Amp recommendation and setup advice please

Upgraded power cords can also improve the sound of electronics.  There are tons of different opinions, but in my testing, solid-core conductors beat everything else.  The Audioquest power cords all use solid-core conductors (except for the very cheapest).  I use the NRG-4 power cord, which is the best Audioquest cord without the DBS battery.  The NRG-2 / NRG-3 / NRG-5 are also good.

The Stock NRG-4 uses gold-plated copper plugs.  The combination of solid-core PFC copper and gold-plated plugs creates a very nice natural sound with a lot of weight.  The gold-plated connectors are very warm sounding and do not have the resolution of other connectors.  I always chop the ends and put on Furutech Rhodium plugs, which is always superior in high resolution sound and deep/tight bass.  The stock Audioquest cables are very nice.  The more expensive ones use DBS battery and also use silver-plated plugs.

The Audioquest power cords can be got used on ebay (which is perfectly fine).  Just search for "audioquest nrg" and you'll get a couple from UK and many from USA.

fuses - fuses can change the character of the sound in your audio equipment.  The stock fuses are usually bright/harsh/tinny as they have a lot of electrical resonance.  A few fuses I would look at:  Isoclean, Furutech, PADIS.  The Isoclean are made from gold-plated copper material.  They have a nice warm sound and can help take the edge off of harsh sounding electronics.  They can rolloff some of the high frequencies in some equipment.  The Furutech fuses are completely opposite - as they are very fast and very transparent.  Very strong deep tight bass, lots of extreme clarity in the upper mids and highs.  The Furutech are rhodium plated, which can be a double-edged sword in the sense that it can reveal flaws in your equipment (such as bad power cord, poor power supply, poor circuits, etc.).  They are the highest resolution fuses, in my opinion.

The PADIS fuses are just about directly in the middle, but still significantly better than any stock fuse.  They are not so warm and slow as the Isoclean, but not as fast and high resolution/sweet as the Furutech.  They are very cheap at $25USD plus shipping.  You can get them on ebay and they are shipped from Germany.

There are other fuses - Hi Fi Tuning Supreme (which is silver -- I don't like these in audio circuits, but they are excellent in digital transports).  The Synergistic BLUE fuse has been getting very positive reviews, but they are extremely expensive.

I can't see any way to replace the fuse in the Audio-GD.  The Klipsch subwoofer uses a small 5mm x 20mm size fuses - 5A for 110V, 4A for 220V.  The Yamaha uses a small 5mm x 20mm 2.5A fuse, but you can just use a 3A.  The Yamaha fuse is inside on the circuit board, which requires you to disassemble the box.  Removing the tweeter/woofer and then taking out the plate amp is required to replace the fuse.

Please be aware that there are several naysayers and unbelievers on this forum about fuses - they have a tendency to very negatively attack any conversation about fuses -- at that point, the discussion goes into a toilet with a huge argument.  Just warning ya.

The phase switch can help with blending in bass with the main speakers.  You can try both ways and see what has better/more bass.  The phase essentially switches the polarity of the woofer.  If the signal is normally pushing the woofer out, the phase switch will pull it inwards instead.  This can help if the subwoofer is placed further away from your listening position than the main Yamaha speakers.  For example, if you are sitting about 8 feet away from the Yamaha speakers, and the subwoofer is about 11 feet away, some of the bass frequencies from both Yamaha/subwoofer can cancel each other out.  It will just take some listening tests for you to determine which phase switch setting works better.

As far as acoustic treatments, I have used them heavily.  I have about 14 acoustic panels in my own room, including several types.  I have broadband, somewhat narrow band, panel/membrane, and tuned membrane.  It just depends on what you're after.  If you like the way your system sounds, maybe it's best not to start spending.  Acoustic panels can help things, but they can also hurt things.  If you feel you are having bass nulls, it's extremely challenging for a bass trap to treat anything under 90-100 hz.  The GIK Acoustics Monster Bass Trap with FLEXRANGE limiter does an effective job down to about 80 Hz, but does not absorb the mids/highs as much.  If you need something under 80hz, the only real way is to get a tuned membrane traps (such as GIK Scopus).  It's a challenging area. 

