My Asian obsession and other new stuff plus more speakers!

Gentle reader,

As you know, we frequent thrift stores looking for cool stuff. My wife was saying, "You go to all these thrift stores during the week, what about the weekend for both of us?" I told her, I will always be willing to visit a thrift store or two.

As to the beginning of this blog's title: "My Asian obsession". I don't know that 'obsession' is the right word. I think it all started with the Japanese Geisha doll my one-and-only Aunt has. I used to look and look at it as a kid. It's about 15" tall and in a glass case. She still has it. 

Anyway, I got into Bonsai trees many years ago, none survived, however. And what guy doesn't want a Samurai sword? So take a look at some of the cool Asian stuff that has shown up over the years:

The three Bonsai trees are artificial. Can't kill 'em, cuz' they ain't alive! The bicycle painting was in this room (where I am typing, right now) but I needed to fill the opposite space the new bamboo painting occupies. Plus, I found, but did not photograph, an attachment that allows me to mount my road bike and train on it inside. It will be in the alcove of the listening room so that I can "spin" and listen to music.

In case you are or have wondered about that skin. No, I did not kill it. Nor did my now-late-friend. He bought it in Thailand, many years ago. I don't hunt and could never kill an animal.

The bottom sword is the real deal. It is razor sharp and has drawn blood. Again, not me. The stand came with it and I bought the smaller not-sharp-at-all sword so the top space would be filled.

This is the first fake Bonsai I found, years ago. Looks pretty cool, huh?

This brass thing is an artist's (Asian, I assume) representation of a cool tree. Bonsai-ish.

This is the latest find. $5.00 at Goodwill. Again, very realistic.

This one I found without a pot. I "planted" it by gluing it's base into this pot, which is actually a bowl. Then I added soil and real moss. 

I don't know what the little thing in the middle is called, but I find them fascinating. The dragons on each side are really cool.

Yes, I a 21st Century man, bought a snow globe. Except this one has sparkles. It is also a music box. When wound, the subway cars travel around what looks like it might be part of Hong Kong or in a Singapore city.

As stated above, I just found the bamboo painting last Wednesday. The one on the right we've had for a while.

UPDATE: I found some more Asian stuff! Below, which now that I see it, may not be Asian, but still a cool little table-like thing to put something Asian on.

Like, this cool, definitely Asian pot! I don't know what the symbols mean.

 And check out this cool Chinese cork art. Made mainly in Fuzhou since invented in 1910. They import the cork bark from Spain, mostly.

Below is the back side.

COOLEST of all! Check out this huge dragon with ball! It's well over a foot tall and so detailed! Looks just line bronze, doesn't it?

Above and below are close-up pictures of the much smaller dragons with ball.

 Below, the massive and so cool dragon in it's new home on the right side of the stereo rack.

Finally, here is the den as is now. Note the matching pair of wooden CD racks. They match the chair and table. The center channel speaker is a much newer Polk Audio unit. Good thing I found it, because when I was looking at the old one, I discovered the woofer was jammed forward!

As to the last part of the post's title, "more speakers!", I came across three sets of small speakers, one set, not photographed, were made by Roland, famous for their studio monitors. They are "STEREO MICRO MONITOR MA-8" speakers and are made for computers. They are the largest one's I've ever had and since I have a really good soundcard, they sound fantastic!

The one's below were both at the same thrift store. I carry wires and a cassette tape to test electronics and confirmed that all the drivers worked. 

The top one is made by Philips and is part of a high-end mini stereo/DVD player. Reviewers were not impressed by the sound. They are not efficient and thus need lots of power. Hooked to my 100 watts-per-channel setup in here, they sound great. They are my first encounter with ribbon tweeters. 

The bottom one is made by Onkyo and they are the first ones I've had that are mirror-imaged. That means that the tweeter/front port mirror each other. The one above is the left. The right one has the tweeter on the left and the port on the right. Again, played in here, they sound great. As you can see, they do not have the cheap spring terminals. No, they have proper 3/4" spaced three-way binding/banana terminals. Mark of good speakers.

I moved the handmade oak speakers into this room, (the office where I'm typing) and at first had the DCM Timeframe speakers as the rear ones for the SACD surround sound set. I'd sold the ones that were there. Then I realized it was a waste of their abilities in such a minor role. So, I moved them up front and made them the "B" speakers for the stereo kit. 

As I was only using the Infinity small speakers as bookend, and they are designed to wall-mount, I freed them and mounted them as you can see on the back wall. Now they perform the rear-surround duties for the SACD kit.

That's it for now. Oh, after much struggling, I ironed out the Capri XR2's weird brake problem. Now aside from new Brembo discs, it has new calipers, another new right front hose and a new master cylinder. What a job that was!

LASTLY, both of those sets of speakers have gone on to their new homes thanks to ebay!

Thanks for looking!

Scott