Home Sweet Home...

[bsodmike]

Hi all,

Since last week, I flew from a two week holiday in Geneva to London for a viva voce defending my Masters thesis. I am now back at home in Colombo and these are some photos I took in the hotel and back home...

Taken in the hotel...



I have now dedicated a section for my little library,



While testing the 'mirror lock up' function on my EOS20D, I took this random image...



Testing out on a composition of one of my 'other' hobbies,



Finally some shots of the watch I am wearing today...







Hope you enjoy the snaps...

[stevie lee]

have a nice holiday?

that B&W speaker looks the same as mine.. i think mine is the CC6 S2.. connected to a NAD T761. i'm thinking of getting the T775 with HD addon, which comes out next easter.. ~£1500 from what i've been told.

if only my watches looked like that

[Funkstar]

I have now dedicated a section for my little library,

I think the only reason you get away with your watch threads on here is the fact that you are really into them

How did the Masters go?

[Cozwin]

im little confused on point of thread other then to boast own ego... maybe im not seeing it but i can and will never see the point in expensive watches if it tells the time it works.... and i have my phone for that anyway therefor making carrying around a expensive peice of gear on my wrist which could be damaged/stolen pointless.

I especially love how i know four people with nice rolex's that never wear them... i mean really could that be more pointless.

[Mblaster]

im little confused on point of thread other then to boast own ego... maybe im not seeing it but i can and will never see the point in expensive watches if it tells the time it works.... and i have my phone for that anyway therefor making carrying around a expensive peice of gear on my wrist which could be damaged/stolen pointless.

I especially love how i know four people with nice rolex's that never wear them... i mean really could that be more pointless.

It's more a piece of jewelry than a just a functional item, people buy them for the same reason they buy expensive clothes etc etc.

[Cozwin]

It's more a piece of jewelry than a just a functional item, people buy them for the same reason they buy expensive clothes etc etc.

i suppose so... i guess growing up in a average family with average family i will always consider this pointless unlike people with way to much money to spend on pointless crap... oh well lol

[IBM]

Cozwin .. I wouldn't even try mate. As pointed out by Funkstar there is a grudging admiration of Mike on the forums for his sheer dedication and passion towards his collections. You wouldn't believe the amount of abuse he's had in the past over his watch posts and he's still going.

[bsodmike]

have a nice holiday?

that B&W speaker looks the same as mine.. i think mine is the CC6 S2.. connected to a NAD T761. i'm thinking of getting the T775 with HD addon, which comes out next easter.. ~£1500 from what i've been told.

Well, after 2 months of recovering from Labrynthitis (inner ear hell!), it was *GREAT*...

Actually the centre on mine is the LCR600 (150W), which I've bi-amped to some 260W. More details here. After almost a year of being kept 'off' my HT is working well again...phew!

[bsodmike]

Cozwin .. I wouldn't even try mate. As pointed out by Funkstar there is a grudging admiration of Mike on the forums for his sheer dedication and passion towards his collections. You wouldn't believe the amount of abuse he's had in the past over his watch posts and he's still going.

Thanks IBM. I've actually *not* purchased any new watches in 'ages' (*cough*...ages being hmm let's see...a couple months?) hehe, just kidding In two years I went from having a semi-vintage to vintage collection of 8-12 pieces, and now I'm down to two I wear on a daily basis. The 'obsession' though, hasn't left completely and enjoy still being in the loop.

im little confused on point of thread other then to boast own ego... maybe im not seeing it but i can and will never see the point in expensive watches if it tells the time it works.... and i have my phone for that anyway therefor making carrying around a expensive peice of gear on my wrist which could be damaged/stolen pointless.

To *some* it's more than just a timepiece; again it depends on your upbringing. During my teen years the first thing my dad did was to present me a Swiss Army Penknife; I also admired his use of fountain pens, although he was never into watches the way I am today (he had a couple Omegas, which I have restored!). My first timepiece was a TMNT quartz 'Turtle' Michaelangelo wristwatch, then for a good 12-15 years a mix of Casios (G-shock), Swatches etc...until I got my first mechanical - a Tissot.

