Capeland Life

Moleskine Note Book

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Fri, 06 May 2011 08:11:00 +0000

I was writing my blog from BlogBooster until recently, it refuses to upload my postings successfully. It just crashes.... and crashes *argh*

No choice, have to go through a more troublesome method. Have to use an app to write, then save and post it online from my PC. iPhone's Note is good but a little too basic. Like what it's name suggests, it is for "Notes" and not for writing, get it?

For serious "Note-takers", try this app from Moleskine. Famous for their designer-ish, minimalistic notebooks, there is even a writing app by them. The app's interface is sleek and intuitive. There are various options to custom your notes to the desired color, font, etc. And the note pages "flips" like how iBook does it! Check out the images below.

TAOC & FiiO

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Thu, 05 May 2011 16:22:00 +0000

TAOC SUB-50g Sound Isolation Board

Fiio E1 Headphone Amp

Recently I decided to ditch my head-fi gears to make way for other audio upgrades. I managed to sell away my Xiang Sheng headphone amp, Grados 225i headphones, Isopod isolation footers and the Unicones.

Was a bit reluctant to give up my head-fi interest initially, but the equipments have been collecting dust for way too long. Not to say that my head-fi system was incapable, but I felt that a full speaker system is able to provide me with a more immense audio experience.

X-Audio is a great place to visit for hifi accessories. Lots of enticing stuffs around. The shop was offering store discounts on Acrolink and Oyaide cables, a pair of beautifully made speakers from Usher, and many other things.

I was quite torn between getting the TAOC Sound Isolation Board or the Acrolink's new 7N range speaker cables. In the end, I decided on the TAOC Sound Isolation Board as the Acrolink cables were way above my budget, and also, gotten myself the Fiio E1 headphone amp for my iPod Nano & iPhone, which sounded pretty good for $32 bucks.

The TAOC board have since settled into my system. But I am still running-in the Fiio E1, trying out different types of music, testing this little black gem's ability.

Testing new iPhone app

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:18:00 +0000

Been so long since I last posted. So many changes in my life, including getting this iPhone that I'm now posting from.

Now even more uses for my iPhone.... Wee~

Thai Lemon Tree

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 09:17:00 +0000

Thai Lemon Tree? No no… it’s not another herb or fruit. Nor is it the song Lemon Tree sang in Thai.

I was surfing around for audiophile write ups and came across this blog : hifi.whatsupbkk.com

Can’t really understand anything written on the site, but at least Google Translate helped me to discover one of the post on this Thai Jazz Band, Mellow Motif. The lead singer , Natasha grew up in the States and… erm…. Read more about it here. :P

In the meantime…. check out the MV. This is a really different and refreshing approach to Lemon Tree – bossa nova style. And I think she has got a really great voice!

This video might take a while to load…. Please be patient.

Apparently this write up was posted under hifi.whatsupbkk.com’s Audiophile section. Not really sure why but I personally do enjoy the percussions in the song and even from the MV here, it sounded clear and dynamic. Guess it should sound even better on proper stereos!

Headphones headache!

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 06:41:00 +0000

My Faithful Sennheiser

I brought my stereo headphones to office, a pair that my mum bought for me as part of my 21^st birthday present – Sennheiser HD490. That’s a whopping 8 years old headphone. Not vintage yet… but almost! I prefer to listen to proper speakers and sound system most of the time as they give me a better “be there” experience. That’s why my headphones are very much neglected. Bringing it to office would probably be the next best thing to revive it.

Happily playing away my hi-res music files…. Sounds good…. pretty bassy, though a little too much at times. But after a while… the left side started giving out some buzzing sound especially then the track has a lot of bass in it. All the “Thumps” turned out sounding “Thumpzz.z..”

I’m not sure what happened to it but I guess such long period of not using it… the parts in it must have broken down. Getting it repaired is almost as good as getting a new pair cause it’s such an old model.

Now I’m feeling very sian. Because I just purchased a new Headphone amp from TaoBao.com to be used in my office with the Sennheisers. It didn’t sound as good as my Hifi system, nor looked as cool as some other new models out there, but it still sounded pretty good plus it’s my 21^st birthday gift. Sentimental value huh? You can say so.

Well, I really regret not fully utilizing it when it was still new…..and now it’s dying on me?? Sobs.

Tags: audiophile,headphones,sennheiser

Falling in love with 淘宝网, TaoBao.com

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 05:24:00 +0000

Lately, I’ve been feeling very “chee-na”. From surfing China music websites, using China-branded equipments to Online shopping on China websites.

Recently my colleagues were crazy over this China-based online shopping portal, buying clothes, accessories, shoes and even bags. It’s just like Amazon, where there are lots of online shops in one portal. Except it’s in Chinese.

As nowadays, almost all the products are manufactured and produced in China, it makes perfect sense to buy direct from them, cutting away the cost incurred through parallel importers in the middle.

So which website exactly am I talking about?

It’s at www.taobao.com (read as 淘宝 in Chinese). They have almost everything that you search for.

Clothes, accessories – Most of them are sewn in China. Last weekend I was at Bugis Village with my friend and found some MIC clothes sold between $20-$30, when I can get it at less than $10 direct from Taobao.com. But beware of extremely cheap items, the quality can be quite bad. So it would be wiser to buy those moderately priced pieces to avoided buying trash.

Bags – China is famous for their “Grade A” designer bags. Yes they are definitely fake goods but really cheap compared to the real McCoy. If you don’t mind and are interested in getting a few (yes, they are so cheap that you would really want to get a few), Taobao.com has lots to offer. Prices start from a few dollars (SGD) for a Gucci/LV look-alike. Of cause, apart from “Grade A” bags, there are other brandless fashion bags bargains that you should look at.

Electronics, music & dvds – Recently China have been producing their own electronics. Seeing the potential in AV industry, China electronics company have been coming up with Harddisk-based player to compete with brands like Western Digital and ACRyan. Prices are competitive while offering better specs and packaging.

Many Chinese Audiophile labels are from Guangzhou. Getting from Taobao is definitely a good idea. Local stores are selling those MIC CDs at around $14-16 (HMV & Gramophones sells them at $20!), while from Taobao.com, it only costs only $9.

