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harrylavo

Responses from harrylavo

Anthony (Tony) Cordesman has passed away
I was affiliated with TAS for its first several years.  Tony was absolutely the best reviewer the mag ever had, IMHO. He had a better ear than HP, and did not allow price to bias preference and quality as did HP, unfortunately.   After leaving TAS... 
Transport Recommendations
Want to save $1900??  Try this: an used Pioneer DV-578A player used as a transport.  In my case it feeds a bel canto e.One series DAC3 from its 24/96 digital output.  Has the same bass solidarity as the transport in the much more expensive Pioneer... 
Tube preamp with Adcom amp
Early Audio Research (SP6 series, SP8) are famous for their classic sound and their superb phono sections.  Conrad Johnsons from this same period were more "tubey" sounding which comes through well on the solid state amps.  But plan to buy in-line... 
"Messiah" recommendations?
Back in the late sixties, Angle produced a 3-disk stereo LP version .... the first to be done on original instruments and from the original score.  The English Chamber Orchestra led by Charles Mackerras.  If that weren't enough, the soloists wer E... 
Any other Pipe And Slippers Audiophiles out there?
I'm with fbgbill on the LLBean mocs.  I wear out a pair every 2-3 years because they are always on my feet (indoors).  And I do wear a bathrobe over my normal shirt and pants.  And my hand does usually have a glass of bourbon on the rocks.  So if ... 
Leave preamp on all day, off at night
My experience has been that an hour warmup for a tube preamp gives you at least 99% of what you get from leaving it on 3-4 hours aforehand much less all day.  So my suggestion .... turn it on at dinnertime or before getting the kids to bed, and be... 
stereo review magazine
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMEMBER, YOU CAN RE-VISIT!!!   I meant to post this two years ago, but life intervened.  If you go to the thread below it will take you to a month by month, year by year listing of Stereo Review (from beginning to end).  But t... 
Budget preamp with quality volume control
Give the Audionics BT a try.  A great sounding preamp (voiced like an Audio Research SP-6 ) with a buttery smooth volume control.  
Fair price for used Vandersteen 3a Signatures
The 3a was introduced in 1996, making it a 25y/o design.  It cost $2795 at that time, which is $5008 in April, 2023 inflated price.  According to the used equipment pricing model I have developed over the years (based on 100's of buy/sells of gear... 
Stupid Asking Prices- Why Don't Sellers Read Audiogon The Blue Book First?
I can only answer .... "I do".  If you have been buying and selling from the '80's or 90's you can almost instinctively know if a price is fair or not.  
Stupid Asking Prices- Why Don't Sellers Read Audiogon The Blue Book First?
@jjss49 You are absolutely on the money about how to use A'gon BB.  It is too bad that they don't use a more sophisticated way (fitted curvilinear trend line, for example) to get current estimates.  For my purposes in the table above, I had to use... 
thiel cs 2.2 muffle sounding and very low treble
Definitely check for blown drivers or crossover components.  Thiel 2 2's are quite bright with almost any amp.    
Stupid Asking Prices- Why Don't Sellers Read Audiogon The Blue Book First?
I just noticed I said I ranked the items by "date of sale"  I meant by "date of introduction".  Sorry.  Also, I should point out that each date, except for the first and last, has a least four-five items averaged to come up with the value.  
Stupid Asking Prices- Why Don't Sellers Read Audiogon The Blue Book First?
At the risk of sounding pretensious, I think I may have a bit of objectivity to share based on a project i just completed that I started during the first year of the pandemic. First, a word of explaination.  I am an 83 year audiophile who has rar... 
What is the most challenging music to play on a stereo?
It clearly depends on what music you listen to the most, and what you want from your system.  I am a lover of jazz and chamber music.  I've recorded and attended concerts and know what full orchestra dynamics are, and I' recorded and listened to p...