I Feel Overwhelmed....Please Help

Chap_cat

I'd add the new Bel Canto digital int with USB DAC to the short list only as an option to the Nu Force entry. I've not heard either BTW... just thought to mention it.

Also Macrojack is offering up solid advice here on that Oppo player. I bought one just as he did, for a video BTW, stop gap, source. I was and still am, amazed at how much improvement has happend in digital gear... and for the $175 tag? It's a no brainer indeed.

it's in my estimation, 75-80% the performance level of my $3K (MSRP) SONY XA777es CDP.

His other points I'd feel are as valid.

Being in sales, I'm pretty sure if your guard is up some, not a lot, you'll feret out the legit from the self serving.

Dcstep said:

“I don't see that variable sound and the opportunity to tube-roll is an advantage.”

I’m pretty sure if additional flexibility is to be had, it must be seen as advantageous. EX. More imputs, both RCA + XLR in’s & outs, remote control, all these features and/or benefits are additive aspects. The ability to interchange tubes, if one wishes to do so, is also an additional feature set, and thus, an advantage.

Dcstep also said:

I personally prefer to buy a designer's best possible work and enjoy it, rather than risk screwing it up with some half-baked scheme to "improve it" with some 60 year old tubes.

Half baked? Screwing it up?

In this instance, the “best” available design isn’t likely to be had for the budget in place. Designers do offer their work in various levels you know?

I suppose one can adhere strickly to a purist notion on all things and be quite happy. However to discount the possibility of improvement upon a given designers effort through aftermarket or optionally offered changes, is shortsighted indeed.

There are plenty of designers which offer upgrades to their equipment as standard operating procedure. BAT, Dodd, AR, Atmosphere, ART, Prima luna, and VAC, just to name a few afford a buyer their wares in varying performance and configuration levels…. And some of these upgrades involve only the change of the tubes being used.

These designers I believe also need to produce a design which can be supplied and supported by currently available parts, including the tubes they employ in their designs. I wonder how many of them, had they an endless supply of NOS tubes, wouldn’t use them in their builds or offer them as options at point of sale?

There is nothing half baked about tailoring or tweaking a system to the tastes of it’s owner/builder. My experience has shown swapping out the OEM tubes is one way to go about it and the results from the doing of it have always been improvement, in varying degrees, and occasionally, entirely.

After all, just how many of these 2008 offerings are 100% new, never been done before designs? They are just variations on much older themes…. Themes which at their time used what we call now, NOS tubes.

One alternative that has captured my interest is purchasing a Jolida JD501B tube int amp, or the Jolida JD1501RC hybrid int amp, plus perhaps a Music Hall CD25.2 CDP from Underwood with level one mods. Underwood claims that these components with the mods sound as good as components costing two to three times as much. Is there truth to these claims? If so, that would seem to me to be great bang for the buck.

Key word is "claims".

Dcstep is right -- you look pretty helpless. Go to a dealer.

Hello Chap_cat

I didn't want to say second hand what a component was like previously, but a friend of mine was quite happy with his Jolita CDP but only after some NOS tubes were installed. He now has a Muse CDP, though.

I'd like to know if your plans for getting into better audio gear are the beginings of a possibly lengthy system building event, or a one and done upgrade.

Other's and myself have alluded to the acquisition of an integrated amp as a erstwhile and promising step up from your now system. In fact every noted approach here is a 'better than' option than what you presently have on hand, and are close to your desired sonics goal.

If this is the begining of some lengthy endeavor, or a one and done affair, or your choice is to go with hollow state power, some research on your part is necessary. Some honest soul searching too will help.

If it's the former, start at one end and go to the other. If it's the latter, tote your transducers along and pick out what pleases you and them! With your budget in mind, naturally. To heck with anyone else's thoughts.

My last note on who's helping who, here is simple, if a person has absolutely nothing to gain by sharing their time and experiences with you, and they aren't telling you of someone they know who has the so called 'right thing' for sale just now, it's most likely their statements are altruistic on the whole.

The 'wolves' Dave mentioned are those who have another agenda on hand when they are espousing their own recommendations. Some even go so far as to contact posters off thread and offer so called super deals! I'm quite leary of this approach as it is then tainted, regardless how well meaning a person might have been at the onset. IMO.

Threads are for gathering info, thoughts, ideas, and resolutions other's have accomplished during similar trials. It’s not a 'want ad', per se.

RE Underwood claims
…or anyone else’s calims for that matter as was already pointed out, are merely claims. Subjective notes to promote sales. I’ll not go so far as to say these claims aren’t valid whatsoever. The truth of the matter however is determined by yourself. Their validity is aided by their reputation. I’ve met and talked to a bunch of folks who are very, very, happy with modified units done by these aftermarket resources.

…. And I don’t begrudge them making money from it. It does seem to affect the value of the piece though. Sometimes for good. Sometimes for ill…. And I am considering having one of my pieces modded later on… maybe.

Ever how ya wind up doing this, it seems to me that without a fine source component providing a good signal up front, one won't be able to make up for lack of it later on in the chain downstream.... unless the thought is to replace this new/now CDP later on. if that's the case, the OPpo 980H is a slam dunk, multi format player that yields great results in audio and can stick around as just a video player when the itch to move up strikes again. it can even be run as a preamp! Cutting costs even more so, initially anyways.

Again... I'd go slow… but that’s just me. I hate to waste money as I haven’t got much to begin with.

Blindjim said:
"Dcstep said:

'I don't see that variable sound and the opportunity to tube-roll is an advantage.'

...The ability to interchange tubes, if one wishes to do so, is also an additional feature set, and thus, an advantage."

No, more choices (in tubes) is NOT an automatic advantage. For those that like to take chances and play around with tube rolling, yes it is, but for the other half of us we'd rather buy a well thought out design that represents the designer's best efforts and run with it.

Dave