dunkmeister

Responses from dunkmeister

Record cleaning machine makes more surface noise?
I think some of your problem may be static. Any time you spin a LP around and apply some type of cleaning brush you can create static. Doing your cleaning in conjunction with a Zerostat or some other static eliminator should help. 
Please explain Imports?
IMO the Japanese and to a somewhat lesser extent the Europeans have consistently had a higher demand for hi-res digital formats as well as for vinyl than we have here in the US (though vinyl is now making a significant comeback here as evidenced b... 
Best sounding CD player for under $500?
If you are looking for a universal player you can't go wrong with OPPO for the price. If you are looking for player I would suggest the Cambridge Audio 640 V1 or a V2 (if you find one used it will be in your price range). Of course the NAD 541 and... 
headphones: $200
The Grado 325i is a good pair that you can get for about that price. 
Phono Pre Selection Advise
New I would recommend the Cambridge Audio 540p. Used you can find an NAD pp-2 and maybe a Cambridge Audio 640p. 
How much better are MFSL disks?
That is broad question so I will answer it this way. As a general matter I have found MFSL disks (assume you mean LPs not CDs) much better sounding than the average retail pressings. That said many titles that were issued by MFSL have since been r... 
Is it questionable to buy new popular music on LP?
I think it is a "mixed" bag. I have some new vinyl releases that sound great and others that sound bad. My observation is that it has more to do with the mix than the pressing quality. For instance I have listened to Springsteen's Magic on both CD... 
Cambridge 640, 740 and 840
I think the cambridge audio gear is a good value for the money. The 640 c is a great place to start unless you find a great deal on a 740 or 840 (don't know what you want to spend). If you go that way and look for one used make sure that you are l... 
Klipsch La Scalas or Polk SRS 1.2's?
The La Scala's are an efficient pair of speakers your Adcoms should have no problem driving them. As far as other choices well the Polk's are a good choice, they are going to give you more bass and while less efficient than the Klipsch, the Adcoms... 
God, why did I try my first LP = upgrade
I agree with the earlier posts you will probably hear the most improvement if you upgrade your phono pre and/or your turntable and cartridge. IMHO you will likely have to move farther up in $ in the source area than in the phono pre area to hear s... 
Experts: Why is preamp important?
The pre-amp is as the name implies the first step in amplification. It takes a very low power signal for a source component and steps it up so that it can then be further amplified by the power amplifier. The reason a good pre-amp is important is ... 
What exactly causes clicks and pops on vinyl?
What I would add to much that has been said is that on top of the various sources of foreign material and defects is that when the stylus moves across the record it is putting a great amount of force on the vinyl that in fact heats each grove in t... 
Pet Sounds
I lose track but anyway I think the 40th anniversary remaster is also hdcd encoded and it sounds great in hdcd. 
iPod vs CD: WSJ CES
I am not surprised that the uncompressed files through the Ipod played from the same setup got more postive response than the MP3 files. Whether the side by side test with the CD player was completely valid depends on a number of variables not dis... 
Best HDCD cd's ?
First, I think HDCD is a great format that has been lost in the audio discussion with the myriad of formats including SACD and DVD audio. I have a Rotel RCD-1055 which is the multi-disc version of the 1072. I also run a single disc player through ...