading through liner notes -- are, in part, responsible for the resurgence of the medium. In our driven, hyper-sensated society, it forces us to slow down.  Of course, there's the glorious and more natural warmth and roundness of analog recordings, which contrasts with the sharper-edged digital blaring from our devices, car radios, and workstations. 

Also, I've found that, similar to reading an actual book or magazine versus from a phone or electronic device, there's something to the tactile experience of holding the actual cover or leafing through booklets; and then there's the olfactory stimulation of smelling the faint scent of the chemical compounds, the glue, the paper, cardboard, and ink. It's familiar and comforting, taking us back to earlier life and childhood, when our imaginations and senses were sparked with newfound aural pleasures and experiences. 

Either way, it's a lovely diversion, and I'm looking forward to listening to more vinyl this weekend!  Cheers!

As is my wont sometimes on Fridays, my mind wandered, and I wondered what a musician playing on the Moon might look like, so I plugged a few parameters into an Artificial Intelligence Imaging website and this is what I got! 

​Happy Friday!

As winter approaches, there are changes afoot at Prairie Audio!

With a new job teaching English Language Learners this fall, ACCESS tests (standardized tests on ELL students' abilities in listening, reading, speaking, and writing) two weeks away, and a small collection of reviews winding down, I'm happily busy. 

I recently relocated my VPI Prime Scout turntable to the entertainment armoire at the rear wall of the room, where it can remain set up safe from the tiny hands of visiting grandchildren. Previously, I used to tuck it inside the BDI Corridor media console up front when not in use, which was quite often. Unfortunately, doing this was problematic, as the tonearm weight settings could easily be knocked off with the odd bump or two in moving it around.  For the most part, this wasn't an issue, as I preferred the convenience of digital playback. 

However, in conversations with Jam Somasundram, the designer of the Pass Labs HPA-1 Headphone Amplifier that I was reviewing,  I found myself drawn back to vinyl.  It turns out that Jam is a huge proponent of vinyl and turntables, and he uses them exclusively to voice his products.  Now the president of Quadratic Audio, he makes a step-up transformer dubbed the MC-1 that received glowing praise from Tone Audio and a few other audio outlets, and has been slowly gaining traction in the industry.  He claimed that with all the inherent limitations and faults of vinyl, it's still superior to digital playback (which, he says, has numerous problematic issues that are swept under the rug), and with a vinyl system costing in the tens of thousands, you could easily trump the performance of a digital one running in the hundreds of thousands!

That intrigued me.  Then, I recalled having some long lengths of silver AudioQuest RCA cabling in storage that I'd picked up from an audio store closing back in the 90s. Pulling that out, I relocated the VPI to the armoire, and ran the cable from the Pass Labs XP-17 phono stage, up the front wall, across the ceiling, and down the rear side wall, linking the two together. It worked well, albeit with a little 60-cycle hum emerging when the volume was up past 70 on the Pass Labs XP-12 preamplifier.  With the turntable engaged, that's getting a bit loud, so I figured that I could live with that. 

When I recently had friends over to hear the Usher Audio UA-50 loudspeakers I'm reviewing, I played a few cuts from a live Bruce Springsteen LP. I was about to switch back to digital playback, but one guest asked that I keep the vinyl going, as it was "a delightful treat!" 

Coming from someone with a very impressive system who mostly listens to digital playback, that gave me pause. 

Afterward, I began dusting off records and listening to them more. But still,  that issue of hum irritated me. It wasn't really noticeable at normal listening levels, but sometimes I like to crank it up. So, naturally, that bugged me -- especially since I was committed to reviewing the Quadratic Audio MC-1 in the near future.  

Working with long stretches of balanced XLR cables in our church system as a soundboard volunteer, it occurred to me that I could relocate the XP-17 to the armoire and run a pair of balanced cables to the preamp upfront. In theory, that should greatly reduce the hum, if not eliminate it. Why not? 

Flipping a Table

In our conversations, Jam encouraged me to explore reviewing tonearms. The problem with my current setup, though, is that by using a VPI turntable like my Prime Scout, I was limited to using their tonearms.  Hence, I began looking affordable turntable options. 

Jam recommended the Dr. Feikert Woodpecker as an excellent reference turntable (he keeps one to evaluate tonearms), however, even with a possible industry accommodation, that was out of the question.  That's when he suggested the Micro Seiki BL-91. He enjoys a superb $10,000 model of theirs, but the Unisound Grace Company had this more modest used BL listed on eBay.

So, I listed my VPI Prime Scout, which is in pristine shape, for sale and purchased the BL-91. 