Go Taobao Shopping

To make Taobao.com shopping even more attractive, my colleagues found this parallel importer who calls themselves “Agents”. They help to consolidate our orders and ship by bulk to Singapore, instead of incurring International Shipping charges by the seller on Taobao.com. This way, it’s WAY cheaper than to order on our own. Shipping is extremely fast, usually between 5-7days after placing the orders. Then the Agents will meet you up to pass you your orders. Super easy!

Now I understand why online shopping on Taobao.com is so alluring and tempting!

Links:

Taobao.com
Go Taobao Shopping

My Online Shopping Purchases
Online Music Streaming on iMusiccn

Tags: China,Online Shopping,Music,Fashion,Clothes,Movies

My online purchases finally arrived~

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:08:00 +0000

Tags: Love Tapestry,QED,Xiang Sheng,Poppopmusic

Last month I bought quite a few things online, probably due to the festive season where shipping everywhere is heavy and slow… my purchases arrived rather late. Finally the last package arrived yesterday, yeah!!

1st Package: Love Tapestry

Ordered from Malaysia, this is the latest album from Roger Wang, which also happens to be the 3rd Roger Wang’s album that I have. It’s going to be sold in Singapore stores too, but I can’t wait. Apparently the first batch is supposed to be serialized and I can even choose the number.

Saw this big brown envelope on my desk when I got home on Dec 30…my first reaction, Delighted~!

Slowly unwrapped layer by layer….brown envelope, now bubble wrap.

Finally!

Can you see the numbers?

A close up… Yup, I chose the number 22 to represent my age. Nah, I wish I am still 22 years old. It’s actually to represent my birth date, 2nd of Feb which is 2/2 if written in short.

A very uniquely designed paper CD sleeve. However, it wasn’t really practical. The paper used was quite flimsy and the underside of CD was exposed. When I was trying to remove the CD, I keep touching the underside accidentally, something that I don’t like as I normally take good care of my CDs and makes sure they are kept in good condition.

See the exposed part?

Very little prints on the CD just like 2V1G.

Finally… the saddest part… the CD came scarred. Damn that delivery guy who didn’t take care of my package!

2nd Package: QED Silver Cables

I ordered this cable from Taobao.com ( an online retail website from China, think Amazon China, you get the picture?) which happens to be my latest online shopping craze after Amazon US.

Not a very big box, all wrapped with its receipts from China. Wonder what’s written on it… such a mess!

Opening up the box, I was surprised to find this round nylon case inside. Did they sent me a wrong item? Earphones maybe? I don’t mind :P

Double surprised: Thank God my cables are in there. Didn’t expect the cables to be packed in such a cute zipper case.

Apparently I bought this cable to replace the stock cable on my Sennheiser headphone. This is a hand-woven silver cable from QED, which hopefully the silver can help to tame that bloated fat bass my Sennheisers are producing. Will get to know when I connect it tomorrow!

3rd Package: Xiang Sheng DAC-01
Headphone Amp/ Tube PreAmp /USB DAC

Buying this China-branded Headphone amp from Taobao, saved me almost $100 compared to buying it from parallel importers in SG. It’s a little risky to buy such expensive items for my first-time purchase, but since its a savings of $100… why not give it a shot?

The amplifier is nicely clamped between the foams to withstand harsh shipping handling.

Here’s the manual…. and its all in Chinese…. can faint lor! But luckily it’s not going to be hard to use.

Though I don’t think I’d be listening these cds much… it’s still a nice touch for the retailer to throw in 2 black “vinyl” Chinese Audiophile CDs just to test out how fantastic this little equipment can be.

Bling bling brushed metal faceplate! Very good construction, though I didn’t like the written “Xiang Sheng” in hanyu pinying which makes the amp looks cheap.

Immediately out of the box, I connected it to my Bel Cantos to try out DAC-01’s tube pre-amp section. To my surprise… this inexpensive pre-amp, I mean… REALLY inexpensive pre-amp…. sounds quite fantastic for its price!

Tomorrow will be their first day “at work”, literally. Yes, I’m going to bring them to office to meet their partner in music… the Sennheiser HD490. Get ready to sing!~

New Albums

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 10:09:00 +0000

Tags: Chinese pop

爱,一直存在 - 梁文音

This is currently my favorite Mandarin Pop album 爱,一直存在 - 梁文音.

My Favorite Tracks

1. 哭过就好了 – Her current hit

2. 亲爱的是我 – A fresh and cheerful song

6. 三个愿望

7. 爱一直存在

8. 最最

Here’s the link for the playlist. http://www.imusiccn.com/music/75688/track/

In case you’re unsure how to navigate this site

1. tick the box “全选” (Select All)

2. Click “播放选中歌曲” (Play Selected Tracks) Button

Just make sure you are running IE. It doesn’t work on Firefox browsers. It’s just that easy!

Online Music Streaming on iMusiccn

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 06:36:00 +0000

Tags: Online radio,Streaming,Chinese songs,Playlist

The other day I was trying to search for online websites that I can sample Mandarin cds and I stumble upon this www.iMusiccn.com that I thought I could share it here.

Main Page

Right now, I’m using this website to stream music & playlist and also to sample new albums. What’s important about online streaming to me is that I should not get disconnected from the network so often. It really disrupts the listening pleasure especially when you are listening to your favorite track.

Live Radio – YES! 93.3FM

I don’t have any radio tuners in the office so I normally tune to our local mandarin station 93.3FM online. Few months back, the service was terminated due to copyright & licensing issues but have since return. However the online streaming was not really good as it gets disconnected at times, and sometimes, the DJs gets too engrossed with being too gossipy on air and too “over” with their Taiwan-accent.

What is iMusiccn?

First things first…you must be wondering, what is iMusiccn?

It’s a Chinese website that has a huge catalog of music and offers full-length songs to listen and for downloads. Please try not to download any songs from the site as I doubt it’s legitimate.

