What’s that you say, Mr Pot?
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The phono stage is too hidden away, needs to be on something more appropriate
http://www.churchpop.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/9389614298_9190b4c28f_k.jpg
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Looks tempting
Thank you to Jim, Ann, Alice and Flo…
Excellent day, lovely food, great company and wonderful hosts.
Everything else has been said! Although a word for my chauffeur… 
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Another brilliant bakeoff hosted by Jim and his family. Food and drinks were over and above the call of duty again this year with even the neighbours pitching in with delightful curries and sundries. In a few years we may well see a Jim hosted street party for the Abattoir 
It’s been quite a while since I heard Jim’s system and as such a lot has changed - in fact everthing between the source and speakers is now different. That said there were lots of familiarities in the sound but now with added OMG and win… But on to that in a moment.
The phono stage @coco oco has built for Jim really is a beauty and as someone else said up the thread, photos do not do it justice. It is based around casework similar to AudioValve’s but with the Art Deco/steampunk flourishes is actually more subtle and to a higher standard than the German kit - incredible.
Even the speakers have been improved again with the plasma tweeter refurb that Jim completed a few months ago, so an area of the sound that was already a strength is now even better and on the same level as my favourite RAAL tweeters.
Because I hadn’t heard the phono stage, 2-box PREDA and Threshold amps before it’s impossible for me to say what was contributing to each part of the experience but I can confidently say that every aspect of the sound was not just good, it was spectacular in every way and the best domestic setup I have heard.
Although I was sat closer to the speakers than I normally do, I never felt like they were overbearing and the off-axis performance was lovely - far better than anything I get in my system 
Previously, the one area of Jim’s system that I felt could be improved on was a slightly fruity upper bass on some material. This has now been completely addressed leaving a fabulously coherent top to bottom, jaw-dropping performance with no weaknesses that I can discern. Other than a full horn-bass speaker system, I am really scratching my head as to where Jim could go with this.
The only slight fly in the ointment on the day was the obvious envy and disappointment of @thebiglebowski that his shortbread weren’t as good as mine. Chin up, chum. 
Also, a big thangyou to @crimsondonkey. I played the Nina album later in the evening and it was great 
and to my car-buddy @SAP7 for the LP. Too kind both of you.
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I need to understand what differences there are between the 2 recipes used for the shortbread yesterday. My impression was that @thebiglebowski was more buttery but could be wrong. Later grazing was savoury because pakora and samosa, so probably only had 1 piece of each.
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That’s quite a subtle personality analysis for a Sunday morning.
VB
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Do you mean more slippery? 
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Only when wet.
Allegedly.
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Looks like the usual high standards were maintained throughout.
Food, equipment, music, bodies, all to a very high standard.
What more could you ask for?
Three a year, maybe four??
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7 - We all pity the poor fuck who has that Leben amp
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Ahem
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I cannot agree - he is a thoroughly nice chap…
…mainly cos he bought the Alephs yesterday 
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Who’da thunk it?
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And is now at home scratching his head as to why it doesn’t sound as good as it did in the back room 
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Marmite speakers, Vegemite amp.
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Someone from Australia, obviously.
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