In general, some acoustic panels can help, but it's easy to put too much in and all of a sudden the room becomes to dead sounding (not exciting enough).  If you want to play, in your room one idea would be to put broadband panels behind the Yamaha speakers to reduce the echoes bouncing from the back wall to the front wall.  Since you have the speakers on the long wall, I don't think you will have "first reflection" problems.

As far as other tweaks, we can get into fuse and power cord upgrades.  If your interested, let me know and we can start a discussion, but of course it means spending more money. 

There is one area where silver definitely makes a positive impact and that is with digital cables (including COAX and HDMI). Silver is a much better conductor than copper and will charge/discharge much faster. This is critical when dealing with digital square waveform signals that are extremely high frequency (like megahertz). For normal audio waveforms, I prefer pure copper.

The other aspect of digital cables is length. It is said that you should really use 1.5 meter or 4.5 feet as minimum length to reduce the amount of signal reflection back to the originating transceiver. Signal reflections can cause distortions in the waveform and cause inaccuracies. I have used short cables and this can be heard as a slight smearing of the audio. I always use 2 meter / 6 foot digital cables just to be sure (toslink doesn’t count here because it’s light).

This is the cable I use:

http://audiosensibility.com/blog/products-2/digital-cables-occ-copper-and-occ-silver/#!/Neotech-NEHH-4200-HDMI-1-4-Cable/p/17895256/category=4059160

I like it because it’s not extremely expensive and he cryogenically treats the cable (which solidifies the conductors just a little bit more and enables more high frequency transmission). The Audioquest Chocolate is also a good choice as it uses silver-plated conductors as well.  I might think the Neotech has a slight advantage because Audio Sensibility does the cryo treatment.

I have wondered about upgrading to something better like Wire World Starlight 7 or Silver Starlight 7, but other things have higher priority on my list and I don’t feel that my Neotech HDMI cable is a weak link yet.

You may or may not notice any difference in your system with upgraded HDMI cable. However, you might notice a slight improvement in video clarity.

There are other subwoofers you can get.  Look at these on the ebay UK site:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/b/Speakers-Subwoofers/14990?Configuration=Single%2520Subwoofer&rt=nc&_sop=3&_udhi=500

There is a Revel B120.  Also, several BK subs so that you could get two if you wanted.  Or just get one to start and put it as close to the corner as you can get.  If you get two subs, use Left RCA for one sub and Right RCA for the second sub.  If you only get one sub, use both left/right RCA into the same sub.

You can play with the Yamaha's position.  I think generally, you need a little bit of space away from the wall (at least 1-2 feet) because the bass ports are on the back side of the speakers.  But I think the best bet would be to put a subwoofer in each corner. Then set them at about 80hz (the Yamaha's may not play that low when in the middle of the wall).

I can understand your concern on the "split" of the Audioquest cable.  It is definitely not that wide, and the left/right RCA outputs on the Audio-GD are spaced far apart.  I would look at the Belden 1695A Coax cable for subwoofer.  These come in single cables, so you can get two of these (one for each corner sub).

https://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/subwoofer/index.htm

The 1695A uses a solid-core 18awg copper conductor.  In my opinion, this would be an excellent cable for transferring bass frequencies.  Smaller awg conductors do not transfer bass as well.  In my testing, 20awg seems to be the best overall compromise - small enough for high frequency detail, but still large enough for good bass.  When going to smaller 22awg conductors, I get much leaner bass and too much bright highs.  The Audioquest interconnects typically use 21awg conductors.