Artist Page

It’s website is being updated frequently, almost everyday there are new albums uploaded. Initially I used this site mainly to try out new MIC Audiophile cds, but actually they’ve got not only audiophile discs, but also music from Asian artists from HK, Taiwan, Japan & Korea. They even cataloged English Jazz and some Pop.

Album Cover Page

For those who uses iPod and categorize their music with album covers (like yours truly!), would love this site because I can find most of the Asian album covers here. And they even included some nice touches of adding in Artiste’s Profile & History so I can even read up and know more about the Artiste that I’m listening to.

Best part is…. The streaming is very clear compared to YES! FM93.3 Internet Radio, which still sounds like, you know… Radio?

The only little drawback of this is that it lacks that little human touch from DJ if you are used to listening to live radio or talk shows. But other than that, there is really nothing else to fault.

Links: www.iMusiccn.com

New CDs on the rack

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 10:38:00 +0000

Tags: Adelphi,Audiophile. Christmas Songs,New Disc Village

It has almost been 3 months since I last did any serious shopping. Finally I succumbed to my shopping urges and my first stop was at Adelphi. Still remember my last Hifi purchase were these tuning feet – Voodoo Isopods for my dvd/cdp from Audio Iconic, and Soundcare Superspikes from Musiclink for my speakers.

Patrick posted on Xtremeplace saying that he is having some clearance sale at this shop. Some of them were as low as 50% discount. I’ve purchased quite a number of things from him, including my Bel Canto & Voodoo products. Nice and friendly guy. Dropped by Audio Iconic… but its closed! Called Patrick and found out that he left the shop already. Wasted my trip there.

Argh… Hands itchy. Never mind…I’ve got to get something today. Next stop, New Disc Village.

Tan Ning (谭宁) - 不了情

Wanted to look for this newly launched CD that I’ve heard on iMusicn - Tan Ning (谭宁) - 不了情. But too bad they didn’t carry it. In the end, I bought Xu Le & Chang An’s Warm Embrace (许乐, 常安 - 深情相拥) & another instrumental Christmas album. Warm Embrace (深情相拥) was featured during ISSE’09 Show; the Singers were even invited to perform during the duration of the show. At first I didn’t find the album appealing… it sounded just like another MIC audiophile album doing cover versions of Chinese pop songs. But after listening to it for a while at imusicn.com, I think it wasn’t all that bad.

Xu Le & Chang An - Warm Embrace (许乐, 常安 - 深情相拥)

Aage Kvalbein & Iver Kleive - Julemeditasjoner

Huh? You don’t understand a word that I’ve typed? Ok, I don’t understand too. It’s in Norwegian. But heck… music is a universal language, so it didn’t really matter. The Christmas CD was actually something for my sisters. NDV was playing it in the background when I was searching for cds. Being a Classical / Instrumental album, this album really evokes the feeling of a nice & quiet Christmas evening. The music was really lovely and recording was sublime too.

Huang Jia Jia – Min Nan Princess (黄佳佳 - 闽南歌后)

Also, few weeks back.. I’ve gotten this album that was introduced by forumers on Xtremeplace. It’s in Hokkien. Though I am not Hokkien and I can’t understand much of it…., I do find the music quite enjoyable. It’s not like the usual beer-garden-uncle sort but rather, it consists mainly of Hokkien classics. Singer’s voice was really sweet and audio quality is crystal clear. No wonder fellow forumers were so smittened by her! ha ha ha..

Though I didn’t manage to get what I initially wanted from Audio Iconic… my new cds should keep me contented for the time being. :D

Christmas is here

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 03:42:00 +0000

Tags: Christmas,Santa

Christmas is a season of giving…. so I bought these cute little gifts for colleagues at VMW. And they seem to love it a lot!

“Like my car?”

“How about this?”

*Beep Beep*… Going anywhere?

“Hm…I think I’ll take the plane instead"

“Ops…actually there are 2 of us”

“Nope…. got 3! And we bum into a big Wabbit!”

“Ahhh…..”

“Finally back home!”

The moment I saw these snowglobes I knew these are the gifts that I should get for my colleagues. Somehow the Santa in cars reminds of the figurines I bought at Disneyland…. so cute lor.

Bought a lot of gifts this Christmas. Including a few for myself. Now I’m feeling so broke…. but yet still happy cos those that received my gifts are happy! :D

International Sight and Sound Exhibition 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:58:00 +0000

It only happens once in a year, the International Sight and Sound Exhibition 2009. And I've been kinda waiting for it for almost a year. (I'm sure some of you out there did the same for events like Motorshow too right?)

Since it's an audiophile hifi exhibition, it is not really a big thing to most Singaporeans. In fact, most of them didn't even know what hifi is. Seriously...I think to most Singaporeans, hifi is like Pioneer, LG, Samsung or even Sony. At the most.... BOSE ( or rather "Boast"). To them, Bose is audiophile because its small and stylish...and they produces amazing music from those little cubes. And more importantly.... they are expensive. So people think they are good stuff as with the saying..."You are paying for what you get" (in mandarin). I'm sure to audiophile.... Bose is just crap. OK lah... enough of "boasting". Let's get back to the show.

ISSE'09 HIFI SHOW
Like last year's ISSE'08, the show was held at ParkRoyal Hotel at Kitchener Road. I actually prefer this new location compared to the previous location at Le Meridian Hotel. Somehow it feels like the place is less crowded and more floor space to walk around. Of cause the location of the hotel is less ideal as it is location along Little India and right beside Mustafa. So weekends can be quite traumatic for some as the street gets very packed.

Hifi shows... Love & Hate?
Many local audiophiles seem to detest this ISSE show (as read from our local forums). Bad acoustics, small scaled, small demo rooms, too few exhibitors, even lousy freebies (the free CD with every entry). For me, this is the best time for me to listen to different brands all on the same day, not to mention the chance to hear those very high-end systems, so high that one can only dream of getting. I really hope to see how the shows are like in other countries. I missed the show in HK (couldn't get tickets during '08 Olympics, missed the KLAV show (because of work), and even the Taipei show (even though am already in Taipei, but on a company trip, couldn't change my schedule.)What a waste!

