jbhiller
Responses from jbhiller
| Sale on Marantz PM Ki Ruby Integrated! @hedgehog , Sorry I do not know the gain of the phono stage. If I had to guess based on muscle memory (comparing it to my Chinook), I'd bet it's around 50dB or so. | |
| Let me end the Premp/Amplifier sound debate ... First off, +1 on what @atmasphere said. Secondly, the folks at ASR display myopic hubris. Many folks there literally would take a $400 Topping amplifier over an Atmasphere, Pass Labs, D’Agostino, etc. amp based on measurements alone--without eve... | |
| Hana Umami Red or Lyra Kleos? Great subject @skyscraper . I find it hard to get conclusions on the sonic signature of carts, making shopping all the more difficult. | |
| Anyone heard of Creative Sound Solutions? @jmc45 , I know it's been a few years since you bought CSS kit. Any update on how it turned out? Thank you!! | |
| Law of Accelerated Returns Sometimes when I hear super expensive systems I don’t enjoy them as much as less costly ones. Other times they blow me away. But it’s interesting how some systems move me while not costing more than a new car. | |
| What made you change to a 6SN7 preamp? @dougthebiker , You know I had a Schitt Freya a few years ago and I miss it. I've bought pricier things and still think about the pleasure the Freya brought me. The Freya was worthy pairing with gear even 5x its price. It's that good in my humble... | |
| Are you pairing Tube Preamp/Line Stage with Class D Power Amp? I for sure was a bit, just a bit, of a Class D naysayer. I wasn't foolishly so, as I always thought the tech would improve. I think we are right at that point now. Ralph's amp has to sound good. Man, I need an inheritance to keep up with all t... | |
| Are you pairing Tube Preamp/Line Stage with Class D Power Amp? Hi Ralph! That is good to hear. Also, I would love to try your Class D amp. Is it ready for the public? I know you were working hard on it. | |
| The Best Preamp is no Preamp? this is a case where specifics drive the outcome, generalities are fun coffee table chatter, but are inconsequential I think this is gospel. It all depends. But, as so many above say, typically a great preamp is better than no preamp. I'm gla... | |
| McIntosh -- good for show, not for sound, says dealer Wow! @hilde45 , you really got everyone to come out today!!! Since we are all voicing our opinions....here's mine. I don't see many absolutes here. First, is McIntosh great gear? Yes. Have they had some flops? Yes. But the brand, the build, th... | |
| Choice between two different integrated tube amps (SET & PP) Great comments above! I think SET is something to experience. It can be intoxicating, but as mentioned speaker pairing is key and they can be a bit fickle. What speakers are you using? PL does just about everything really well--design, build, s... | |
| Bluesound Node 2021 DAC - I sold my Denafrips Ares II @painter24 , Good job trying things out and being open and neutral. I respect your conclusion too--you limit it to your ears, your system and your experience. As others note, so many here chime in without ever hearing anything they are talking a... | |
| Upgrade Reccomendations OP, It's always hard for me to tell until I try something out, but if you are moving to one of the spare bedrooms at 11 x 14, that may give you lots of options on tube amplification as you might not need that much juice/power in that room. The o... | |
| Your method for discovering great music. Great thread OP!!! Do you listen to vinyl or CD? Well, even if you don't, I do like Discogs for research. I like to look at granular facts about an album, like where it was recorded, record label, release data, who mastered it and so on. Discogs... | |
| the cart or the horse? I agree with @charles1dad because you also like jazz at lower volumes. A nice tube amp could put some meat on the bones and as he says you don't need to worry about spending a fortune or chasing tons of watts. But @jjss49 makes a great recommen... |