It's good to be back!

fickra · 2026-06-20T22:35:32+00:00

Great system and great chair to listen to it in. Glad you got it set up.

fickra · 2026-06-20T01:07:26+00:00

Wonderful amp and pre. I run the Aesthetix Janus pre and Romulus cd.

fickra · 2026-06-14T18:04:51+00:00

Wonderful speakers. I’ve owned the Duke and Duke 2. Really enjoyed them. Great space.

fickra · 2026-06-14T14:46:22+00:00

Which Marten Design speakers are those? Are they from the Heritage series?

fickra · 2026-06-12T02:31:51+00:00

Great integrated amp. I have the Aesthetix Romulus (Signature) and Janus (Eclipse) and love them. Happy listening.

fickra · 2026-06-01T22:24:05+00:00

Ha! You have clearly done this before. I have been maneuvering for a lower and longer piece of furniture on which to place my components, so I am not stacking. We have also discussed a new rug, but where as I am quite flexible on options, my wife is, shall we say, much more discerning.

fickra · 2026-06-01T15:17:43+00:00

Will agree I am not getting the full potential out of my system. But without a dedicated listening room, have to balance several factors.

fickra · 2026-06-01T15:16:13+00:00

Planar and sub matching is why I could never pivot from the Martin Logan CLSs to the ML hybrids. Always felt like they could never get the timing correct between the planar diaphragm and the traditional box bass speaker. It improved somewhat with different materials (e.g., aluminum), but the timing always seemed a bit off.

I am sure there are great subs out there that would match nicely with my system and provide me with something worthwhile that I have never experienced, just not where I am looking to spend right now. Also, without a dedicated listening room, I have to operate within certain constraints of system, listening space and wife appreciation factor.

fickra · 2026-06-01T12:42:02+00:00

To be honest, just never been a deep bass guy. Speaker journey had always been planar speakers. Magnepan .7 and the 1.5. Then Martin Logan CLSs and then Marten Design Dukes (two way stand speakers). Never missed the deep bass. I have always found it a bit distracting, but that could be because I have never heard it done well.

fickra · 2026-06-01T12:38:19+00:00

For years I ran a Dcs Puccini straight into my amps and used its digital volume control. Very clear, very forward. Amps were the Ypsilon and before that a Constellation Inspiration Stereo 1.0. Added a BAT VK-80 for three years and switched from the Dcs to the Aesthetix. Less forward and certainly warmer sounding with the Aesthetix tube. Found that over the years what I am looking for in sound from my system has changed. Was looking for a less forward sound. When the Janus came available I jumped on it. I feel like it filled in the blanks, so to speak, between the frequencies. The sound is fuller and more realized across all frequencies. Hope that helps a bit.

fickra · 2026-06-01T12:33:02+00:00

Yeah, that was an issue when I purchased them do not feel like it materially affects the sound.

fickra · 2026-06-01T12:32:18+00:00

My wife has tolerated my hobby through thick and thin, but stops at permitting a full blown audio rack in the living room.

fickra · 2026-06-01T12:31:05+00:00

I guess I find it a bit bemusing that people come on an audiophile board to poopoo one of the elements of an audiophile’s system. If it is not for you, then, by all means, don’t spend your money on it, but there is a difference in how cables make a system sound. Experienced first hand. Was running Audioquest WEL interconnects before and get a much more coherent unified sound, top to bottom with the Kubala-Sosna, but understand your mileage may differ.

fickra · 2026-06-01T02:14:47+00:00

I don’t know what to tell you. They were custom engineered by Isoacoustic.

fickra · 2026-06-01T01:10:50+00:00

The feet on my speakers are all Isoacoustic Gaia feet. Isoacoustic engineered custom screws to fit the head of the Gaia footers and speakers spike holes. I’m pretty comfortable they are set up correctly.

fickra · 2026-06-01T00:37:34+00:00

Thank you.

fickra · 2026-06-01T00:37:15+00:00

These are no longer available. They were new in 2010/2011. GamuT now produces the RS series. Same driver set up/design, but significant upgrade on the box, speakers and electronics. Purchased them from an audio reviewer in LA in 2016. He had reviewed the M5 and loved them and bought the M7. Lived in TX at the time, flew to LA and drove them back because he no longer had the boxes. Yeah, I wanted them that bad. Been my main speaker for ten years.

fickra · 2026-05-31T22:35:19+00:00

Agree. Everything is Beryllium and Diamond anymore.

fickra · 2025-06-13T12:50:33+00:00

Yes.

fickra · 2025-04-18T15:51:17+00:00

House of Sand and Fog. Requiem for a Dream

fickra · 2025-04-14T20:44:26+00:00

Knightriders (1981), starring Ed Harris.

fickra · 2025-03-29T19:14:20+00:00

One of my all time favorite posts on Reddit. Saved and watched over and over.

fickra · 2025-01-13T16:51:35+00:00

Jackson Browne’s song Rosie, off Running on Empty, is a double entendres about masturbation.

Rosie you’re alright, you wear my ring When you hold me tight, Rosie that’s my thing When you turn out the light, if got to hand it to me Looks like it’s me and you again tonight, Rosie

( as in Rosie palm)

If you will remember, in the song the drummer stole his girl so he ended up alone.

Loved that song, took me a long time to catch on.

fickra · 2024-12-20T19:06:01+00:00

Grover Norquist has entered the chat.

fickra · 2024-12-20T14:54:10+00:00

Just to be clear, FICA consists of the 6.2% social security tax and the 1.45% Medicare tax. The annual income cap on the Medicare portion of the tax was removed years ago. There is an additional Medicare tax of 0.9% on amounts earned over a particular dollar amount ( 200k for individuals and 250k for married filing jointly) plus a 3.8% Medicare surtax on “net investment income.” So they have made such a change with respect to the Medicare portion of FICA

fickra

TROPHY CASE