The BL-91 recently arrived and, to my delight, Belle loves it!  In fact, she actually lowered the needle on a couple albums.

"This isn't the first time I've used a record player!" she snapped when I advised her on handling and playing records.  Oh, she's a feisty one!

It turns out that I will have to purchase a step down transformer, as the BL-91 is rated at 100 volts, not 120, another arm board to accommodate tonearms in for review, and a head shell. These are all ordered now.  ​

I reached out to its owner, Alex Gianaras, who agreed to sponsor Prairie Audio Man Cave, and shortly thereafter, I met him at his North Shore home to save him shipping, and I had their RGPC 1200 Custom power conditioner, with its large inductor, in my listening space.

Wow. The differences were subtle, but noticeable. It conjured the introduction of Jupiter Copper Foil capacitors into my former Lampizator Lite 7 DAC years ago, sweetening the presentation. When running traditional surge protection and conditioning products, you can limit available current, resulting in less dynamics, but apparently with parallel power stored in magnetic reservoir, that's not an issue.  A review will be coming out soon. 

Heady Company

The impressive Pass Labs HPA-1 Headphone Amplifier will be taking over review reference duties in my system.  I have been very impressed with its performance, and it brings me great pleasure to have it stay on after the review period expired (you can find the review by Googling Juan C. Ayllon and Pass Labs HPA-1). 

A Leg Up

As I will be comparing my Hsu Research ULS-15 Mk2 subwoofer to a Bag End Infra Sub 18" powered subwoofer that's in for review, I have placed my Pass Labs X150.8 amplifier (which was resting on the Hsu) up on a spare Sound Anchors stand. Although Belle's not as thrilled at its appearance, I kind of like that look, so we'll see if it remains atop the Sound Anchor after the Bag End review terminates. Oh, and by the way, the Bag End seriously kicks ass!  More on that later...

There's more going on, but I need to eat and get some work done. Cheers!

In light of the recent procession of earthquakes, fires, floods, and the latest tragedy in Israel and the Gaza Strip, it’s easy to become overwhelmed.  ​

Process and Distract

Back in the late 1990s, I went through a divorce, and as I struggled to make sense of it, a sage friend offered this advice: Process and distract.  The idea was to cycle between concentrated times of processing the trauma--get counseling, journal, pray, work on my issues, and seek to learn and grow from it--followed by time of distraction; do fun things--listen to music, get together with friends, workout, watch a comedy, enjoy a pizza. Go back and forth between the two, and with time, you will get through this. And, little by little, I did. 

Besides my daytime job as a teacher, distractions included starting a part-time mobile DJ business, building my audio system (proceeds from a wedding paid for a pair of Martin Logan loudspeakers), taking writing workshops, and posting at an online boxing forum, which led to becoming a reporter and, eventually, news editor for the Cyber Boxing Zone from 2003 to 2017. The friendships and memories I gained from that experience were invaluable. ​

Prayer and Action

The alarming wartime activities in Israel and the Gaza Strip could potentially ignite a larger Middle Eastern conflict, and with major players possessing nuclear arsenals, and with potential global ramifications, these are sobering times.  As a practicing Christian, I believe these are biblical times and would be remiss if I didn't encourage people to get right with God (find out more HERE). Moreover, people in Israel, the Gaza Strip, and other stricken regions need prayers and support. World leaders need wisdom and restraint. And hurting people everywhere need help.

Points of action include reaching out to your congress representative, volunteering and/or donating to relief organizations like the Red Cross or Samaritan's Purse (find out more HERE), and reaching out to friends, family and colleagues affected by these crises. With the constant media bombardment of these troubling events, many people in our spheres of influence, including kids, could be subject to increased stress and anxiety. Put an arm around them, have calming conversations, and let them know you are there for them. ​

This pair of Dan Clark Audio Stealth headphones is in for review, and while I was passing signal through it to help prepare it for its upcoming paces with the Pass Labs HPA-1 headphone amplifier, I thought I'd snap this snazzy pic. Enjoy!

I've been reading this book, You Can't Screw This Up, by Adam Bornstein, a bestselling author, nutritional expert and consultant to stars like LeBron James, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Cindy Crawford as Belle and I prepared to fly south to Tampa, Florida on holiday. Arnold Schwarzenegger had recommended it in his newsletter, "Arnold's Pump Club." Unlike the Keto Diet, Atkins and several others, Bornstein's approach was more forgiving, accommodating restaurant takeout for example, so I decided to bring it along for encouragement as we sought to have a fun, but healthy break from our daily lives.