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There are definitely counterfeit cables on ebay and stuff.  The Kimber Cable speaker wire is very easy to counterfeit because you cannot tell the difference - it's just braided wire.  There are other Furutech connector counterfeits.  Lots of counterfeit junk on ebay from China - stuff that is "too good to be true".  However, buying something like used Audioquest on ebay or elsewhere is usually pretty good.  I have not seen counterfeit "equipment".

The gain setting on the DAC just dictates how loud the output will be.  I would say to use Low or High unless you feel that the sound does not get loud enough.  You do have a volume adjustment on the back of the Yamaha, so I think any gain setting will work.

Select the Fast / Slow volume control characteristics.
        H: Fast.  64 steps range.  
        L: Slow. 100 steps range.
        F: (Full ) High gain mode. 100 steps range. (For the low sensitivity headphone like the HE-6 or the source had low output voltage level)
        S: (Super)High gain mode. 64 steps range. (For the low sensitivity headphone like the HE-6 or the source had low output voltage level)

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Relating to the clarity of the sound, make sure that the setting switches on the back of the Yamaha are all set to "FLAT" or "0".  The switches are not always in the middle position for FLAT/0.  If this is the case, you can try doing a "+2" setting on the MID EQ or the HIGH TRIM.  This may increase the clarity of the mids / highs for you.  Play around and see what you like the best.  Alternatively, you could try Audioquest interconnects that have the silver-plated connectors (such as Mackenzie or Sydney).  Silver plated will give faster mids/highs, but may be leaner on the bass.  In my opinion, gold plated connectors sound more natural, but it's all personal preference.

Movie/television soundtracks are mastered with a 5.1 system in mind.  Unfortunately, you might have to live with the sound if you want to keep the DAC.  Also, the Audio-GD DAC will not support a center channel.  Way back in the beginning of this thread, I tried recommending doing an HT processor or receiver, but it seems our discussion went towards a 2-channel DAC.  Sorry about that. 

If you really want a center channel, you could just get an HT receiver to do the dolby digital / dts decoding for center speaker and use different cable for Yamaha (maybe a RCA -to -XLR adapter cable).  Then use the Audio-GD DAC for your own high end system. 

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If you feel okay with the general sound quality and just want more low bass, the subwoofer idea is good.  The Klipsch R-112SW appears to be a good choice.  Yes, having two subs is better than one.  This allows you to place them in different locations and works better to handle room nodes.  Generally, a room will have bass NULLS, which are areas / frequencies where the bass waveforms cancel each other out from wall reflections.  Having two subs will help reduce these cancellations and give you better bass.  The Klipsch have RCA inputs, so you just need RCA cables and use the standard RCA outputs of the DAC.  You can use both the RCA and XLR outputs at the same time.  The XLR will go to the Yamahas.  The RCA will go to the Klipsch sub(s).  Then just set the crossover on the subwoofer to something like 40-50hz and adjust the gain on the subwoofer to your preference for bass.

As far as room, sometimes we are at the mercy of furniture and other restrictions.  Generally, I think the best would be to put the left/right speakers on the short wall for best sound, but other things may prevent this.  If you get subs, it is definitely best to try to put them into the corners to boost the bass.  Having speakers set in the middle of the long wall is definitely going to produce weak bass (in my experience).

your comment about eliminating or minimizing the effect of interconnect, could you please elaborate? I own an ARC Ref6 and ARC Ref150se and I keep getting advice from certain dealers that I should upgrade my IC between the two. I will say this; I have four XLR IC's at my disposal at unless it's in my head, they do sound different! Does this mean my Ref6 is not good at it's job? My question is posed with nothing but earnest sincerity.

What RCA cables are you using between the DAC and the Yamaha studio monitors?

If you really wanted a sub, you could get one. 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SVS-SB-2000-Sub-Woofer-Black-Ash-NEW/182943070158?hash=item2a9841b7ce:g:jzcAAOSwcj5ZP7PW

Not a recommendation, but something you can look at.  There's many others that are both cheaper and more expensive.

