Hi Alan!
I'd like to have a location tag similar to yours: Toronto/NYC/Cape Cod. But, alas, I'm really just in Jersey City, NJ. I work in Midtown though, so I call it NYC.
Thanks for the comments on the space. I have moved my stereo to another part of the loft where we have a huge wool rug. I think my stereo sounds wonderful in this space - and that's with my present Ohm C2 speakers. Can't wait to hear the M60s in here! I've already started to order a few new-to-me CDs that I've read about in posts here and on other various audio sites. Really an excuse to add to my collection!
Once the M60s arrive and I'm feeling happy with them I'd like to possibly start a thread (blog too, maybe) about the sounds of the music. I've been a music writer/critic for many years and I find that far too few writers talk about the physicality of playing music and hearing that in recordings. Of course you need a good system in order to hear Bill Evans press down on a piano key, or Billie Holiday exhale without painful a shot of sibilance, but it's all part of the connection I think all of us music lovers are looking for.
For example, one of my favorite new artists is Andrew Bird. His album (yes, I still call them that!) Mysterious Production of Eggs has several passages with him whistling. He emits an amazing sound that sometimes feels like he's playing another instrument, like a steel guitar, even. But playing the album on a great system reveals that it's a human instrument, with a warm and full timbre that is lost on a mediocre system or poor quality headphones.
Just thinking on screen here...
Best,
Zoë
