Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Random rants...

Yesterday, I got a bonus which makes me a bit richer.

Today, the petrol price goes up 30 cents.

WTF, in this case, work another 10 years also we end up paying the government lar!

It's OK to pay them as long as they do their work and make this place of ours a better place to live.

But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! They won't even let you sleep properly! They build mosques here and there and here and there. Oh, this place looks nice, and it's still empty, let's build another mosque! WTF, there's already another one a few blocks down!

Build you build lar, but why the fuck you have to play your prayers so loud?! Well, if you use ARC + AQ + ProAc, and the prayer has got soundstage, layering and imaging, then at least I can polish up my listening skills.

But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! They use PA system and scream their prayers at you full blast!

Oh, they widen the roads not for better traffic flow, but for them to parallel park along the roads for their prayers. Fuiyo, this is what we pay them for?!

Anyway, I am selling my cars now. Who wants to buy?

Low mileage, immaculate condition, manufacturer's service history, nice number plates!

If you take both the Avanza and the MyVi, I give you good discount!

Monday, February 27, 2006

Ah, Cloude 9 again!

I was exposed to silver when I was in Form 2, back then, I did not remember any brand that come up with pure silver cables. It was mostly silver plated. What struck me was how "airy" it could be with additional highs and sibilance.


But the realization of true silver sound came about when Leslie passed me a pair of Stage III Magnus silver RCA interconnect. To say I was flabbergasted was very much an understatement as my precious investment in AQ seems overvalued. More so, if I were to compare the Stealth Cloude Nine speaker cables to my AQ DBS Mont Blanc.

You might have to adjust your expectation and try to bring up the level to the sub 6K cables. Maybe sub 7K as the Mont Blanc is retailing at RM7K plus the last I checked. We are not talking about DIY silver or copper, but properly R&D-ed and handsomely built cables.

The AQ is the brand that brought me the glimpse of hi-end while Stealth elevated the clarity of that glimpse. The moment I replaced the MB with the C9, everything seems smaller. Nope, not laid back or masked, but just smaller. On further listening, it was revealed to me that the instruments and vocals just snapped into focus with solidified imaging and eerie layering.

While the AQ has ample of drive and robustness, the Stealth is, on the other hand, very civilized and composed. Still, do not get laid back in the picture as it is very much not the case! The Stealth digs deep and lifted more veil, scary thought as the Mont Blanc has already done a great job in this department. In fact, the Stealth has got the uncanny ability to convey the true tonal texture and color of instruments!

With female vocals, they are smooth yet flamboyantly fleshed out, never edgy nor coarse. One would wonder with such civilized presentation, the Stealth would be slow. NEVER! Upon extended listening, the Stealth has got better leading edge transient. Highs, though softer than AQ’s bold presentation, goes up high with sweet trailing decay. The lows goes deeper, more defined with very much tactility within! There’s just a stout sense of palpability and articulation within the music presentation that is so intoxicating with both the Stage III and Stealth!

Upon switching back to AQ only I realized what is so enthralling about silver, in this case, the Stealth! While the AQ is able to transport the musicians to your room with vivid and forward presentation, the Stealth is able to diffuse the direct force of instruments. Please, it’s not laid back, but the aural sense of live-ness, the venue information was somehow attenuated with AQ but brilliantly reproduced with the Stealth!

To some, the AQ would be prime choice for them with rock and pop songs. For me, where tonal color and tonal texture reign supremacy, the Stealth leads miles ahead!

Friday, February 24, 2006

Wise up lar, Malaysian audiophiles!

It's a sad thing to see Malaysian audiophiles giving away the much envied opportunities of trying, getting and appreciating better audio equipments and accessories. In our slow moving audio market, the dealers are more than willing to push their products and giving better terms. With some credentials, it is not hard to get hooked up with some arrangements of home audition and payment terms. Of course, if you have the genuine intention of purchasing in the first place.

With some genuine dealers around lending some helpful hands over your upgrade path, it's hard to understand why many still moan over the harsh pricing of established brands which could deliver. Even if the pricing seems a bit intimidating, not due to over pricing but more due to weak ringgit, there are still plentiful of more economical pre-owned gears lying aroung down under. Even after the so called 'tax', it's still way cheaper.