If you used a 1/8" to RCA convertor cable to connect the TV to the Audio-GD DAC, you could be losing sound quality because of poor cable as well as poor audio from the TV.  If this is the only way you can do this, then there's nothing much you can do.

I always advise using digital COAX or toslink cable to connect to the DAC.

As far as bass, the Yamaha studio monitors are pretty good on the bass, as long as your source is good (see first paragraph).  If you feel you are missing bass, it is most likely an acoustic problem with the room.  I have been there.  Room probably requires bass traps to reduce the standing waves.

Essentially, a preamp is used for several things:

- As a way to switch between multiple sound sources (i.e. CD player, tape, etc.)

- Be able to provide a way to adjust volume

- Contains a circuit that has enough current to drive certain amps (sometimes digital sources do not have enough current in the analog output circuits).

No, it would not work.

Please re-read this entire thread very carefully.  We have already covered the ideas of an HT Receiver or HT Processor.  This is what you would need for HDMI stuff.  During our discussions, the direction went towards a high-end 2-channel DAC. 

The length of toslink doesn't matter like COAX.  As I said, you could try using the toslink output from the TV, but it's likely that it won't work with a 2-channel DAC like the Audio-GD.  You may have to get a cheap Sony bluray player to stream Netflix.  These have an setting in the Audio section for "Downmix: stereo".  It will output a 2-channel digital signal for the Audio-GD DAC and you can use the bluejean 1694A for this.  Then just use a standard toslink for the satellite.  It's important to go into the satellite receiver menu and make sure that "Dolby Digital" is disabled so that it sends a stereo digital signal through toslink.

The back of the Yamaha has switch settings.  These are basically EQ settings to boost/cut certain areas (such as bass / midrange / treble).  It is best just to set these at "0" or "Flat" to start with.

Well, initially you only said satellite.  Including the Netflix stuff may cause some difficulty.  You could try connecting a toslink from the TV, but you have to make sure that it can be setup to ouput a stereo digital signal (Netflix will have stuff like multi-channel Dolby Digital Plus). 

The Lifatec toslink is an optical digital cable.

For Yamaha, you should look for Audioquest XLR cables.  You may need to look around for a UK Audioquest distributor, maybe something like this:

https://www.audiodestination.co.uk/cables/interconnects/audioquest-red-river-interconnects-pair

There can be others.  Or you can try ordering from a USA distributor, like Audio Advisor.

Essentially, a preamp is used for several things:

- As a way to switch between multiple sound sources (i.e. CD player, tape, etc.)

- Be able to provide a way to adjust volume

- Contains a circuit that has enough current to drive certain amps (sometimes digital sources do not have enough current in the analog output circuits).

You can add a preamp into the mix, but it is not really needed with the NFB-28.28.  The NFB already has a volume control.  You can attached multiple digital sources to the unit as well as one analog source (the IN5 RCA inputs).  The current in the NFB should be fine to drive any amp you attach.  The Yamaha studio monitors will have a preamp type circuit inside because it needs an active analog circuit for the crossover to separate the woofer amp and the tweeter amp.  In your situation, the only reason to add a preamp is if you felt the NFB was lacking in some way.  For example, if you had a CD player that was very bright/harsh sounding, you could get a tube preamp or a warm-sounding preamp to put in between.  This would further modify the analog waveforms from the DAC to calm down the sound.

Honestly, I think the sound quality of the Audio-GD is high enough that you would have to spend a lot of money on a preamp to get something better than what is already output from the NFB (like $2,000 or more).

You are correct in the understanding that a DAC converts digital data (0s and 1s) to an analog waveform.  Anything coming from satellite TV or CD or bluray is going to be transmitted in digital format, so there has to be a DAC somewhere.  Many satellite receivers have a DAC inside because you will usually see left/right analog RCA outputs, but the quality is going to be poor compared to Audio-GD.  The conversion from digital to an analog waveform is where the sound quality of the Audio-GD is superior.  The power supply and DAC / analog circuits are significantly better.  You can always get better than the NFB, but it will cost more.  Just look at the NFB-27.77.  The chassis is twice as large.  Three separate power supplies (one for digital and two for analog).  Fully balanced analog circuits.  Over twice as expensive.

