I'm a shooter and hifi geek also and I can confirm that there is a corrolation between the two. Robert is an excellent photographer, btw. Definitely worth visiting his site.
Steve I am really enjoying these interviews. Im so glad to see other people who have the same thoughts and feelings about music and the gear we listen to it through.
The procession of audio gear like signposts on the audio highway! Nicely said Robert. Brings back many good memories of those days! Great interview Steve and Robert. Encore!
Very nice Steve , many people are still running a familys vintage receiver as a option in their modern systems , I still remember how good it felt to say the word Sansui, and actually owning one.
Robert's theory that the distortion / noise inherent to analog forces the listener to pay more attention is (to me) a brilliant theory. I have about 6000 cds and twice that in vinyl, yet when I play cd at home on my good gear I stop listening very quickly. The same exact title played from vinyl I will listen to all the way thru. So my cds get played at work or in the car and that's it. Co-incidentally, I like Robert work in the visual arts.
This was a very nice interview; it was nice meeting Robert as well. A nice guy with a nice set of sensibilties about photography and audio. As a photographer myself, I share many of Robert's sensibilities. You should keep up this series of interviews. Thanks, Steve and Robert.
EXCELLENT!!!!! Really liked your analogy of the negative and sound around the 17:15 min. mark. Steve, KEEP doing these terrific interactions with actual users in addition to your wonderful daily shows.
Great interview... brings back memories of my dad who was also very much in photography (I've got his old Leica). Santa gave me a Pioneer SX-434 probably my freshman year of high school... caught the bug and left for college with Mac gear. And I've been hit on both ends. My daughter gave me a vintage turntable for Christmas this year which brought back that bug... 5 months later and now I've added multiple pre-amps, amps and speakers. Like the discussion about photography and audio. After listening to live jazz again last night, I still think it's hard to reproduce those live and big instruments like reality. It's like going to the Grand Canyon and taking pictures then looking back at them. It's just not the same. Enjoyable, but missing a lot of emotion.
Great interview. Thank you for the walk down memory lane. My father loved both photography and hi fi and imparted these loves to me. We did own that sansui receiver as well, and I had a beautiful Mitsubishi receiver in college which unfortunately was stolen. I wish I had it still to this day.
I had a few different amps in my journey for good sound. I wanted to find something that would complement my tubed Audio Note pre-amp. A re-capped Sansui 9090 was the answer. To me it's the best sounding amp I have ever owned.
Very cool system Robert. I have really fond memories of the big Sansui receivers with their nice stained wooden enclosures, silver face plates, and the glow of the display.🤤 I had the QRX 7500 with a pair of Klipsch Heressy that sounded great! Now I'm exploring the wonderful world of tube hifi, and I love it! 👍
I think the photographer/audiophile link may be because creative people obsess about details and process. A lot of my creative friends nerd-out on music, coffee and bicycles as well.
Dads rock... I can relate. My dad in the UK, Wales. We lived on a farm so could play the music loud. He would often drink too much booze though and blew his large Mordant speakers with electrostatic tweeters. Sounded bloody good though just on tape through a NAD receiver.
I'm fortunate enough to have snagged some fantastic integrated amps/receivers (loaded to the hilt with a ton knobs & buttons, nice wooden cases)/tuners/cassette decks/turntables from all the 70's golden era of Made in Japan brands of the day at thrift stores for $50 or less. I have stacks in my garage I rotate through. This was when people preferred some sort of docking station for their iPod or whatever, and all in one bookshelf system, didn't want to lift those heavy old components or mess with a "record player" anymore.
I have the older brother the Sansui G-6000 from my dad when he was into HiFi and he got it in service overseas, have the speakers, reel to reel, eq, turntable, cassette deck, and I've added another turntable and r2r to it, ironically also have his old Nikon SLR
Yep. Noise (at lest a small amount) is a critical component of engaged communication. Digital's aim for all-signal or total digital black silence makes music feel like a reflection or an imitation. Digital is the naugahyde of the audio world. There can be some truly nice naugahyde's though.
The Sansui like many vintage amps has a subsonic filter to cut rumble/record warp signals. These filters seem pretty much extinct on modern equipment, Steve do you think subsonic filters could be useful on modern vinyl replay systems?
My dad had a Sony STR-7045 receiver that he bought in 1974 (I currently have it in one of my smaller systems). The story goes, he came home from Vietnam, went straight to a HiFi store, got the Sony, a Technics SL-23 turntable, and a pair of Bose 901 Series II speakers.
Good interview guys :-) Your analog / digital discussion was quite insightful. All stereo leaves space for imagination. The brain is the ultimate decoding tool! (Some of us just have better imagination ;-)
Hell yeah, that Sansui will likely blow the doors off most high-end amps today. Sansui was (and for those of us fortunate enough to own one today),is one of the sweetest sounding amps ever made. Yeah, that is known as a "receiver", but it is really an integrated with a built-in tuner. (I don't know when or where "receivers" got a bad name).
I concur. I have the Sansui 9090 beast and it has the absolute sweetest sound. Paired with my JBL 4311's and Pioneer Turntable PL-520, my ears hear all the audiophilia they could ever ask for. And, from this channel's influence, I got a pair of Klipsch RP-160's before they are going away, so I'm set!
@@mubodude Absolutely. I have a Sansui 8080db (same beast as the 9090 only slightly less power, as if it even counted). It is in my second system doing engine duties, which has a Pioneer PL-510 AT 120EB cart and a Marantz CD5004 and that system just rocks. I built my reference system based on it...or tried to get as close as possible anyway. I was successful for the most part. Not an exact match, but I'd say about 96% to 97% and did it within budget, which was difficult. I'm not an audiophile, so I can't speak to those terms, but I know good sound when I hear it. I have been to 3 audio shows when we used to have them where I live and I would put my Sansui, cosmetically flawed cabinet and all, up against any amp in the show (and did once, against a $10,000 amp and the Sansui won). I used to run DCM TF-600s and it really brought out that tube-like sound. That is the funny thing with the Sansui, solid-state, but sounds like tube. I had to replace the DCMs though and now run Paradigm Monitor 6000f and it is amazingly detailed and sweet. I still favor it over my reference system! I think they just knew how to build amps in the late sixties through mid seventies. Like Yamaha, Marantz and etc. of that era, they were hand-built in Japan with QC beyond measure. That is why they are 50+ years old and still rockin. (ok, with the help of a recap or something, but that is $200 to $300 for at least 20 more years of service, less if one can do it themselves)!
