mike_in_nc

Responses from mike_in_nc

Giving Advice without recommending your own equipment
Good point. People (and not just with hi-fi) tend to recommend what they own or use. I had a really bad mechanic and a crooked dentist before I learned to take such advice with a grain of salt. Of course, 4 is the advice that tries to be useful. ... 
Anthony (Tony) Cordesman has passed away
I will miss AHC. His ears seemed very similar to mine, though his budget was larger. I found his email decades ago and we exchanged brief messages every 10 years or so. His advice was always sterling. A favorite comment by AHC, from one of his r... 
What news in 2023 struck you?
The GAN coverage has caught my eye, though I've not had the opportunity to compare a GAN Class D amp to one made with conventional silicon. As a Roon user, I am a bit concerned about the new ownership (Harmon/Samsung), though it's a far better de... 
It's attention, not money, we should budget
More attention to the music, less to the equipment, is my suggestion.  
Processor ADC rate setting 96K versus 192K?
Try both a few times and see if you hear a difference. If so, pick the one that sounds better to you. Any audible differences between ADC at those rates are more likely due to differences in implementation (circuit quality) than due to intrinsic ... 
Adcom pre amp versus Van Alstine
In my experience, AVA makes great gear with excellent service.  
Wiim pro questions.
Yes, it will work. Think about possibly springing for the Pro Plus instead, in case you ever want to use the DAC section, for example in a traveling system.  
Does the streamer effect sound quality
If you are using the DACs in the streamers, the sound will vary more between them than if you are using the digital outputs only.  
Recommend a non-polite sounding amp / integrated
You might consider a NAD C399. It uses the excellent Hypex nCore Class-D amplifier modules. I have heard amps built with them them, and they were neither polite nor harsh. I regret I have not heard the C399 itself, but it’s available from several... 
Preamp Gain issues with high efficiency speakers
It is a mystery why so much audiophile gear has too much gain, but often it does. Some of the newer gear has gain-ranging switches, for example the outstanding Benchmark AHB2 amp and many of the Class-D amps made with new Hypex and Purifi modules.... 
Auralic Aries G1.1
Those who doubt what I said should look at the Auralic forum. I have never had the problem myself and was surprised to read about it. But apparently, a small minority of DACs have something weird about the USB connection.    
Auralic Aries G1.1
Like @jond, I have an Aries G1 and am quite pleased with it. It's solidly built and easy to use, without the fiddling of Pi-based streamers. I also appreciate the display, which (e.g.) shows the IP address upon boot up -- very useful when setting ... 
Preamp vs DAC vs Streamer
I think you’ll find the Lyngdorf does ADA conversion as well. In general, I don’t know of (but would be glad to hear about) any preamp that does full bass management in the analog domain. By "full," I mean both high-pass for the main speakers and ... 
Best amps for Janszen speakers?
I’ve used my pair of Valentinas with various solid-state amps. The Classé CA-2300 was great, but I could hear its fan running, so I didn’t buy it. If your room is noisier than mine and you can try one (it’s a discontinued model), it might be worth... 
Was 1971 the high point of popular music?
The year 1971 was the high point in popular music for those coming of age at that time. Not for those who came earlier or later.