Burning question regarding upgrading paths

Really, those EVS are really ugly. It looks like those 10 year old PS Audio dacs with a white dove on the front face that looks like something that is out of the 60's. Maybe I can glue on a Sonic Frontier face plate to the front of the EVS chasis.

The tweak audio site really has some nifty tweaks. But they are all way over my head. I don't know how to solder. I don't think I want to negate my speaker's cross over apart so I can directly bare wire all the connections. Nor do I wanna freeze my discs.

I've learned a great deal from these posts I've read online, mainly on Audiogon. I've read quite a few posts on audioreview.com as well. But, I've noticed I am quite shallow with the way I read a reviews. I first look at the equipment they have to judge whether they know what they are talking about. For example, I would trust a person that uses high end gear than the circuit city/radio shack shopper.

Speaking of trusting reviews, recently I've been reading nothing but glowing reviews about EVS, Rogue and BlueCircle. And this doesn't sit well with me, not just because they fill my heart with desire, but mainly because I've made an online purchase before based on glowing reviews. And it turned out to be a bust. Good thing this product is only a $75 "silver snake" digital cable. (I am a poor student, so I have to look out for good deals.)

Ok, you are probably thinking, big deal, maybe this cable just doesnt have synergy in my system, or it's user error. This certain cable company, "not the good, not the best, but shall remain nameless cable.com company," emailed me after my purchase and said if I submitted a positive review and send them a copy of my review to prove I did write it, then they will send me a mouse pad. I felt like an absolute sucker after I received this email.

This cable in question sounds better than most mass market stuff under $50 bucks I've heard. But it is no giant killer as the reviews claim them to be. I have replaced this digital "snake cord" cable with a single run of AQ emerald, and it sounds much much better. And emeralds are not even 75ohm digital cables (i am using it between the trans and meridian 518.)

Regarding upgrades, I am inquiring about the AQ Sterling single bi-wired cables that is for sale on this site. I've emailed the seller but haven't received a reply yet. The Sterlings are big improvements on the Argent/Midnights, no? But this guy is offering a killer price of $200 for a 6ft pair, granted they are not factory terminated. So he probably sold them already, (I emailed him at 7am today too!)

Anyhow, I feel the zen question is a bust. I wanted to learn more about applied Zen, instead, most people are telling me more about principles of zen. Yes, Lao Tze and all the Taoists, Zen monks all agree that the Zen, the Tao, the Mahayana, the Shuyanta, can only be experienced and not explained. I am not seeking enlightenment through eastern philosophy.

I am quite the western philosophy-phile if there is such a thing, therefore, I am putting Zen on the hot seat and see what good Zen actually is. As Keikegaard or any existentialist would say, good philosophy are those that are practiced with a leap of faith. There are numerous philosophers whose basic tenants serve a variety of utilitarian needs such where society can benefit as a whole.

Upgrading myself by doing calc hw now, take care,

Etane

Start over, reformulation, start from foundation, structural and philosophical purity....

All components connected to Rotel AC filter via LAT AC2 power cord.

Hey there,

My summary is this:

1) People here love EVS Millennium and hate my system!

I checked out EVS a few months ago on the tweakaudio website. This website gives more tips on tweaks than anyone actually needs. Regarinding what I learned about the DAC, it sure seems to have all the best components available. However, that thing looks hideous. It would ruin my aesthetic decor in my living room. = X

2) People here care more about Afghanistan refugees than they do about my sanity!

How do I know my money is used to help the refugees? What they really need are a few anti-missle missles. I have a friend that is volunteering with the UN's relief efforts. This dainty girl is going to Afghanistan while we are talking about stereos and zen. = L

3) People either think Zen is be one with nature/unknown to elevate one-self from "huh??", or the questioning of Zen is "inherently wrong." However, the question is designed to derive a utilitarian function of Zen, not a better understanding of Zen's principles. IE. The benefit of ABS rather than how it works.

Hey Tom,

I didn't think you were bashing my system at all. In fact, I think the your suggestion of the EVS is a practical step up since the EVS isn't expensive and suits my system's configuration to a T. If there is any reason for me sounding as if I was being abashed, it was because I felt people misinterpreted the context of my Zen quiz.

In my previous post, I was merely sharing my opinion of the tweakaudio site, not the actual component itself since I never had the pleasure of auditioning one (nor has anyone before they purchased it, I assume.)

BTW, the tweakaudio site explains the EVS uses mosfet output stage instead of op-amps. Since mosfets are used in amps and preamps, mosfets must provide a higher current than op-amps(I don't know what I am talkin about but read along,)and this will allow the amp to receive a stronger signal. So the sound coming out of the amp should have more dynamic range and gobs more bass compared to sound coming out of the amp when a op-amp is feeding it.

Hey Gunbei,

Great response!

It is indeed my wish to partake in a journey.

First, in regards to Mes' response, I have no idea what "dlr" means. However, as Gunbei pointed out, Mu is the concept of emptiness, according to the Dogan school, I think. I am not familiar with Japanese Zen, however, I believe the concept of Mu is derived from the Daoist Wu Wei, and Wu Wei is derived from the Hindu/Buddhist Sunyata. I can be wrong.