As a pro shooter and a audiophile I think the best word to describe the synergy between the two is "acuity". Every shooter and audiophile is looking for that edge in sharpness, so to speak.
OMG! You knew Dave the owner Sun Studios ! He helped me become a photographer. Wow! He had a Macintosh at the cafe, which I always loved. I use to go into stereo exchange after a day at the studio and look at all the awesome gear. Now I know where he bought that Macintosh. Ha!
He is right. Take any quality cd record, add background noise like a vinyl - and in some recordings, it sounds better, simply because some noise removes dead silence of a recording studio, replaces it with imperfections of a real live music. And whoalah - live music sounds like it should.
Andrejs Nikonovs Spoke like a genuine hipster with all the nonsense: live music is live music and it’s not plague by snaps, crackles and pops produced by a needle scratching the grooves of a petroleum wafer (!). This whole LP-revival thing is ludicrous. Next, we’ll see gramophones with 1/4 inch thick 78 mono recordings making a come back to “capture the true sense of the era and bring life to long lost performances by jazz legends XYZ“ 😏
@@OMDF01 Well, yes DDD. You got the point! Vinyl is totaly useless if producer/mastering engineer did his job wright. Some music sounds best with wright amount of corespondig noise, some is the best with zero noise, like electronic ambiet or a like. What i want to say is thet there is a place for a record player in this world, just not because it is superior, it is not!, just becuase it is fun! I'm not going to sell my cd player any time soon D
All audiophiles need an IKEA chopping-board! And Aegir/Ægir (a norse male name - and the king of the sea from our mythology) is pronounced like; *ɛaːjɪr*
And don't forget the $40 Home Depot rack, w/ custom inserts on the shelves too! All of that combined w/ the bare floor makes for a very lively presentation. A presentation you just can't get in a damped room. 😉 Gave me listening fatigue just looking at it. But maybe there's more going on there then I know about?
@@amb3cog well its certainly no anechoic chamber:)- Racks are certainly a problem tho, the audiophile ones are very expensive, I have not gone down the vibration reduction rabbit hole yet, maybe some day. Otherwise the room has a lot of books, records and carpet to be reasonably deadened. Plus the floor is wood not wood over concrete.
Hmm, I wonder if the connection from audiophile to photographer also may be connected to the well developed creative part of the brain and how art (music or photos) get processed.
my dad also was a major influence on my audiophile career. when i was 5 (c.1977) my family was heading into the city where my dad was going to purchase a hifi system. on the way there another driver run a red light and cleaned us up. my mum, dad, my sister and i were all badly hurt. my dad spent a couple months in hospital with 2 broken legs. it wasnt 'till a while after coming out of hospital he managed to buy that hifi system. a Marantz system. i listened to that system my whole child hood. unfortunately he sold off the system many years ago when i had moved away from home.
@@harrymuhammad9835 QRX 5500...QRX 7001...5000A...9090(in the shop for a rebuild)...and my favorite, a complete Sansui system I have owned since 1977...881 receiver, SE9EQ, 3060 turntable and four SP2000 speakers. I bought it from a friend who bought it new in 1974. Best $300 I ever spent. The stereo still works and sounds awesome. I also have a 2000x we have in my best friends shop, almost forgot about it.
I have a Sansui G8700 DB. The left side is a little weak, but it still sounds amazing.With live albums, it's like being at the front row.For what I paid, I could easily make a great profit. My wife said please don't. The money will be gone in two seconds and you'll never see another one.
@@harrymuhammad9835 You better keep that G8700, those things are big $ on ebay. I missed out on a big Marantz at the Goodwill a few years ago. A guy beat me to it by just a matter of minute's. I didn't see the model# but it was a big mid 70s receiver.....he paid $40 for it.
Don't know what others think: relating to my comment below. The NAD 7020 receiver would have FM and a decent arial on the roof. Just had such a nice sound especially on the BBC jazz nights and stuff like that. Somehow different more airy than CD or equivalent.
I'll buy that theory for a $1dollar I am the same way passionate audiophile fashion photographer I think cuz we love messing around with equipment changing lenses perspective sound bass treble mid-range telephoto wide Ultra wide macro it just we got to be a busybody and do something with ourselves just saying my observations and when we get it right it brings a great deal of joy capture that perfect shot and when your system just played that perfect sound came out of that song
Great interview, reminds me of my audio journey starting around the same time as his. I am seriously debating whether I go with Tekton or Zu. The Tekton's are more in my budget, but I can't overlook how much people rave about Zu. My Irish twins just started college, so every penny counts.
never heard the tektons but alway hear good things about them. The Omen DW's are probably same price as Tektons? Also speaker placement probably makes more difference in sound between the two than which speaker you get.
Cool gear, nice video but as is often the case leaves me wanting to know more. Is the Aegir as good as the J2? Is the Sansui still relevant or is it just there for old times sake? What about the other little tube amp, does it really cut the mustard with the ZUs or is the bass flabby? Audiophiles are curious animals.
the sansui...well lets just say its there for visuals and NPR....I would assume after 40+ years its way out of spec. I might get a full service to see if returned to correct bias it sounds better. The Zu's are too revealing for it. As for the Almarro, yes that amp is good, no the bass is not super tight but overall it does have a magic thing that makes you want to listen.