I'm an engineer as well, so I do have an appreciation for all things mechanical. To me it's simply more than jewellery, although we asians also at the same time appreciate precious metals to some extent. I know of an Italian friend on the Rolex forum who once stated "if it hasn't got yellow gold in it, to us [Italian's] it is considered cheap". My Mom keeps telling me that 18k YG is considered 'dirt' here in Colombo; only 22-24k gold is considered of any value and worn by many....in this very poor economy.

Okay, I'm rambling off topic now... Thanks for the comments guys

Funkstar: Yea, it is over now. I had my thesis submitted and demoed my robot to my professor. Due to the viral infection and being out of commission for 2 odd months, I have two exams (1st attempts) to take in January...so it's soon going to be a matter of less TV and back to the books for me

I especially love how i know four people with nice rolex's that never wear them... i mean really could that be more pointless.

That's an interesting point as well. There are quite a few people who, usually, inherit their fathers Rolex or receive one as a gift from work etc and these tend to get stored away in a bank vault for years. On the forum, we tend to see from time to time beautiful "vintage" pieces from 30+ years ago looking like they were made yesterday. It would be a shame though if people bought them to never wear them!!

I personally feel that 'investing' in Rolexes or any watches for that matter is a dangerous game, apart from vintage Pateks; even the coveted SS Daytona is no longer that much harder to obtain and due to the frequent price increases the MSRP has caught up with the 'grey market' pricing.

That said, in many parts of the world Rolexes are as good as cash but if you're looking to invest, looks elsewhere. Bullion for example would potentially offer far less depreciation. This is a double edged sword for Rolex: the brands popularity is associated with a certain stigma that is extended to owners in general, Switzerland produces circa 1 million Rolexes whilst China manages to make five times as many "Lorexes"...but the popularity also has a few pluses. At any given moment, you can easily find a second hand buyer and of all the brands I have studied they tend to offer the highest second hand value retention (for new purchases).

At the end of the day, one could wear a brand new Rolex for many years and on parting/having it valued, you will be pleased to find that you'll just about break even with what you paid for it. Ironically, the more expensive models containing precious metal tend to depreciate further than their SS counterparts.

[Funkstar]

Funkstar: Yea, it is over now. I had my thesis submitted and demoed my robot to my professor. Due to the viral infection and being out of commission for 2 odd months, I have two exams (1st attempts) to take in January...so it's soon going to be a matter of less TV and back to the books for me

Good luck with that Mike, glad your back up after the infection.

[beanbandit]

To *some* it's more than just a timepiece; again it depends on your upbringing. During my teen years the first thing my dad did was to present me a Swiss Army Penknife; I also admired his use of fountain pens, although he was never into watches the way I am today (he had a couple Omegas, which I have restored!). My first timepiece was a TMNT quartz 'Turtle' Michaelangelo wristwatch, then for a good 12-15 years a mix of Casios (G-shock), Swatches etc...until I got my first mechanical - a Tissot.

I'm an engineer as well, so I do have an appreciation for all things mechanical. To me it's simply more than jewellery, although we asians also at the same time appreciate precious metals to some extent. I know of an Italian friend on the Rolex forum who once stated "if it hasn't got yellow gold in it, to us [Italian's] it is considered cheap". My Mom keeps telling me that 18k YG is considered 'dirt' here in Colombo; only 22-24k gold is considered of any value and worn by many....in this very poor economy.

I'll admit that i thought mike's watches threads were a bit arrogant on his part. But having seen the pictures and having read the above my view has seriously shifted. Anyone who has a hobby should be able to understand his love for all things mechanical. With the watch being one of the all time masterpieces of miniature engineering. Plus the fact you've restored one

Now more info on the sound system please, i'm a big fan of B&W and good quality sound, so some more pic's and info please

[moogle]

Switzerland produces circa 1 million Rolexes whilst China manages to make five times as many "Lorexes"...