It’s not that the DAC chip should be described as powerful.  You want to get a DAC that is clean/accurate.  Large capacity linear power supply, fully discrete analog circuits, good design approach, etc.

On the Blue Jean 1694A, select “Digital Audio” for the application for sure.  They use specific RCA connectors and the RCA connectors are different for other purposes (such as subwoofer, stereo, etc.).  The cable color doesn’t really matter.  I usually just get black, but you can get anything you want.  Obviously, get the “RCA/RCA” connectors.  Remember, 6 feet long (to avoid short cable signal reflections).

There might be a small chance that the satellite receive does not have COAX.  In that case, you will probably need to use a toslink digital cable.  The lifatec toslink cables are the best for the money that I know of.  The length doesn’t matter.

http://www.lifatec.com/toslink2.html

Hopefully, I’ve answered everything.

Let’s look at the Audio-GD models:

NFB-29.28 : RCA output only 

NFB-28.28 : RCA + XLR outputs

Internally, these two models are almost exactly the same.  The “28” model output stage is engineered to work for XLR balanced output.  This means that the “29” RCA-only model is a tiny bit better when using RCA cables.  In your situations, this is pretty much splitting hairs and I don’t think you would really notice the difference.  You would be better off getting the “28” RCA+XLR model so that you could support both types of cables if you wanted.

As I said, the Yamaha HS80M only has XLR and 1/4" TRS inputs.  You can get special RCA-to-TRS cables on ebay and other places.  These are typically pro-audio cables and are made by vendors such as HOSA or Mogami.  They will NOT be as good as Audioquest cables.  HOSA cables are cheap.  Mogami can be pretty okay (probably good enough for your situation).

None of the audiophile cable makers will have special RCA-to-TRS cables.  You could always have somebody chop the ends and wire them into TRS connectors, but it’s more labor and money obviously.  I think it’s better just to get the “28” model so that you can get audiophile level XLR cables to connect to the Yamaha monitors.

If you ended up already ordering the “29” model and cannot change the order, you can try to get some Mogami RCA-to-TRS cables.  Or something on UK Ebay such as:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Pseudo-Balanced-RCA-Phono-to-TRS-Jack-Lead-PAIR-Van-Damme-Starquad-Cable/172382399235?hash=item2822caab03:m:mTnMtSg5Z26b_pog38jH39g

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As far as your preamp question, the NFB-29.28 or NFB-28.28 are already preamps that have a DAC built-in.  We call it a “preamp” because it has the ability to adjust the volume up/down via the front panel knob or remote.  You can get a separate preamp if you wanted, but you don’t need to.  It would just be another element in the audio chain to affect/mold the sound.

There are some Audio-GD models that are considered a DAC only because the output level is fixed (non-adjustable).

You may want to consider the NFB 28.28 instead.  It has balanced XLR outputs as well as RCA.  The Yamaha studio monitors have both balanced XLR and a 1/4" TRS plug inputs.  They do NOT have standard RCA inputs, so if you chose the 29.28, you would need special RCA-to-TRS or RCA-to-XLR cables.

If you get the NFB 28.28, you can use standard XLR cables, which are available from Audioquest.

Googling around:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vCiLSOZXaQo

It could be small differences, but the new HS8 doesn't push the midbass as much and is a little clearer in the midrange.  Not sure if you would really notice.

I don't have experience with any of the other monitors.  Some have Class D amps, which I have found to be very extremely clean sounding but lack engaging music.  With Class D, there is just no emotional engagement with the music for me.  Recording engineers are using these Class D amps a lot because it helps them hear the mix much clearer, but it may not be what you want for home listening. 

I have been seriously considering upgrading to the Stealth 8 for a  couple years now, but other things have been higher priority.