Well spoken. Even though I listen to the Fet gain setting (middle) most frequently, I have had really good luck with (edit) Hytron GT 6SN7 Tubes for diff gain on the tube circuit. I just pulled up my photo from 59 years ago of me standing on my dad’s legs in front of his Whafrdale built in mono speaker.
thanks for the reco- I'll looking for some other tubes to match the Aegir, I have EH on the one side and the stock tubes on the other. Its a little too much of the tube thing with the Aegir, too holographic, too bright. Was just right with the J2 but that had snubber resistors on.
robertwrightphoto Ah sorry!! CBS Hytron 6SN7 GT. I purchased from Cary Audio $85 each. I have a long and close relationship with Cary Audio. Speaking of good relationships my Aegir mono block configuration is waiting on Sean & Gerritt & Co to ship my DW Omens. I have had a great time buying cables, a DL-103 G2 etc from them. I echo your sentiments in regard to Zu Audio & add Schiit as masters when it comes to customer relationships outside of the brick & mortar domain.
@@maconpatton maybe i get a pair of those tubes!- you'll not regret the DW's- but give them plenty of break in time. Mine have only gotten better and there was a significant change from year one to year two, at least I believed. So there is a substantial delta on performance over time. good luck!
I had a Sansui just like that, purchased in 1978. I also had a Dual - which I still have, though not as nice as the one mentioned. Probably gonna sell the TT, as I also just purchased a Rega.
Very interesting interview ! My personal favorite so far . Shattered my illusion though , being of Robert's Dads generation , an audiophile for over 40 yrs and amateur photog I thought I was absolutely non typical but have been informed here I am typical ...I'm crushed. Is the Sansui in service? or just nostalgic conversational piece and nice to look at. I have a Luxman receiver of the same vintage, maybe a few yrs earlier and am looking to implement it with some Tekton or Zu type speakers. Nice work both Steve and Robert! cheers..
Sansui does NPR duty on weekend. "might" have it serviced just for sentimental reasons to see if it can sound good. It's a little brassy boomy with the zu's. No shortage of power tho!
@@robertwrightphoto I looked at your web page/ work , Very nice stuff ! I guess one would come across a lot of subject matter for photog work in a city such as NY but delivering the level of product is another story . thanks for sharing your page … excellent .
possibly your Luxman sounds better, the Tektons from what I know and the Zu's which I do are pretty revealing so will show upstream gear in all its warts. But really, if all I had was the sansui and the zu's it would be fine to have fun. Or I could add a Schiit Loki for a four band eq and fix all the problems.
Hey Steve. I've read about whether to have a tube pre-amp and a solid state amp or visa-a-versa. From my limited reading most suggest to have the tubes in the amp. Do you have a preference?
I’m going to guess that that Sansui was probably purchased at Bay Bloor Radio in Toronto. That’s where I bought my Thorens and whatever cartridge was on it to start - it was a wonderland in those days.
wasn't bay bloor, we went to a cinderblock mall shop in the east end like on Victoria or Morningside, probably was a sale on. but this is way before black friday events!
the stock tubes flat out s++cked. I put two Elecro-Harmonix tubes from Upscale Audio in the can't remember, the output stage, the pair on the right hand side, according to what others have done. Immediate improvement. Considering how "enhanced" the Aegir is, I can't believe what Schiit thinks you are going to get pairing the Freya stock tubes (which were like nails on chalkboard) with their Aegir.
Intermetro wire shelving. 18x24". container store has them. I don't think they are "audiophile":)- they are not acoustically dead, they ring so I put the Ikea chopping blocks on there also, weight on the bottom. You can level the feet tho which is good. Very solid and CHEAP.
I don't care to see the "grain" I don't want the frustration, I don't want to imagine the sound. The noise floor is in my way and I don't have to deal with it with digital. Vinyl is an antiquated technology that is now stylish for the retro newbies and the gray hairs. Give me a black velvet background, clean, clear accurate sound that is beyond my senses to perceive and I will have, for me, the best sound...which comes from a CD...that hopefully contains a great recording from the studio.
Somebody enlighten me. Robert's dad "built" a Wharfedale speaker with a sand-filled baffle. How did he build it if it was a Wharfedale? Were they kits or does he just mean that his dad used a Wharfedale driver? Or something else?
some of this is assumption because he's not here to ask (:() but kits and plans and parts were more evident in the 50's and 60's, the drivers were all Warfdale, that i know, and we had the plywood pieces left of disassembled in the basement. I know he built it when he lived in a rooming house after coming to Canada. So my assumption is there were plans available for the enclosure and that is what he built using the warfdale drivers.
@@robertwrightphoto Ah - thank you very much Robert! I wondered about that for 2 days before deciding to write in. I live in the US but close to Canada and have gone to Canada quite a bit. I do know that Wharfedale which has been a large mainstream speaker company in the UK has had a constant presence in Canada for my whole life even though they were not usually readily available in most of the US. I wasn't alive in the 50s and early 60s, but I saw a lot of the old stuff that people had made themselves in that era in basements, garages and yard sales. Some of it was still being used in people's dens and seeing that homemade stuff always really intrigued me. I think seeing giant old custom built plywood speakers at yard sales is part of what got me hooked on HiFi. Thanks again for clearing that up for me!
A reciever worth re-capping. I believe your 9090 dB is about 110 watts a side. Although they have been known to bench test at 140/side. It costs about $300.00 to re-cap it.
...soo its not that great I'm afraid, but this is in comparison to Freya/First Watt so not a fair fight. I don't know how Schiit voices their components or if they even think of them working in concert, would be a good question, plus, what do they listen with? But taking what I think should be the target for a low power amp i.e. efficient speakers, so Zu is in that camp, and then putting together Aegir and Freya one would think that this is a typical combo, especially since the Omen DW's are a grand delivered so in the price range. But the magic was not there. using the tube stage on the Freya out to the Aegir was 'hella bright and sibilant, so you suspect the tubes, however I had already changed the stock tubes (NOS russian that Schiit ships) because they were way too sizzly. So I can't imagine what they were hearing combining these two components into whatever speakers they were using. I would actually say "unlistenable" is the result. I had to use the JFET buffer in the Freya to get close to something good, and that was getting much closer to the FW but ..... Switching back to Firstwatt immediately- so much better, and the tubes get switched back in. (I have ElectroHarmonix tubes matched pair on the right hand side of the Freya). But ultimately you have to make your own decisions with your own gear, and they have a good return policy so no harm in trying. I love my Freya for the money its really really good, so I was confused by Aegir.
