Dear Get Better Sound & Through the Sound Barrier owners,
Welcome to the fifteenth issue of Quarter Notes, published on April 22, 2014. Quarter Notes is a newsletter for Get Better Sound and Through the Sound Barrier owners, expanding on both, as well as introducing new and timely subjects.
Best email address
Since you’re reading this, the e-mail address with which I sent this QN must have worked. However, the only e-mail address I have is the one associated with your initial Get Better Sound or Through the Sound Barrier order. If you have an e-mail address that you’d prefer to use to receive Quarter Notes notifications, send it to js@getbettersound.com. Be sure to include the e-mail address I used originally, along with the one that you want to use to replace it.
Mail servers
After several issues with the outgoing mail servers on the site that we’ve always used to send the Quarter Notes and Breaking Through podcast announcements, we have decided to make a change. The announcement e-mail that you received was sent from our new mail server.
Light Harmonic Light Speed USB cable
This was an unexpected outcome, to be sure. I have been quite happy with my Transparent Audio USB cable. Never saw the need to change – music flowed beautifully. Why fix it if it ain’t broke?
When the folks at Light Harmonic offered to send me a sample (I didn’t ask – they contacted me), I said OK. Honestly speaking, I wasn’t exactly excited. But hey, I promised to give it a listen, so I did…
Lo & behold, it was better in every way. However, I have only had the original USB cable from Transparent. Their upper level models are even better, I am quite certain. I simply have not heard them.
The split USB LH Lightspeed cable is considerably more expensive. I was never a big believer in expensive USB cable differences. But anyone can hear this. It’s not subtle. For all that I know, my MBP Retina/Ayre QB-9 interface especially benefits from it.
If you can arrange a home trial, I highly recommend that you give the LH a try, and if that is more than you can spend, try one of more of the Transparent models.
Favorite audio blog
Most folks have a favorite. For a long time, mine has been Jeff’s Place. It’s not just because I know Jeff, nor is it solely because I have ALWAYS known him to a be a man of integrity, and not just because his site invites positive comments, instead of the annoying negativity that seems to appear most places these days.
I enjoy Jeff’s site because he is such an avid music lover and we share some tastes in music & equipment. His travel photography isn’t bad, either. :)
I keep forgetting to mention his site – but now that I have – check out Jeff’s Place:
Listening room dimensions
As requested:
I already told you a bit about my room issues in the latest Breaking Through podcast, as well as in the latest QNs. However, if you want still more to distract you from getting to your music, here ‘tis: 21’ x 18.5’ x 8.5’ … :)
Can't get no satisfaction?
Through the Sound Barrier is all about retrieving more of the emotional impact from your music – without changing components – and to deliver it at a consistently higher level. The goal is greater musical satisfaction.
It occurred to me some time ago that the work we (you and I) do on RoomPlay sessions has a similar ultimate goal. We want to increase your emotional involvement with your music.
But there are at least two more - somewhat unexpected - outcomes that are possible. I experienced each within the last couple of days. They can come from a RoomPlay session and they will come from TTSB. In fact, I get enough correspondence to know that GBS has delivered on these aspects as well.
Second that emotion
Getting greater emotional impact from our music is the goal. But that’s only one thing.
Emotional impact on others is another outcome.
A RoomPlay client reported that his wife had indulged his desire for a separate listening room for many years. Occasionally, when invited to listen, she’d come in and maybe stay through one cut. But then it would be “something to do”, a “call to return”, an “errand to run”, etc… She NEVER stayed to listen.
After the recent RoomPlay session, she was again invited to listen, but this time he couldn’t get rid of her (not that he wanted to). She stayed right there, and asked to hear piece after piece. So now his man-cave is a music-cave for him and his wife.
Another report that particularly blessed me was when a former RoomPlay client went out of his way to help an audiophile friend to reach a higher level of musical engagement. He reports that he simply employed some of the techniques he’d learned.
Wow! Both of these reports are awesome – music can be such a joy in our lives, such a great therapeutic tool, that sharing it seems to be the ultimate gift.
Can Jim voice your system when he is in the area?
I get asked this question a lot. The answer is probably not.
FWIW - this is a working session, reasonably intense, with no time for breaks.
I cannot do two or more RoomPlay sessions on one trip, as one session is far too depleting to me - emotionally, mentally, and physically - to be fair to a second client. So each session is dedicated as a trip to that client.
If the time comes that you would like to consider a RoomPlay session, it's best for a couple of things to take place first:
I'd need to see a few images of your room and the system - as it is set-up at the time. Cell-phone pics are OK.
We'd then need to have a brief phone conversation to explore whether or not the RoomPlay process is appropriate for your system and room.
In the crosshairs
On another recent RoomPlay session, a client showed me his self-leveling Skil laser rig. With a tripod mount, it has a horizontal or vertical display available, as well as a cross-hair display.
If you currently use lasers for measuring when setting up a grid, I highly recommend this gadget as well. It’s a huge timesaver, not to mention the confidence that it builds. Well, at least if you are ever-so-slightly OCD :)
And no, the second image isn’t perfectly square. That’s a camera operator issue, not a problem with the Skil laser level…
Links to Breaking Through Podcasts if you cannot use iTunes
A few QNs subscribers cannot or do not use iTunes. However, they want to hear the podcasts. In the future, we will provide both links. But for now, here is the link to our Libsyn site - where the podcasts originate:
And the iTunes site:
How do you know if your TTSB pledge is on file?
If you backed TTSB, and if for some reason you did not receive acknowledgement of your pledge through Kickstarter, please consider the Quarter Notes e-mail that you received from the new server as confirmation that we do indeed have your pledge info on file. And any TTSB Breaking Through podcast announcements will also come from our new server.
Questions or comments?
E-mail me: js@getbettersound.com
That’s all, folks.
Keep on listening!