Our trip wasn't purely vacation oriented; Belle (or Isabel) wanted to check up on her elderly mother, Mary, and her wheelchair using half-sister, Naomi, and attend to some pressing matters needing attention. In exchange, we got free lodging, saving us thousands in hotel fees. I also had plans of touring the factory of Valve Amplification Company (or VAC, a maker of high end vacuum tube amplification equipment) in nearby Sarasota, and meeting up with my longtime friend, Steven Hill, owner of Straight Wire, Inc., which makes high fidelity consumer and OEM A/V cables, roughly four hours away in Hollywood, FL. 

​On days that Belle and I ventured out alone, our excursions included shopping, strolling and dining at John's Pass; sampling Peruvian cuisine at Lima (a storefront restaurant in Tampa); enjoying live music at a hotel bar and walking on the white sands of St. Petersburg's beach; noshing on the eclectic menus at Spinners (a rotating rooftop restaurant at the Bellwether Beach Resort in St. Pete); exploring the expansive seaside environs of St. Petersburg's Pier, taking in the spectacular views from their five story building a quarter of a mile out at the end of the pier, then dining at its Teak restaurant on the fourth floor.  ​

We had a few minor setbacks during our trip. For example, following a realignment of  Naomi's specialty van, which is equipped with a retracting wheelchair ramp, Belle noticed that the steering wheel shimmied while driving at highway speeds, so we spent two -- not one -- lengthy mornings at the mechanic's shop.  Then, following a trip with Mary and Naomi to St. Petersburg, we discovered that I had contracted contact dermatitis on the top rear of both calves!  We don't know if a mechanic applied some chemical cleaner on the cabin seats after servicing the van or if some cleanser had been applied to the restaurant chairs where we ate. 

Add to that, Belle developed a cold about halfway through our visit. We guessed it had something to do with the extreme temperature changes from sweltering afternoons outdoors to cool, air conditioned interiors!  Thankfully, her symptoms improved toward the end of our trip. 

Additionally, I incurred some damage to my MacBook Pro, rendering it unusable. Thankfully, it  was covered by warranty and was fixed and returned in several days after I dropped it off at a nearby Apple Store. Thank the Lord!

However, over the duration of our vacation, Cuban feast aside, I was able to stay on course with my modified dietary regimen. Eating smaller portions and making wiser food selections and trade-offs, I was actually able to lose 14 lbs. since I began reading the book a couple weeks prior to our two week vacation!

This fact was not lost on Belle, Mary, or Steven -- whom I'd sent sent several photos of our adventures via text. Chatting on the phone, Steven said, "Clearly Florida is very agreeable with you; you're losing weight!" When I mentioned Bornstein's book, Steven -- who's lost over 60 lbs., said, "Juan, it's very simple: exercise, eat modest meals, avoid the carbs, and when you're hungry, eat a salad."

Towards the end of our holiday as we noshed on appetizers on the outside rooftop terrace at Spinners, Belle and I agreed that, as nice as this trip was, perhaps the next time we visit, we'll set aside a few days prior to our arrival at Mary's and Naomi's home, rent a hotel room and car, and spend a week or so on our own.  I seem to recall having a similar discussion the last time we were in Florida, but I'm down for that if she is!

Either way, it was a lovely and refreshing visit -- one filled with lots of memories that we will treasure.

No doubt, there will come a time when the advancing years will necessitate some unpleasant business ahead, but we will take what good we can, as long as we can, and will handle life's challenges, as they come. One day at a time. And, with the Lord's help, that's something I can't screw up. 

Selah.     

Although it's been largely quiet on these pages lately, it's been far from inactive at Prairie Audio headquarters. Between work, audio commitments, and time with family and wee grandchildren, it's been a whirlwind! Yes, Belle and I have been spending time when we can with the kids and grandkids, who are growing up fast! But, coming up quickly, there will be a flourish of activity popping up at Prairie Audio Man Cave, as well. 

Over the last quarter, I've fulfilled commitments to a humongous report on AXPONA 2023 (Audio Expo North America) and reviews on the following for another online periodical:

• The Purity Audio J-DAC
• The Akasa Turing FX fanless case
• The HDPLEX H1 V3 fanless case
• The Carbide Audio vibration isolation footers

 You can run Google searches for them, along with my name, Juan C. Ayllon, and you should find them quickly. In addition, I have several other promised reviews coming in the next several months.  

