motown-l

Responses from motown-l

Your experiences with system synergy
I don't have experience in high end valve equipment, but I find there is a very clear element of synergy, even in my entry-level, solid state experience. All equipment in the audio chain have inherent "voicing". My experience is that the amp and s... 
List some of your favorite live Jazz recordings
Eddie Harris and Les McCann live at Montreux - "Swiss Movement" Nina Simone - Harlem Cultural Festival    
Why do speakers improve with more powerful amps?
I agree with the posters who indicate "it depends". My current Revel speakers are rated at 6 ohms with 87db sensitivity. They were initially being driven with a 50 WPC Arcam and I needed to push the amp pretty hard to get the speakers to sound the... 
When are speakers considered Hi-Fi and not Mid-Fi???
If I can afford it, it must be mid-fi.     
Probably a dumb question
Paragon Audio in Ann Arbor, MI. They are online as well. High end used  
How do I know if my systems any good?
If you turn your system on, close your eyes and say "this stuff sounds really good, love the music". You have reached audio Valhalla without all the violence.  
Top two most important sound qualities
I think imaging and soundstage. I'll give up the last 10/10th of detail for a lack of fatigue, if necessary at a budget point.  
Prospectives on Chi-Fi
Lord Melton's post has nothing to do with Chi-Fi. Just for the record, I was worse off under the prior administration. Even my paltry 2017 tax cut has expired. Now for on-topic: My "American" branded Revel speakers are owned by a S. Korean conglo... 
Forced to DIY
I used to do about half of our home repairs. Now I find that my 67 year old back and sciatica limit my home repairs, significantly. I'm no electronic tech, but I have done some modifications to old audio equipment. New switches, light bulbs, fuses... 
Vibration isolation or absorption?
From Clearthinker, above, it appears that I may have stumbled onto something correct, for a change. My audio space is on a slab, with carpeting over it. My speaker stands are connected to the floor via spikes, without any saucers. My speakers sit ... 
Law Of Diminishing Returns?
I consider myself a stereo enthusiast vs being an audiophile. The main difference? Budget. I've been in this hobby since the early 70's and have had many different components over the years. I had to sell my prized stereo during a contentious divo... 
getting into streaming
My amp uses the same DAC chip as the AQ Dragonfly (I forget which color). It's a decent enough DAC chip for my needs. The amp allows for Digital Coax, Toslink and has a USB input, as well. I am using a desktop computer which is capable of 24/386 f... 
Are you interested in the new generation of "old school" design loudspeakers?
Back in the late 70's, I had a pair of JBL L-166 Horizons that I bought at an employee discount of $500. (about $1700 in 2023 dollars). They were amazing, at the time, being driven by a Sansui AU-717 and other upper end, mainstream source devices.... 
What's up with lousy bass on classic rock recordings?
I also find some older recordings to be light on the bass output. Especially true on some older LP's. I find that simply raising the frequency of the low pass filter and turning up the gain on my sub captures what's missing.   
Did the Old Receivers Sound Good?
I used to sell audio in the heyday. The mainstream companies like Marantz, Pioneer and etc., seemed to save their audio goodness for their separates. They all made some halo products that to my ears were noticeably better sounding than their recei...