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austinstereo

Responses from austinstereo

Where are the cheap home streamers?
@dougthebiker Now this is something I'd personally consider.  Definitely like the balanced outputs.  While I personally am experienced with the Pi's.  It'll never fly with our average customer, who usually spends around $1000 for the entire system... 
Where are the cheap home streamers?
@slackjef The Arylic is also a new one to us. It actually looks like an excellent candidate. Being able to use it as a dedicate preamp with two line inputs is a nice plus. You mentioned about being limited to CD quality, but the specs claim it sup... 
Where are the cheap home streamers?
@pinwa While this looks like a good Bluetooth receiver, it's not the same as a dedicated streaming receiver.  You can of course use it to playback a stream on your system, but a phone, computer, tablet, or other device is needed as a source.  And ... 
Where are the cheap home streamers?
As for the Allo, and the Pi, and any other DIY stuff, they are great options for hobbyists.  And the results are beyond what you'd expect for the money.  In this case, we're looking for ready to run.  Many of our customers just want a simple solut... 
Where are the cheap home streamers?
Ooo!  The Songbird sounds like a great candidate.  Will definitely give it a closer look.   
Where are the cheap home streamers?
The Chromecast audio was a great item.  Quite a few of our customers use them.  Many of which are delighted when the find out their vintage system can now stream audio.  It is such a shame that Google pulled the plug on this.  Amazon makes a simil... 
Tube matching question
A key point about tube amps here.  If your amp does not have individual bias settings per tube, they must be a matched pair at least.  Ideally, all tubes should be matched in a channel, but pairs that share a bias setting must be closely matched. ... 
Are there any tube amps that don't give off any---
We had a client actually return a wonderful vintage tube amp because he thought it gave off too much heat.  He was already aware that tube amps give off heat, but it was apparently more than he expected.  Worth noting that this was just a little 7... 
ls FM radio even listenable any more?
We are blessed here in Austin Texas with some fantastic radio stations.  KMFA, KUTX, KGSR and KDRP among others.   
Are these Speakers the BEST on Planet Earth ?...
Apparently, there is an inverse relationship between being aggressively ugly, and sonic performance? 
Is there a Solid State amp that can satisfy a SET guy?
As a result of being in sales and service of audio gear for a very long time, we have yet to encounter a solid state amp that can match a tube amp in terms of warmth and space.  Just as true, we have yet to encounter a tube amp that has the tautne... 
In Defense of Audiophiles, Bose, Pass, Toole and Science
Toole advocates direct A/B comparison of speakers.  Quickly switching between two or more sets of speakers will almost always end you up with the most forward and fatiguing speakers.  The more neutral speaker will seem dull and flat in comparison.... 
How many people here generally buy used?
Used is a great way to go on equipment 10 years old or less.  Electronics do age.  Mainly electrolytic capacitors.  More so in amplifiers, these start to decay significantly in 15 to 20 years.  Mostly an issue for amplifiers, but this can affect D... 
Lifespan of amps and preamps?
audite84 is right.  Electrolytic caps decay over time.  Even if the units are working, it's unlikely that they are at peak performance.  A 535 is a very good amp, and well worth having this done.  If you have been happy with the performance, it's ... 
Remove rack or console from between your speakers
For many, having the rack between the speakers makes the most sense. You should however make sure the front of your speakers are at least a few inches forward of the rack itself to reduce high frequency reflection/diffraction.