Anyway... for this year's ISSE, not sure if it's linked to the recession, there seem to be a lot less exhibitors this year. It's a little disappointing. But I really hope when the economy gets better... the retailers can return and put on a more impressive show next year.

Freebies & Gifts
Talking about the freebies.... which is the cd. ISSE had been issuing LPCDs for the previous shows. But this time round.... only the $20 (2 day pass) gets the LPCD, one-day pass of $15 will get the normal cd version. I heard that the Hong Kong shows gives away SACD! But ok lah... most people didn't really care about the free cd as the music in it didn't suit their taste. However... the lucky draw gift was horrible... one of it was a set of Harmon Kardon Soundsticks, huh?!

Hunting... hunting....
This time round, my main aim for the show was to check out the cd players, which happens to be the weakest link in my sound system. Right now, I'm using my Oppo dvd player as my cd player, the sound isn't too bad.... but not fantastic.

Journey to the moon....

Visited AVP Soundcraft's room, they were showcasing Simaudio system with German Physik's loudspeakers. They were playing some drum tracks which sounded very impressive, showcasing the system's power in attack and also imaging. But didn't get to hear how it sound like with other type of music. I wanted to try out Simaudio Moon's entry level cdp (above @ S$2000) which was within my budget but too bad, it wasn't on demo. Reviews of it weren't too bad, but I really wonder how it sounded like.

My Setup. No lah... its Raindrop Audio's Showroom

Next up was Raindrop Audio's room. I've read about the famed Emerald Physics speakers that they carry. Apart from their traffic stopping appearance.... they were said to sound fantastic too. I just had to hear for myself.

1st (with computer audio): Sounded lean and a little flat.

2nd (Ayon CD-2): Better. Mid range is fuller, more dynamic... overall has more body.

3rd (with AVID Turntable *not sure of the model*): I was just blown away by the sound. Everything was a notch better, more holographic and dynamic.

Verdict: I'm still not very convinced with computer audio. But having played with audio files myself... I think only the 24/96 file can rival cds. However, that dependent on your DAC's capability in decoding the hi-res files. Apart from that, 24/96 music files are pricier than normal lossless files and not all musics are available in 24/96 format. I guess CDs are still the best for me so far.

Ayon CD-1
The boss told me he is left with the last piece. But a check on Raindrop Audio's website just now, its sold already. Sad x 10!!

Ayon CD-2
Smooth and balanced but a little too polite for my liking. Not if it was because of that Andrea Bocelli cd that sounded a wee~ bit compressed. Wonder how this tube cd player performs with other genres. Anyway, at $4000+++.... its way over my budget!

Leema Stream CD Player from AV One (S$3588)

Another strong contender from Leema... Playing Cai Qin's CD (from Manley Labs) I first tried the Antilla II before changing to Stream. I had a short experience with Antilla before switching over to Stream. Maybe my ears weren't good enough or I'm too inexperienced... I didn't find much difference between the 2 players, except that Antilla sounded slightly more refined, smoother, and with lower noise floor.

Compared to last year's ISSE'08, this show really was a lot smaller. Despite the bad economy, the organizer and participated shops still put in their time and effort to keep this show going year after another. Although the shows here can't be compared to other countries in terms of size and quality, I still hope fellow audiophiles can continue to support the show as to keep it going. After all, this is the only show that is specially designed for us. A big applause to them!

Links: International Sight & Sound Show '08

It's a SUNDAE!!

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 06:12:00 +0000

My weekend was a mad one. I realised how little time I have on hand and yet, so many things to do.

1) ARMY MARKET

I had to rush to Army market to get some of my uniforms sewn. Got to do up the nametags, sew on the "SINGAPORE" tag, sew on my Unit emblem on the collar and also on my sleeve. Those making those nametags and sewing of stuffs on my uniform alone cost me $20+! I was a little shocked.... all along I thought such things are quite cheap. But no choice.... I need to get them done.

2) DAD'S B-DAY LUNCHIE

After the Army market... I had to meet up with my family for lunch to celebrate my dad's birthday. We went to Wah Lok Restaurant at Carlton Hotel for some Tim Sum lunchie.

We've been to Wah Lok for many times already. The food there was quite good. Note the word "WAS". Yah.... as with last Sunday, I've pretty much concluded that Wah Lok is not that fantastic as before. The staffs there got really busy, and the service quality dropped quite badly. They became very inattentive and impatient. My parents being very elderly... naturally becomes slow in ordering food. The staffs immediately said "You decide first then call me again later" in a very impatient tone. And worst is, it's the Captain who said that.

The food took a very long time to be served too. Some of our orders were totally forgotten and we had to remind them a few times. Much said.... this is really disappointing. Now we'll have to start looking out for other better places for family meals in the future.

3) ISSE'09 HIFI SHOW

I had about an hour to burn after leaving my clothes at the Army Market for sewing. Just nice for me to pop by the hifi show before I meet up with my family for lunch. I think this is my 4th time attending hifi shows.

It all started many years back at the age of 20, that was the time I attended my first hifi show held at Le Meridien Hotel. My sister being a musician herself, got totally mesmerized by the sound of high end system. And eventually, I was given an entry-level sound system as my 21st birthday gift, how nice! My first system was made up of Marantz cd player and amplifier, with Wharfedale speakers. The set-up was really nice... but now I'm on to my 3rd system upgrade, haha...

4) THIS IS IT!

This is it! I met up with my friend after the show to celebrate his birthday and also to catch the movie "This Is It" by MJ. The movie at Cathay was just great. Even though the whole show is produced using video footages of his up coming concert, the movie was very nicely put together and it felt like watching a documentary.

The whole experience was made even better by MJ's great music, and all the dancing. In fact, only after watching the show, then I realise how professional and passionate Michael Jackson is to his music. The kind of effort and passion that he put into producing his concert is truly amazing. He is really a great lost to the entertainment industry.

5) DINNER

Finally, my day wrapped up with dinner at Plaza Singapura's AJITEI. Food there isn't too bad...and wasn't expensive either. Quite a fulfilling Sunday albeit it feels like being very short (probably because my day was packed with plans!). Now I can't wait for my next book out!

1 more day!!

