Lost a good one today
jdjohn
Posts: 3,161
After a mercifully short struggle, my Dad passed away this afternoon. He had a late-in-life diagnosis of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma about two months ago, and today, with family surrounding him at home, and some gospel music playing quietly in the background, he breathed his last. I think he was waiting for my brother to arrive. My sister and I had been there for a couple of days when Pop's condition worsened, and then my brother arrived this afternoon - we had kept telling my dad he was coming. Probably 30 minutes after my brother got there, Pop finally gave in. It was really a sweet moment for all of us 
My dad loved big band and gospel music, plus general easy listening music. He loved gear as well. But, I doubt he ever paid full-price or bought anything brand-new. He amassed a LOT of used gear from thrift stores over probably twenty years, and stored it somewhat neatly throughout the house and in a huge garage. Most of it he never even turned on or tested, always saying that "some day" he would get around to it. He worked in an electronics shop as a teenager. Well, "some day" never came for him, so yours truly has been slowly going through it, stack after stack, over the past several years. If you see me posting about a piece of vintage gear on this forum, it most certainly came from his stash. It was actually while going through his gear that I got 'bitten' by the audio bug. I used to give him such a hard time about all the stuff he had collected/hoarded, and now I'm squarely going down the same path
He was never into (or even aware of) hi-end gear, and he never bought tube gear. He just bought what looked good to him, and was cheap at the thrift stores. He was a very practical person, so his criteria followed suit. For turntables, he only bought fully-auto or semi-auto, and if the front controls were outside the dustcover, he considered that a bonus. Multiple Duals and Technics, plus JVC, Onkyo, Realistic, and even an entry-level Micro Seiki were in the bunch, plus a few others.
Multiple Marantz and Sansui receivers/integrateds, plus Pioneer, Yamaha, Technics, Panasonic, Sony, Kenwood, Project/One, Mitsubishi, Harmon Kardon, Rotel, Tandberg, Realistic, and even a Mac1700 receiver that has a tube FM tuner stage. But also, LOTS of CBP AVR stuff from the 90's and early 00's - most before the advent of HDMI in AVRs. Several vintage tuners in there that I haven't even pulled out yet, and a couple of separate power amps.
Dozens of cassette decks, with a few Nakamichi's being the standouts, but also some older silver-faced models from other brands. Probably 10 or 12 RTR machines in there. And of course, LOTS of CD/DVD players and VCRs, including a Sony Betamax I recently uncovered.
Nothing terribly sexy in the speaker department. Nice old cabinets, but mostly paper cone stuff. He kept telling me he had some big Acoustic Research speakers still in the box, but what I found was actually a pair of Acoustic 'Response' white van specials
Can't win 'em all! There were a few decent pair of AR, Advent, and Infinity bookies in the bunch. A big pair of Realistic Mach-2 that need refoaming - I've gotten plenty of practice with that process.
I won't even go into all the albums, cassettes, and CDs, since they are mostly easy listening box sets, big band, and gospel. He also had several comedy LPs from the 60's by guys like Bill Cosby, Bob Newhart, Flip Wilson, Jerry Clower, Brother Dave(?).
Anyway, for his last weeks at home under hospice care, I set him up a little system in his bedroom so he could listen while in bed. We loaded up a CD carousel with some of his favorites, but he mostly listened to his favorite local FM station. A devout Christian, it was fitting for him to pass on a beautiful Sunday afternoon today, after we popped-in a John Tesh gospel cassette for his last minutes with us
My dad loved big band and gospel music, plus general easy listening music. He loved gear as well. But, I doubt he ever paid full-price or bought anything brand-new. He amassed a LOT of used gear from thrift stores over probably twenty years, and stored it somewhat neatly throughout the house and in a huge garage. Most of it he never even turned on or tested, always saying that "some day" he would get around to it. He worked in an electronics shop as a teenager. Well, "some day" never came for him, so yours truly has been slowly going through it, stack after stack, over the past several years. If you see me posting about a piece of vintage gear on this forum, it most certainly came from his stash. It was actually while going through his gear that I got 'bitten' by the audio bug. I used to give him such a hard time about all the stuff he had collected/hoarded, and now I'm squarely going down the same path
He was never into (or even aware of) hi-end gear, and he never bought tube gear. He just bought what looked good to him, and was cheap at the thrift stores. He was a very practical person, so his criteria followed suit. For turntables, he only bought fully-auto or semi-auto, and if the front controls were outside the dustcover, he considered that a bonus. Multiple Duals and Technics, plus JVC, Onkyo, Realistic, and even an entry-level Micro Seiki were in the bunch, plus a few others.
Multiple Marantz and Sansui receivers/integrateds, plus Pioneer, Yamaha, Technics, Panasonic, Sony, Kenwood, Project/One, Mitsubishi, Harmon Kardon, Rotel, Tandberg, Realistic, and even a Mac1700 receiver that has a tube FM tuner stage. But also, LOTS of CBP AVR stuff from the 90's and early 00's - most before the advent of HDMI in AVRs. Several vintage tuners in there that I haven't even pulled out yet, and a couple of separate power amps.