@@robertwrightphoto Thanks so much for the response. That's valuable info. I've also got a pair of Zus. You're right I was thinking the Freya/Aegir would be a good match. Have you heard the Vidar? The first Watt is on loan from Steve. What do you use with the freya/zu in your regular system?
@@paulrenault7991 Haven't heard the Vidar, so I can't comment. You are right I have had a bunch of loaner gear so that's where the Freya came in not having any kind of preamp. For a long time I had the Almarro integrated shown in the vid as my main. (its also very good but only 5w) Buying the Freya was kind of cart before the horse if you know what I mean. I will probably save my pennies for a J2 in the long run. I had that on loan for a while and it was very very good. The SIT3 is also amazing but 4k and limited run means I'm not likely to own one any time soon.
@@robertwrightphoto There is a used Freya here in my town for sale. Price is decent. The owner is upgrading to the Freya+. Apparently because he's hearing tube noise, and believes the plus model will have less of this. Do you have the plus version?
steve already reviewed the Aegir on CNET and on this channel. I've only had a few hours on it and so far so good. My reference would be the J2 because I had that in for a long time. At the moment JFET stage sounds best with the Aegir so I have to do some tube rolling to get a little less tube-y -
@Steve Tllsdaleys What are you about 10 years old or are you getting paid by the number of asshole remarks you make? You must be an absolutely miserable human being.
robertwrightphoto Thanks, Robert. The platter appeared to have a green glow, so I thought perhaps you added some LED lights (there are lots of DIY videos about that). It must have been the angle or something like that! Cheers
I'm trying out the long throw on the room and also it got the speakers out of the backlight for the video. Normally they are on the long wall in a more near field arrangement but spaced wide. its all a compromise
I’m spoiled just a little cuz when I bought my current home 11 years ago had the wifey agree to a man cave!😁 It’s really nice having a dedicated space for my audio, though on the small side what a difference vs integration into a shared living space!
@@Carl-bd1rf I think the sound is maybe better this way actually, I will switch it back soon to see if the original orientation was worse or better. Definitely better in the area you can't see in the video, the kitchen area, so it makes a better integration with the space and how its lived in.
I'm enjoying these interviews. Thank you for documenting this wide array of people, their insights, music and gear.
I share this same sentiment. Thanks for sharing these videos!!
Thank you Steve and Robert, enjoyed the discussion, it's Great to tune in and learn more information on Audio
I'm a shooter and hifi geek also and I can confirm that there is a corrolation between the two. Robert is an excellent photographer, btw. Definitely worth visiting his site.
Love it- dads of a certain age are into photography and hifi. Exactly!! Thanks
True
Then about a generation older... subtract a little hifi, add a little model trains, but fully retain photography.
I resemble that remark!
@@FOH3663 ...how did you know?
FOH3663 been a while but yes- model trains
Steve I am really enjoying these interviews. Im so glad to see other people who have the same thoughts and feelings about music and the gear we listen to it through.
i am getting setup with vinyl because of Robert. Thank you Steve and Robert. i am a newbie to HI-FI.
another great view of real people who love audio and the path they’ve taken - thanks man!
The procession of audio gear like signposts on the audio highway! Nicely said Robert. Brings back many good memories of those days! Great interview Steve and Robert. Encore!
"Welcome to the Audiophile club!" Best line in the interview. Very interesting about the reading and music comparison...
I really enjoy this type of video! Thanks Steve and Robert. Very nice system!
Very nice Steve , many people are still running a familys vintage receiver as a option in their modern systems , I still remember how good it felt to say the word Sansui, and actually owning one.
And the matching original catalogue...
Robert's theory that the distortion / noise inherent to analog forces the listener to pay more attention is (to me) a brilliant theory. I have about 6000 cds and twice that in vinyl, yet when I play cd at home on my good gear I stop listening very quickly. The same exact title played from vinyl I will listen to all the way thru. So my cds get played at work or in the car and that's it.
Co-incidentally, I like Robert work in the visual arts.
Thank-you for doing these interviews Steve. Great to hear people's stories and their personal journey.
This was a very nice interview; it was nice meeting Robert as well. A nice guy with a nice set of sensibilties about photography and audio. As a photographer myself, I share many of Robert's sensibilities. You should keep up this series of interviews. Thanks, Steve and Robert.
EXCELLENT!!!!! Really liked your analogy of the negative and sound around the 17:15 min. mark. Steve, KEEP doing these terrific interactions with actual users in addition to your wonderful daily shows.
Great interview... brings back memories of my dad who was also very much in photography (I've got his old Leica). Santa gave me a Pioneer SX-434 probably my freshman year of high school... caught the bug and left for college with Mac gear. And I've been hit on both ends. My daughter gave me a vintage turntable for Christmas this year which brought back that bug... 5 months later and now I've added multiple pre-amps, amps and speakers.
Like the discussion about photography and audio. After listening to live jazz again last night, I still think it's hard to reproduce those live and big instruments like reality. It's like going to the Grand Canyon and taking pictures then looking back at them. It's just not the same. Enjoyable, but missing a lot of emotion.
He was interesting. I too really like these interviews.
Great interview. Thank you for the walk down memory lane. My father loved both photography and hi fi and imparted these loves to me. We did own that sansui receiver as well, and I had a beautiful Mitsubishi receiver in college which unfortunately was stolen. I wish I had it still to this day.
Nice set up. I had a Sansui 9090. A beast in build and gorgeous warm powerful sound. Effortless real watts!!!😎
I had a few different amps in my journey for good sound. I wanted to find something that would complement my tubed Audio Note pre-amp. A re-capped Sansui 9090 was the answer. To me it's the best sounding amp I have ever owned.
@@rosssmith173 Nice One Ross!! Sansui are the holy grail of vintage receivers!!!!
Very cool system Robert. I have really fond memories of the big Sansui receivers with their nice stained wooden enclosures, silver face plates, and the glow of the display.🤤 I had the QRX 7500 with a pair of Klipsch Heressy that sounded great! Now I'm exploring the wonderful world of tube hifi, and I love it! 👍
would that a manufacturer made a new version of the classic 80's receiver I think they'd sell a boat load.