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 05:35:00 +0000

Counting down..... 1 more day to book out, yeah!

I'm starting to get very restless.... for the whole of this week... there wasn't even any nights-out for us. Not that I really need that nights-out, I actually pity the rest of the platoon mates who trained very hard and still had to stay in. Damn demoralizing for them.

Luckily last night me and my mates went to chill at the Mess.... grabbed a beer and some snacks. Why beer, not tea or soft drinks? Cause the beer in camp is dirt cheap! Only $1.20 per can. That's like even cheaper than a can of Coke at some food courts. No wonder all the reservist guys are grabbing this chance to drink as much as possible inside here. Anyway that's probably the most comforting thing around.

Heard that tomorrow my company is having some Battalion Course, whole day activity thingy. Most probably will end late in the evening, so half of the day would be burnt. I hope its not going to end as late as 9pm cause by the time I get home would be 10 plus already!

Things that make my day...
Thanks to Melody.... she found a great website that sells audiophile cds and at super low prices. These days, how cheap can cds be? Make a guess.... RMB5. That's SGD$1! Yes.... quite unbelievable. It's a China webby, most people would shun it. But to most audiophiles... China actually produces a lot of Chinese Audiophile cds and most hi-end loudspeakers are from there, so why not China? They actually have quite a huge library from LPCDs, SACDs, Telarc to Deutche Grammophone.

Now I'm so busy going through the webby to see what cds I might actually be interested to get! hahaa...Got me all excited lor! In case any fellow audiophile mates are interested in the link... here is it. It's in Chinese though.. www.taobao.com

Melody, thanks again!

Time of the year to blog again

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 07:45:00 +0000

Yes yes, it's the time of the year to blog.

Still remember my first blog entry was posted on 6/6/08 when I was called in for my Reservist. And here I am.... in the same camp writing blogs again. This time round, I would be stuck in camp much longer than my previous time, 14 days instead of the usual 7. But lucky for me... just last night, I got pulled out from my battalion to help out with the Stores due to some medical conditions (that I don't even know off). And they deem me unfit for training. Heck! That's blessing in disguise!

Things I love about In-Camps:

1) Range:
After settling down.... we straight away drew our weapons and headed down to the range for some shooting. I think one of the activity I most enjoyed would be doing Range. Out of 8 rounds.... I managed to hit 6 of my target! I could have hit more but out of time.

Everything was find until the weather suddenly changed and it started raining very heavily. Amidst the weather condition, we still have to finish up our training, going into the rain to pick up all the empty bullet shells. After that, everyone was so drench!

2) E-Mart
For those without any idea what E-mart is, its actually a shopping heaven for guys both in-store or even online. After my dinner, I headed down to e-mart with some campmates and wasn't surprised that e-mart was packed. It was quite a sight lah.... Very seldom you get to see guys getting so delighted with shopping and grabbing things off the shelves as if they are free ( well almost! ) And they looked so diva pulling their "duffel-trolley" in camp, or hugging on to the latest season from New Balance.

3) Food
As usual.... was pretty good. But getting unhealthy. Too much fried stuff.... Fried fish with pineapple rice for lunch, same fried fish for dinner. I'm getting a little sore throat and cough from all those food.

Um... ok.... so far here are the updates.
I'm going off for high tea with my campmates now, tata!

CDs that I bought last month

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 18:09:00 +0000

JAZZ

Laura Fygi – Rendez-Vous (Jazz / Vocal)

I stumbled across this Laura Fygi’s album at Gramophone by chance. I’ve not heard of any other Laura’s album before, this is my first time and my first one. Maybe because I like old French cafe style of music, I enjoyed listening to this album very much. As if it transported me all the way back time to France, sitting along a street cafe on a Sunday morning and enjoying a cup of hot coffee.

Ella Fitzgerald – Sings The Jerome Kern Song Book (Jazz / Vocal)

For those who are familiar with Jazz music, they should have heard of Ella Fitzgerald. I’m sure if there’s a term to this type of Jazz, but its rather old school and more laid back, unlike those of Diana Krall. As this is a 24bit Master Edition, the recording is good with very excellent sound staging. Most importantly, the sound is warm-ish and retained a bit of that record-crackling noise which gives an illusion that I’m actually listening to an LP.

NEW AGE

Freedom to Love – Various Artist (New Age / Instrumental)

Still remember the 9-11 incident? This collection of New Age music was specially written and complied in memory of the loved ones who left us and to help to spread more love and heal our hearts through the music. Melodies in this album are calm and peaceful. In fact, I think they are extremely beautiful. Erm, wait! Did I mention that this is music at a bargain? I bought this at Gramophone for $5.95 clearance price!

AUDIOPHILE

The First Clemical Element IV, 第一元素 - 古筝

I enjoy listening orchestra pieces, which also includes Chinese orchestra music as well. Few of my favourite instruments that I really like includes Er-Hu (二胡), Yang Qin (揚琴) and Gu Zheng (古筝). In this case, one of the deciding factor for this album was the Gu Zheng. For the uninitiated, The First Clemical Element Series is made up of movie and TV soundtracks. Music was good, but maybe because I didn’t find the selections weren’t to my taste, I feel that I preferred the 2nd album to this. Sound quality from this Guangzhou label, Wonderful Music, is again….sublime, or one can say, Wonderful!

For more infos on Chinese Instruments, refer here.

Absolutely Develop a fever 8, 绝对发烧

I know my English isn’t good, but definitely not to the extend of writing the album title wrongly. Did Wonderful Music spend too much time in making music, totally missed out on their English and using Google Translation instead?

OK, coming back to the music, this is a compilation of tracks taken from various albums. My favourite tracks includes 1. 倩影, 2. 伶人歌, 3. 月之故乡, 13.庭院深深. The best track from this album has to be the opening song by 曼里 - Money. Never mind that I don’t understand a word of Cantonese, I can’t help but get mesmerized by Money’s voice. So mellow and filled with emotions… I think I’m starting to like her more and more.