Rollexes, in the words of The Real Hustle

[bsodmike]

I'll admit that i thought mike's watches threads were a bit arrogant on his part. But having seen the pictures and having read the above my view has seriously shifted. Anyone who has a hobby should be able to understand his love for all things mechanical. With the watch being one of the all time masterpieces of miniature engineering. Plus the fact you've restored one

Now more info on the sound system please, i'm a big fan of B&W and good quality sound, so some more pic's and info please

Thanks for the comments beanbandit. I think you have given me the inspiration to compile another thread (after the dust settles on this one heh) covering my 'journey' which started about two years ago. Luckily I have all the photos from the past pieces I've bought, restored, and parted with (mostly Omeeegas)...

As for the sound system, please see my project log:

~ Designing the Home Theatre ~

Mind you, it would be considered a tad outdated now as the Plasma and receiver do not have HDMI connectivity. However, the Plasma does have a 'DVI' input port and that's how I have the G5 hooked up.

The system comprises of the B&W 604 S3 floor standers as front speakers, the LCR600 as centre, and two 602 S3s as rear speakers. I have a pair of 601 S3s in a garage at my mates place in Birmingham (purchased new, been in that suitcase since 2003 LOL!!) which I would include into the setup for 7.1, rather than the current 5.1. The sub is a 500W RMS B&W ASW675; I've taken it apart, held the amp in my hand and repaired it even...B&W support is fantastic!!

The centre speaker is bi-amped to 260W with one Rotel power amp. The front speakers are bi-wired with Nordost cabling to a 200W/chan Rotel power amp. All the equipment is powered by two 1KVA UPSes, whilst my other 2KVA UPS is currently being serviced.

The DVD unit, a Denon 3910 is connected to the 3805 receiver via D-Link IIIrd edition which allows for SACDs to be played on the system as well. The DVD unit is connected directly to the Plasma's component 1 interface. The receiver is linked to the Plasma's component 2 interface. The receiver switches all feeds into the Plasma's component 2 interface.

The G5, currently running with 4 TB of storage (2TB internal, 2TB external via attached FW800) is connected to the Plasma over DVI and coaxial.

Also connected is the PS3, 360 Elite and Wii, although I packed the Wii away today. I also use a SPL meter to tune the setup and put it through a barrage of tests (Gladiator for one ) until I'm satisfied...



That's an old pic of the setup. Yes, the cabling is *quite* messy but once the lights are turned off I don't see them...and I tend to attach/detach stuff from it on a bi-weekly basis.

[stevie lee]

just checked mine.. CC6 S2, 603 S2 - front and 601 S2 rear.. and with only a 60 watt amp powering them its LOUD so gawd knows how loud yours is.. at -20db on the volume my mum starts complaining and thats through 3 brick walls..


nearly forgot bout the ASW 600 sub woofer - i'm practically sat on it when on my PC.

all single wired - don't really know what bi-wiring is, but i'll read up on it when i do my next tech upgrade. (cant remember what RMS each speaker is, you'll just have to guess)

[Clunk]

I have the LCR600 and DM603 S3 speakers, very nice setup but way too massive for the room they are in, so they are going soon

[bsodmike]

all single wired - don't really know what bi-wiring is, but i'll read up on it when i do my next tech upgrade. (cant remember what RMS each speaker is, you'll just have to guess)

RMS is actually 'real power' (root mean square) rather than peak-to-peak power ratings. You'll find lots of ...um, beat boxes being rated at pk-pk power ratings with higher and higher numbers just to attract potential sales, i.e. "more is better right! here's my cash...". Of course, this alone doesn't define the best characteristics of a sub - mine is a sealed sub, most are vented. Also the freq. response is important, this can reach 22 Hz (lowest)...

As for bi-wiring: you simply connect the HF and LF separately to the amplifier, so you end up having 2 jacks connected to the amp, 4 jacks at the speaker end. It also takes twice as much cabling length. As for bi-amping: the HF and LF are each connected to dedicated mono-blocks. I pulled this off with a stereo amplifier and duplicating the input signal onto both the L and R chans.

The black Y-cable is for this task, as seen above. This setup is *way* more powerful than it should be for this room I guess; I am hoping to shift the HT to a much larger room later on though...

P.S. you're right, 601 S2's (not S3's). Luckily my room is towards the rear wing of the house, but if anyone were to be in the room beneath this - they wouldn't be too happy

Oops Stevie: Getting late and I read your reply wrong. Brain read it as "can't remember what RMS is..."....sheesh!!