Dozens of cassette decks, with a few Nakamichi's being the standouts, but also some older silver-faced models from other brands. Probably 10 or 12 RTR machines in there. And of course, LOTS of CD/DVD players and VCRs, including a Sony Betamax I recently uncovered.
Nothing terribly sexy in the speaker department. Nice old cabinets, but mostly paper cone stuff. He kept telling me he had some big Acoustic Research speakers still in the box, but what I found was actually a pair of Acoustic 'Response' white van specials
Can't win 'em all! There were a few decent pair of AR, Advent, and Infinity bookies in the bunch. A big pair of Realistic Mach-2 that need refoaming - I've gotten plenty of practice with that process.I won't even go into all the albums, cassettes, and CDs, since they are mostly easy listening box sets, big band, and gospel. He also had several comedy LPs from the 60's by guys like Bill Cosby, Bob Newhart, Flip Wilson, Jerry Clower, Brother Dave(?).
Anyway, for his last weeks at home under hospice care, I set him up a little system in his bedroom so he could listen while in bed. We loaded up a CD carousel with some of his favorites, but he mostly listened to his favorite local FM station. A devout Christian, it was fitting for him to pass on a beautiful Sunday afternoon today, after we popped-in a John Tesh gospel cassette for his last minutes with us
"This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
"Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
"Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
Comments
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I am sincerely saddened to hear of your loss. My condolences to you and yours, I understand your post completely. All the best wishes- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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I’m sorry for your loss.Pio Elete Pro 520
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OPPO BDP-83 SE
SDA SRS 1.2TL Sonicaps and Mills
Ctr CS1000p
Sur - FX1000 x 4
SUB - SVS PB2-Plus
Workkout room:
Sony Bravia XBR- 32-Inch 1080p
Onkyo TX-DS898
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Not being used:
RTi 38's -4
RT55i's - 2
RT25i's -2, using other 2 in shop
LSI 15's
CSi40
PSW 404 -
Sorry to hear of your loss
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Sorry to hear about your dad. He sounds like one of a kind.
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My condolences to you and your family. It was nice that he was surrounded by those that loved him in the final days. A lot of people do not get that blessing. Peace. DMIT Magnum MH-750, Monster HTS 5100MKII, Sony 77" Class - A80CJ Series - 4K UHD OLED,PS4, Def Tech 15” sub,LSIM 706c, Sunfire Signature Grand 425 x 4,Parasound hca 120, LSiM 702 x 4, Oppo 103D, SDA SRS 1.2, Pioneer Elite SC63 , Pioneer Elite BDP-05 “Why did you get married if you wanted big speakers?”
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sorry to hear of this, but it sounds like he left you all with a sweet memory.
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Sorry for your Loss.Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
Prayers sent your waySpeakers: Polk Lsim, ATC SCM19 v2, NHT SuperzeroSpeaker Cables: DH Labs, Transparent, Wireworld, Canare, Monster: Beer budget, Bose ears
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God bless, Dad.Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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So sorry to learn this, but as you said at least it was not a prolonged demise.
He was fortunate to have a good family and I'm sure he will be missed.Yep, my name really is Bob.
Parasound HCA1500A(indoor sound) and HCA1000(outdoor sound), Dynaco PAS4, Denon DP1200 w/Shure V15 Type V and Jico SAS stylus, Marantz UD7007, Polk L600, Rythmik L12 sub. -
Grace and peace be with you John.
May your dad now find rest near to the heart of God.Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es
Game Room 5.1.4: Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra
Bedroom 2.1 Harmon Kardon HK3490; Bluesounds Node N130; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer -
I am sorry for your loss. I understand first hand how hard it is to watch someone pass in Hospice.Klipsch The Nines, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
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Very sorry for the loss of your Dad.Yamaha RX-A2070, Musical Fidelity M6si integrated amp, Benchmark Dac1, Bluesound NODE 2i, Audiolab 6000CDT CD Transport, Parasound Zphono USB Phono Preamp, Fluance RT85, Ortofon 2M Bronze, Polk L600's, L400, L900's, RC80i's, SVS 3000 Micro, Audioquest Interconnects and Digital Cables, Nordost Silver Shadow Digital Cable, Cullen Gold and Crossover Series Power Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 12AWG OCC Speaker Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha Analog Interconnect Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 11 OCC Custom Power Cable, Signal Power Cable, Furman PL-8C 15 Power Conditioner, Sony 65" 900F, Sony UBP-X700, Fios, Apple TV 4K, Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables.