Tags: jazz,new age,audiophile,instrumental,laura fygi,ella fitzgerald,gramophone

Xin Wang Taiwan Café @ Citylink Mall

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 18:21:00 +0000

Tags: Citylink Mall,Taiwan Cafe,Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe,Taiwan Food

Are you sick and tired of seeing too many Hong Kong cafes around? Had too much “Yuan Yang-s” or looking more and more like the Polo Bun you just ate? If your answer is yes, I guess Xin Wang has probably heard our plea.

Situated right in the centre of CityLink Mall is a spanking new Xin Wang Taiwan Cafe (XWTC) operated by Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe chain of restaurants, famous for their cheap Hong Kong street style makans.

Cute Cartoony Menu

When it comes to variety of food, there is no lack of it in Taiwan. I’m sure everyone knows that when there’s like endless Taiwan Food Feature Shows on Channel U or Starhub Cable TV. In fact, when I was going through XWTC’s menu, I’m kind of spoilt for choice. Some of the names I’ve not even heard of, everything looks interesting but yet I can’t be ordering too much in case I can’t finish.

Let’s start off with some sides….

(105) Toast Box with Cream Sauce, $5.80

This should be the Coffin Bread (棺材板), hope I got it right. The bread is deep fried and its top is sliced away. Centre of the bread is being removed to make way for fillings. I admit I like to eat fried stuff, so naturally I enjoy eating this deep fried coffin. However, after a while, I find that the “oil” taste (probably from the frying process) is a bit too much. Some would also find that this is too oily & unhealthy. Luckily there was enough creamy sauce for me to dip in and kept me happy. :D

(104) Fried-fish Paste with Sauce, $5.80

Initially, I thought that this Fried-fish paste is similar to the fish cake that most Singaporeans are familiar with. But after trying it out, my assumption ends there. Firstly the skin of it is different. Like its made from some egg-based batter, much more fragrant. Texture of its filling is waaayyy…. softer! If fish cakes are more “spring-y”, I would think that this more “tender & cotton-y”.

(407) Crispy Chicken with Rice, $7.80

There are many types of “crispy chicken with rice” on the menu, but I chose this one that is done with Chinese fermented beancurd, 腐乳 (refer to this if you’ve no idea what I’m talking about). I find it quite disappointing as I think that the chicken was rather bland. If I didn’t know that it’s marinated with fermented beancurd, I would think that it is some normal chicken cutlet with rice. The fermented beancurd taste is just too mild. It would do better if there is some additional fermented beancurd sauce or gravy over the chicken. And maybe with lesser oil too. However, the best part of it is the size of the fillet.

(501) Braised Minced Pork Rice, $6.80

Should you prefer lighter meals, try this one. Rice with some Taiwan-styled braised minced pork, stewed egg, steamed and preserved veggies. I think that this is “OK”, nothing really too special as it is almost like what we can get from coffee shop. But heck! Xin Wang Taiwan Cafe IS like a coffee shop, just being more expensive and serves Taiwan food. :D

So… Would I return again?
Oh yes of course. Never mind that not all the things I’ve tried on my first visit is fantastic. There are a lot more things on the menu that I would like to try them out. Maybe I’ll do another write up on it. :D Only thing that I want to pray hard for…. “No queues please…”

Taste: 3.5/5

Service: 4.5/5

Overall: 4/5

Xin Wang Taiwan Café

CityLink Mall
Raffles Link, # B1-23
CityLink Mall
Singapore 039393
Tel: +65-6341 9542

Mini Review: Soundcare Superspike (Spike 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:19:00 +0000

Tags : Audiophile,Hifi,Audio Tweaks,Soundcare,Speaker Feet,Musiclink

Superspikes under my speakers

Purpose
As from my previous post, I purchased the Soundcare Superspike Spike 2 (Standard Self adhesive) to elevated my speakers as to bring them closer to my ear level. The Spike 2s are not very big, probably the height of it is almost an inch. It may sound like its not going to help much, but I shall talk about the effects later.

The provided double-sided adhesive tape is to be pasted on the top metal part, then fixed to the speakers’ base. I decided not to stick the spikes to my speakers as it is going to be permanent, or may even damage my speaker veneers if I decide to remove them some day. Instead, I applied a very thin layer of Blu-tack in place of the tape. Bottom is covered by this velvety adhesive tape to prevent spikes from scratching your equipments or stands.

Soundcare Superspikes 2 with adhesive tape on top

How it sound
On the initial listening, this little device seems to tidy up the overall sound and make everything sound better. Main improvement in the bass which now seemed tighter and slightly punchier. Imaging was also improved. On the whole, music sounded a bit more transparent too.

But over the past few weeks, I’m tried various different genre or music from Classical to Dance, I realise that previously I had some bass boom problems in my room, it is now gone. I wonder if the improvements in sound was attributed mainly from Spikes 2, or was it due to the elevation of my speakers.

In any case, I’m quite happy with the result that I’ve gotten without burning a big hole in my wallet.

Links
Soundcare
Musiclink

Mini Review: Voodoo Iso-Pod Isolation Systems

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 10:51:00 +0000

Tags : Audiophile,Electronics,Audio Tweaks,Voodoo,Isolation,Audio

Voodoo Iso-Pod Isolation Systems

About the Iso-Pods
My first purchase of Voodoo product was this Mojo Powercord (See my write up here) from Audio Iconic. It was pretty good. And that kind of got me to try out the rest of Voodoo’s products.

First of all, Iso-Pod is an isolation system. As read from Voodoo’s website, it is made up of 2 nylon cups with a cryogenically-treated chrome alloy ball bearing in between them. When I first read about the Iso-Pod, I thought it was something similar to Symposium Rollerblock Jr. But upon trying out the actual thing, I noticed that between the nylon cups and the ball, there is a slight magnetic force that holds the three pieces of items together. So the ball doesn’t really “roll” or make yr equipment sway whenever you touch them.

At the showroom
The dealer did an A/B test of the Iso-Pods for me on his Bel Canto CD2 cd player. His setup that day was Bel Canto CD2, I can’t recall what amplifier he was using, it was either NuForce or Bel Canto, speakers were Mark & Daniel Maximus Mini+.