I still remembered how I got started and tried many tried-and-tested-but-never-achieved-any-better paths, and yet, many still embrace them with many lame excuses. It's fine that you follow whatever suits the size of your wallet, but it is NOT fine to corrupt young minds trying to get into the hobby. What's worse is that the so-frequently used terms in audio were never fully understood and yet, many still treat it as a pride to explain them to the newbies, without the slightest hint of blush!

Malaysia is an interesting country to be in with so many driving Protons who dare to ask the Ferrari owners how the Ferraris handle. What's more? They would suggest with slight modifications, the Protons is able to achieve near Porsche handling and performance calibre. Well, even a 3 years old is wise enough to prefer Porsche/Ferraris over Proton, and yet, many grown ups still enjoy the ostrich mentality!

It's sad to see many self proclaimed gurus in Malaysia mis-educating the yound minds and enjoy a hell lot of talk cock sing song sessions! I tried and tried to help enlighten the helpless and yet, it's sad to see, if anyone, being able to be enlightened. And it's always more comfortable to be with the ostriches coz you don't feel any lesser than them.

Come on Malaysian audiophiles, you deserve better than this!

Friday, February 17, 2006

我們也纍了...

我:喂,你還寫不寫啊?

雨音:寫什麽?

我:我的“部落”啊!怎麽這麽久都沒消息啊?

雨音:天啊,我忘了!

我:你好歹也給我幾則嘛!

雨音:好吧!好吧!我看我有沒有吧!咦,你不是也寫過很多的嘛,幹嘛就是要我的?

我:因爲你是女人!我想要多些女人的觀點嘛!

雨音:哎喲,以前女人緣那麽好的你還得需要嗎?別開玩笑了啦!

我:好個屁!現在沒人要啊!

雨音:就是叫你別讀那麽多女人的雜誌了,你就是不聽,現在顯驗了吧!

我:有關係嗎?!

雨音:當然!

我:怎麽說?

雨音:女人要的是男人。

我:我不是男人嗎?而且啊,我還是百份百女人要的男人咧!那些雜誌里有關好男人的要點我都差不多全有了咧!

雨音:天啊!笨蛋!

我:喂,天下少有的好男人還算是笨蛋啊?

雨音:對啊,那是寫給女人看的啦!

我:有關係嗎?

雨音:當然有!我問你,要是我現在給你一份沒挑戰的工作,你要嗎?

我:現在不想,老了可能要。

雨音:對啊,女人還有大把條件的時候都是喜歡挑戰的啊。

我:犯濺!

雨音:你還不是?!

我:怎麽一樣呢?我就不相信應付不了有挑戰的工作!

雨音:我們也就不相信應付不了壞男人!

我:那爲什麽寫那麽多你們想要的好男人嘛?

雨音:那爲什麽你會越來越想要錢多事少的工作呢?

我:因爲纍了嘛!人總會纍的吧?

雨音:我們也纍了!

我:...

Thursday, February 16, 2006

What do you want lar?

Just the other day, a girl friend of mine told me this, “could you be more serious? I have moved pass the joking years lar.” So I said to her, “why change me? You knew it since the beginning I am that way one mar! I am already like that lar, how to change?” Of course she meant it in a good way, but I was surprised that what was initially an attraction could change into annoyance, nuisance or frustration.

Look at some of these:

“He’s always in control, how confident!” Would become “Hey, stop controlling my life!”
“He is decisive, I let him decide all the time!” Would become “Hey, why do I always have to listen to yours?!”
“He is kind, caring and generous to everyone around him!” Would become “Hey, don’t you think you are a bit too kind to your young Ms. Assistant?”
“He is so funny!” Would become “Hey, can you be serious when I talk to you?!”

Can’t you girls have a singular standard and just follow that from start till end? It’s just plain sick to see those attractions that you found in him all turned sour after marriage or after a long relationship!

Sorry lar, I am like that one, cannot change oready.

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Happy Valentine's Day


2 blessings that you surely need today! Wah, sure big spending lar!