If you want powered monitors, I actually use Yamaha HS80m monitors for my computer speakers. They are actually not bad. There are a couple used on UK Ebay:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yamaha-HS80M-studio-near-field-reference-monitors-PAIRED-BOXED-free-stands/172900963242?hash=item2841b353aa:g:bAcAAOSwEvhZ0k1p

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yamaha-HS80M-Powered-Monitor-Speakers-PAIR-In-Boxes-WITH-FREE-STANDS/253206255141?hash=item3af444d625:g:w8EAAOSwH4xZ4IPA

Or you can try to find the newer Yamaha HS8 monitors, but will be even more than the Emotivas. Not sure if these will be better than the Emotiva. Emotiva has a lot more power and will probably be more laid back sounding than the Yamaha. The Yamaha are very neutral, but also very revealing. They have a larger 8" woofer so they would play a lot lower than either of the Emotiva monitors.

I came across this thread talking about the NFB 29 (which is what you are considering):

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/audio-gd-nfb-29-single-ended-master-race-lol.732157/

Interestingly enough, he is using it through some AirMotiv speakers! lol.  Lot's of good feedback on this NFB 29.  One of the comments that stood out to me:

The nfb11 has some harshness to it in the treble regions that the nfb29 doesn't have... The 29 is more dynamic, more detailed and overall better. Much bigger sound stage, much better separation and imaging.

Though, if you spend more you get something better, obviously.

oh, to follow up on a couple questions:

Here is a good review and discussion of the Audio-GD NFB-28 (which is exactly the same as the NFB-29 except it has XLR inputs/outputs, which you do not need for TV):

http://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/audio-gd-nfb-28-review-w-jot-mimby-comparison.3533/

In my opinion, the Gustard is a really excellent DAC for what you pay for it.  I don't think you will get better unless you spend a lot more (like twice as much or more).  Here is a 12 page discussion on the Gustard X20 pro:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/gustard-x20pro-dac-es9028pro.824593/

Hope this gives you a little better feeling about these products.

The Audio-GD site is legit and you have to order direct from China.  I have not ordered any of their items, but many others have and you can search the forums if you want.

The NFB-29.28 is offered in two version:

Version 1: 100-120V  AC 50/60 Hz

Version 2:  220-240V  AC 50/60 Hz

You need to pick the one that matches your local AC voltage. (You need to determine this on your own)

Blue Jean Beldon Cable:

https://www.bluejeanscable.com/store/shopbycable/1694A.htm

Big Sur Audioquest RCA cables – you just need to determine the length based on how far away the speakers are.

Monitor Audio Silver 10 retail for a pair is £2110 /  $2800 USD

That Oak version on ebay is a nice one and a good price.

The PS Audio Nuwave Phono retail new price is currently about £750 / $999 USD because PS Audio is discounting it almost 50% off.  They are discontinuing the model.  That ebay one is £600 (cheaper), so it’s up to you if it’s worth saving a little money.

That Hegel 200 on ebay is used. It was original retail for £3313 /  $4400 USD.

Here is a better place to buy Gustard if you are interested.  It is rarely on the used market. Make sure to get the USB version:

https://www.shenzhenaudio.com/gustard-dac-x20-pro-super-ultimate-2-x-es9028-xmos-hifi-dac-384khz-dsd-dop-decoder.html

If you have a laptop, you do not need a USB card.  I would try the laptop out first and see if the sound is good enough for you.  If not, you can look at getting a USB Reclocker such as the Wyred 4 Sound Recovery.  Or buy a Windows PC Desktop and an audiophile USB card, but I would try the laptop out first.

JRiver is media player software that can be used to play all different types of media and sound files:

https://www.jriver.com/

Thanks again for fantastic guidance auxinput. It’s all so very exciting and I can’t wait for everything to come together :)

I will focus on the TV setup first because my father’s TV has arrived and the satellite will be installed in 2 weeks.

