The Bigblog!

Yes had direct mains and signal on a cd 17kis, made no difference. I gave up on wire shortly after.

Alps blue shouldn't be a barrier to great sound. I’m really happy you’ve got a great buy and a matching set of amps.

a decent stepped attenuator will be a big step on from the alps

A little while ago now, I sold my Bigbottle phonostage to fund the next wave of PCB tests and so forth of the new MM/MC version.

It left me in the position of being solely dependant on digital for a few weeks and it was an opportunity I relished. I had the Allo Boss primed and ready to go. Then I decided, actually it was the perfect time to get a PecanPi and have a listen in my own good time. Often I feel a sort of 'urgency' to get loaned equipment evaluated and shipped back so as not to provide delay or inconvenience. The solution? Buy one!

I dropped Leo a message, sent him some money and 3 days later a brand new PecanPi DAC hat was here.

In the meantime, I had been considering what I would use to give this Pi a listen. Again, The new Abbey Road remixed 50th Anniversary edition was released and not yet in my collection so I used that as an excuse to get the download (and the vinyl for when I am vinyl ready again)

I should point out that Shaman (member here) loaned me his Valab LCR and very grateful I am too.

From the very first bars of 'Come Together', I was hooked. 'Something' had somehow become even more poignant. 'Maxwells Silver hammer' was even more mischievous, and on it went. I had devoured the whole album and at every track, felt brand new emotions compared with that of the original. All the little details that Giles Martin has infused into tracks I knew so well still overloaded my mind and again, his influence on an already great album proved worthy. I must have listened to the original album more times than I dare count.

I decided to give it another play. Again it just wowed. Brilliant. Highly recommended for any Beatles fan.

Sitting back and thinking after the second listen, I suddenly remembered that the PecanPi was in the system and I should have been evaluating it lol. I sat there thinking and realised that I wasn't sure if the Allo Boss would have done the same job of the album.

In went the Allo Boss and then out came the Allo Boss. Sure, the mids have a lovely 'human' quality about them but IMHO the bass was so bloated that I couldn't listen past it.

Yes, the recent speaker change means that It can get a bit wild in the room, if I go too loud, but this was not loud. It sounded like Paul McCartney had decided his bass should be the loudest sound.

Now, I am not knocking the Allo Boss, I am still a staunch fan and it will long be credited with my conversion to digital media in a large scale. I am 100% sure that in a bigger room, I would not have felt as strongly as I did. Unfortunately, that's not an experiment I could do, but will revisit if I ever have the space to do so.

However, what I can not deny is how many steps forward the PecanPi is compared to the Boss in almost every area, and dare I say, its better than I remember the Katana to be as well. Again, a lot has changed so that's not an entirely fair recollection. I may buy a Katana to see if I am vindicated in my opinion.

Anyway, a few days later, the Vinyl arrived. On it went via the very capable Valab LCR. I sat there hugely disappointed. Gone was the precision and laser like soundstage placement. The insight had dropped off and what replaced it was excess surface noise, background hiss, cracks pops and a generally less involving sound. Almost soft to the point of smeared. This doesn't sit with my experience of the Valab. Its a very capable phonostage so I tried a few other LP's and it was far better.

The LP is going back as I think its a Sh#t pressing. I have ordered a replacement but IMO no vinyl should come from the factory with audible noise over the track itself. A comparison will have to wait between the Vinyl and digital versions of the album. Although at this time, I don't mind if it never happens. The PecanPi has firmly taken over replay duties here and in doing so has proved how far digital has come in just a few short years.

Slowly but surely, this digital lark is winning me over. But then something happened that I hadn't expected.

My son, Alec (7yrs) walked in and started to sing along to 'I want you'

He sat in front of the laptop, we enlarged the image of the Abbey road front cover so he could have a 'proper look' (his words)

Obviously, I was amused that all of a sudden, he was interested. I instinctively pulled out the vinyl from the shelf and gave it him to look at. We spent an hour or more looking through the Beatles albums, checking out what was in the gatefold sleeves, working out who was who on the cover of Sgt. Pepper and I must admit, the connection to these albums I'd felt via my own father, when we did the same some 30 years before, didn't go unnoticed.

The vinyl kept his attention and his interest was obvious. Had I just let him sit at the laptop, it wouldn't have been any where near as interesting and that is why there will always be vinyl replay in my house. It may not have the laser focus or precision of digital, it may not have the inky black background or perfect channel separation but what it does have is something that digital does not.......Connection.

Ha, not at all. Quite right to point it out.

Thanks Si,

Its a big thing in our house, Guitars, Piano, Clarinet and my old Cello at one point too. 

They have their own little guitars and there's a drum kit. I'm a big believer in the gift of being able to play an instrument. I love it, still play daily. 

I wasn't allowed to play a wind instrument, my ma was worried it would misalign my front teeth lol

Learned Cello fron the age of 8-11. All by ear as I couldn't and still can't read music.

Offered some sort of scholarship with the Royal Academy of Music but turned it down. Didn't want to go to London and live there with out my family. I was going to have to go there in the first senior year, aged 11. I wasn't interested.

Learned the drums from 12-15 then decided that I wanted to be an electric guitarist after realising Jimi Hendrix was actually God.

I have played guitar for 25 years.

I've Recorded with artists in Australia (Steve B###) and the UK. The Ozzie was the nearest I've come to paying work lol.

Sounded like he was going to make it when the local radio started to get interested, so I read after. I didn't realise at the time. Id been contacted after I uploaded so samples to an early musician finder website. I used a local studio and sent him guitar tracks to use on his song. I got a email a few weeks after from the website we'd used, asking for details of where to send royalties. It didn't happen. I did two tracks with him and I believe they are still available online somewhere.

Co-Wrote a song with a fella in the UK. Later, the music (my work) was used (without my permission) on a BBC2 program and Jingle. He claimed he wrote it, he got paid. I didn't. He's still working on jingles and advert music. I don't see him now.

Wrote and produced music with an Irish fella. David W###, He never made the final break into the mainstream unfortunately but had a superb voice. His rendition of "Black is the Colour" could rip your heart out. Best voice I've heard live.

He now lives in Bournemouth with his Mrs and Kid. He does Mortgages now.

Struggled with nerves. Shame. Real talent.

Signed with a very small label at age 22, with my then band Iota for about 2 weeks. Label owner had a stroke and dropped everyone. Never went back to the band. I got a job as a bus driver instead coz I was skint and had a 3 year old daughter to look after.

It was fun at the time, but ultimately I only have a small collection of crap quality demos and disappointed memories that it never workout.

Played a gig in Wolverhampton, our first actually, at a spot called The Varsity.

My ex-girlfriend and my new girlfriend both turned up to the gig. I was blasting through an epic solo (in my mind lol) when a fight broke out in the crowd. Turns out they found each other trying to get to the front lol. That the most rock and roll it ever got. Funny as hell though.

Lol, sorry, bit of a ramble 😂😂

Lol, I doubt that.

Ramblings of another life is how it feels now.

Just trying to think who he sounds like.

Oh, I haven't heard that. I'll have a listen now!! Thanks for that.

yes mate, its Studio 150,theres also a brilliant cover of one way rd too on it

Ha! Links are still working lol

I do t think the tracks have aged all that well but they were pretty cool at the time.

Guitar parts are mine.

www.kompoz.com/music/artist/bigman80