#Wharfedale

[richs-pics]

Waterways, Linton Falls

[leicamoments]

At The Stag Den

Another weekend closer to the end of the season and this time, action from the Airedale and Wharfedale Senior Cricket League.

Last weekend was the first time I managed to cover Beckwithshaw's second team, who are on a winning run to the league title.

The home team batted first and Colton Institute 2XI took to the field; Beckwithshaw hitting a respectable 288 for eight wickets in their allotted 45 overs.

Anywhere over 220 on that ground is a good score, that can be defended...and so it proved.

Colton struggled to put runs on the board from the off and they were bowled out in just under 26 overs having scored 105 in response.

Despite the score being rather one-sided, the game was actually quite good to watch with a few personal battles going on in and around the stumps.

As I write, there are not that many games left for Beckwithshaw to claim that title - two wins and it should be theirs.

[ofleafstructure]

Bolton Abbey in the fog (ph. Peach and Thistle)

[vox-anglosphere]

A massive outcropping of limestone defines this Yorkshire village.

Kilnsey Crag, Yorkshire WR.

[dopescissorscashwagon]

Evening light on the lovely Dales village of Kettlewell, Upper Wharfedale in the Yorkshire Dales NP

📸 by @MaureenPlatts / via X

[spockvarietyhour]

[homeconnectcinemas]

Wharfedale Loudspeakers

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Explore our wide range of Wharfedale Loudspeakers and find the perfect match for your home theatre setup. With options to suit every need and budget, you can elevate your entertainment experience effortlessly.

[leatherrepairsleedsinuk]

When you need mobile leather care to address damaged or dated leather sofas, chairs or car seats, make Leather Repairs Pool-in-Wharfedale your first choice. Our team of highly trained leather craftsmen will come right to your home or workplace, saving you the time and hassle of dragging your leather to a shop and waiting around for repairs. Our team is trained in a wide range of leather repairs, and we use only the best tools and techniques on every job we do. Our results speak for themselves – call today and see just how good your leather can look.

[petnews2day]

Tree surgeons assist in rescuing Keighley cat stuck 15 metres up

New Post has been published on https://petn.ws/k9xPq

Tree surgeons assist in rescuing Keighley cat stuck 15 metres up

An intrepid cat has been abseiled down a tree after getting stuck 15 metres from the ground for two days in Keighley. The two-year-old cat had got himself in a bit of a predicament when he climbed a tree in Tim Lane in the town – but got himself so high up that he couldn’t […]

See full article at https://petn.ws/k9xPq #CatsNews #Addingham, #Aire, #BoltonAbbey, #Bradley, #BurleyInWharfedale, #Carleton, #Cononley, #CrossHills, #Embsay, #FM, #Ilkley, #Keighley, #Music, #Radio, #Riddlesden, #RombaldsRadio, #Silsden, #Skipton, #Snaygill, #Steeton, #Stray, #StrayFm, #Wharfe

[subwooferstereos]

Quad VA-One+ Amplifier with Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary Speakers SalonAV magazine

At first, you don’t even know what claims to be the leading role in this set - new three-way monitors in a cool vintage design, released in honor of the 85th anniversary of Wharfedale, or a low-power tube Quad integrated circuit from the One series, modestly standing on the top shelf of a system rack. By the way, it is also new - it is endowed with a more advanced DAC.

TAKE FOR LIVE

This summer we already listened to one "old-school" Quad/Wharfedale tandem, made up of a Vena II transistor amplifier/DAC and two-way Denton 85th Anniversary bookshelves. When, a few months later, another representative of the Wharfedale Heritage line arrived in Moscow - twice as heavy and impressive Lintons, we expected to listen to them along with the second Vienna. But by this time, the delivery of the upgraded tube Quad VA-One + arrived in time and curiosity began to disassemble: isn’t this miniature amplifier best suited for creating a “classic” stereo system?

We look at the Linton 85th Anniversary data. The sensitivity of 90 dB with the current “market” standard of 87 - 89 cannot be called small. Bring a power of about 8-10 watts to such speakers and you can already count on a sound pressure of a hundred decibels (which, by the way, is even higher than the declared SPL for Dentons)! The nominal resistance of the three-band model is not 4, but 6 ohms, that is, they can be considered lighter and according to the "load" criterion. True, Wharfedale recommends connecting the Linton 85th Anniversary to an amplifier with at least 25 watts, and the tube Quad VA-One + does not have that much output - its "maximum sine" is only 15 ...

