Week Fifty-One In Which Talk Audio Declares Christmas!

The Grotto Raynerii is installed, with three boxes of Disney ornaments upon garlands of green imitation pine and a huge artificial pine tree with real cones and two-tone ‘needles’. So realistic, folks have always thought it was real, it is now in its 22nd year. Successive generations of kittens have climbed it and bent its branches so many times that one snapped off and became our front door wreath, but it still supports a glorious collection of exquisite polish glass decorated baubles bought in London, Las Vegas and even Iceland! The lighting is all LED bar two strings of oldies, one of which has big plastic icicles and is the last of several sets and refuses to die utterly. I think we must have a thousand lamps aglow, even counting the tri-clustered LEDs as singletons. A slew of foil garlands completes the effect and so help me, the decorations really dampen down the acoustic of the whole room as well as lifting my spirits. I am a sad case and do it because I love it. Meanwhile, I have done an experiment with my in-car Christmas tree and found a big berry bulb I have buckets of, will glow like billy-oh in the holders I have! I think it is the last ever Ron Imports one running in the UK and I have had it even longer than the indoors one.
For Christmas, I have a heart-warming Ice story. The lovely people at Alpine Electronics Of UK have let me keep a wonderfully well-reviewed bass box and to give it to a deserving lad. The dude in question is eighteen and drives a Kia Piccanto with a stock system. He also has a limited miles insurance policy and a Big Brother spy-in-the-sky satellite inertial recorder/tracker fitted. It is of no use to him, save to keep his driving learning curve flat and the insurers’ thumb firmly in the middle of his back – and it’s a BIG thumb. His insurance – over TWO GRAND – will drop a slice if he drives with utter serenity, does not accelerate nor corner hard nor go over the speed limit.
I would have hated it.
But the cherry on the icing is to be the in-house skills supplied by Audio In Motion in Bournemouth – the chap in question’s home town. I will get down there with the unit and take some snaps and get a clip with Darren Cole at Audio in Motion ( 01202 514 000) talking about the Alpine SWE-815 and how they found out about how good it is almost by accident!
So, a LOVELY Christmassy thank you from Talk Audio and especially from the lad on his behalf, to Alpine and Audio In Motion for what will be a step-change transformation in how much fun the young ‘un’s car will be to drive. I do so hope he doesn’t have to tell his insurers&;
I have an interview clip with Atsu from Alpine to upload that we made last week and some cool news of fresh 2013 Kenwood headunits to bring you today, as well as hopefully getting at the novelties I told you of last Monday. I am, shamefully behind with a review of a JL Audio home subwoofer for Home Cinema Choice, so I am on a clock today, so as ever, time to crack on&;
Adam Rayner On Line Editor