New Looks

As a result of this reviewing activity, I now have several new wrinkles to my system. First, my Intel NUC is now housed in an HDPLEX H1 V3 fanless case that I absolutely love! Decorative vents up top allow you to look on their six copper heat pipes inside. Second, my Hsu ULS-15 Mk2 subwoofer now rests on top of A/V RoomService EVP Equipment Vibration Protectors. Previously, my VPI turntable, Schiit Yggdrasil DAC, Pass Labs preamplifier and amplifier were isolated with them, but after talking with our sponsor, A/V RoomService's Norman Varney, I was assured that heavy duty EVPs could support both the amp, protective steel plate and subwoofer just fine.  He's right, and the EVPs continue to provide outstanding vibration damping for my equipment!

Third, I am now using Isoacoustic Orea Bordeaux isolation pucks under my Usher Audio ML-802s. I spotted these isolators under the Usher ML-801s (the same pair I had reviewed a year ago) at AXPONA in Dr. Vinyl's room, and speaking to Dr. Vinyl's president, Jose Cardenas, afterwards he convinced me to replace the Usher's spikes with them. As a new sponsor of Prairie Audio, he has graciously provided me with a set of Orea Bordeaux that are working out quite nicely in my room! Whereas they are not quite as effective as the Carbide Audio footers at ameliorating vibration, they do a very nice job for a fraction of their cost.  And, as a new sponsor of our site, Dr. Vinyl has provided our listening room with the Bordeauxs.

Coming Soon to Prairie Audio 

As our latest sponsor of Prairie Audio, Jose Cardenas will be sharing some of his insights and experiences as a longtime dealer in the audio industry in an upcoming interview.  I will also be reviewing the McGary tube amplifier that his company, Dr. Vinyl, represents. 

There is also a proposed tour of the Valve Amplification Company factory in the works.  I will let you know if and when it becomes official.  And if that falls through, I will make my best efforts to give our viewers another inside glimpse in our industry. 

Now for those who love the Sweet Science, as the former lead writer and news editor for the Cyber Boxing Zone, I am also planning on doing a piece on a boxer or this summer.  This should be fun!

And at long last, I will soon be posting a long overdue photo essay of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin. For you architecture and design buffs, it should be a real delight for you!

So with Memorial Day weekend fast approaching, I want to wish you well, safe travels, and entice you with promises of other treats coming up at Prairie Audio, however, I will let them be a surprise. 

Cheers!

​

Transformers are massive, hypertrophied Sci-Fi action fighting robots that can morph into cars, and if they were real and played hockey, I could see them using Carbide Base Audio Isolation Feet for pucks. The Carbides are that big -- and speaking as someone who, though embarrassed, admits to watching several of their movies -- they are that space age cool.  Marveling at their quality look, feel and finish fresh out of the box, I felt like a 12 year-old wanting to play with the latest Transformer toy. Only, instead of hoisting shiny Hasbro monstrosities and making whooshing noises from my lips, I am tucking Carbide footers under my Usher ML-802 loudspeakers and making marvelous music with their drivers. 

At 4.9" wide and weighing roughly five pounds each, this past Saturday, 12 of them arrived for review (four per speaker and four to sit under my subwoofer). Totaling over 60 lbs., Belle wisely asked the UPS driver to set them inside the door for me to schlep later to the listening room. Good idea! 

As such, the Carbide Audio footers make up some of my audio tinkering and review workload I will be tackling over the next several weeks. ​

My current review of the iFi NEO DAC stalled out with the onslaught of COVID last week, but will resume and likely conclude this week or next. So far, it's presented a very nice, musical presentation in my listening room. Be on the lookout for that to hit the virtual stands in April. 

​​Another object of review is the Home Audio Fidelity DSP program for which I've struggled to take proper measurements using a borrowed Mini DSP UMIK-1 microphone connected to my MacBook Pro. For some reason, my recordings are corrupted. Apparently, the interface between their digital measuring tool and Macs can be problematic, so tomorrow, I'll try it out on my older Mac (seriously), then try an REW software hack as a backup.

Once I have good measurements, I will email them to HAF's Thierry, who will wave his DSP magic and send me back files to employ within my ROON Labs music player software to reduce crosstalk between left and right channels and -- hopefully -- produce even finer results with my digital music playback. I had witnessed its use in another friend's system, and the benefits were not subtle. I will keep you posted!

​Other projects include a review of the Akasa Turin fanless case for the Intel NUC (used as my music server in tandem with Roon Optimized Core Kit (ROCK)), the more upscale fanless HDPLEX H1 V3 case for the NUC, Jim Smith's book, Get Better Sound, and the Pass Labs XP-12 preamplifier. 