You also need 出入平安, don't drink and drive. And becareful to not piss her off, or else she'll inflict pain on you!


Oh, know your limit, don't overdo it! Must have quality lar!

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Mags and some 2 cents

CLEO has got the best feature articles and cohesive theme/color/arrangement thru out the mag. Reading it for years since college years in OZ.

Elle Singapore, used to be nice as you get to know what's IN down under. But since Jan, they've got some new sections and stuff that I'm still trying to figure out why the hell they're there in the first place!

Marie Claire seems detached with parts done by different editorial teams, at least it looks that way to me. Oh, the ads drive me crazy!

FEMALE is for accessories whore! If you suffer from compulsive buying disorder, buy this and start buying stuff featured. At least you'll end up in building up a commendable accessory collections rather than some other lesser useful stuff.

Noteworthy is Seventeen, why? Coz my sis is reading it and she's got exquisite taste. Hehe...

Cosmo is altogether a diff league!

Magazines…

Let’s see, since when did I start reading magazines? I remembered my mom was an ardent Her World follower for many years. My cousin sister was fervent on overseas magazines which I was too young to even remember their names. I, for one, was an enthusiastic young audiophile following Audio and What HiFi for many years.

My college years were not so filled with magazines, though not until the final year when I started reading CLEO and Cosmo, again. Apart from that, since I was crazy in street skating back then, agro inline skating mags kept accompanied for a while.

When I was back in Malaysia, somehow, I just stopped reading and started living a zombie life with no aim and passion. It’s like I was waiting for my time to come to return down under, Australia. Then some incidents took place and life just started turning for the better for me and I was not too sure of returning down under anymore.

Yeah rite, friends always questioned me when I said so, “return?” they asked. Sorry, somehow, “return” seems to be a more natural way of putting it when the more appropriate word should be “going to”, and even “going back” seems out of context, too. Is this my tendency of relating myself more towards positive subjects, things I like or things I wish I could be part of?

Was it because of those overwhelming TV series that make us so craved for a dramatic life or deep down, we have the native instinct of conquering the worst and prove ourselves worthy of living?

Is reading magazine a part of my exit to the uncertain future or was I too aimless in life to use magazines to peep into others’ lives or troubles? Or magazines are something to drive me on with dreams and passion with stuff that I wish I could own and attain?

Thursday, January 26, 2006

WTF is "appropriately" lar?

I fuckin’ hate moaning over miserable incidents and hardship in life, though I have done that myself as to have always questioned “how da fuck do they do it? How come I got no marnie when the rest are doing so fine?” the underlying intention is not about moaning but an urge to improve and strive up! It’s easier said than done to do something about your life when you are in a lesser position as compared to a more comfortable position as in lesser position, you got nothing to lose!

When you feel comfortable and contended with what you have, your balls shrink to tiny whiny seed sized uhhh, balls. You are oh-so-afraid-of taking the steps and before you know it, the opportunity to act is gone and you started cursing and promised to swell your balls to take up the challenge. Which in perfect sense is the correct way of doing it but your balls tendency to shrink is larger than the influence of your head. Then the vicious cycle continues to no end that you would end up living in the comfort zone with the balls shrinking and shrinking and shrinking and like pressing the King Kong vs. fighter planes to repeat mode.

This is exactly going thru my mind now with so many influences of thoughts and teachings invading my tiny whiny brain. Some say save up for the worse time while others say to appropriately pamper yourself. When the fuck is worse time, like when your tubes in the power amp are giving up while you’ve just replaced the tubes in your pre amp with super-duper-military-grade-indestructible-oh-so-sweet-golden-sounding-NOS which consumed most of your mediocre bonus + hard earned savings + sweat blood FD?

Shit, I thought you said to appropriately pamper yourself? Isn’t “pamper” supposed to mean a treat, an indulgence, a luxury for yourself? You didn’t even tell me what exactly is “appropriately”? Heck, as if we are suppose to know ((a dick + a clam)/tubes) /= baby?!?!?! I didn’t even know that until I was, geee, do I hafta reveal that?

