Welcome back! I know that many of you are waiting to hear about my experience at RMAF, so here it is… the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest report. This year I made the big leap into my own room for the first time. I constructed the entire system, soup to nuts, with only the welcome addition of the Schroeder tonearm. I have to admit that we had an incredible time just hanging out and really listening to music.

I had been enjoying an Eimac 75tl amplifier in breadboard fashion for quite a while, so I built it up in formal attire. I am extremely happy with this amplifier. It is direct coupled and has but a single cathode resistor and no cathode capacitors - (figure that one out!) The signal path is DHT -> DHT-> output transformer (amorphous, in this case.) That is all! Three parts. I can honestly say that it is the most "alive" sounding amplifier that I have ever built, and many of my listeners continued to comment on the wonderful naturalness of the midrange.

In the end, I missed the wife and kids (Are you reading this, honey?) so I decided that the latest phono would have to wait until after the show for completion…Besides, I had to give you guys some reason to keep coming back! I was lucky enough to have an understanding customer who lent me his for the show. The unit displayed included the LCR RIAA equalization network that I use, but it differed in some details from the new piece. I hope to have pictures and a report up in the next few weeks. It is the piece that I am most excited about, just because a wonderful phono stage opens up so much music. I love playing records. Just reading the covers and dancing from musician to musician is such a joyful experience. I hope to have this DHT, direct coupled, creation properly tuned soon. The LCR in this one is also different. It uses discrete Nickel chokes and teflon caps for the equalization. I know that I am the only one providing *that* service. I can't wait!

I also was working on a speaker commission for a great friend and music lover. He couldn't have basshorns due to space and size constraints. Noting that the applications overlapped for a typical small show room, I opted to bring this reasonably sized speaker. I am glad; the rooms were smaller than what a large horn requires. Again, I used the le Cleac'h expansion for the midhorn and a true Onken cabinet for bass. The compression driver on the midrange is a JBL beryllium diaphragmed monster, and the bass driver is a reissue of the wonderful Altec 515 by Iconic Manufacturing - former Altec engineers.

So rounding out the equipment list from RMAF, I had my DHT line stage using 71A's and transformer volume controls, and my DIY turntable made of hardwoods. So I am happy... and a special thanks to Frank Schroeder for providing a tonearm yet again. I was especially honored that Frank was impressed enough to want an amplifier. I love the barter system!

All of this discussion of the past brings me to the present and future. What I am working on? Well, I haven't stopped the big horn quest. As a matter of fact, I am scaling it up. I have yet to hear another big horn rig that does some of the things that my crude wood horns at home do, so I must continue with some of my design goals. The three-way horn will be next. I am already working with a local foundry to produce the metal throats for the basshorn. The mouth will be brass, copper, or wood veneered for the front layer, but certainly wood for the multiple support layers for tonality reasons. It will be compression driver loaded. To properly control these horns, I do plan to experiment with line level crossovers again. DHT tubes and nickel transformers in this crossover unit should provide for that sound we all love. :^)

So until next time, happy holidays! Warm those cold winter listening rooms with tubes!