Also, as his response points out, the answer to part A is totally related to how one answers part B:

A) Since quality is subjective, should we tune our taste to our existing system accordingly to achieve audio nirvana or,
B) Does audio nirvana arrive only after achieving system synergy?

Back to Gunbei's response, and I do feel his response is a good one if I haven't mentioned it already, eventhough the analogies can be a little contrived. First I want to establish and understanding of he concept of Mu, and I shall use concepts of other disciplines to do so since I know jack sh*t about Japanese philosophy.

The earliest derivation Mu is perhaps Heracletian philosophy where everything in the world is relating and static. He perhaps thought since everything is relative, there are isn't anything that is eternal. In other words, the only truth is "nothingness."

Alexander the Great's conquests which was about 300bc. This is important because perhaps Hercacletian ideologies were spead into Asia through this channel. About 300ad, Nagarjuna thought every human proposition is a contradiction, and the only truth is nothingness.

After the fall of Qin dynasty, Buddhist monks trekked to China and gave the Chinese very bad translation of sutras. During this depressing Chinese medieval age, people thought relief by practicing Buddhism, but they have no previous concept of sunyata, so they adopted Daoist concepts of wu wei in place of sunyata in trying to understand Indian sutras.

Wu wei isn't nothingness as expressed by Heraclitus and Nagarjuna, but it is they way of the Dao, the natural way, the way of spontaneity, non-interference, simplicity and so on and so forth. However, as described in the Dao Teh Jing, the Dao that is named is not the Dao. To make a long story short, to live the Dao you have to be one with the Dao and to be one with the Dao you have to be no-name or no-being or no-thing, nothingness.

Zen, not saying is a concept derived from Daoism and Buddhism, yet it probably borrowed its beliefs from them. As I am writing this, I think Zen have more similarity with European philosophies as well, such as phenomenology and existentialism. I am too tired to explain this, I didn't sleep lastnite. As you know I started this thread because I can't sleep: I have insomnia.

Anyhow, Mu is the concept of this:
1) Nothing is the only eternal truth.
2) The only way to understand Mu is to experience it through personal experience, or as close to it as possible, such as the phenomonologist or existentialist.

What does all this mean? Man does not go off in search of nothingness. The nothingness comes in search of him.

The nothing is personified as the journeyman, the missionaryman, the jingoist, the thing that claims to be the everything by being itself, the nothing. It is an component of the main idea from where it is derived, and it is the component of the main idea where it gives birth to its origin.

It is the nothingness that carries the sword and consumes his enemies with the purity of his mundacity.

It is not I who must find my way, but it is my way that must find me.

But does this mean I will never upgrade? Hellz Nah!!

Five Rings Consulting? What are the five rings? Five rings of hell from Danta's Inferno? Well that's 9..

Oh you and Gunbei we're talkin about the same 5 rings. I thought you actually do belong to some corporate consultation called 5 rings. I gotcha. This 5 rings character sounds alarmingly similar to the famous Chinese "Swen Tze Bin Fah." Excuse the spelling, but I am terrible at pingying. Anyways, the synopsis of the Bin Fah, which means battle tactics: cool as forest, impatient as wind, fast as fire, no-movement like mountian.

Oh, I did some research. It was "the art of war" by Sun Tzu, which was written about 500 BC.

6chac, how do you do that when I have an integrated amp now? And, nope, it doesn't have a bypass function or direct inputs to the amp section. BTW, I never had a preamp: the dac went straight into the amp. But, I see what you mean. It doesn't matter how you go about what you want to accomplish as long as you get it. A very round about way yet straight to the point at the same time. Gotcha.

Joeavid, what tubes are you rolling in your LS16 now? I got the CA50, and I am thinking about upgrading the signal tubes, currently using the stock sovteks. Also, the CD3 is a huge step up from the Alpha? What transport did you use when you had the Alpha? Also, I've actually been contemplating on selling my entire system and downsize to a monitor, integrated cd and amp. This will be easier incase "thieves like us" decide to "detach" me from my system.

Gunbei, go rin ro sho is the 5 rings? Yup, I told you someone on agon turned me on to that book. And, it was you ALL ALONG!

Joe, which school of philosophy are you concerning yourself with in regards to illusionary attachments? When you mention "forms", I sort of think you are referring to the forms by Aristotle. But, you've mentioned Zen Buddhism too. I am sort of confused. You see, Aristotle is teological, in that every object in this world has a final goal. This means, the final goal of metal is to form my CA50 just to keep me happy. But then, Zen Buddhism's own teology is to find Satori, literally where truth is found in emptiness, but I emphatically think it means truth free from adulteration of non-truths. So, we are assuming that stereos and other "forms" or "illusionary" objects are non-truths that adulterate the real truth, satori, in the realm of zen buddhism. So, to make this short, what tubes did you find ephmeral enlightnment with your LS16? And, who is JC? The Ongaku master, JC Audio? BTW, my insomnia has nothing to do with my audiophelia. This post was originally made to answer some burning questions and to waste time while I couldn't sleep.