But that doesn't mean it won't fit. Acoustic manufacturers often overestimate the lower limit of the recommended power, since there have been cases of driver failure due to too sharp clipping, which can occur in low-power transistor amplifiers even at a relatively low output voltage. There is no such risk with tube amplifiers - they limit the amplitude of the amplified signal softer. And that is why on the official Quad website the VA-One + amplifier in the illustrations poses in tandem with Quad S-1 monitors, which, according to the company's recommendations, should also not be connected to amplifiers weaker than 25 watts.

In the meantime, we can only judge indirectly about VA-One +. Its predecessor VA-One never appeared in editorial tests, although reviews from music lovers are almost entirely positive. The upgraded model features a front panel design and a new digital-to-analog conversion unit. Like the PA-One+ headphone amp, the unit has an advanced 32-bit Saber ESS9018K2M converter instead of Cirrus Logic's standard 24-bit converter. Such a replacement radically raised the PA-One in the class, and in our case we can count on the same effect.

In terms of features and basic circuitry, the plus model is a replica of the amp that Quad released back in 2016. It has only one line input, which is almost directly connected to the volume control. The remaining four inputs are implemented on a digital switch, which allows you to receive a signal via coaxial, optical, USB, and Bluetooth. And that's what a classic Quad amp should look like for today's music lover - combining the "most original sound" of tube technology with today's sought-after PC and mobile connectivity. The amplifier can also be listened to through headphones and controlled via the remote control.Despite its small size, the VA-One+ is quite heavy and is a traditional transformer push-pull with three stages: pre-amplification is provided by ECC83 triodes, followed by an ECC82 dual triode driver that extracts the differential component, and then the signal is already symmetrically fed to the output pairs of pentodes EL84. The point of such textbook circuits is different: in the organization of power supply and the depth of environmental protection, in the control of lamp modes and output transformers, but Quad engineers prefer not to talk about this.

Linton acoustics repeat Denton 85th Anniversary conceptually, but its design is sharpened for playback with a much larger dynamic range (SPL can reach 110 dB). The bass part is given to a 20 cm driver with a Kevlar cone. The 630 - 2400 Hz range falls on a lightweight 135 mm driver, the membrane of which is also formed from the proprietary Black Woven Kevlar composite. The tweeter is identical to that used in Denton - with a silk dome and ferrite in the magnetic system. Both phase inverter ports are brought to the rear panel. Single line connection.

Especially for this acoustics, Wharfedale also released stylish vintage stands - extremely solid, heavy, and, by the way, functional (you can store vinyl records in them). I would also draw your attention to protective anthers. The fabric, which is stretched over the frame (the latter is fixed on the front side in the usual way - on steel pins), does not just resemble an old one in texture. The selected synthetic material feels thick and springy to the touch - the unusual three-dimensional weaving certainly somehow has a special effect on the acoustic properties. And this was clearly visible already in the first installation session with the Vena II amplifier. When located away from the walls, Linton built the music stage correctly and quite deeply, but after installing the grills, the sounding space became even more “visual” - it did not lose small details and gained expressive imagery! At the same time, the fabric slightly softened and neutralized the middle register, which at first caught a slight “overplay” (although it didn’t look like a tint).

The upper band is reminiscent of "Denton" in character - the emphasis is not on ideal linearity, but on a less formal and more important for musical perception) quality - uniformity of resolution over the entire band. Microdynamics on HF is transmitted almost exemplary, and this is eloquently evidenced by the distinguishability of all instruments in this band. Starting to listen to something, you first catch small tonal tints in the sound on sonorous or noise spectra, which are typical for old-school tweeters. But after five or ten minutes of adaptation, the ear completely switches to the "relax" mode - now it seems that the sound is exactly as it should be: nothing is brought here, nothing is retouched ...

Bass is also good precisely for its clarity, and not for volume or “meat”. However, at high levels, Lintons can give out not only a biting punch, but also a powerful blow, and linearity in this part, judging by the recognizability of the color of drums and bass guitars, is at a high level. The main thing is that neither box nor bass-reflex overtones are heard.

