Goodbye

Eric, you can't go without saying what you got !!!!!  What's the new system ?

+1 ... ?

yeah, that's a major faux pas.  I thought I was all Naim till I heard an LFD NSCE and realized I could have 1 box instead of 4 and upgrade TT and put money in my stock account for old age.

Hi guys,

Yep, the B&W's stay, to be driven by Accuphase.

Cheers,

EJ

EJS,

That's indeed a very different *church*.

The similarity with Naim is that Accuphase look after their legacy products and excellent company.

They are passionate about what they put on the market.

If I like the sound of their gear, I sure don't mind owning them.

BTW, I don't get why you are leaving the Forum just cause you don't use Naim gear?

I enjoy your post so don't leave!

I assumed Naim wouldn't appreciate me posting in this forum, but happy to stay if that's no problem.

EJ

Stay around EJS,

A while ago in system pics there even was a full linn setup

Let the music bond, your company is appreciated

Fred

EJ, I really hope you reconsider and stick around these parts.  I learn a lot from your posts and find them very interesting and knowledgeable.  Your input and voice on all things related to music is needed here.  In fact, many a night when I end up stumped and dithering on what exactly to play you come to the rescue and I rely on your good taste and sense to guide the way.

Doug

How does Accuphase work in Fraim?

I don't see why you have to leave because you have Accuphase, or other brand. Hopefully you will consider Naim again in the future.

Good choice of music. That recording is my preferred choice of Griegs Piano Concerto in A minor

Best wishes, Julian

Wow the kindness on this forum never ceases to amaze me. More than happy to stay and continue to learn new and share old music. It's just goodbye to the technical fora then.

Posts will still have to wait until tomorrow when the new lot should be on steam.

@Julian: the disc's brilliant, isn't it? Every time I spin this and the Beethoven and Brahms concerti recorded during the same period, I continue to be amazed. Kovacevich isn't alone with an energized and architectural awareness, but he and Davis were clearly sharing a brainwave during this period. Philips' engineers have done better things, but overall these recordings are still eminently listenable.

Cheers,

EJ

When I was looking for a new hi fi set up, a friend kindly demoed his Accuphase and B&W (804D) set up. It was so streamlined (amp, speakers, plus TT and a CD player) and elegant and the Accuphase (I don't recall the model) produced a masterful sound. Top draw, and with a price tag to match!

Happy listening and you should feel free to stay in the forum for as long as you like!

EJ,

I very much doubt Naim care so long as readers providing entertaining content for the site.

btw, I am still looking for the perfect Schumann's A Minor Concerto.

Two of my favourite so far are Richter's early Russian recording with USSR State Radio Orhcestra and Lipatti/Ansermet 50's live recording. ( the one he played just before he died. Not the one with Karajan )  But good God, these recordings are very poor. ( poorest out of all of their performances but don't you know it, I like their performance the best ) :x

Got the Moravec's Op.54. (with Czech Philharmonic ) Haven't listened to it yet. Are you familiar with it?

Kuma, 

I'm not familiar with the Moravec. I note your preference for Lipatti / Ansermet, it's brilliant. But my favorite Schumann concerto recording is even more of an odd one out: Clara Haskil, with Willem van Otterloo directing the The Hague Philharmonic Orchestra, a May '51 recording made in the main hall of the Concertgebouw Orchestra (mono; not live). Clara foregoes all of the pyrotechnics and imbues the whole work with a subdued sadness that lodges itself in the mind and stays there. In modern times, it's Kovacevich for me although there are many recordings worth considering - Pires, Perahia, Andsnes. The work seems eminently suitable for Marc-André Hamelin, but I don't think he's recorded it (yet). If you like Hélène Grimaud's way with things (I do, but on and off), then her lean, powerful performance is very impressive.

Cheers,

EJ

EJ,

You can’t leave without permission from the mods!

It's in the forum rules... and very much like Hotel California!

EJS said:

... and then a champagne colored beauty with windscreen wipers comes along and turns the world as you know it upside down and changes the plan. Happened today. I'll probably be losing the right to post here in a couple of weeks...

I’m no good at cryptic puzzles...

but guess that’s either a car ?

or an old pair of Elton Johns spectacles ?

But please don’t go, your posts in the music room are much appreciated : )

Debs

I am sure Naim (corporate) have no reason to not want you posting on the forums.  Us readers -- even more so.  Now if you started posting on the HiFi forum how Accuphase does everything better than Naim, la la la, well sure that'd be disruptive to a Naim-based forum.  But especially here, regarding the music -- who cares?!?!

Welcome back

EJS, sorry to have to ask this, but curiosity compels me.   In a few words, what sold you on the Accuphase ?  How does the sound differ ?

Scratch this itch, please.

Indeed, I agree you should continue to post on the Naim forum.  I think it would be interesting to hear the opinion of a user of other brands, especially a previous Naim owner.  Many posters have “mixed systems”.  In fact, the majority have non-Naim speakers, and then there are the vinyl sources.  Wouldn’t your thoughts provide good comparative and objective insights for dedicated Naimers?

EJ,

There are quite a few people on here that don't have any Naim kit.

Some just have one bit.

I am not the biggest classical music lover, but enjoy your posts in the music room.

So please keep posting.

Stu.

+1 - We need your input - I like some classical music though listen to less these days than I used to, but it is very interesting to read about .... the classic I do listen to are Leoš Janáček, Jean Sibelius, Edgard Varese and Ludwig van Beethoven (who I consider the inventor of heavy rock)

All the best, Guy 

EJ,

Haskil's Op.54 would be an interesting listen!

I might come off as a sexist, but I usually prefer male pianists, especially for the Op.54. But Clara's *sad* interpretation might just work.

Kovacevich's Grieg Piano Concerto is excellent but then I haven't heard too many interpretations by others. Plus this is a terribly overplayed piece.

So far all misses by Ms. Grimaud.

Haven't heard Pires' version and not sure what to make of Perahia's work, yet. 

Andsnes' Grieg is great but I have yet to hear his Schumann.

EJ -

That sure is one extreme way to cure Naim transformer hum! 

Am glad you are sticking around, as I too enjoy your posts.

Hook

Kuma,

Don't give up on Perahia before you have heard his Schubert Impromptus and have lived for a while with his Mozart concertos and some of the Schumann solo works. Many of these recordings have become my benchmarks. 

I think Andsnes' Schumann is on the same disc as his Grieg Have to be honest: I heard it, and decided to pass on it after thoroughly listening to his Liszt recital disc and wondering what the fuss is about. But - I have four out of five discs that comprise the late Schubert sonatas and Winterreise, with Bostridge, and those are without doubt magnificent. 

I'm eyeing the Grieg concerto by Stephen Hough, many on this forum have given it a thumbs up.

EJ

EJ,

I need to go back to Beethoven and Schubert at some point. I moved from Mozart to Ravel/Deussy and now trying to *get* Prokofiev.

Actually Iv'e got a few Perahia's Schubert pieces but haven't had a chance to go through Schubert stack yet. The only Mozart I have on his is Coronation and thought he was pretty expressive albeit the tune is nothing tasking and light affair.

Impromptus, eh?

There are a few faves ( Richter/Lipatti and even Paul Lewis, Horowitz! ) so I will try Perahia. Easier for me to understand if i know the tune and putting him in a familiar context amongst others.

The Andsnes Schumann/Grieg CD is the one I need to get. I've got his Lyric pieces where he plays on Grieg's paino at his house. Haunting stuff and I like it a lot.

I haven't had much chance to listen to the current pianists as I am still going through dead ones. I have a quite a catch up to do.

P.S. What's your reco on Ravel's G Major Piano Concerto?