mgattone

Responses from mgattone

I find that cleaning used records very difficult
I've had the opposite experience, in that the records sound better after cleaning. Check the needle on your cart, perhaps the cleaning jarred something loose from the grooves that didn't get picked up by rcm's vacuum.-Mike 
Favorite album art?
Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass - Whipped Crean & Other Delights 
sansui au 717 integrate amp
Typically integrateds from that period included tone controls, one or more phono inputs and a tape loop (or two). You can probably find a new - or more likely used - integrated around the $350 mark, but a newer unit might not have some of those fe... 
I've narrowed it down...
I think tubes do wear out faster when asked to drive more difficult loadsThat very well could be. I ended up selling the B+Ws shortly after I got the tube amp, I had gotten the upgrade bug by that point anyway. 
I've narrowed it down...
I don't think that 20 watts is adequate to drive the B+Ws, regardless of the amplifier's implementation. The ones that you mentioned in your original post put out around 70 to 90 watts, and that should be fine. I don't think that you'd shorten the... 
I've narrowed it down...
Fine choices. Just my $0.02: I used to have B+W 603S3s and while they were great speakers, they did not pair well with tubes in my opinion. They sounded best with solid state equipment. Try to demo one or more of the amps you're looking at with yo... 
Budget Chinese Tube amps - any good?
An issue with some of the brands that you mentioned is support - if the amp needs to be repaired, then you might have a more difficult time finding someone who is able (or willing) to fix it. I'd stick with Jolida or Cayin; both get good marks for... 
phono amp or not.
What percentage of your listening is vinyl? What does your analog rig consist of - which table? arm? cart? What do you feel is lacking in your system now that you hope to improve by purchasing new speakers? What is a realistic budget? 
Audiophile Cartridge for Technics 1200 dj table?
I have been a fan of Audio Technica carts. In that price range, they make the AT120E and it's usually priced around $90. I have no experience with it, but the Ortofon OM series of cartridges looks interesting, too. The OM10 runs about $70. Both th... 
Integrated Amplifier for Fritzspeakers Carbon 7
Ask Fritz; I recently picked up a pair of Carbon 7s from him as well and we were comparing notes on what worked and didn't. I did not like the sound of the speakers with the HK 990 - so much so that I sent the amp back. 
Two prongs power cable
I seem to remember that one manufacturer - PS Audio, maybe? - has power cords that feature a removable ground pin (on the plug that connects to the wall socket). That way, you can use the cord with your 2-pin setup. 
Noobie looking for advice
If you like the sound from the phono output but want more volume, then perhaps you can look into a phono pre-amp as a starting point. There are several good ones out there and you don't have to spend an arm and a leg, either. This might be a good,... 
amateur needs amp advice for a 2.0 setup - please
Energy lists the impedance as 8 ohms nominal, but notes that it may dip down to 4 ohms. Without more information from the manufacturer (like an impedance curve) it would be difficult to say whether it is tube friendly. There are professional revie... 
amateur needs amp advice for a 2.0 setup - please
There are a couple of Onix integrated tube amps for sale here on Audiogon that would fit the bill. You can search through the forums here for listener impressions, but as I recall, the Onix amps have mostly favorable reviews. 
Monitor Audio BR6
In regards to the finish, the product page indicates that the finish is vinyl.