The Iso-Pods were then placed under CD2 in the shape of an Isosceles Triangle with one of the pods under the cd lens. Through the M&D Maximus Mini+, we ran a few tracks from Melody Gardot’s My One and Only Thrill and 蔡琴's 被遗忘的时光 from the 民歌蔡琴 album, made famous by Hong Kong’s Infernal Affairs (无间道)movie.

Most apparent improvement was in the mid range. Vocals now have more body and focus. Details that weren’t noticeable previously are now more distinct. There was a very slight improvement in the bass too, I felt that it was a little tighter than before.

Back at home
I started off the test by removing the Unicones beneath my Oppo cd/dvd player and played the same 蔡琴 track that I’ve heard back at Audio Iconic and familiarised myself with the sound. The Iso-Pods are up next, I placed one pod under the cd lens, and the other two pods near to the two hind feets of the Oppo player.

Pods in action

The improvements were not as obvious as compared to the showroom demo, but it was still noticeable. It could be due to my rack which already sounded pretty “dead” as each shelf is individually spiked, so differences were minimal. Probably fellow audiophiles who are not using proper shelves would get gain more from the Pods?

Improvements noted were the same as what I’ve experienced back at Audio Iconic, though it was a lot milder. Mid range still gained focus, more details, but I couldn’t spot any improvement in the bass region. If I were to put it the improvements in percentage, back in the showroom, the improvements were almost 10-15%. But at home, probably around 5%?

Compared to Unicones, it all boils down to musical taste. I find that Unicones gave a mellower sound, tames the highs a little, and vocals are warmer and sweeter. While Iso-Pods provided one with more details, music have more focus, sound staging is improved slightly as well, it sounded less sweet than the Unicones, well just that little bit.

Iso-Pod for CDP, DAC, Amplifier?
I’ve tried the Iso-Pods under my CD player, DAC and amplifier. It’s either my ears were not sensitive enough, or the differences were too minor, using it under my Bel Canto DAC3 and Bel Canto S300i sounded pretty much the same to me. Under my Oppo, changes were the most obvious. So I have them replaced my Unicones for now.

*Something extra: As not to waste my Unicones, I am now using one of them as weight to be placed on top of the cd motor (directly above the Iso-Pod). The vocals become fuller and “thicker”, have more body to it now. Sounds much better than the Oppo on the pods alone. *

Considering the price for performance, I think that the Iso-Pods are quite worth its price at $65. There is even a special promotion which 3 sets ( that would be a totally of 9 pieces), is only $155. If you wish to “isolate” the rest of your equipments using Iso-Pod, its an even better deal!

Links
Voodoo Cables
Audio Iconic

Coming up next…
Soundcare Superspikes Mini User Review!

My new audio tweaks

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:57:00 +0000

Tags : Voodoo,Soundcare,Audiophile,Adelphi,Shaw Towers

Talking about hifi tweaks, there are so many different brands offering various types of tweaks, more than one can ever imagine. To my friends and family who knew nothing about audiophile stuff, they will give me “that look” of disbelieve if tweaks would really work.

Last month during the Great Singapore Sale, instead of shopping for clothes down at Orchard Road, I was at Adelphi and Shaw Towers. Bought 2 things, this Voodoo Iso-Pod Isolation Systems and Soundcare Superspikes.

Voodoo Iso-Pod Isolation Systems
I purchased the Iso-Pods from Audio Iconic. They didn’t cost a lot ($65 for a set of 3), so why not give it a try? So, I’ve got the Iso-Pods placed under my CD player/dvd player, replacing the Unicone Feets that I was previously using. I’m still in the midst of trying out the Iso-Pods with the rest of the system and see which yields the most significant result.

Soundcare Superspikes (Spike 2)
Superspikes were from Musiclink, another cheap and affordable tweak. They are to be used between the speakers and speaker stand. Due to my current listening position (I’m sitting on my bed), my ears are positioned slightly higher than my speakers, thus the imaging goes off a little. Fitting a sofa in my room is quite impossible unless I remove my bed and sleep on the sofa instead. I guess my best option now is to elevate my speakers as to bring them closer to my ear level.

Look out for Mini User Reviews on my next posts :)

Paulaner Brahaus 10th Year Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 09:00:00 +0000

Tags : Paulaner Brahaus,Millenia Walk,Beer

If you’ve been to a pub, bar, or club sometime in your life, you should have come across Paulaner Brahaus before. Apart from being well known for their freshly brewed beer, Paulaner Brahaus are also well known for the good food that they serve.

Talking about that…I was at Millennia Walk Paulaner Brahaus having dinner just now. As they are celebrating their 10th anniversary, PB has prepared some great promos on their food and beers. Not only that, there were performances too. This evening’s programme was this Uni-cyclist who played saxophone while uni-cycle around the restaurant, and belting out some very lovely tunes throughout my dinner.

Activities

Wed, 1 July – Fire Juggler performance, Stilt-Walkers, Jesters

Thurs, 2 July – Complimentary Hippo Bus Ride

Mon, 6 July – Uni-Cyclist with saxophone performance

Tues, 7 July – Trivia Night

Fri, 10 July – Grand Finale! Fire Juggler performance, Stilt-Walkers, Jesters

Feel the power of Light and Dark
(lager beer,front; dark beer,back)

Six Savoury Sausages, ~~$17~~ $10
Nürnberger grilled sausages with mashed potatoes and sauerkraut
6 Stück Nürnberger Bratwürste mit Kartoffelp�ree und Sauerkraut

The slightly charred skin of the grilled sausage had a very nice aroma. It really brings out the flavour of the meat underneath, which on its own, already taste very good. The second thing I liked about this dish is its whipped potatoe, nice and creamy.

Power Knuckle ~~$29.50~~ $10
Crispy pork knuckle with sauerkraut and bread dumpling
Knusprige Schweinshaxe mit Sauerkraut und Serviettenknödel

Pork knuckle… It's a love and hate thing. Why hate? For the health-conscious, especially ladies, pork knuckles are hell. Its fattening, high in cholesterol, and the list goes on. But for the food-lovers, its a totally different thing. It’s just Heaven. And in this case, the pork knuckle is crispy. Not the whole knuckle lah… but just the skin only. Somehow, the crispy golden skin reminds me of our Chinese roast pork (烧肉 – Shao Rou). They share the same type of taste, only this one is a little more crispier and less oily. Meat beneath that golden armour is extremely juicy and tender, without a hint of hardness.