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My condolences to you and your family
R.I.P. -
Brilliantly told snapshot from his life and a fortunate man to have passed with loving family by his side. Great to see you're living his legacy. Condolences to you and yours.➀Speakers: Polk1.2tl's (Uber Mods) ➁Pre/Amp/DAC: PS Audio BHK Signature & 250, DirectStream ➂Cables/IC's: MIT S1Bi-Wire/S1 Balanced +Avel Lindberg 1000VA "Dreadnought" ➃Power Conditioner: PS Audio P15 Power Plant ➄Power Cords: Core Power Technologies Gold, DH Labs Power Plus DIY w/Neotech NC-P301 & P311ends ➅Streaming: Roon ROCK on wifi'd NUC, TP-Link WAP, & Uptone EtherREGEN, AfterDark, Emperor Double Crown Clock, Black Modernize LPS, PS Audio AirLens⟿Ω☯☥☮⟿🔊♩♪♫♬♩♪♫♬♩♪♫♬
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Sorry for your loss, prayers for you and your family.
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Sorry for your loss.
I'm glad you got to spend a lot of time with him.
Sounds like he was a great father figure!
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AKA "Moose68Bash" before Vanilla involuntarily decommissioned my original handle.
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So sorry for you and your families loss. Fortunately he was surrounded by the people and the music he cherished.
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I'm sorry to hear the news, Jody. May he rest in peace.
Thank you sincerely for taking the time to share some fond memories of him and his stereo equipment collection. -
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JD I read this last night late, but couldn't respond until after work today.
I am so sorrowful for your tremendous loss. My Dad, who passed away quite a few years ago, but it still strikes me hard now and then. I remember, my flight from out of town, rush to the hospital, only to talk to him briefly, and express my love, then watch his last breaths being taken. Still vivid in my mind after all these years.
I can only imagine what you and your family are going through, such anguish. As was mine back then. My heartfelt condolences and prayers go out to you and your family.
I'm heartened by your story of Dad's love for audio and electronics, and how it affected you. He planted the seeds and it took hold in you, only for you to take it to the next level. You should be proud of that, as I am.
I remember going through all of Dad's things after his passing, each piece tells a story. How he got it, where it came from, and the aspiration of what each of them may become. That aspiration, that dream, instilled in everyone one of us, motivates us to move forward, to better our setups, and ourselves.
I am inspired by your story, and your Dad, and you should be proud of him.
Take care JD, as these moments will be tough, but in the end know that their is joy too, as your Dad is now at peace.Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD. -
Very sorry for your loss. Thanks for sharing part of the story that was your life together with your father; a story that has recently been transformed but definitely has not ended. Take care and all the best!
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Sorry for your loss, my most humble condolences.Old Name: 55LS70Preamp: Decware CSP3 w/ 1 x Amperex 7308, 2 x Amperex 6922's, 1 x RCA 5R4GY Power Amp: Cary SLA Signature 2 X Mullard GZ32's, 2 X RCA 5691's, 4 X Tung Sol 6550 reissuesAnalog: Rega Planar 3 w/ P2000 motor, Deep Groove sub platter, Incognito tonearm wiring, JA Michell counterweight, Tangospinner feet, Dynavector 10 x 5 cartridge, Parks Audio Budgie Hybrid phono stage w/ 2 x BEL 6922's.Radio: HH Scott 330D tuner with HH Scott Type 335 multiplex. Both modified by Mapleshade.Digital: Marantz ND8006Speaker Cables: Kimber Kable 8TC'sSpeakers: Polk Audio LSIM 703'sInterconnects. Tuner: Audioquest Black Mamba II's, phono stage: Kimber Kable Hero's, PreAmp/Amp and Digital: Audioquest King Cobra"s
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Thanks to everyone for the sentiments. At this point, it is these kind gestures from others that really move me. I am at peace with my dad's passing and where he is now, but when others - even those who never knew him - express such deep feelings, it truly moves me. I know he has received his prize, and that gives me great comfort.
One blessing he had - even until the end - was good hearing. He had the ears of a cat, and never, ever had to consider the use of a hearing aid. He always bragged that his exceptional hearing helped him as a youth, using a 'flip' (sling-shot) in the woods of Alabama when stalking (innocent) birds as targets.
I must have inherited good hearing from him, as I can normally step outside and hear subtle sounds from birds, ground varmints, or just the wind. Of course this translates into hearing subtleties in audio systems as well...naturally, in a preferential way
As a point of interest, my folks' house is in Muscle Shoals, AL. I've eaten several times at a little restaurant right next to Fame Studios on Avalon Ave, and also passed it innumerable times while going to the hospital, doctor's office, Walmart, Lowe's, Chik-Fila, etc."This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
"Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon -
Very sorry for your lossAudio: Polk S15 * Polk S35 * Polk S10 * SVS SB-1000 Pro
HT: Samsung QN90B * Marantz NR1510 * Panasonic DMP-BDT220 * Roku Ultra LT * APC H10 -
Amen, brother. Not the next Boy Band here, but some talented guys for sure:Grace and peace be with you John.
May your dad now find rest near to the heart of God.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p89JZo0wSSQ "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
"Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon -
Hey Jody, I'm very sorry to hear this news. I am glad you all had the opportunity to spend that quality time together there with your dad. Thank you for sharing this. Lots of different feelings in there, touching, and some little chuckles, too. I'll be thinking about you all in the days to come.
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