iopscrl
Responses from iopscrl
| Best Options For A Tubed Preamp - $2500 Or Less, Preferably Used To Maximize Value My tube preamp journey started with a stock PAS3, then a restored PAS3, then a VanAlstine Super PAS3, then a Conrad Johnson PV5, then an AI M3. I now switch between an ARC SP-10MKII and an AI M3B. Both are sublime, and can be found within your... | |
| Upgrade my older Linn Sondek or move on? I was in the same position about 2yrs ago. I had a late 80's Ittok LVII / Valhalla table and decided to upgrade. I did a lot of research and concluded that upgrading a Linn LP12 is not a black art, rather it is a carefully considered process. T... | |
| Does it make sense to "ignore low ball offers"? Like the previous respondent, my standard reply to a “low ball” offer is to send a counteroffer at a price that is *higher* than my original listing price. | |
| Good Suggestions for Tube Amps under 6k Line Magnetic was mentioned, along with Leben, and Luxman. The benefit of a $6k budget is a wide selection of available choices. I would listen to as many amplifiers as possible. I would purchase used equipment, because I know I could resell fo... | |
| Investigating if ultrasound is harming LPs A controversial subject for which no one has produced conclusive evidence to support or refute the question. MY EXPERIENCE is that US cleaning does not degrade an LP. Again, MY EXPERIENCE, is that that US cleaned LPs sound dramatically better af... | |
| What's the best EL84 amp? Good question. Many believe the EL84/6BQ5/7189 to be the best sounding non SET tube. Power is limited to 15-25wpc in most applications however and that can be a problem for some. I do have experience with this tube and amplifiers using this tub... | |
| Modern "Vintage" Sounding Preamps VanAlstine Super PAS3. This is a Dynaco PAS-3 rebuilt by VanAlstine- all new and upgraded parts, bypassed tone stage, more robust power supply. This preamp is an excellent combination of vintage warmth, and relatively modern accuracy. Can be fo... | |
| One big reason why brick and mortar high end audio dealers struggle. Best Buy Magnolia is what passes for a High End dealer in my area. We had 2 or 3 bm dealers at one point, but they all faded away. I am primarily a value/used buyer, but I made sure the allocate some purchases to my local dealers. They were nic... | |
| A Record Collection/Moral Conundrum - What Would You Do? 11 years ? That is past the statute of limitations in the US. Did you document the loan ? Did "John" sign a promissory note, or in any way provide a document to show that he borrowed money from you ? Did you create a storage agreement when he ... | |
| A 60 year old turntable design is still going strong! If the design was as inherently flawed as implied above, it becomes hard to reconcile this opinion with the actual history of the TT series. It was in continuous production for 15yrs+ and sold in record numbers. This tt was praised for its great... | |
| A 60 year old turntable design is still going strong! Interesting that the AR TT has come up. MF included a very favorable mention of the AR TT in his most recent column in SP. Prices will probably rise going forward.The AT TT has to be one of the most influential TT designs sold over the past 60 y... | |
| Audio deals you bought that seem impossible for the price? Audible Illusions M3 preamp and Cary 40m monoblocks for $8004x Klipsch Heresy for $400Nakamichi Dragon $100 (not working)KEF LS50 $500Linn LP12 Valhalla Ittok LVII K9 $800Rega P3 Grace747 Nagaoka 110. Schitt phono stage, 2 Grado cartridges and 75 ... | |
| Vintage MONO Cartridge Question ? Old thread indeed. " be_audiophil1 " Your ranking is interesting. How did you arrive at your conclusions, and in what ways did the Fairchild 225a exceed the Ortofon DG25 ? Is your Fairchild cartridge rebuilt (original stylus, cantilever, s... | |
| Vintage vs New While Class-D amplification is the new thing- there really hasn't been very much improvement in basic component design over the years. Improvements -have- come from better quality parts. Capacitors are much better now than 40-50-60yrs ago, same ... | |
| Great Recordings, Sonically Speaking - and Why. Good question.Joe Jackson- Blaze of Glory, and most of his live releaseshe captures a great sense of space in most of his releases- too often for it to be a flukeArt Blakey and JM- Ugetsulive date at Birdland you can hear the musicians interact an... |