meiwan

Responses from meiwan

dac USB cable
Locus audio polestar. Amazing cable at a reasonable price. 
Tube amp for Reference 3A - SET or push-pull?
I'm a big fan of SET amps, although at your price point you are looking at 30wpc or so max. It depends on the output tubes. KT88 tubes offer the most power for the money, while el34's sound better IMO. With the 3A's you don't need a ton of power u... 
If you had $2000 to upgrade this system...
Agree with most others - the sources are your weak link. Both your TT and digital could use some attention. Depends on which you focus on/use most. Others have assumed the TT. The Denon/MF combo is entry level at best as well. 
DAC for Exposure 2010s+Harbeth compact 7
calyx or EE minimax. Use with the same setup. 
Your jaw dropping cables
I guess jaw dropping could be good or bad. Went from Purist Audio Aqueous to Audience Au24e (speaker and interconnect) - WOW talk about extremes. Ended up selling both and going to Kubala Sosna Fascination - the prefect balance in my system. 
What do I need to consider when buying amp and sub
If you are going JL, you'll need an integrated amp with either pre/line level-outs or tape out. 
Proac ReferTablette 8 Sig or Totem Model 1 Sig ?
The ProAc has a brighter top end, the Totem more weight in the mids/bottom. 
The Emperor DAC has no Clothes
I use the Calyx dac having replaced the original EE minimax. Must admit the Calyx is more open/airly than the EE. Also had a take home experience with the EE and the Moon 300d. Actually quite a different presentation via my iMac/pure music.However... 
Benefits of brand synergy
I suppose if you really like the sound from 1 brand, and you like the physical look no reason not to go with one brand. Generally, there is no sonic benefit.In practice individual brands will do some things better than others. For example their am... 
What do I need to consider when buying amp and sub
You can hook up a sub a few different ways. One is to run speaker cable to the sub, then from the sub to the mains speakers. For this your sub must have 2 sets of speaker cable connectors - one set in, one out. This allows you to use the sub's cro... 
DAC in player vs DAC in computer.
They do the same thing. Just the one in the computer is usually really, really poor quality. 
Best DAC for $500
I've tried a few dacs over the past while at different price points. Certainly they get better as you spend more, and the sweet spot seems to be around $1000-$1500. For $500 I'd look for one that has very few features (i.e., no volume control/head... 
Can Anyone Recommend a Good Speaker ?
I just picked up a pair of Reference 3a Dulcets after a length search. Very nice. Meets your criteria. 
cables for Harbeth shl5
I own the C7's and have played around with Cardas, Purist Audio, Audience and finally settled on Kubala Sosna Fascination. Great Match. 
Warm Interconnect....
Cardas Neutral Reference would be good choice for your budget, used.