Now, not without some timidity, we switch the acoustics to the tube VA-One +. He actually needs some time after switching on to enter the “voice”, but he shows his different, in principle, musical interpretation right away. Musical drive is expressed, for example, not through the “weight” of drums, the fury of guitar bells and whistles, but through the density and richness of timbres, through the lively bulge of the voice, through the isolation of hi-hats and air trails. The naturalness of cellos and double basses is impressive – they turn out to be very saturated, focused and therefore especially “acoustic”. The same, however, can be said about brass, piano or acoustic guitar - the tones are lively and open. Such a textured clarity of timbres in a wide range indicates a good consistency of the mid-frequency head on each flank - and with a high-frequency driver, and with bass. And at the same time - and about the excellent "coordination" of native racks with speakers. If you put your palm on the acoustics during playback, then the body vibrations are almost not felt even at high volume levels.

The Linton/VA-One+ combo is just as good at reaching low bass, despite the lower amp power and less stringent bass control. A trace of compression due to the limitations of the output stages can only be heard on some powerful thunder or crushing shots from cannons, and for most music tracks the range is enough for the eyes (except for places where dynamic contrasts are very strong). The HF pattern is interesting - it is woven from clear sonorous dominants and soft clean atmospheric plumes. However, it all depends on the sound track being listened to - it is she who dictates both the form and the content of this picture. If with transistor amplification it seemed that the system was introducing a drop of some kind of “gag”, now the questions for resolution have disappeared completely. If somewhere something is embellished in sound, then only in the middle band,

Everything written above refers to playing audio files from a laptop via USB, and therefore includes an assessment of the work of the digital part. The analog input of the amplifier is so transparent that it allows you to hear the "hardware" nuances of another source - for example, a more restrained, but at the same time more verified feed by the DAC of a network streamer. But the most valuable quality of VA-One + is that, showing in the smallest gradations the difference between different sources, it still produces an amazingly musical and lively sound, even when powered by a smartphone via Bluetooth.If the VA-One+ had a price tag below the psychological threshold of "stallnik", we would without the slightest doubt award it with the label "Good Buy". However, among lamp models priced up to 2000 euros, it already looks advantageous in many respects.

As for the Linton, this pair of systems in any case looks like an extremely successful acquisition - both on their own and in combination with their own optional racks.

SYSTEM

Sources

Naim NDX 2 network player

Naim Uniti Core music server

laptop Apple MacBook Air A1465

smartphones OPPO Reno, iPhone 8

Quad Vena II Integrated Amplifier/DAC

Cables

Digital InAkustik Referenz High Speed ​​USB 2.0

interconnect RCA Atlas Hyper Grun Ultra

acoustic Atlas Ascent

power Atlas EOS and EOS Modular

Wharfedale Linton Stands

Quad VA-One+

Producer: Quad Electroacoustics Limited/IAG Group (Great Britain)Inputspair of linear RCA, TOSLink, Coax, USB Type-BexitsPhones 6.3 mmRCA input impedance50 kOhmSupported bit depthPCM up to  24bit/  96kHz (for S/PDIF inputs), up to 32bit/384kHz and DSD256 (via USB)RMS output power2 x  12W (into 8 or 4  ohms), 2 x  15W (into 6 ohms)Distortion level0.5%Frequency range20 Hz - 50  kHz (-3 dB)BluetoothA2DP, aptX, SBCFinishinggray mattDimensions (W x H x D)180 x 164 x 285 mmWeight10.8 kg

Wharfedale Linton 85th Anniversary

Producer: Wharfedale/IAG Group Ltd (Great Britain)Configuration3 emitters, 3 bandsAcoustic designphase inverterFrequency response40 –  20,000  Hz (with +/-3dB flatness)Sensitivity90 dBMaximum SPL110 dBRated/minimum resistance6/3.5 ohmRecommended Amplifier Power25 - 200  WFinishingnutDimensions300 x 565 x 330 mmWeight18.4 kg (each)

[richs-pics]

Hydro power plant, Linton Falls

[tavolgisvist]

I was always interested in finding out what have happens on the photo. What gave them the idea of depict Paul's funeral: why the funeral, why Paul? Well…I have an answer, I suppose

More legendary than most, however, were a band briefly signed to Brian, the Big Three. Other musicians on the scene seemed to regard this band with awe. They were the original power trio, real sonic bruisers who’d built themselves the biggest amplifiers - nicknamed Coffins - that anyone had ever seen.