It should be a fun process as I chip away on these projects. And, in less than a month, AXPONA (Audio Expo North America) will be arriving in the nearby Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center.  With all the great music, gear, enthusiasts, friends and colleagues there, it should be a special treat!  Perhaps I will see some of you there. I am excited!

As an educator, I've been dutiful in getting vaccinated, boosted and re-boosted, and after remaining unscathed for roughly a year and a half through remote and hybrid teaching models, I caught a mild dose of COVID-19. I thought I was done.

Guess again. Last week following three rounds of antibiotics over a stretch of several months, I was seemingly at the tail end of a bad sinus infection -- and then it roared back with a vengeance. Coughing, sneezing, sore throat, and muscle aches. It felt like the flu, sans the nausea. I tested negative for COVID several times, but going into last weekend, I felt horrible. A visit to Urgent Care followed, along with more medication. Just to be on the safe side, Belle asked me to take another COVID test with a home kit. Surprise! I tested positive. We tested again to ensure it wasn't a false reading. Nope, I was positive. Of course, I contacted the Urgent Care center I'd visited, as well as several people I'd seen on Saturday. And, like that, I was relegated to remaining home in isolation for five days,

​I am now on Day Three. I am not feeling as awful as I was on Sunday, but I remain fatigued, coughing, sneezing, and dealing with a scratchy throat, sore muscles and stiffness. The extra rest and prescribed medications are helping, and I am no longer in the dire distress I was several days ago. It's a good thing I was vaccinated, I've been told. It could have been worse.

A little over a year ago, my friend and carpenter, Tim, who worked on our basement refinishing project told me about his wife's ex, who boasted that COVID was a big hoax and defiantly declined vaccination. Then he caught it, was hospitalized, put on a ventilator and died that Thanksgiving. It was a horrible way to go. Several friends and acquaintances were hospitalized with it, and one lost most of her hair and took to wearing hats until it grew back.   

Some Sad News and a Wake Up Call

Yesterday, I received news of the unexpected death of a former middle school and high school classmate, Mr. Jay Gaynor.  We didn't run in the same social circles and he was a year ahead of me. However, when I was in the seventh grade, he made a distinct impression. Standing in the main hall of Rand Junior High (in Arlington Heights, IL, since shuttered), I seem to recall bumping into each other and got into a tiff. Having won a few schoolyard scraps, I had a bit of an attitude,  but he set me straight with a stiff left jab to the chin. Looking up at him, standing several inches taller than me, bouncing on his toes in his boxer's stance, I realized that I didn't have an answer, and turned and walked away.  

Several years later in high school, I'd taken to bodybuilding, art, and Son City (a popular Christian youth group in Palatine, IL that hosted over 700 screaming teens on Thursday nights), I didn't see him much, but I heard that he gave one of our star defensive football players a hard time in shop class until Bill Thurwell, a bigger and burlier teammate (who'd allegedly knocked out a grown man in a traffic altercation) stepped in. However, I'd heard that Mr. Gaynor had mellowed since then.

These days, Mr. Gaynor was admired by friends for his kindness, loyalty and love of Old Style Beer. I wish I had gotten to know him. We recently became Facebook friends and even exchanged a few "likes" and a pleasantry or two, but we never had the the chance to hunker down and chat.  I wish we had. Rest in Peace, gentle warrior.

There's something about pain and sickness that rouses our sense of mortality, and while processing the recent rash of celebrity deaths that's been mirrored by my own growing list of contemporaries -- with Mr. Gaynor being the latest -- I spotted this posting while scrolling through Facebook on my iPhone from bed.  Captioned with the words, "Choose the way you age," it featured two contrasting silhouetted figures shown over time: the first showed the progression of a man from young father, businessman, holding his back, to walking with a cane and, finally, seated in a wheelchair, while the other showed an active man with children, talking on a cell, carrying his briefcase, to playing tennis and, finally, golfing.  

It was a posting by my former youth pastor, Tom Morris. A longtime friend and former leader of Youth Guidance/Youth For Christ for which I volunteered in high school  and college, he currently runs a ministry in Southern California called Grieving Teens.  Above the graphic, he'd written the words: "How do you want to grow old? You either grow old or die! Choose to grow old and vibrant if you are graced with health! Health is fleeting, so do your best to exercise, trust God, think, eat, and sleep, and forge ahead with grace!"

​That caught my attention. 

I've been talking a big game with Belle about getting back in shape and dropping some weight, but now I really want to make it a priority and make it happen in the days and seasons ahead. Belle keeps reminding me that she'd like to keep me around for another 30 years or so, and I'd really like to make that happen, with God's help.  Health is fleeting, after all, and I certainly don't want to be in a wheelchair.