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Speaker Asylum General speaker questions for audio and home theater. |
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Speaker Asylum General speaker questions for audio and home theater. |
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In Reply to: Part ELEVEN? Seriously?! posted by Inmate51 on July 7, 2024 at 08:06:49:
On move-in day, in September 1990, I met up with my friend Kim. Kim, in turn, had her girlfriends, Ngoc, Pauline, Quyen, and Tuyet come across campus, meet at her (Kim's) room. The six of us then ate dinner at Kim's dining hall.
I told them that, the next day, I needed to go into town, to pick up a few more items for my dorm room. Moreover, since I had left my swimwear in Honolulu (my second home), and had none in San Francisco (my primary home), I needed new swimwear for Santa Cruz.
The next day, well after lunch, the five girls met at my dorm room. From there, we went into town, all did shopping. But I hit some of the surf and clothing shops. You explained to look for trunks' mesh lining. But you primarily wanted board shorts, which were worn over underwear.
Quyen knew that my family was from Hawaii, so she picked my brain about women's swimwear. Pauline put her foot down, and declared that she wanted a bikini (as opposed to a one-piece). But we were getting hungry, and had to head back to campus for dinner.
No problem; the next day, the six of us went back into town, and did a bikini haul. You sported a quizzical look: "Why were the five girls so comfortable being naked in front of each other?" But then you learned that, first of all, Ngoc and Quyen were both friends AND roommates. And then, the five had repeatedly used the East Field's gym and swimming pool. There, just like the men's locker room, the women's locker room had communal showers.
During this bikini haul, you realized that you needed to step back, from the audio magazines' reviews of loudspeakers. They did a very poor job, of stating that speakers did not exist in a vacuum. Speakers were at the mercy of (a) the room, and (b) the system. Ever since then, whenever you have reviewed a speaker, you have gone to great lengths, to set it up in multiple rooms, and throw as many electronics and cables at it. This is exactly what, for the past 10 years, my friends have been doing with the four pairs of Totem Forest Signature we have lived with.
Tuyet lived the closest to me. Indeed, during that 1990-91 school year, I spent more one-on-one time with her, than with anyone else. Our dorms were coed, so the bathrooms did not have any urinals. We used to have three toilet stalls. If you didn't want to be next to anyone, you avoided the middle stall.
An art major specializing in drawing, Tuyet was unfiltered, and had interesting access to, and perceptions of, subjects. You and Tuyet occupied adjacent stalls. Since you had just done a bikini haul, Tuyet then came out and said that she hated bras. She was miffed that, as a guy, you could freely go around without a shirt. But she, as a girl, was not "allowed" to go topless. The more time you spent with Tuyet, the more you heard her say things like, "I'm not asking you to solve my problems. I just need someone to vent to," "Make yourself useful," "You can be told and instructed. But sometimes, you don't know, until you try," and "Arguments can split people up. But sometimes, after an argument, you actually become better friends."
When it came to conventional loudspeakers, audiophiles pushed B&W, Thiel, and Vandersteen. But after spending time with Tuyet, who was a huge fan of "modern rock," you were open to Epos, NHT, and Totem being better for your rooms, budgets, timelines, and tastes.
This photo lies. The Santa Cruz sand was dark, not white.
You instructed Kim, Ngoc, Pauline, Quyen, and Tuyet to hand wash their swimwear (new or old) in cold water with mild detergent. Then hang them to dry.
Classes hadn't started, when the six of you hit the beaches. Kim and Tuyet were excited, to have you, a guy. You see, Kim and Tuyet greatly preferred having a guy (as opposed to another girl) rub sunscreen on them.
What's often not said is that, when you leave the beach, you may be tired, sweaty, sore, salty, itchy, dirty, crusty, and even bloody.
Everyone got back to campus, and dispersed to her respective dorm. But Tuyet had you go with her, to her dorm. Since you were a guy (i.e., not a girl), she used the "Make yourself useful" command, and really really really wanted you to wash her hair and scrub her down.
You were grateful and deeply appreciative of Tuyet's honesty. Art major or not, she said something like, "When I see a naked man, of course I'm checking him out. But you know what? In some strange way, that makes me appreciate ALL of him."
As an audiophile, you were stoked, to try, for example, a new speaker. Of course you were checking it out. But in many ways, that made you appreciate (not necessarily like) all the other speakers.
If you go back to these dorm bathrooms, the outer curtain has been replaced with a hard-panel locking door. Unlike our era, today's friend or dorm neighbor just can't go in and out, while you are in the shower.
Yes, readers want to know how the Totem Forest Signature compares to others. And that is really how readers get to know what said speaker might sound like, in a similar environment.
But audiophiles have been clamoring (and that's putting it mildly) for more about the Kimber Naked interconnect. That product has been making the rounds, so that my friends can use it with a wide variety of gear. In time, we will write more about the Kimber Naked.
This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
Follow Ups
- The more products you come across, the more comparisons you can do - Luminator 11:51:37 07/07/24 (1)
- RE: The more products you come across, the more comparisons you can do - Story 05:09:37 07/12/24 (0)
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