RIP Stephen...

laatsch55

laatsch55

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Halfbiass...Electron Herder and Backass Woof
Not only was he a world class forensic accountant but a very unique individual. He managed 85 stereo stores in the midwest called Tech Hi Fi. He partied with all the legends on the trade show circuit and was a blast to.listen to the stories.
.. died right after Craig....man this sucks ..
 
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Stephen never wrote a word here.
.maybe 2 posts if I remember right. He has the other 400 with the copper heatsinks..the " SilverShadow 400"...
 
I remember Tech Hi Fi. I don't know if I ever went into one but I did as a Teac Technician go into a Pacific Stereo just to see what the salesmen were shoveling. He was telling me a V95RX was better than a C-3RX but I never told him who I worked for.
RIP Stephen.
 
Tech Hi Fi must have been more East Coast-ish. Pacific Stereo stores I visited were in Los Angeles and San Diego. When I was in the Navy (around 1976), a neighbor gave me a McIntosh 225, Harman Kardon Citation 1 pre-amp and Citation III tuner (in smashed cabinets) that were damaged in the 1971 San Fernando, CA 6.5 magnitude earthquake (likely insured). I re-tubed them all and got them back to working condition and re-built the walnut cabinets. I got tired of lugging them around from port to port and they were heavy. So, I walked into the San Diego Pacific Stereo and told the salesman I wanted to trade my old separates for an integrated amp. He asked me what I had and when I told him, he asked if I had them with me, I told him yes. He said to drive around back and so I did. He helped me unload the three units and interconnecting cables. He covered them with a moving blanket and told me not to mention anything to anybody. Then he walked me into store and into the high-end listening room. He said pick out any receiver I wanted; so I selected a new Marantz 2285 and he said, "Nice choice." He boxed it up and I went on my way. This was before I knew what I had. I'm sure he bought the Marantz with his store discount and took my old system home, chuckling all the way. Heck, I would have done the same thing if I knew...
 
Yes, there are those kinds of people out there and they will take advantage at every turn. We had a place around here called Audio Consultants that shut down lately but they were good at ripping people off all the time. I warned people from going there but some guys never listen.
I had a customer ask what kind of speaker cables he should get- I told him get 16 gauge zip cord or use SO power cable if he wants.
He goes to that place and buys some $200 a set speaker cables then calls me and says they don't sound any different. I told him to take them back- no such thing. Once they have your money you might as well say goodbye to it.
Did he take my advice? NO.

I guess I have to be careful these days as I am already 64.
 
Last pic of Stephen, at the Shpongle concert..
 

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I'm sure it wasn't Joe....don't know why yet.. couldn't ask Deb without choking up. That's for a later call...
 
laatsch55 said:
I'm sure it wasn't Joe....don't know why yet.. couldn't ask Deb without choking up. That's for a later call...
Click to expand...

Understand. Great that you and your bud could enjoy the Shpongle concerts together before his passing. That is a memory that is even more special for you right now Lee, and always will be.
 
I thought I read somewhere that Shpongle was the official music of Heaven, and the only music played in all the elevators going up. 66 way too young, and not saying it because I am soon to be 65. It just is plan is too young. Sorry for your loss Lee.
 
" Nothing Lasts But Nothing is Lost" It was easy to tell from your posts the last couple years, that he was the type of friend a person feels very fortunate to have. Sorry Lee.
 
He lead quite a life. Born on a dairy farm in southern Ohio, just a few miles from Parkersburg, West Va. Went to Ohio State, studied accounting, then hired out to Tech Hi Fi, spent a few years there, then set up a forensic accounting firm in Phoenix. It took a 100K just to talk to him about a job. Over 5,000 court cases, never had ONE overturned on appeal.
Loved stereo stuff like the rest of us, he just had access to really good shit from the start..,

I thought I was a good story teller...fuck, I couldn't hold a candle to him....
 
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