crustycoot

Responses from crustycoot

TUBE REPAIR WESTERN MASS-ALBANY
Check out Amplifier Experts in western CT...Mark is a very capable engineer who did nice work for me on a Marantz 7C and Dyna ST70.  
Specific Node/Airplay question
MQA was acquired by Lenbrook, parent company of NAD and Bluesound, so it is not “out of business” nor “dead”.  My advice to the OP is to restore their Tidal subscription and enjoy their Node 2i through a new-to-them C2600 DAC. Many of my customers... 
For the love of...kits?
No mention of Parts Express kits?  Their Morel kits, Ardmore and Solstice, are more affordable than Falcon’s. The Dayton Audio Samba and Orian are much more affordable.   
Why do some amplifiers throw a bigger soundstage than others?
In the “everything matters” way of thinking, the only valid test setup is to use identical conditions for both DUTs, and to introduce nothing extra into the apparatus that isn’t required for critical listening…that means no ABX switches, disconnec... 
Question about NAD 7400 vs new integrated amp
My $.02…get an integrated with HT bypass and a voltage trigger to activate it.  The preamp in the integrated will outperform the one in the AVR when used with stereo-only sources, and that will matter more than you imagine.  Look at Parasound Halo... 
Best Sounding Adapter - Making RCA into Banana or Spade? Thanks!
The use of Line out Converters (LOCs) is well established in autosound, as factory head units lack preamp outputs. I use a Stinger LOC in one of my systems to hook up a pair of subs that lack speaker level inputs. While other options may exist, th... 
Benchmark AHB2 in Mono Block Configuration
Your budget is out of my league but I have been most impressed with Ayre Acoustics amps. I have compared them to Bryston and they consistently sound more grainless, transparent, and musical. This is the $12K stereo amp I am referencing. At 52lbs, ... 
McIntosh MC20 - 1960's - No Left Channel
You are fortunate to have found only one significant issue with this equipment.  Invest in it.  The money you spend to have these items restored will ensure that either you or their next owner will enjoy glorious vintage sound for many years.  If ... 
Speaker cable length.
The imbalance in series resistance and other loss factors will not even approach audibility in this instance, with the excellent heavy gauge TA speaker wire you are using. Carlsbad2 has it right!  Noel Lee came up with that BS to further line his ... 
Which Vintage CD Player To Use As A Transport?
My advice is to focus on the control features you want from a player. The technology of an SPDIF coaxial output hasn’t changed because it can’t. But disc player features vary greatly. I am a fan of Denon, Nakamichii and Sony players, all of which ... 
AR-XB. Is it worth a new motor?
I just picked one (77XB) up recently with a similar symptom as yours.  On mine, giving the platter a manual spin to help it reach 33.33 rpm works.  I did replace the cap, but it made no difference.  A full motor rebuild is in the future.  For now,... 
on the cheap
The question asked includes a few red flags.  “WiFi Streamer” that doesn’t hook up to the internet?  Well Bluetooth doesn’t need internet, but where’s the stream coming from?  Does this person have a stereo amplifier and speakers already?  Obvious... 
Bananas rule, spades drool. End of discussion.
I want to put in a vote of agreement with E_S, with one qualification…BFA bananas, not the regular spring loaded kind, whose metal quickly fatigues. Screw-lock or Cardas’ with the little rubber plug to maintain contact are OK too.  The problem wit... 
Value of a preamp?
To my ears the preamp is the make-or-break component in my system.  A good match expands the soundstage and makes instruments appear more solidly defined in space, with tone colors and timbre faithfully reproduced….a bad one sounds flatter and mor... 
Can I turn my 2-way Bookshelf speakers 90°…?
Properly engineered 2-ways generally exhibit wide, well balanced response in the horizontal plane, but often some noticeable irregularities in the vertical plane, due to the ways frequencies shared by both drivers tend to interact in the crossover...