I used to drive magnaplaners with a Sansui 9090. It was the only amp out of the 4 different amps I had, that could do the job.
really enjoyable interview. thank you steve and robert. i am an appreciative subscriber. thumbs up.
I think the photographer/audiophile link may be because creative people obsess about details and process. A lot of my creative friends nerd-out on music, coffee and bicycles as well.
TRUE! All well crafted objects.
Dads rock... I can relate. My dad in the UK, Wales. We lived on a farm so could play the music loud. He would often drink too much booze though and blew his large Mordant speakers with electrostatic tweeters. Sounded bloody good though just on tape through a NAD receiver.
I really liked the grain and medium analogy to describe that last two % and the difference with digital.
Very good interview~! Rocking a Sansui and Zu DW6 Supremes here. Outstanding sound.
I'm fortunate enough to have snagged some fantastic integrated amps/receivers (loaded to the hilt with a ton knobs & buttons, nice wooden cases)/tuners/cassette decks/turntables from all the 70's golden era of Made in Japan brands of the day at thrift stores for $50 or less. I have stacks in my garage I rotate through. This was when people preferred some sort of docking station for their iPod or whatever, and all in one bookshelf system, didn't want to lift those heavy old components or mess with a "record player" anymore.
That’s an interesting and quite plausible explanation of the benefits of analogue over digital.
Great conversation! He seams like a younger, better looking, smarter version of myself!
robert those photos are great timeless you system is wonderful .ps from a old analoge person
excellent interview. Learned a few things while enjoying the conversation.
I have the older brother the Sansui G-6000 from my dad when he was into HiFi and he got it in service overseas, have the speakers, reel to reel, eq, turntable, cassette deck, and I've added another turntable and r2r to it, ironically also have his old Nikon SLR
Liked his theory about sound and photography! Cool interview.
@Steve Tllsdaleys 👍
Yep. Noise (at lest a small amount) is a critical component of engaged communication. Digital's aim for all-signal or total digital black silence makes music feel like a reflection or an imitation. Digital is the naugahyde of the audio world. There can be some truly nice naugahyde's though.
The Sansui like many vintage amps has a subsonic filter to cut rumble/record warp signals. These filters seem pretty much extinct on modern equipment, Steve do you think subsonic filters could be useful on modern vinyl replay systems?
snow day I don’t think those filters would be terribly useful with any decent turntable, might do more harm than good.
This could have been Steve at a younger age, they seem to have a same personality. Great interview!
Huh? 🤔
My dad had a Sony STR-7045 receiver that he bought in 1974 (I currently have it in one of my smaller systems). The story goes, he came home from Vietnam, went straight to a HiFi store, got the Sony, a Technics SL-23 turntable, and a pair of Bose 901 Series II speakers.
Good interview guys :-)
Your analog / digital discussion was quite insightful.
All stereo leaves space for imagination. The brain is the ultimate decoding tool!
(Some of us just have better imagination ;-)
Hell yeah, that Sansui will likely blow the doors off most high-end amps today. Sansui was (and for those of us fortunate enough to own one today),is one of the sweetest sounding amps ever made. Yeah, that is known as a "receiver", but it is really an integrated with a built-in tuner. (I don't know when or where "receivers" got a bad name).
I concur. I have the Sansui 9090 beast and it has the absolute sweetest sound. Paired with my JBL 4311's and Pioneer Turntable PL-520, my ears hear all the audiophilia they could ever ask for. And, from this channel's influence, I got a pair of Klipsch RP-160's before they are going away, so I'm set!
@@mubodude Absolutely. I have a Sansui 8080db (same beast as the 9090 only slightly less power, as if it even counted). It is in my second system doing engine duties, which has a Pioneer PL-510 AT 120EB cart and a Marantz CD5004 and that system just rocks. I built my reference system based on it...or tried to get as close as possible anyway. I was successful for the most part. Not an exact match, but I'd say about 96% to 97% and did it within budget, which was difficult. I'm not an audiophile, so I can't speak to those terms, but I know good sound when I hear it.
I have been to 3 audio shows when we used to have them where I live and I would put my Sansui, cosmetically flawed cabinet and all, up against any amp in the show (and did once, against a $10,000 amp and the Sansui won).
I used to run DCM TF-600s and it really brought out that tube-like sound. That is the funny thing with the Sansui, solid-state, but sounds like tube. I had to replace the DCMs though and now run Paradigm Monitor 6000f and it is amazingly detailed and sweet. I still favor it over my reference system!
I think they just knew how to build amps in the late sixties through mid seventies. Like Yamaha, Marantz and etc. of that era, they were hand-built in Japan with QC beyond measure. That is why they are 50+ years old and still rockin. (ok, with the help of a recap or something, but that is $200 to $300 for at least 20 more years of service, less if one can do it themselves)!
He s a great photographer in any case !!!
As a pro shooter and a audiophile I think the best word to describe the synergy between the two is "acuity". Every shooter and audiophile is looking for that edge in sharpness, so to speak.
I know thats true for a lot of people, but I also know that most of the most memorable images we have are not sharp. Not even close.
OMG! You knew Dave the owner Sun Studios ! He helped me become a photographer. Wow! He had a Macintosh at the cafe, which I always loved. I use to go into stereo exchange after a day at the studio and look at all the awesome gear. Now I know where he bought that Macintosh. Ha!
Is that the IKEA APTITLIG Bamboo Butcher Block 17 3/4 x 14 1/4 x 1 1/4 that goes for $20?
I think they were less:)
@@robertwrightphoto I was just getting ready to ask what those blocks were! Thanks!
He is right. Take any quality cd record, add background noise like a vinyl - and in some recordings, it sounds better, simply because some noise removes dead silence of a recording studio, replaces it with imperfections of a real live music. And whoalah - live music sounds like it should.
This may be why some concert recordings sound better than the studio version.
Andrejs Nikonovs Spoke like a genuine hipster with all the nonsense: live music is live music and it’s not plague by snaps, crackles and pops produced by a needle scratching the grooves of a petroleum wafer (!).
