baby steps

[berndt]

My name is Bill Berndt and I am going to turn 41 in a week.
My audio interest started in middle school hanging with the A/V geeks who were already doing homemade projects. I remember Joe Alger carrying a car battery connected to a box with car speakers and a car head unit. He would tote this thing around middle school and this was before boomboxes.
There was a local audiophile shop in Oshkosh wisconsin and they were very patient with the skipping school audiophile crowd. They spent a lot of time edifying us to the virtues of the alternative press and non~mainstream products.
Fast forward 25 years.
I finally own a pad.
My old lady loves music so I have the solid gold audiophile ally.
She also loves good beer, video games, and motorcycle racing/riding.
3 months ago we bought a 700sqft condo in Daly City Ca.
Previous tennant abandoned an onkyo discrete audio system.
No speakers though.
We hooked the boombox speakers up and ran a patch cord to our computer and started listening to our music.
WE need speakers I pleaded.
She aquiesed and asked how much?
I saw some VMPS 626s on CL and called up Brian Cheney for a preview. Denise my wife burned a demo disk and we went to Brians house and got our hair blown back.
We had a reference now for the how much/how good the datum.
I thought I could do better though.
I discovered diy and the attendant prices.
I bought a Raw Acoustics RA8 kit ear unheard and am still waiting for my cabinet bro to finish the boxes.
I intend to do a pc based server, alla hagtech chime~dedicated laptop/apple.
Or one of the new purpose built devices, olive, cambridge audio...
I started my new audio ascension on the internet compliments of the AC and researching VMPS.
I have been branching out and here I am. I work with a wide cross section of trades from electricians to electro~mechanical technicians they showed me what to start buying.
Got a soldiering station, wes51, bought a MM fluke175 and some solder. Still feel like I bit off more than I could chew. When the speaker kit showed up and the bags contents were revealed I felt overwhellmed.
The xos are together and I am burning to buy an olive server with the redwine mods and clarity amp look just right for this rf heavy condo and a 95db efficient speaker.
I have not had so much fun geeking out for a really long time and I eagerly anticipate removing these boombox speakers from my system.
I look forward to getting to know you guys here, I have been a diligent member on many motorcycle websites so I feel confident that I will be able to find a home here.
If there are any comments or thoughts about the products/manufacturers I have reffered to I welcome your insight.
I feel very new and look forward to slagging my first pc board.
My favorite brewery is Speakeasy ales and lagers in S/F.
I listen to jazz/old country/bluegrass/punk/metal/classical/glam rock/and pipe organ.
My Unkle was a grandmaster pipe organ builder and I spent a fair part of my youth holding keys on the console while he tuned the pipes in the country churches across Wisconsin.
I come from a family that has good voices and have a decent sense of pitch, I don't read music but my wife does and plays an Ifshin medium grade violin.
I was involved in the first persian gulf affair and that experience inspired me to move to the bay area.
I have never really looked back and the bay area feels like more of a home than Oshkosh was.
After being a prototype machinist and a mechanic for the last 25 years I connect what feels right to what looks right and what is right for me. Funny thing that skill I hope it didn't dupe me into buying stuff w/o listening.

[Cal Weldon]

Hello Bill and welcome to the forums. We share a similar history in some ways. As far as the RAW stuff goes, I think you'll do just fine. Al Wooley is a nice guy with lots of experience and I'm yet to hear anyone that didn't like his stuff. I hope you get your boxes together soon and come back with a review for us. Until then, enjoy the forums.

[berndt]

Sitting waiting for these boxes I thought why not disassemble the boom box cabs and see what is up.
I saw the xo and lo and behold they were using a 4.5" main driver.
I rewired the supply line and plugged in the Gr M130s full range and boom, better sound.
I thought I better start earning my stripes hear (sic).
I still think about that 'ol Joe Alger carting around a 50lb portable... Just think what he would have done with a t~amp.
I look forward to sharing my experiences and thanks for the welcome, BTW.