I contacted Audio-GD about the NFD-29.28 and they sent me an order form. It seems that the brand is Chinese, is that right? Have you ordered off their website before or know anyone who has?

http://www.audio-gd.com/En%20audio-gd.htm

If all seems legit then I will go ahead and order one. I do not know any other online shop that sells them. Do you?

Do I need to tell them about AC Voltage for the UK?

I think I will buy the Big Sur Audioquest cables, I found them on eBay. Do I need a particular length like with the digital cable? Or is it just determined based on how far I want the speakers to reach?

I can’t seem to find any online shop that sells the Blue Jean Belden cable, do you?

What is the price of the Monitor Audio Silver 10, and the PS Audio NuWave Phono Converter brand new? I found both on eBay UK for what looks like good prices. Are you able to have a look for me and tell me if they look like good buys? Is there anything particular I should be asking before purchasing?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Monitor-Audio-Silver-10-Speakers-Pair-Walnut/332406853482?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/PS-Audio-NuWave-Phono-Converter-Silver/122746561273?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

I know I said I want to focus on TV first but I don’t want to miss out on good savings if these are good buys.

Also, I found the Hegel H200 and the Gustard DAC-X20 Pro on eBay UK too but they look like they’re being sold from new.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/HEGEL-H200-Integrated-Amplifier/152733904987?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/New-GUSTARD-DAC-X20-PRO-HIFI-DAC-2xES9018-XMOS-USB-384KHZ-DSD64-128-256/282396178689?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649

What are the price of both of these brand new?

For the Vinyl setup, I thought about it and I will not use iPod/iPhone, only laptop. So if there are no complications with this approach then I will stick to integrated amp as it is cheaper and easier. Will the Gustard still be the right DAC for me? Do I need to consider a USB card for the laptop or does that only apply to desktop (which I don't have).

What is JRiver? I have not heard of this software before but it sounds interesting.

Thanks for all the cable and setup advice, I will follow up on these in time to come. I want to get the TV stuff sorted first and then slowly (due to the wife, not budget haha) start on the Vinyl stuff :)

@laher – Some more information.  PS Audio is discontinuing the Nuwave Phono Premp and selling it at a big discount (about 48% off) for $999 USD.  If you are interested, you could contact them to see about shipping to UK and to make sure it is configured internally to support your local AC voltage (either 110V or 220V):

http://www.psaudio.com/products/nuwave-phono-converter/

A good review here:

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/ps-audio-nuwave-phono-converter/?page=3

It appears that the PS audio Phono is highly configurable to match up with a lot of different turntables (maybe not all of them).  Another feature is that it has an analog-to-digital converter.  This allows you to connect it to your DAC to play the audio.  I have heard this is a very detailed sound, but maybe not quite as “analog”.  It’s just another option for you to work with.

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This was an email I sent to another friend advising on a turntable RCA cable.  He actually bought the Equinox and says it sounds excellent as a turntable cable.

https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/man-this-is-frustrating

teo_audio has some very interesting thoughts on turntable cable burn-in. He says that turntable cable never burns in because the voltage levels never reach proper heights. Interesting.

Almarg also says that that it’s critical to have as low as capacitance as possible in a phono/tonearm cable. I remember reading once a long time ago that phono cables should be very small gauge (like 28awg). This could be why.

Based on that, it seems to me that one cable I would consider for this would be the Wireworld Equinox 7 RCA. It uses very small 31awg OCC copper strands. It is not quite solid-core. The strands are grouped into collections of 5 strands, which are all side-by-side (like a ribbon cable). It’s not a fully stranded cable, but it’s not fully solid-core either. It uses 10 strands for each conductor, making it a 21awg cable. The small strands give you the low capacitance (good for tonearm) and the collection for 21awg lowers the resistance and would open up the sound.  It’s important to note that the more expensive Eclipse 7 cable would not work as well because the copper strands are little bit larger 29awg.