This whole LP-revival thing is ludicrous. Next, we’ll see gramophones with 1/4 inch thick 78 mono recordings making a come back to “capture the true sense of the era and bring life to long lost performances by jazz legends XYZ“ 😏
@@OMDF01 Hey, acoustic amplification does away with all of the distortions of electronics entirely!
@@OMDF01 Well, yes DDD. You got the point! Vinyl is totaly useless if producer/mastering engineer did his job wright. Some music sounds best with wright amount of corespondig noise, some is the best with zero noise, like electronic ambiet or a like. What i want to say is thet there is a place for a record player in this world, just not because it is superior, it is not!, just becuase it is fun! I'm not going to sell my cd player any time soon D
@Murray Van Creme So everytime you see a Maglev turntable, you cream in your boxers, right? 😏
All audiophiles need an IKEA chopping-board!
And Aegir/Ægir (a norse male name - and the king of the sea from our mythology) is pronounced like; *ɛaːjɪr*
@NorProg Lorentz
One of you Norse chaps needs to develop an IKEA turntable kit built around the bamboo chopping board ;-)
@@20CycleMonger I'm with you, man! I've got two in my rig!
Steve Tllsdaleys look up the definition and see if it describes you, you will know if you are or not at that point.
And don't forget the $40 Home Depot rack, w/ custom inserts on the shelves too! All of that combined w/ the bare floor makes for a very lively presentation. A presentation you just can't get in a damped room. 😉
Gave me listening fatigue just looking at it. But maybe there's more going on there then I know about?
@@amb3cog well its certainly no anechoic chamber:)- Racks are certainly a problem tho, the audiophile ones are very expensive, I have not gone down the vibration reduction rabbit hole yet, maybe some day. Otherwise the room has a lot of books, records and carpet to be reasonably deadened. Plus the floor is wood not wood over concrete.
Hmm, I wonder if the connection from audiophile to photographer also may be connected to the well developed creative part of the brain and how art (music or photos) get processed.
my dad also was a major influence on my audiophile career. when i was 5 (c.1977) my family was heading into the city where my dad was going to purchase a hifi system. on the way there another driver run a red light and cleaned us up. my mum, dad, my sister and i were all badly hurt. my dad spent a couple months in hospital with 2 broken legs. it wasnt 'till a while after coming out of hospital he managed to buy that hifi system. a Marantz system. i listened to that system my whole child hood. unfortunately he sold off the system many years ago when i had moved away from home.
I have six Sansui receivers .....they all sound great!!
Models?...Love Sansui sound.
@@harrymuhammad9835 QRX 5500...QRX 7001...5000A...9090(in the shop for a rebuild)...and my favorite, a complete Sansui system I have owned since 1977...881 receiver, SE9EQ, 3060 turntable and four SP2000 speakers. I bought it from a friend who bought it new in 1974. Best $300 I ever spent. The stereo still works and sounds awesome. I also have a 2000x we have in my best friends shop, almost forgot about it.
I have a Sansui G8700 DB. The left side is a little weak, but it still sounds amazing.With live albums, it's like being at the front row.For what I paid, I could easily make a great profit. My wife said please don't. The money will be gone in two seconds and you'll never see another one.
I didn't pull the trigger on a QRX 7500 at the thrift store, 40 bucks.Went back the next day and it was gone.
@@harrymuhammad9835 You better keep that G8700, those things are big $ on ebay. I missed out on a big Marantz at the Goodwill a few years ago. A guy beat me to it by just a matter of minute's. I didn't see the model# but it was a big mid 70s receiver.....he paid $40 for it.
Awesome video! Some nice hifi you’ve over there!
Don't know what others think: relating to my comment below. The NAD 7020 receiver would have FM and a decent arial on the roof. Just had such a nice sound especially on the BBC jazz nights and stuff like that. Somehow different more airy than CD or equivalent.
Hi steve, i hope you tell us later how it sounds, i have a schiit mani and loki, grtz from the netherlands
I'll buy that theory for a $1dollar I am the same way passionate audiophile fashion photographer I think cuz we love messing around with equipment changing lenses perspective sound bass treble mid-range telephoto wide Ultra wide macro it just we got to be a busybody and do something with ourselves just saying my observations and when we get it right it brings a great deal of joy capture that perfect shot and when your system just played that perfect sound came out of that song
Steve nice video tell Robert he has some fine photos on the walls.
Great interview, reminds me of my audio journey starting around the same time as his. I am seriously debating whether I go with Tekton or Zu. The Tekton's are more in my budget, but I can't overlook how much people rave about Zu. My Irish twins just started college, so every penny counts.
never heard the tektons but alway hear good things about them. The Omen DW's are probably same price as Tektons? Also speaker placement probably makes more difference in sound between the two than which speaker you get.
Cool gear, nice video but as is often the case leaves me wanting to know more. Is the Aegir as good as the J2? Is the Sansui still relevant or is it just there for old times sake? What about the other little tube amp, does it really cut the mustard with the ZUs or is the bass flabby? Audiophiles are curious animals.
The J2 is a lot better, it has more body and soul.
the sansui...well lets just say its there for visuals and NPR....I would assume after 40+ years its way out of spec. I might get a full service to see if returned to correct bias it sounds better. The Zu's are too revealing for it. As for the Almarro, yes that amp is good, no the bass is not super tight but overall it does have a magic thing that makes you want to listen.
Well spoken. Even though I listen to the Fet gain setting (middle) most frequently, I have had really good luck with (edit) Hytron GT 6SN7 Tubes for diff gain on the tube circuit. I just pulled up my photo from 59 years ago of me standing on my dad’s legs in front of his Whafrdale built in mono speaker.
thanks for the reco- I'll looking for some other tubes to match the Aegir, I have EH on the one side and the stock tubes on the other. Its a little too much of the tube thing with the Aegir, too holographic, too bright. Was just right with the J2 but that had snubber resistors on.
do you mean the CBS Hytron 6SN7?
robertwrightphoto Ah sorry!! CBS Hytron 6SN7 GT. I purchased from Cary Audio $85 each. I have a long and close relationship with Cary Audio.
