Article: Meet The Audiophile Style Community | Volume 2

[The Computer Audiophile]

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[The Computer Audiophile]

Thanks for participating and sharing @calloway!

[Nikhil]

@calloway

 

Thanks for sharing your audio profile with us.   

UF grad from the 90's here.  Nice to see the connection to Gainesville. 

 

That is a beautiful listening space.  I remember reading that PF review of the Chalice Audio Grail SET amplifiers.  That diamond tweeter on TIDAL speakers is something else.  You are so lucky to have such a nice large space with that high ceiling. I am sure the sound must be glorious. Congratulations on putting together an exquisite setup.   Would be nice to know what kind of music you listen to most.  Or put another way, what kind of music do you listen to that led you towards your choice of gear? 

 

Regards

 

 

.

[gmgraves]

I went to school in Danville Virginia! Spent more than two years there getting an AA degree in electronics engineering at Danville Technical Institute (do they even still exist?). Lockheed Missile and Space Company hired me out of DTI, and paid me to get an EE, and eventually a master’s degree.

DTI was on South Main Street, within walking distance of the city limit/ Carolina state line (and, in those years, walking distance for legal beer for eighteen year-olds in NC). Across S. Main from the campus was a restaurant called C.E.s. They had, what I recall to be, the best pizza I’ve ever had anywhere (but that might be nostalgia talking). I know that they closed after the owner, a wonderful lady named Connie, passed on in the ‘eighties. If you never got to experience Connie’s pizza, then you really missed out on something. While attending school, I worked as an announcer on both radio stations WBTM, and WYPR, and served on the engineering staff of WBTM (I already had my First Phone). Both stations were AM in those days and there were no FM stations or TV stations in Danville in those days, but WBTM’s lavish studio building was set up to serve as studios for AM, an FM outlet, and there was a TV studio in the building! Are they still operating in Danville? WYPR (called themselves “Whipper”) was a top-40 station, and I know they’re gone. When I was there, the city library was housed in an ancient building that was touted as the “Last White-House of the Confederacy”. That building was on Main Street north of where the street split into South and West Main. If you were heading south, it would have been on your left. Is that still there?

Small world, is it not?

 

[calloway]

3 hours ago, Nikhil said:

@calloway

 

Thanks for sharing your audio profile with us.   

UF grad from the 90's here.  Nice to see the connection to Gainesville. 

 

That is a beautiful listening space.  I remember reading that PF review of the Chalice Audio Grail SET amplifiers.  That diamond tweeter on TIDAL speakers is something else.  You are so lucky to have such a nice large space with that high ceiling. I am sure the sound must be glorious. Congratulations on putting together an exquisite setup.   Would be nice to know what kind of music you listen to most.  Or put another way, what kind of music do you listen to that led you towards your choice of gear? 

 

Regards

 

 

.

Nikhil..thanks for the reply..I listen to most genres but love classical ...60s,70s,and 80s rock.I also have learned to love jazz  through two great friends Doug White of 'thevoicethatis' and Bill Wells of Stereotimes.

[calloway]

1 hour ago, gmgraves said:

I went to school in Danville Virginia! Spent more than two years there getting an AA degree in electronics engineering at Danville Technical Institute (do they even still exist?). Lockheed Missile and Space Company hired me out of DTI, and paid me to get an EE, and eventually a master’s degree.

DTI was on South Main Street, within walking distance of the city limit/ Carolina state line (and, in those years, walking distance for legal beer for eighteen year-olds in NC). Across S. Main from the campus was a restaurant called C.E.s. They had, what I recall to be, the best pizza I’ve ever had anywhere (but that might be nostalgia talking). I know that they closed after the owner, a wonderful lady named Connie, passed on in the ‘eighties. If you never got to experience Connie’s pizza, then you really missed out on something. While attending school, I worked as an announcer on both radio stations WBTM, and WYPR, and served on the engineering staff of WBTM (I already had my First Phone). Both stations were AM in those days and there were no FM stations or TV stations in Danville in those days, but WBTM’s lavish studio building was set up to serve as studios for AM, an FM outlet, and there was a TV studio in the building! Are they still operating in Danville? WYPR (called themselves “Whipper”) was a top-40 station, and I know they’re gone. When I was there, the city library was housed in an ancient building that was touted as the “Last White-House of the Confederacy”. That building was on Main Street north of where the street split into South and West Main. If you were heading south, it would have been on your left. Is that still there?

