avitacom

Responses from avitacom

Cables that measure the same but (seem?) to sound different
I hesitate to wander into this treacherous country again but here goes.  Measurements, e.g., resistance, inductance, capacitance, are, these days, easily made , recorded and compared but are gross and crude compared to the kinds of phenomena which... 
Budget Phono preAmp
A while back I temporarily used a Chinese tube phono stage I bought from Amazon. I threw the chinese tubes away and plugged in Russian 6AK5’s from Tubes unlimited. It sounded OK…better than you would expect. Using it allowed me to listen while I s... 
The "Snake Oil" Trope
One last reply & I’m signing off.  I have 7 interconnects in my bi-amped system.  I have only one analogue source, a turntable.  The interconnects are all made in Germany , sourced from tubesforhifi.  They were chosen because they make a tight... 
The "Snake Oil" Trope
Data:  Blind observations by experienced observers of the test item compared to placebo. 
Drummers! Which amps do you use for best Timing & Dynamics?
Sandthemall, congrats on your Don Sachs (Roy Mottram design?) preamp. 
The "Snake Oil" Trope
I’m tempted to explain what I mean by “data,” but when one is tempted to “explain,” it’s time to shut up & listen.  Perhaps, if anything, I’ve stimulated some interesting discussion. 
The "Snake Oil" Trope
I yield to the consensus.To each his own. 
The "Snake Oil" Trope
p05129, I choose cables based on the guage and the quality of the connectors.I have $22,000 in my system.I’m as much an audiophile as anyone in this thread, but I am skeptical of many of the overpriced tweaks. 
The "Snake Oil" Trope
I can afford to buy this boutique wire but I consider it a waste of money.  Clearly, many of you are bamboozled by the placebo effect, which effect is exploited by this cottage industry for profit.  If these devices are so much more effective than... 
The "Snake Oil" Trope
I have a biamped system with an electronic crossover and that arrangement requires alot of cabling, both interconnects and speaker cables.  I have some very sophisticated equipment and I am a serious listener, not a consumer of “background music.”... 
Thinking Out Loud
You need a phono stage to pair up with your pre amp, not a “DAC,” for vinyl.  I believe that vintage 6SN7 tubes (Sylvania/Upscale) are the way to go for both pre amps and phono stages.  I have an Audio Electronic Supply (Cary) phono stage and a Va... 
Helping a friend build a new system
I’m reading that Vandersteen 1Ci have a sensitivity rating of 90 and are very reasonably priced. 
Helping a friend build a new system
You’ve spent a lot on amplification and if his VTL 85 is like mine , it produces 85 watts into 5 ohms, meaning about 70 into 8 ohms, so you’re going to need a speaker with an SPL of 90 IMO, so given what you’ve got left to spend are you stuck with... 
Power conditioner some say yes and some say no.
Again, I’m agreeing with jason bourne 52. I suspect power conditioners are a cottage industry exploiting the placebo effect. Having practiced medicine for 30+ years prior to retirement, I am familiar with this effect. It is relatively easy to inst... 
Helping a friend build a new system
I was using the VTL driving tweeters in a bi-amped system until I swapped it for a Carver 275 and I much prefer the sound of the Carver and the maintenence, relatively speaking, of the latter, is zero.