Sweet Treats, $12.50
Caramelised Bavarian emperor's pancake with apple plum compote
Karamellisierter Kaiserschmarrn mit Apfel- Pflaumenkompott

After washing down the pork knuckles down my stomach with some fresh beer, it is time for some dessert. The top of this pancake is a thin film of caramelised crust, probably the pancake has been layered with some syrup, then torched, which gave the pancake a slightly bbq-ed fragrance. Under that sweet crust, is this rather soft and moist pancake, which tasted like bread-pudding. Nice contrast of texture. All is even better when each mouthful of pancake is topped with some apple plum compote… Sweet, literally!

This 10th Year Anniversary promotion only lasts till the 10th of July. So if anyone of you is interested, do so quickly. Do try to make reservations for tables, if not you’re expected to queue a bit, especially between 6-8pm.

Taste: 4/5

Service: 4/5

Overall Value: 4.5/5

Paulaner Bräuhaus Singapore
9 Raffles Boulevard,
Time² @ Millennia Walk,
Singapore 039596

For enquiries and reservations,
please call 6883 2572, fax 6883 0702
or email at info@paulaner.com.sg

I am Transformed!

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 09:41:00 +0000

Tags : Transformers,Revenge of the fallen

Crash, boom, bang!
Transformers 2 is great! Lots of actions, explosions, babes, and also… the very cute Sam. In fact, I think is twice the Transformers, twice the explosion, twice the babes, and of course…. Sam being twice as cute with his very tanned skin.

2 of the transformers that I thought they were really cool, (or rather they looked super unusual):

Demolisher

Devastator

Was the movie great?
Of cause! I totally enjoyed it. So many different types of Transformers, so many fighting scenes, and not to forget the little jokes. Especially the part when that guy shocked himself with his shock gun, couldn’t stop laughing lor :D Not only that… How I wish I can be like Sam, to save the Transformers, get involved a big battle, and to ride in that ultra handsome Chevrolet Camaro.

However, I do feel that there should be more focus on the new characters like Arcee & the 2 motorbikes. A bit sad that during the last 30mins, when they tried to help Sam… they got killed in less than 5sec of appearance, so sad. Would love to see more of them though.

Also… the film was a little too long. With such simple story, they could easily omit repetitive scenes of flying jets and choppers. No wonder some audiences find it dry.

Will there be a Transformers 3, let’s hope so. Rise of the Coward, maybe?

Ready for REVENGE??

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 05:22:00 +0000

Tags : Transformers,Grand Cathay,Revenge of the fallen

After a week of anticipation….. it’s finally my turn to watch Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which is tonight. Feeling quite excited…. because most of my friends and colleagues already watched it. Mixed views…. some said its great, some thought it was crap. Even Channelnewsasia thinks so? (Go watch this video, this presenter actually said that Transformers is rubbish??)

Anyway, who cares what the world thinks of it. Probably to the ladies, its rubbish. But to most guys, most of us grew up watching cartoons like Transformers, He-Man, and G.I. Joe (which will be coming to the big screen soon too). Transformers the movie is like a dream come true where Optimus Prime and Bumblebee can look as real as they can be.

Tickets for opening week were all snapped up already. Unless I don’t mind sitting at weird corners of the cinema. Nah…. I’m not going to strain my neck and look at Optimus Prime’s feet. I bought the pre-sale tickets the week before for tonight’s show, right in the centre of Grand Cathay. Just want to make sure I’m getting the best sound and picture… MUAHAHA… I’m so excited!

Few hours more to go…. TRANSFORM & ROLL OUT!!

Something for a laugh: Paris & Milan

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:43:00 +0000

Tags: Mediacorp,Paris & Milan,Channel 8

Mondays at work are usually all blues and boredom for most people. Not for me. I was laughing my head off while listening to the program, Paris & Milan 女王本色. This MediaCorp TV show revolves around 2 girls Paris & Milan, who were formerly named Pahang & Malacca by their dad. They went around Singapore to hunt for disgraceful and unforgiving acts, Paris takes photo of them while Milan writes and posts them on their blog.

Bloggers huh? It’s not about their blog that’s funny. Its the characters and the way they presented the jokes that are so hilarious.

Few of my favourites:

Watch out for the “supermarket feature”

Love Beatrice!!

Are You Ready To Fight?

noreply@blogger.com (Wil.C) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:56:00 +0000

Tags: Body Combat 40,Les Mills,California Fitness

Nice poster, good example of “钢与柔”

That’s the question I asked myself when my buddy asked me to join for the launch today. How time flies, Body Combat is already in its 40th edition, that’s a good ten years old. I can still remember my first combat was BC21, my favourite release is BC22, and I stopped at BC25.

Finally after a good break of almost 4 years, I’m back at it again. Ok, I did my BC33 while I was at Fitness First, but that was about it. I’m surprised that I could still execute the moves correctly, and even managed to endure through the whole launch including the conditioning track and the cool down, (normally I’d leave after Track 8). Although the whole thing was extremely tiring, (I was sweating like mad!!!) with great company and cute instructors, the class was simply enjoyable.

One of the reason why I wanted to get back to BC is because of peer-pressure (I guess). My buddy suddenly got very enthusiastic over classes, he can attend gym classes back to back. Another is busy going for tennis sessions every Sunday. Fellow bloggers are doing marathons one after another. (And I couldn’t even complete my Stand-Chart 10km?)… Isn’t that embarrassing? Ha Ha… (and I can still laugh at myself) So now I tell myself, ‘I cannot fall too back behind!’

I’m quite lazy when it comes to doing cardio. With all my knee/joint/foot pain attributed from my Flat-foot, it really gave me good excuses to not run so much.

Oh well, hopefully by going back into the fighting ring, it can help me to get back in shape a bit.

Wah……finally, a post regarding sports & fitness from me, something away from food or movies… :)