(Liverpool - Wondrous Place by Paul Du Noyer, 2002)

Epstein made his way to the Cavern club to see the group perform at a lunchtime session on November 9th. He wrote later that he had never seen anything like The Beatles on any stage. <…> "I loved their ad libs and I was fascinated by this, to me, new music with its pounding bass beat and its vast, engulfing sound." <…> The "pounding" bass that Epstein described was due in part to a new addition to The Beatles' equipment line-up. In the early 1960s there was really no such thing as a proper bass amplifier. Most bass players would use the most powerful guitar amplifier that they could get their hands on. But these were not designed for bass guitar, and did not provide the deep, throbbing bass tones that bass guitarists wanted. As The Beatles evolved their sound and Best perfected his "atomic beat" the group were searching for a stronger and more solid bass sound.

The band considered by many to be the loudest and most aggressive in Liverpool was The Big Three. They bad started out as Cass & The Cassanovas, a four-piece until leader and frontman Brian Casser left during the beginning of 1961. The remaining members stayed together to form The Big Three: Johnny Gustafson on bass, guitarist Adrian Barber, and Liverpool's loudest drummer, Johnny Hutchinson, on the skins.

Barber says that when they became a trio there was an instant problem: he and Gustafson weren't loud enough to project over Hutchinson's drumming. Even the relatively punchy Selmer Truvoice amp was not enough. Barber, however, had an interest in electronics from his days in the merchant navy. <…> Barber went out and bought a book about loudspeakers produced by G A Briggs, who owned the British Wharfedale speaker company, and inside he found construction details for various sizes of cabinets. "I decided on one, and Denis Kealing said he could get me a 15-inch speaker," recalls Barber. "I built a set-up for the bass guitar and for the vocal, in a cabinet about five feet tall by about 18 inches square. <…> I used that and mounted it in a metal ammunitions case, so we could carry it around without killing it. Johnny Gustafson used it as his bass amp, and it was very successful. "When we carried it we bad to lower it on its side, because it was long and skinny. The first time we took it down to the Cavern, we struggled down the tiny stairs there. As we carried this black-painted thing across the room it looked just like a coffin - and that's how it got its name: the Coffin. Now, the Cavern was the underground basement of a warehouse, with three vaulted brick-built archways. Over the years water had seeped down and brought calcium deposits with it, which had settled in the ceiling bricks. So when Johnny plucked that first bass note it was like a shower of snow corning down. People went, 'Wow look at that … and listen to that.' So we were really impressed, and I got ambitious at that point." <…> Other bands began to notice the relative sophistication of The Big Three's amplification, especially the bass gear. "Liverpool wasn't a competitive scene, before it got commercial," explains Barber. '"All the bands co-operated with one another and backed each other up. It was a cool scene, and I started to build these things for other people. Paul McCartney asked me to make him a Coffin. It had a single 15-inch speaker in a reflex-ported cabinet, with two chrome handles and wheels on the side."

McCartney started to use a Barber Coffin speaker cabinet during the late part of 1961. <…> McCartney himself recalls, "Adrian made me a great bass amp that he called the Coffin. And, man! Suddenly that was a total other world. That was bass as we know it now. It was like reggae bass: it was just too right there. It was great live." Pete Best too remembers the Coffin. "Neil Aspinall and I used to carry it. Every couple of shows there'd be a flight of stairs which you had to carry this thing up, and it was then we'd wonder why he couldn't have got something smaller. We'd have sweat streaming off us. But the beauty of it was, with all the laughing and joking aside, it did produce a great sound. The first time Paul plugged it in and used it, we just said my god, this is incredible. It added to The Beatles sound."

(Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments from Stage to Studio Hardcover by Andy Babiuk, 2010)

So, I guess, Paul is lying on his bass amp that they called the Coffin - and it's the reason of the pantomime on the photo.

[john-atkinson-grimshaw-art]

-A Wet Road By Moonlight, Wharfedale-

[mea-gloria-fides]

Wharfedale, Yorkshire WR.

[irishmansdaughter]

Wharfedale, Yorkshire Dales, England by A.Leighton

[oncanvas]

Moonlight, Wharfedale, John Atkinson Grimshaw, circa 1870s

Oil on card 17 ⅜ x 21 in. (43.8 x 55.2 cm)