Speaking of good relationships my Aegir mono block configuration is waiting on Sean & Gerritt & Co to ship my DW Omens. I have had a great time buying cables, a DL-103 G2 etc from them. I echo your sentiments in regard to Zu Audio & add Schiit as masters when it comes to customer relationships outside of the brick & mortar domain.
@@maconpatton maybe i get a pair of those tubes!- you'll not regret the DW's- but give them plenty of break in time. Mine have only gotten better and there was a significant change from year one to year two, at least I believed. So there is a substantial delta on performance over time. good luck!
robertwrightphoto Thank you for the feed back for them to hit South Carolina! Take care.
I had a Sansui just like that, purchased in 1978. I also had a Dual - which I still have, though not as nice as the one mentioned. Probably gonna sell the TT, as I also just purchased a Rega.
What's the bike in the background? I see some slick carbon wheels sticking out there!
Very interesting interview ! My personal favorite so far . Shattered my illusion though , being of Robert's Dads generation , an audiophile for over 40 yrs and amateur photog I thought I was absolutely non typical but have been informed here I am typical ...I'm crushed. Is the Sansui in service? or just nostalgic conversational piece and nice to look at. I have a Luxman receiver of the same vintage, maybe a few yrs earlier and am looking to implement it with some Tekton or Zu type speakers. Nice work both Steve and Robert! cheers..
Sansui does NPR duty on weekend. "might" have it serviced just for sentimental reasons to see if it can sound good. It's a little brassy boomy with the zu's. No shortage of power tho!
@@robertwrightphoto I looked at your web page/ work , Very nice stuff ! I guess one would come across a lot of subject matter for photog work in a city such as NY but delivering the level of product is another story . thanks for sharing your page … excellent .
possibly your Luxman sounds better, the Tektons from what I know and the Zu's which I do are pretty revealing so will show upstream gear in all its warts. But really, if all I had was the sansui and the zu's it would be fine to have fun. Or I could add a Schiit Loki for a four band eq and fix all the problems.
Hey Steve. I've read about whether to have a tube pre-amp and a solid state amp or visa-a-versa. From my limited reading most suggest to have the tubes in the amp. Do you have a preference?
I’m going to guess that that Sansui was probably purchased at Bay Bloor Radio in Toronto. That’s where I bought my Thorens and whatever cartridge was on it to start - it was a wonderland in those days.
wasn't bay bloor, we went to a cinderblock mall shop in the east end like on Victoria or Morningside, probably was a sale on. but this is way before black friday events!
robertwrightphoto Ah, OK. I know that area, too.
I like very much the comparation between read a book and listen to the music, it`s the imagination work ...
Me professor , Why?
Eh Donald, i`m still waiting your anser.
Inquiring Minds Want To Know! ... So ... What was the outcome of the Aegir eval?
Nice show.
Forget the audio, I wanna know what carbon bike is in the background
Terrific episode! Robert, what tubes do you use for the Freya?
the stock tubes flat out s++cked. I put two Elecro-Harmonix tubes from Upscale Audio in the can't remember, the output stage, the pair on the right hand side, according to what others have done. Immediate improvement. Considering how "enhanced" the Aegir is, I can't believe what Schiit thinks you are going to get pairing the Freya stock tubes (which were like nails on chalkboard) with their Aegir.
Great Video. I will have to give the Freya a try. Thank you. What is the size and make of that wire rack? Just what I been looking for.
Intermetro wire shelving. 18x24". container store has them. I don't think they are "audiophile":)- they are not acoustically dead, they ring so I put the Ikea chopping blocks on there also, weight on the bottom. You can level the feet tho which is good. Very solid and CHEAP.
robertwrightphoto Thank you for the info.
You do know the digital encoding is still an approximation albeit in much finer resolution than that of the vinyl
Hey Steve - do a bit on power conditioners. I have been amazed at the sonic improvement in my Forte 3, Rotel-1592 ste-up.
Don't listen to the arm chair engineer wannabes. If you live in a city or place with fairly dirty power, a conditioner makes a huge difference.
So did he like the amp you brought over? And how much?
He has some cool bikes too.
dad was responsible for that too...
I just picked up a FirstWatt F6, am curious about the difference between that and the J2.
Sorry, never heard that one.
I don't care to see the "grain" I don't want the frustration, I don't want to imagine the sound. The noise floor is in my way and I don't have to deal with it with digital. Vinyl is an antiquated technology that is now stylish for the retro newbies and the gray hairs. Give me a black velvet background, clean, clear accurate sound that is beyond my senses to perceive and I will have, for me, the best sound...which comes from a CD...that hopefully contains a great recording from the studio.
Somebody enlighten me. Robert's dad "built" a Wharfedale speaker with a sand-filled baffle. How did he build it if it was a Wharfedale? Were they kits or does he just mean that his dad used a Wharfedale driver? Or something else?
some of this is assumption because he's not here to ask (:() but kits and plans and parts were more evident in the 50's and 60's, the drivers were all Warfdale, that i know, and we had the plywood pieces left of disassembled in the basement. I know he built it when he lived in a rooming house after coming to Canada. So my assumption is there were plans available for the enclosure and that is what he built using the warfdale drivers.
@@robertwrightphoto Ah - thank you very much Robert! I wondered about that for 2 days before deciding to write in. I live in the US but close to Canada and have gone to Canada quite a bit. I do know that Wharfedale which has been a large mainstream speaker company in the UK has had a constant presence in Canada for my whole life even though they were not usually readily available in most of the US. I wasn't alive in the 50s and early 60s, but I saw a lot of the old stuff that people had made themselves in that era in basements, garages and yard sales. Some of it was still being used in people's dens and seeing that homemade stuff always really intrigued me. I think seeing giant old custom built plywood speakers at yard sales is part of what got me hooked on HiFi. Thanks again for clearing that up for me!
your dad reminds me of my dad
Is that an IKEA breadboard (Cutting board) under the turntable?
Good man. Smart.
reviewing Robert's living space suggests he lives by himself.