Small world, is it not?

 

gmgraves..Yes..CEs...had many a great meal there. It is, sadly, gone now. If you worked at WBTM then you have to know Alex Vardavas...!..Yes..he and WBTM are still operating.The Last Confederacy' building is still there also.Very 'small world..!Thats for the reply

[JoeWhip]

Doug White is a friend as well. A decent golfer too.

[gmgraves]

4 hours ago, calloway said:

gmgraves..Yes..CEs...had many a great meal there. It is, sadly, gone now. If you worked at WBTM then you have to know Alex Vardavas...!..Yes..he and WBTM are still operating.The Last Confederacy' building is still there also.Very 'small world..!Thats for the reply

Well, I worked at WBTM in 1965-1967, 55 years ago. I don’t remember Alex Vardavas, he must have started after I graduated. Yes, a fellow classmate of mine sent me the obituary of Connie (the C in CEs). She was great. She let us students run a tab and pay when our parents sent us money. Is it true that Dan River Mills closed down? What do people do for jobs there these days?

[PeterG]

Beautiful system--I love your subwoofer investment (2x2!) and so much fun to read about your unique amps.  Can we have the Reader's Digest version of the long sad story about the company?

[calloway]

8 hours ago, PeterG said:

Beautiful system--I love your subwoofer investment (2x2!) and so much fun to read about your unique amps.  Can we have the Reader's Digest version of the long sad story about the company?

Peter..the two principals are very good friends and i would not wish to say anything that might affect our relationship.I'm sure you can respect that..

[calloway]

19 hours ago, gmgraves said:

Well, I worked at WBTM in 1965-1967, 55 years ago. I don’t remember Alex Vardavas, he must have started after I graduated. Yes, a fellow classmate of mine sent me the obituary of Connie (the C in CEs). She was great. She let us students run a tab and pay when our parents sent us money. Is it true that Dan River Mills closed down? What do people do for jobs there these days?

 

19 hours ago, gmgraves said:

Well, I worked at WBTM in 1965-1967, 55 years ago. I don’t remember Alex Vardavas, he must have started after I graduated. Yes, a fellow classmate of mine sent me the obituary of Connie (the C in CEs). She was great. She let us students run a tab and pay when our parents sent us money. Is it true that Dan River Mills closed down? What do people do for jobs there these days?

Dan River Mills went the way of almost all textile mills in the states did about 20+ years ago. All the buildings on the main area on S.Main have been removed..Sad. GoodYear Tire is the main employer in Danville employing about 3000. It is their largest truck and airplane tire plant in the USA.

[maelob]

Wow man, congratulations thats a dream system, enjoy it for years to come. 

[gmgraves]

4 hours ago, calloway said:

 

Dan River Mills went the way of almost all textile mills in the states did about 20+ years ago. All the buildings on the main area on S.Main have been removed..Sad. GoodYear Tire is the main employer in Danville employing about 3000. It is their largest truck and airplane tire plant in the USA.

Thanks for the info.

[rhmmmm]

Beautiful system!

[Solstice380]

@calloway  Very nice!  Hope all is well with you, your family and your colleagues at this time.

[feelingears]

Thank you for sharing! Stay safe, listen well.

[ejlif]

very nice.  I bought something big like a set of speakers or something from you years ago.  I remember the user name.  We talked many times about hifi on the phone.  Looks like you have found your holy grail.  Nice.