By Juan C. Ayllon New Year is a time of celebration, great fun and reflection. We laugh, we eat too much, spend too much on presents, but also take time to reassess and make some resolutions, right? We're no different. In addition to revisiting new year fitness goals, refining career objectives, and building better connections with friends, family and community, there's the usual holiday rush. For me, it was fun but hectic, catching up with some review work, a few new surprises, and a trip to Florida for several days where Belle and I visited with my mother-in-law, Belle's sister, celebrated New Year's Eve, and got a little vacation break from the frigid Midwest tundra. Tying Off Loose Ends
Heading up the list of reviews, the Triangle Art Anubis turntable (read more HERE) and the Final Touch Audio USB Cable (read it HERE), it's been a bit of a mad dash trying to catch up on my writing. It's been a lot of fun, but, as usual, I catch my share of abuse at audio pages on Facebook from the naysayers on the latter piece. Little Feet On a more personal note, we got a pleasant surprise that my oldest son-in-law is moving in with his wife, wife and toddler, who just began crawling last week, as they search for a new home in Chicago. My stepson is promising to help hold me more accountable to new fitness goals, which is always a good thing! Moreover, this is a golden opportunity to bond with our first grandchild, as well as to serve and reconnect with family on a closer level. Child Safety and Outriggers That said, I am now redoubling my efforts to make my listening room a more child-friendly and safe environment; things like glowing tubes that attract tiny hands, delicate turntable tonearms and cartridges, as well as tower speakers that, as heavy as they are, could pose dangerous risks for our first grandchild when he begins walking. With that day in the near foreseeable future, and another grandchild on the way, courtesy of my stepdaughter, I am forced to take a harder look at addressing these hazards; with the recent publicity of small children being injured -- and sometimes killed -- by furniture tip-overs, this is something I take very seriously. Thus, as it stands, among the topics slated for review are speaker outriggers and a few other ways of creating a little more symbiosis with child safety, the enjoyment of our hobby and the well-being of our equipment. Staring Down Winter Now, if last winter is any indication of what this one will be like, it will afford extra motivation to stay indoors, workout, and do some serious listening! However, when forced to deal with heavy snows, I am prepared to tackle them with our very first snowblower, the Ariens Classic 24 (you can read my story on that so far HERE). Bring it on, Baby! Lampizate Me Also, in addition to some speaker reviews that pique my interest, I will be chronicling a scheduled upgrade of my Lampizator Lite 7 Digital to Analog Converter to a Big 7 DAC (read more HERE), courtesy of Captain Lampizator, himself, Lukasz Fikus. It will not feature a volume control, as I prefer to use a separate preamplifier and, this way, future reviews of other preamps should be a snap. I am very much looking forward to this adventure! And, of course, I already have a plan to keep it more isolated from tiny, probing fingers. AXPONA Then, fast forward to April 17-20, Audio Expo North America (AXPONA) will roll back in town. Held at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center in Schaumburg, IL, that's always an enjoyable event, rife with opportunities to listen to new equipment, talk with salespeople and company heads, and connect with other audiophiles and friends, alike (read more HERE). Summed up, I have a busy season ahead, and let me tell you, I am excited! Aren't you? Stay warm and safe, everyone, and maybe I'll catch you at AXPONA!
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Juan C. AyllonA writer, artist, educator and owner of Prairie Audio Man Cave, he lives with his wife, Isabel (AKA Belle), and their Goldendoodle, Liam, enjoys listening to high fidelity music and all things hi-fi at their home in the greater Chicagoland area.. Archives
March 2024
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