WA refugee in L.A. new to the forums

Ian C.

Active Member
Hi everybody-

Long time lurker, I just signed up and wanted to say hi. This site has been a big help the last couple years as I've researched things, tried to find answers, made decisions on purchases etc.
I've had a Pioneer SX-650 for a long time with The Advent Loudspeaker and some Boston Acoustics bookshelves, and when I moved from Washington to Los Angeles for grad school, I purchased another set of Boston bookshelves and a Pioneer SA-9100 integrated.

My system now, in the picture is a Sansui 1050-C Turntable that I just added a Grado Gold cartridge to, my SA-9100 integrated, a TX-9100 tuner, Onkyo 5 Disc changer I picked up at Goodwill (for $19!) and 4 Boston Acoustics CR55 bookshelves. Oh yeah, and an Old Toshiba Tecra 730CDT that I put windows NT4 and wireless on to stream KEXP.ORG from Seattle on. I think it sounds pretty good and I'm pretty happy. I added a 10" passive Sub I built from a Dayton 10" DVC I got frmo parts express and filled with a couple pounds of poly-fill a couple weeks ago, and it does a nice job of filling out the lower end, though it's crossed over at about 200hz now and I need to change that down to 80hz I think for the best localization of the bass. I played cello for about 15 years and went to college as a performance major, so I think my ears work pretty alright. I'm hoping when I go back to Washington after grad school I can pick up another pair of Advent Loudpseakers - the original reason I bought the SA-9100 was to use it as an amp to drive stacked Advents. Anyway, I think my system sounds pretty flat, and I'd love to talk to anyone with similiar experience, similiar setup, or any kind of advice, and thanks again for the truckloads of advice I've gotten passively over the years just by browsing around, this site is great!!

Attached is a picture of the setup I have now, last weekend I made a makeshift turntable isolation stand you can see on top of the filing cabinet - I can't believe how well it works, I can even open the cabinet without hearing it in the record! I took four concrete cinderblocks, wrapped them in gaffer tape so they'd look black, then put 6 sheets of 19.5" 3/4" MDF on top also bound with gaffer tape topped off with a polished tile, for the broke grad student I think it looks alright and seems to work great!?

Incidentally, does anyone have any advice for a record brush? Are those carbon fiber bristle brushes good to clean LP's with?
 

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Welcome! Glad to have another PNW'er on board.

As for carbon fibre brushes there are many opinions but I use one every time to kill static and I also use the Discwasher system. Highly recommended.
 
Welcome to AK and enjoy the Southland where you will find some of the best weather on the planet. Nice setup but you need more Sansui gear. :thmbsp:

Where are you going to grad school and what are you studying?
 
Thanks for the warm welcome everyone - and agreed on both the more records and the Sansui gear. It was either the Pioneer SA-9100 of the Sansui AU-7900, I think I probably would have gotten the Sansui, but well, I ran into the Pioneer and just couldn't resist. I couldn't believe it the first time I heard it, it was like every instrument was comng from a different speaker in a different place in the room, I can't even imagine what something like a McIntosh tube would sound like, but I'll have to wait. So-Cal's great, great weather, but I do love the trees back home!
I quit after several years at Microsoft and am getting a B.S. in Human Biology and a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree, so I have about 35 hours a week of classes and another 40 or so studying for the next couple years, but I dig it down here and can't wait until I can start logging some more time in the line-up with my surfboard! It's cool to see all your guys' gear and set-ups, it's grat how many combinations of everything to can get together and get so many different perfect sounds.
 
I quit after several years at Microsoft and am getting a B.S. in Human Biology and a Doctor of Chiropractic Degree, so I have about 35 hours a week of classes and another 40 or so studying for the next couple years, but I dig it down here and can't wait until I can start logging some more time in the line-up with my surfboard!
Cool, are you going to surf the LA or OC beaches?
 
When I've gotten time I've gone up to the L.A./Ventura County line and surfed up by this restuarant called Neptune's Net, water seems clean, and the crowds aren't too bad either!
 
Welcome, Ian! Check out the turntable section archives for lots of info on record cleaning.
 
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