Pete's Write

The appeal of music, played through a stereo setup, with a pair of good speakers, be it floorstanders or bookshelves with a good source and a solid amplifier, is a nice experience that does not get as much exposure these days with the draw of home theatre. It takes some time to wind down, sit down with a good book or drink, turn the lights down a little and play something that will keep you happy for hours. There has always been a stereo amplifier in my setup, and the day it came to replace the Marantz PM 11S3, which I have been keeping for quite a while, I was at a loss, it was almost like losing a family member. It was also the last of the Reference amplifiers with an analogue power source, and one that had the feedback of their guru, Mr Ken Ishiwata. ( https://peteswrite.blogspot.com/2014/04/marantz-pm11s3-review.html ) In my journeys, I have reviewed quite a few amps as replacements, and I had to be particular, as the Dynaudio Confidence Platinum C1 that I use them with do apprecia...

It was 1986 when Top Gun hit the big screens and led to a frenzy of people who joined the US Navy as "aviators", it also sealed megastar status for Tom Cruise. Since then, he has gone from strength to strength, with a Mission Impossible Franchise under his belt. However, he has always been keen to make a sequel to the original movie that really set the world ablaze and helped send him into the stratosphere.  The thing about sequels, is that not every sequels works. Some just cash in on the nostalgia or ride the interest wave and try to milk the good feelings for the original.  However, you also have movies like Aliens, Terminator 2 which have not only done well at the box office, but also improved on the original.  More than 30 years later, you can add Top Gun 2 Maverick to this short list. Yep, it's good.  So the plot isn't going to win any Oscars, the same idea of cocky pilots, some facing inner demons, and some very spirited flying which will definitely inspire a ...

Brad Pitt once acted in a Guy Ritchie movie which had a multi-threaded plot, that all tied up in a climax, and this action comedy effort from the director of John Wick has a very similar feel... Bullet Train isn't an original movie by any stretch of the imagination, and it borrows from many movies about fights, with many people after the same objective, ala Smokin' Aces. In this case, the prize is a briefcase, and it all happens on a bullet train in Japan on it's way to Kyoto. Many people have to slug it out, cheat, kill, maim and plot to get it, with revenge as as well money on their minds as the train hurtles towards it's destination, the movie also climaxes with a reveal as well as the final showdown.  Whilst it's not original, it has a nicely paced plot, with plenty of good action, humor as well as decent surround scene all interspersed, letting you forget yourself for the two hours or slightly more of the movie run.  Even though it's in Atmos, the bass and ...

SVS started out as an online only company more than a decade ago, and has developed a reputation for high value with good subwoofers at a good price. I bought my first SVS, a gigantic behemoth  of a box the PB 13plus, years back, and it took a couple of mates to help me get it into my den and position it well. But before their large power ported subs became their mainstay, SVS as well as Hsu were famous for their cylindrical subs, which had a small footprint and a relatively light weight. These cylindrical subs used the shape to provide great strength whilst keeping the weight down, which was very important for reducing shipping costs. Thankfully, SVS has kept a couple of models in this form factor, and the PC 2000 pro is the lower of the two. The Pro version is very different from the older one, with a new driver, amp plate and the most exciting of all for me, the new app to control the settings from the comfort of your seat. Some important points to know: Soundpath...

How many audio products do you know come from the little island of Singapore? The last I recall were the Roberton Audio speakers, from almost two decades ago. They were pretty good, but were not well known outside of the island. Now we have another company that has begun selling speakers, and whilst they are actually made in Thailand, the company is from Singapore and the product is pretty interesting.  This is their website  https://soundkraftaudio.com/  and the blurb says:  This Soundkraft Enigma is their first project and it comes in single, a stereo pair, passive and active options. There is also a mini version too.  Exquisite Works of Art We are a manufacturer of compact Hifi Bluetooth speaker. Our story begins with a Indiegogo project back in March 2021. All our speakers are designed and built in Singapore. The spherical cabinets are handcarved in Thailand by local artisan, making each one of our products unique piece of art. Their product is called the En...

Shows that involve religion can be very straight jacket affairs or the presence of a church is just a background setting for someone in it, or a tool in the fight of good versus evil. That last one is often used in shows of a supernatural nature but here, the new Netflix series "Midnight Mass" actually depicts a fairly accurate portrayal of the ongoings of a typical Catholic church, set on an island called Crockett Island and what follows after a seemingly new priest comes to the island. Once the new priests comes in, many usual and supernatural things happen, and very soon, the inhabitants realise that there is more than meets the eye. Some horror shows rely on the shock or slash factor, but this miniseries is a much slower burn, with plenty of character development, from the drunk driver prodigal son who returns, the pregnant single mum to the aforementioned priest and many more. These days, there must be an obligatory LBGT angle and there's a doctor who plays a very im...

Prior to this movie, I enjoyed a Netflix production called Sea Power and it described the Battle of the Atlantic, with the wolfpacks fighting against a few destroyers guarding their flock of merchant vessels.  It harkened back to the old days when real wolves hunted sheep in packs and the danger here was equally real. Many lives and ships were lost before the tide turned simply because the Americans were able to produce more ships than the Germans could sink. The setting of this movie is in the early days of the war in 1942, and the U boat menace was at it's peak, with Wolfpacks picking off merchant ships, and the escort ships fighting a desperate battle to get the convoy to safety. It was never about getting everyone across, it was a numbers game. Get as many across, and lose as little ships and escorts as you can. Tom Hanks headlines this Apple production and its a gripping tale of the hunter and the shepherd as they each try to fulfil they roles in this battle of wits ...

Hi folks Covid days mean more days spent in the den, so I did some tweaking and also updated some gear. I finally swopped out the JL Audio Subs, I've owned four of them, but I've decided to return to SVS and updated my system too. Also swopped the rear surrounds for a newer generation of the Silver FX. Living room TV: https://peteswrite.blogspot.com/2021/12/sony-x85j-85-tv-review.html Sony X85J LED TV Denon Heos Bar with subwoofer Denon Heos Bar Review Sony BDP 6500  My Den: Sony ZD9 75" ( Sony TV review) Denon AVC X8500H ( Denon AVC X8500H review ) Dynaudio Confidence 1 Platinum (  Dynaudio C1 Platinum Review  ) Sony UDP 1000 ES ( Sony UBP 1100ES Review  ) Dynaudio Confidence C1 and Centre Platinum front and centre Dynaudio Special 40 side surround Dynaudio Special 40 review Monitor Audio Silver FX (Gen 6) in dipole mode for rear surrounds SVS PC 2000 Pro ( https://peteswrite.blogspot.com/2020/02/jl-audio-e112-review.html ) ArtNovion Corner Bass trap (https://www.ar...