Anyway, you silly economists are spreading all the friggin’ ideas in books, magazines, newspapers and talks and seminars! I bet you when asked the question of what do you do when you are free and your pity answer would be, “gee, I love my job, and I spend most of my time, inclusive of weekends and holidays, to be in the office analyzing graphs and charts and analysis to predict the next big opportunity to strike big and be rich.” So, how have you been doing? “well, like I said, I am still analyzing the graphs and charts and analysis…” WTF, you wanna waste your time it’s your problem lar, why drag us into this you got-nothing-better-to-do-pity-with-no-one-to-ask-out invading our peaceful life with your stupid theories and beliefs?

Anyway, just how exactly should I pamper myself lar? Should I buy the Benchmark DAC1 or not?

Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Emi Fujita and some... 2 cents...


I really consider myself lucky, and I really really really mean it. Being a nobody coming to a big city like KL, I was blessed with good will and friends.

I didn't know Emi Fujita was coming until Cheah of Inter Global sms-ed me about it. Though I know it would be packed and though I went to Hard Rock earlier, I was really blessed to know Cheah whom arranged me to sit just next to the stage. I could actually touch the pianist during the performance!

Even during my star chasing years, I was glad to know Lum Sir, the man behind all the bouncers. I was able to get close and personal with a lot of artists and singers, leaving many green with envy. Now, Lum Sir is the boss of one event management company dealing with many high profile performances.

I was blessed to have known many audiophiles, and some acquainted thru some audiophile mutual friends. They opened my eyes to possibilities in live, to see what one could achieve for themselves by working hard and setting goals! Just like what Steven Chow would say, “If one does not have dreams, one does not differ from salted fish!” Which I totally agree!

I am one of those guys who always treat a cup as half empty when it is actually half filled. I always strive to have the cup filled, when the cup is full, I would then strive for bigger cup. I know, guys being hard wired to make every effort for glory and fame would never fail to look for “er” behind BIG, FAST and LONG. Better still, to have “est” behind every word!

It's just like peeping around in the toilet in hope to be the bolder, longer and bigger one. Well, except that for malehood, there is very little that could be done to it. But financially, I guess every male on earth is doing their best to achieve better. Better for the spouse, better for the children and better for the family.

But then, there are also people who are so easily contented. Always feeling full when the cup is only half filled. I don't know, I am not them and maybe I have a hard to satisfy thirst for anything better. Sometimes, I just feel bad for them.

Human evolves, and evolution is what tells us apart from trees hanging orang utans. Hence, being a male, I always feel it's part of our live and responsibility to provide better things for the family. Call me superficial, call me an egoistic idiot, call me whatever you like. But seeing some friends remaining the way they were just makes me feel bad for them.

I ain't no fuckin' egocentric, but are they really happy in being what they are? Or have they been self deceiving for so long a time until they could not even tell if they are really satisfied in their current state? I mean, when one speaks of better things and you just could not chip in, how does that feel? I do not know about others, but for me, I ain't no doing nothing to just leave things to fate!

Do they really feel that's it for their lives or do they have no intention of improving or are they ain't having what it takes to improve? To progress? In this world of ours today, everyone has equal opportunity to get better! Heck, some rich tycoons don't even have a degree. So, stop telling me you are under-educated. And heck, some tycoons even have a PhD. It's not about what you have, it's about what you are doing to improve your situation!

I know I am blessed with a good living and I am counting my good blessing for not to take them for granted. I ain't no cocky bastard to be flaunting around and despising everyone whom I deem way inferior to even be qualified to be living as human being. I just feel that you owe it to yourself to attain better things.


So, when Emi Fujita asked which songs I liked most, I answered, “gee, it's tough for me and really unfair for you as every song is equally great!” she smiled. So, I helped a friend to get Emi's autograph on all his CDs and suddenly he felt the CDs sounded much better. So, I even approached the accompanying guitarist and pianist to get their autographs and praised them for their performance so as to not make them feel left out. So, I also shook hand with the Japanese PR and thanked her so she would feel appreciated for her translation effort.

So, I have done so many good deeds, do I get to keep my good blessing for a little bit longer?