Greetings from Iowa State!

Good morning, folks!

I sit here on my school's computer, listening to some Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus Mingus on my B&W P7s while I prepare to introduce myself to you lovely people. First off, I am not yet an owner of any ML speakers (save for a pair of Mikros earbuds which are now collecting dust), I am excited to be joining your ranks in the relatively near future. A little background on me to save you the trip to my profile:

I am a college student finishing up a degree in mechanical engineering that I started back in 2007. I left school for a few years to pursue a career in professional brewing. The brewing actually went extremely well, but I began to realize that I probably wouldn't enjoy throwing around kegs or sacks of grain once I'm 50, so I opted to return to school. This go around I am working at the local big blue electronics store in their home theater department. I started here thinking my old Onkyo 7.1 HTIB was pretty impressive, and for $250 it was. But as soon as I heard my first pair of ESLs work their way through some recordings, I knew I needed to get there. That was about 18 months ago, and I am on the verge of ownership.

Working at BBY affords me some pretty amazing discounts, but because these discounts only apply to certain companies and product lines, I am limited in my options. Particularly when it comes to amplification. I'm looking at starting off with a pair of Theos, powered by a Marantz 7008, playing primarily jazz and classic rock records on a Pro-ject Genie. It seems nobody has ever tried this combination before, or at least my search of internet forums have yielded no answers. I suspect the 7008 will power the speakers just fine at normal, and above normal volume levels. But if I get to something a bit louder I expect that some distortion from the woofer will begin to show. Either way it will be the finest audio equipment I have ever owned. And for a college kid, isn't a bad set up. I currently have a SONOS 5.1 for my home theater usage, so the MLs will be strictly for audio. I don't think I'll need an extra sub, but I can always tack one on later if I change my mind.

Any and all advice is welcome and appreciated! I'm excited to begin this journey down a road to better jazz. Let's get started!

Welcome aboard 'brew ski' ……………..Good luck with your Theos acquisition and in time when $$ allow better amplification will reward you !

Yeah, I'm trying to see if I can uncover some awesome deal on better amplification available to me. But I just don't know if I can swing it. Either way, I'm excited. And the 7008 should power the Theos with little to no problem, correct?

Welcome DBC. Way, way, way back I lived in Newton and used to party with friends from the university in Ames. It was a great little town back then.

It still feels pretty little. I mean, half of the population is comprised of students. So maybe, in the middle of summer, that's why I think it feels little. Haha

Are there any members in the Des Moines or Ames area? I'd love to meet up for a few cold pints.

Greetings, DasBierChef,

Wow, talk about a blast from the past! I attended Iowa State University from August 1979 to March 1981 studying architecture. My freshman year, I lived in the Towers and sophomore year, I lived in the top floor of Friley Hall. I sometimes hung out with wrestlers Murray Lee Crews (he wrestled at 158) and Nate Carr (who won the NCAA 150 lb. National Championship three times and won a Silver Medal at the Olympics). I remember my roommate and I used to walk over to Boyd's Dairy Store and get light chocolate malts now and again in our shorts and sandals (even in the dead of winter!). Those were fun times! I ended up leaving ISU because it dawned on me that I did not want to draw buildings for a living.

I am now in Lake Zurich, Illinois, which is a northwest suburb of Chicago and, as I recall, a good six to eight hours drive from Ames. So, unless you're in Chicago, I probably won't be able to do pints with you! Funny, though, my stepson, Ryan, has been at his girlfriend's parent's place this summer in Mason City, Iowa, studying for the Bar Exam in Texas (where he wants to practice law and they both plan on moving after he's passed the exam). Small world, eh?

That's funny about the connection between engineering and audiophiles. My dad is a chemical engineer and one of my buddies whom I met at AXPONA, Kevin O'Brien (CEO of Your Final System), is a mechanical engineer. His dad is an aerospace engineer and, in addition to selling some really good gear, they also make some of their own custom electronics.

Ironically, I'm planning on selling my Martin Logan reQuests, as they are a bit big for my wife's tastes and kind of dominate our living room. My younger stepson, Connor, has been telling me not to sell (he really LOVES the sound), but what can I do?



Anyways, it's all good!

Good luck with your studies,



Juan : )