jkring

Responses from jkring

Tweaks That Don't Work
One problem will be that if someone discounts any tweak, no matter how ridiculous, 3 others will jump up to proclaim it the holy grail of audio. Say something bad about green pens, magic rocks, Intelligent Chips.... somebody will be get upset and ... 
Max. dB level at break in w/ VR4jr
"try using a Dixie cup centered over the dust cap"yeah, don't do that.They sound good now? Just listen and enjoy. Filling in the weight chamber with lead/sand and getting them positioned correctly will do more than break in. 
Amplifiers:A Keeper for Life. Do you know of one ?
I am sure I will own many different amps, but I will never get rid of the Marantz 8B that my father bought 40 years ago. The fact that the Mullard tubes that are currently in it are still working certainly does not hurt. 
Von Schweikert VR-4 GEN.III SE -VS- VR-4 JR?
I have the jr's, so am pretty familiar with those. While auditioning them, I did listen to the GenIII to compare, using the same room and equipment. In that set up, I thought the GenIII's sounded bigger and more dynamic. Definitely more punch on t... 
Amps to use with Von Schweikert VR4jr's
I have a pair and have listened to them with several different amps both at home and at the shop when auditioning. The nice thing about these speakers is that they seem to play nice with a wide range of amps. The impedance curve does not dip too l... 
avantgarde with SS amp recomendation
I have not heard them, nor know how much they go for, but Pass has a new low power amp out.http://www.firstwatt.com/I have heard the little Birdland and was impressed with that.http://www.birdland.com/products/PleyelAg.html 
Computer as remote "CD player"
Its the wave of the future. Definitely worth it.As to your questions:1. Can the computer be somewhere else besides the stereo cabinet?Yes, you can get a client device like the Squeezebox (http://www.slimdevices.com/) that pulls music off your PC t... 
Anyone using silicone oil for dampening??
Bigkidz,I think you misunderstood me. I never claimed that damping was ineffective. I was making the point that oil damping is only half of a suspension system. You need some type of spring, whether it is compressed air, a metal spring, or even ma... 
"Analog" = bloated, rolled off, soft and mushy?
I would just advise hearing one before plunking down your cash. A local shop had one of those 3 you mentioned, with the full blown tube mod, set up for a couple days and it may have been the worst sounding player I have ever heard. I won't say whi... 
Anyone using silicone oil for dampening??
Sorry, just a pet peeve of mine. Damping = removing energy from a system, Dampening = make wetTo use oil for damping, it would have to be in something like a shock absorber, with a paddle or valved piston in the oil. Just like a car, this shock wo... 
What's the oldest piece of gear in your system?
My father is the original owner and it has been used on and off, mostly on, for 40 years. Over the years, both he and I have tried other amps but have invariably pulled them out for repair or to try in another system, putting the Marantz in "tempo... 
Best lines in a song
"There ain't no devil, just God when he's drunk"Tom Waits - Heart Attack and Vinethe clouds will part and the sky cracks openand god himself will reach his f'ing armthroughjust to push you downjust to hold you downNIN - The Wretchedairstream is so... 
Why Does My Dack Sound Like Schmackety Schmack??
What ever player you are using on the PC, make sure you don't have any equalization or crappy surround effect turned on, like the SRS thing in WMP.- J 
Apogee MiniDac vs Benchmark DAC1 via USB
I have not done any critical listening comparing toslink, coax, and XLR connections, but from everything I know, I would avoid a toslink connection, particularly a long one.-J 
Apogee MiniDac vs Benchmark DAC1 via USB
I have not tried the Apogee, but do have the Benchmark with a PC set up. I am using an RME card with an AES/EBU balanced link and it sounds great. The Benchmark is so jitter resistant (and the RME has really good jitter specs) that I don't think I...