a_e_watkins

Responses from a_e_watkins

New house, new amp, and speaker options (Harbeth, Maggies, GMA or...?)
Hi Tony,I have both a pair of Harbeth E7ES's and a pair of Maggie 1.7's.  Both are in great condition, I would rate them as 8's (due only to age).  I love them both but I am getting older and I need to downsize, so I am thinking of putting one or ... 
CD Sound ; Esoteric x-03 versus Oppo 105
Like the above response, I can't believe this is a serious question. I have never heard the Esoteric x-03 but I have both the Oppo and a Meridian 08, and true there is a difference in price, but the sound is not even in the same hemisphere. 
what speakers
Conrads1This is a question that only you can answer. More than any other component, speakers are a matter of personal taste. What type of music do you like, how loud or softly do you listen to your music, what do you like or dislike about certain ... 
New Bookshelf speakers u love 3k to 6k
Harbeth 7.2 or 3's. 
Good sounding Deutsche Grammophon recordings
I have many DG LP's which include the complete Beethoven set. These are all DG recordings and from the get-go I was disappointed in the sound quality. Several years ago, I upgraded my playback to a Basis turntable w/a Vector 3 tonearm and a Transf... 
Opinions Wanted on changing Turntable
I owned one of the early VPI Scout turntables and I was very disappointed in the quality of the table/arm combination. I went to the Basis 2001 and I could not believe the difference. Maybe I just got a lemon, with the Scout, but in my opinion the... 
Why does the VPI motor thump
I purchased a VPI 'Scout' when they first came out, and thought that I had the turntable for the rest of my life. The motor was just plain noisy, and there were other issues, which I am not getting into here, but I got rid of my VPI very quickly.V... 
Your favorite musical non fatiguing speakers?
I am going to put in another vote for Magnapan's, and I would also mention Harbeth's. Both very non-fatiguing sound! 
SS Pre-amps that can beat an Audio Research sp16
Mapman, I had an Audio Research SP15, which I really liked a lot, but I had a hankering, to go the Spectral route and I have never regretted it. I originally, had the SP-12, which I liked, but when the occasion arose to get an SP-20, with built-in... 
Separates w/internal phono vs Integrated + phono
I have had integrated amps, separates w/phono amps and separates w/built-in phono boards. It really is the amp quality, your personal listening preferences, type of music you like, etc. I don't think it is any one type of amp over another.I have f... 
Is Cary Audio still selling CD Players?
Contrary to the above comment, I never had a skipping problem with my Cary CD players.Regards,AEW 
Turntable with stable speed.
I have (in recent years) owned Thorens, VPI and Basis turntables. With regard to turntable stability the Basis is the best of the three that I have had. The Thorens was also good but I didn't care for the particular tonearm with this table.Good luck. 
Transfiguration Phoenix S or Grado Statement 1?
IeimagoWhile I do not own the Transfiguration 'Phoenix' I do own the 'Axia' and I have owned many Grados, so my 2 cents worth is that the Transfiguation is a much superior cartridge, provided that you have sufficient step-up power to handle the lo... 
easier to drive specifically Harbeth v Vandersteen
I agree with Donjr, above, in that the Harbeth's love power. While they sound good with any good amp, I really like them teamed with a good SS amp, with more than adequate power, for best results. This just seems to get the amps out of the way and... 
SACD vs Regular CD's
To all who have responded, many, many thanks. I do appreciate the responses.Regards,AEW