bill_k

Responses from bill_k

Help me pick a Dac
Just a correction regarding the post above from @woots, the Lumin T2 is not a current model. They've had the improved model T3 which has been out for some time. https://www.luminmusic.com/lumin-t3.html  
Is it still worth buying a Lumin x1 in 2023?
Lumin doesn't make hardware upgrades to their existing models, so when they come out with an upgrade to the X1 it would likely be an entirely new model. There has been no official announcement of a new flagship model but I also expect one to be co... 
Aurender Model Choices
Just a point to keep in mind for anyone considering the idea of using a Mac running Audirvana if you have a significant collection of DSD files. Macs will only play DSD via DoP (DSD over PCM, which transmits DSD data in PCM frames) since they don’... 
Luxman leaves me wanting
My Luxman C-900u preamp with M-900u power amp also leave me wanting... wanting to listen to more music with their absolutely stunning performance. 😍  
New Falcon distribution in the U.S.?
According to the Falcon UK website they are actively seeing new distribution and dealers in the US. States that individual customers can contact them. https://www.falconloudspeakers.co.uk/distributors  
Floorstanding speaker experiences/recommendations in the $12-25k range
@mbmi - with all due respect what I've heard in videos from Børresen is that it uses the same type of ribbon design as their top tweeter but is not identical in its construction details. Quoting directly from their website: "The tweeter chosen for... 
What makes One Music Server Sound Better than Another?
Digital data transmission can be perfect for computing, and bit perfect when comparing the data streams of many music servers/streamers/players at widely varying prices. What can account for significant sonic differences despite being bit perfect ... 
Revel Salon2s: Seeking Advice
The Salons when properly driven would be considered by most as an upgrade over your Kantas, but keep in mind their relatively low sensitivity. The designer of the Salons recommends driving them with an amp of 500 watts and while you can get away w... 
New streamer
@dhungana - Of those three DACs the only one that supports direct DSD playback (without converting playback to PCM) is the Okto which supports DSD via USB.  
New streamer
@dhungana - Not sure what convinced you that the HiFi Rose RS130 doesn't support DSD, but according to the product page on their site it certainly does. It has codecs to support DSF and DFF file types, and shows support for native DSD from 64 up t... 
Rutherford Audio
Rutherford Audio is the US distributor for many premium brands and are completely legit. They don't normally sell their products at a discount but they offer special deals on brands which they have in stock that they no longer represent like Gold ... 
Endgame Vocal+ DAC Help: Terminator Plus 12th vs. Chord DAVE vs. Holo May vs. Weiss502.
@nlynchard - Those ProAc speakers were likely a version of their Tablette.  
New KEF R11 META : The Real Giant Killers !
@audiocanada - Have to honestly report that the Reference Meta models are at a completely different level of performance when compared to the R Metas. When you compare them side by side the difference in coherence, refinement and realism is quite ... 
Is Aurender N10 still a good option
Keeping some perspective, the Lumin U1 Mini sold for $2,100 while the Aurender N10 was at $8,000. Doesn't really seem like a fair comparison, there are higher end network transports available from Lumin.  
PS Audio New Stellar Gold DAC
@hgeifman - With all due respect I believe you've misunderstood how Benchmark implements the ESS DAC. "The DAC3 is Benchmark's newest 2-channel D/A converter featuring the new ESS Technologies ES9028PRO converter chip." That chip contains an 8 cha...