Blumenstein Ultra Fi

[Clark B.]

I must ask, really!  What do you play when you run in the drivers?

I'm usually not in too much of a hurry to break things in to be honest, so I try not to resort to specific "break in" music so much as just stuff with bass that I really like to listen to.

But if I am in a hurry, I use the Hafler DH100 at nearly bottoming out point for the drivers, and I run something with heavy bass like Notorious B.I.G. (but not stuff that's methamphetamine inspired like Prodigy).

But - on current rotation is DJ Krush, The American Analog Set, Kurt Vile and Grateful Dead.

DJ Krush is great when you stream from MOG radio "artist only."  I've seen him a few times, Seattle and Tokyo and Seattle again on his 50th birthday.  He was truly groundbreaking in this genre... and still is.  DJ music ain't just for the young!

For Grateful Dead I am really into the Dicks Picks series, just working my way through.  The Vol.3 is a really good set I just came across.  I'm not a well informed dead head, but definitely go through stages here and there where its all I can listen to.  Seems to be spurred on by the coming of summertime!

Kurt Vile is another "checker" type of music.  The potential harshness of his vocals will really destroy most single drivers' tonal characters.  Got to see him just last week at Neumos.  He is so good.  One of the greats of modern times IMO.

Have been using line arrays in the shop recently to get enough volume to overcome all the recently added tool noises.  I don't know where my mind would be without loud music (and loud tools) sometimes!

Cheers man,

Clark

[tdogzthmn]

Clark, how are you driving the line array? 

[Grainger49]

Thanks Clark! 

You do wear ear plugs, right?  I can attribute my loss of highs to industrial noise.

[Clark B.]

Clark, how are you driving the line array? 

Thomas, using my BeePree/Paramounts for general listening, or my Hafler DH200/Hafler pre for breakin/dance parties.

Thanks Clark! 

You do wear ear plugs, right?  I can attribute my loss of highs to industrial noise.

Grainger - most assuredly.  I force everyone else in the shop to wear them too

[2wo]

"I am really into the Dicks Picks series, just working my way through."  ...John

[Clark B.]

"I am really into the Dicks Picks series, just working my way through."  ...John

Totally set myself up for that one...

[Clark B.]

Another good concert - Barton. The download in high quality in the left bank of navigation is not half bad.

http://archive.org/details/gd77-05-08.sbd.hicks.4982.sbeok.shnf  Really good musicianship.



Ok, so since we are getting off topic a bit, and into the realm of me admitting embarrasing things like the fact that I'm a dead-head...

I figure I'll share another personal story/quest: for the past four years I've been learning this niche type of skateboarding called LDP (stands for Long Distance Pumping) and Skogging (Skateboard jogging) which was initially intended to help train myself an amount of ambidexterity in the shop (originally for hand-sanding, actually, but now it applies to the way I double fist the orbitals, drills, saws, lifting heavy objects, you name it).  I've gotten to the point where I'm pedi-dextrous for normal pushing, and can also pump in three major stances.  My favorite of which, but the slowest, is the forward facing type.  I've got a few recent videos on this page: 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tongueoutmonoskihappyendingstance/101182529969244?ref=stream

Yes - more than a little off the beaten trail for anything that resembles excersize, but really REALLY fun to be cruising around going 15mph without touching a foot to the ground for miles at a time, and its extremely manuverable. 

Bike commuting helps keep my leg muscles in balance, as the pumping is pretty anerobic.  Its fun to find good headphone music to skate to. 

Cheers,

Clark

[Clark B.]

Hi all!

Just added a few new items to the store to facilitate extended support for all our past works: 

-Cabinet touch up kits
-Subwoofer driver replacements
-Speaker grills

http://blumensteinaudio.com/shop/

and then scroll to the bottom.

Cheers!

-Clark

[Molly B]

We're having a get together at our showroom (newly dubbed the Listening Lounge) on Saturday, June 29th, from 5:30 - 9:00 pm.

We've been doing a lot of work on our demo space and want to show it off to the locals! We'll be listening to Orcas with double subs through our new, all Bottlehead "Big Rig"--BeePre and Paramounts--for which we owe PB a hearty thanks for helping us get it all together.

If you're in the area, we'd love to have you by. Bring your own music or choose from our library. There will also be drinks and snacks on hand. We've had a lot of fun in the past throwing small informal listening parties at our space so this one is going to be pretty special.

If you can't make it that night, we always take appointments. We've also started to hold open demonstration hours on certain Fridays so keep your ears/eyes open for those, which we announce through our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/BlumenUltraFi) as well as post to our website.

I'm also happy to say that Natural and Caramel Orcas are back in stock! There are some new items in the sale section as well (http://blumensteinaudio.com/sale-items/)


Hope to see some of you on the 29th!

-Molly

p.s. If you're in the mood for a slideshow, check out the photos that Clark uploaded to the Past Works Gallery on the website: http://blumensteinaudio.com/past-works/

[Clark B.]

Just a quick reminder that we are having a party with free drinks, food, and etc. at our newly rennovated listening room this Saturday, 5pm-9pm.  Come one, come all!  Its gonna be so much fun!

Feel free to RSVP to the event via Facebook 

https://www.facebook.com/events/514950198558756/

But if you are not a facebooker, just give us a call or email if you are confused about directions or anything. 

Bring Vinyl, CDs, yourselves, and friends. 

Cheers,

Clark and Molly.

[tdogzthmn]

Any new products from Blumenstein before the start of the new year?

[Doc B.]

I can't speak for Clark about new products in general. But I can say that we have the latest Orca setup with the new subs in our Blumenstein/Bottlehead system and it really sounds good. As much as I was taken by Clark's speakers when I first heard them a couple years ago, the current designs are a very clear evolutionary step up from what Clark was making when we started hanging out. Josh tends to run that system a lot when he is working in the office in the morning and with his dialing in of the turntable in that system it's really starting to sing.

And I had quite an epiphany yesterday. Clark brought over a pair of Feastrex drivers in boxes that were spec'd by PJ. Honestly, when I had heard them in the past I could see the potential but they never really got it all together for my ear. Yesterday we ran them full range and I heard some stuff that caught my attention, big time. I suggested we use the Feastrexes in place of my Raal ribbons and ATD Hypergraph mids, leaving the woofer array active and crossing the Feastrexes over to them.

Ho Lee Shit! With some help on the bottom end to fill my big listening room these things are just stunning. This is the first thing I have heard that, for me,  clearly outshone my current setup. We are aleady discussing how to make a transition in my system.

[johnsonad]

Which driver Dan?

[Grainger49]

I looked on the site today.  I didn't see the new sub under the Orca. 

Am I responding oddly to my medications or is there indeed a new smaller sub?

[Paul Joppa]

I was also positively impressed by the current Feastrex setup (I visited with Clark on Monday). I think that's partly because Clark has put a few hundred hours on them since the last time we heard them ... :^)

Without saying more, I know Clark and Molly have a few things in development, some of which are quite promising.