knotscott
Responses from knotscott
| Longevity of ownership Most definitely. Lots of mods, upgrades, and configuration changes over the years, but have had the same main speakers, tube amps, and tube preamp for over 35 years. My CD player has been with me for more than 30 years. | |
| Do tube amplifiers improve with age? Some tubes sound better to me after a few dozen hours, but after that they're constantly degrading. Other than some of the caps burning in for the first 100 hours or so, I can't think of why the amps might improve. | |
| Speaker types- your preference and your journey? Main rig speakers between 1981 - 1989: 1. Mariah LS-2 2. Energy Pro 22 3. Merlin 2B+ 4. Merlin 4B+ Main rig speakers since 1990: 5. Sterling Acoustics Acumen II Lots of mods, upgrades, and configuration changes over the years, but have had the sa... | |
| Why I don't think I'll ever return to vinyl - brief rant My rig allows both vinyl and digital sources. The vinyl side has sounded better to me for years, so I made some effort to improve the digital side...new DAC, upgraded opamp, upgraded LPS, and upgraded cables. The digital side indeed improved, an... | |
| Subwoofers - crazy upgrade! @erik_squires The use of built-in DSP and calibration on a sub is priceless 100% agree with this. If I hadn’t experienced it recently, I’m don’t think I would fully grasp the magnitude of the improvement to the room from DSP to the sub (and w... | |
| tube suggestions/ brand new to tubes Welcome to a wonderful rabbit hole! You'll find that the same tubes will sound different in different circuits and different systems, It's also very subjective. As new issue tubes go, I've been very pleased with my Tung Sol ECC803S gold, and M... | |
| Need help with my SMSL SU-1 DAC I run a $10 UBS-C splitter dual charger/headphone adapter on a very similar SMSL C100 (w/remote). It's modified with a MuseS02 opamp and runs off a regulated linear power supply instead of a wallwart, so I'm not sure if it directly correlates, bu... | |
| Listening and evaluating equipment and systems. Well said.... and I totally agree. I generally listen closely if I’ve made a change, but sometimes it just becomes too much of a habit for me. The best indicator is when I stop listening critically, and just get caught up in the music, which real... | |
| Two DAC in One System Sound the Same? Sometimes the differences are very subtle, and can take some time to pick up on. Suggest you get extremely familiar with one for a couple of weeks, then switch and get extremely familiar with the other. Switch back after a couple of weeks, and r... | |
| HiFi Kit Building- have you ever built any hifi gear? Oh yeah! A Hagerman Bugle 3, and a Hagerman Cornet 3, two VTA amp mods to my Dynaco 70s (one of which was built as a Dynakit 70 by my uncle in 1964). Also built a Hafler DH500 kit in the 80s, plus have done many non-kit DIY builds and mods. It’... | |
| Do Audiophiles Hear Real Differences, or Are They Justifying Expensive Purchases? @ten_ton_bass Hearing ability is certainly an aspect in audio, but I view listening skill, listening habits, and experience as more important. Hearing is a sense, whereas critical listening is a skill that can be honed. As a young lad my hearing... | |
| Speaker cables - cables make a difference @degalbraith77 I opted for some affordable Monoprice 12 gauge 4-conductor OFC cables. They’re similar to Canare, Mogami, Belden, and several other brands, but tends to cost less. Can’t say as though they’re better than my Cardas or Kimber Kables... | |
| Speaker cables - cables make a difference @henry99 yep…. every single time. I have yet to get a reasonable response to that. Bias can, and does happen, but I don’t think it’s permanent, and certainly isn’t the answer to every subtle change we struggle to measure meaningfully, yet can st... | |
| Are you a keeper or a flipper? Mostly a keeper - Same speakers, amps, and preamp since ~ 1990, but all have undergone updates. | |
| Is anyone still using a CD Player I haven't played a CD since I started streaming. |