Well done.
I like the receiver I have a 9090db.
A reciever worth re-capping. I believe your 9090 dB is about 110 watts a side. Although they have been known to bench test at 140/side. It costs about $300.00 to re-cap it.
Ross Smith 125 rms X 2 ,8 ohms. I checked most of the caps , they are ok. It has some resisters that are off. I've changed some
I would love to hear a follow up with Robert regarding that Aegir/Frya combination. Sounds like the Aegir just arrived.
...soo its not that great I'm afraid, but this is in comparison to Freya/First Watt so not a fair fight. I don't know how Schiit voices their components or if they even think of them working in concert, would be a good question, plus, what do they listen with? But taking what I think should be the target for a low power amp i.e. efficient speakers, so Zu is in that camp, and then putting together Aegir and Freya one would think that this is a typical combo, especially since the Omen DW's are a grand delivered so in the price range. But the magic was not there. using the tube stage on the Freya out to the Aegir was 'hella bright and sibilant, so you suspect the tubes, however I had already changed the stock tubes (NOS russian that Schiit ships) because they were way too sizzly. So I can't imagine what they were hearing combining these two components into whatever speakers they were using. I would actually say "unlistenable" is the result. I had to use the JFET buffer in the Freya to get close to something good, and that was getting much closer to the FW but ..... Switching back to Firstwatt immediately- so much better, and the tubes get switched back in. (I have ElectroHarmonix tubes matched pair on the right hand side of the Freya). But ultimately you have to make your own decisions with your own gear, and they have a good return policy so no harm in trying. I love my Freya for the money its really really good, so I was confused by Aegir.
@@robertwrightphoto Thanks so much for the response. That's valuable info. I've also got a pair of Zus. You're right I was thinking the Freya/Aegir would be a good match. Have you heard the Vidar? The first Watt is on loan from Steve. What do you use with the freya/zu in your regular system?
@@paulrenault7991 Haven't heard the Vidar, so I can't comment. You are right I have had a bunch of loaner gear so that's where the Freya came in not having any kind of preamp. For a long time I had the Almarro integrated shown in the vid as my main. (its also very good but only 5w) Buying the Freya was kind of cart before the horse if you know what I mean. I will probably save my pennies for a J2 in the long run. I had that on loan for a while and it was very very good. The SIT3 is also amazing but 4k and limited run means I'm not likely to own one any time soon.
@@robertwrightphoto There is a used Freya here in my town for sale. Price is decent. The owner is upgrading to the Freya+. Apparently because he's hearing tube noise, and believes the plus model will have less of this. Do you have the plus version?
@@robertwrightphoto used freya guy is running 2 vidar in monoblock. And tells me there is lots of bottom. Not a zu owner though. Missions I think.
What photographers and audiophiles have most in common is a complete and utter addiction to gear!
Interested on that tube!
Great guy, it would be very interesting to hear his points of view on the Aegir.
Definitely. You should return in a month for his review of the Schiit Ageir!
@@MildEightnoon I will.
Sorry. I meant "you" as in Steve Guttenberg.
I hope he will, and it will be interesting to watch.
steve already reviewed the Aegir on CNET and on this channel. I've only had a few hours on it and so far so good. My reference would be the J2 because I had that in for a long time. At the moment JFET stage sounds best with the Aegir so I have to do some tube rolling to get a little less tube-y -
Check out Ansel Adams and other photographers of his time, they were all in to music on one level or another!
@Steve Tllsdaleys What are you about 10 years old or are you getting paid by the number of asshole remarks you make? You must be an absolutely miserable human being.
You are so right...!!! If you are of a certain age, all of our fathers are into photography & Hi-Fi...!!! Hahahaha...!!!
Nice video, Steve, thanks! Do you know how Robert got the acrylic turntable platter to glow? It looked great, and reminded me of a McIntosh turntable.
its just back lit from the window.
robertwrightphoto Thanks, Robert. The platter appeared to have a green glow, so I thought perhaps you added some LED lights (there are lots of DIY videos about that). It must have been the angle or something like that! Cheers
Very nice
Did anyone catch the name of the tube amplifier?
Almarro 205A mk2. I've seen them used. Website seems to be a dead end at this point.
Nice!!
Record player brush pointing up! Are you crazy?
Oops! Might have been another guy. Both had studios on bway both had HiFi systems. Nevertheless it brings back lots of memories. Thanks.
thats a whole lot of schitt
Mirrors my beginnings
An audiophile rooted in reality.
Not in Harry Pearson's soiled shorts.
Nice gear but the room set up has to be killing the sound. The price of livin in the big Apple I guess.
I'm trying out the long throw on the room and also it got the speakers out of the backlight for the video. Normally they are on the long wall in a more near field arrangement but spaced wide. its all a compromise
The room sounds fine, mics sound pick up is a different matter. which why I think sound clips demos are so misleading.
@robertwrightphoto
Makes sense, cuz set up as seen in the video made me cringe! All that nice equipment to be killed by room placement!😁
I’m spoiled just a little cuz when I bought my current home 11 years ago had the wifey agree to a man cave!😁 It’s really nice having a dedicated space for my audio, though on the small side what a difference vs integration into a shared living space!
@@Carl-bd1rf I think the sound is maybe better this way actually, I will switch it back soon to see if the original orientation was worse or better. Definitely better in the area you can't see in the video, the kitchen area, so it makes a better integration with the space and how its lived in.
I don't believe in meeting people unless absolutely necessary...
You forgot the speakers!🙄🤔😬
Yes! I kept waiting and waiting and...
The Zu speakers are in there starting around 8:20. They're Soul Supremes.
Thanks don't know how I missed that one!🤓😉😁
Are you boys “friends” ?!
Dude, grow up!
A history of purchases? Snorefest.
The lead up was boring but the digital vs analog idea at the end was great. Medium and the last 2%
love the concept but these vids need to be shorter to hold attention imo. 8 minutes or so...
I completely disagree. 8 minutes would not have been nearly long enough to get to know about this gentleman, and his equipment.
No Brooklyn for me, too noisy.