pingvin

Responses from pingvin

Second-hand record stores in Tokyo
Many thanks for the quick and informative responses. I will enjoy my day off, I'm sure.  
Looking for a Warmer Sounding Phono Cartridge
I have owned both Soundsmith Zephyr. I would not go with that but instead the Carmen (which I also owned and regretted selling with a turntable). Elliptical, very low groove noise compared to the Zephyr, warm and rounded sound. And cheaper than th... 
New MOFI speaker (Andrew Jones)
No intention to rain on the enthusiasm, but I thought the sound at CAF was a bit splashy here and there. Too many unknowns to attribute definitely to the speakers, and it probably wouldn’t bother many even if it is the speakers. But I think it fai... 
"warm" solid state integrated amplifier
Tubeless, many here are sympathetic to your goals. At the risk of throwing in a variable that was not requested, I'd suggest at least trying different speakers (say, Spendor Classic line (not D line), or Harbeth C7). I tried the ProAc D2s some tim... 
Ridiculous assertions that someone is being ripped off or conned
There is a different version: the "I could get the parts and do it myself for 1/10th the (retail) cost" crowd -- people who have very little grasp of amortizing fixed and development costs and covering current costs of running a business. But no, ... 
Tube rolling on Leven CS 600
I usually ran the CS600 with the lid off, but I recall -- I haven't had it for a few years now -- that the GL KT66 were able to fit below the lid. The upstream components don't look to be at fault. I've only heard one system with the Luna cables... 
Tube rolling on Leven CS 600
Interesting. I had the 600 with Devore O/93s. After running various EL34s, GL KT77, KT90, 5881, and the Russian equivalents Jeff Day popularized, I eventually settled on GL KT66, which I found to be the most balanced.I'm usually not one to put muc... 
High end high quality int. amp for low level listening
I had Sonus Fabers once and they didn't "wake up" until about 75 or 80 db I'm guessing. I suggest that you at least listen to your Pathos with more sensitive speakers. If you don't want to, then consider the new Audio Research I50, which is in you... 
MM Cartridge Recommendation
I agree that the 2M LvB is an intriguing offering. It lacks the upper mid-bass hump of the standard 2M Black (which I speculate is because of the relatively heavy aluminium stylus) and is even more “neutral” (forgive the abuse of meaning). On that... 
MM Cartridge Recommendation
A couple of thoughts:First, do you have another well-known source (say, digital). If the system is still not sufficiently warm for your taste, and you have tried the free stuff (speaker and seat placements, room tuning with furnishings and rugs, e... 
Devore 0/96 - Integrated AMP help
Not pushing, but NAF makes a more affordable amp. Push pull, class A, with KT66 tubes run in triode mode. Might be worth a call to Jeff Catalano to see whether it could fit your budget.The problem nonetheless is that you won't be able to hear t... 
Devore 0/96 - Integrated AMP help
Everyone has slightly different sonic priorities, and that’s cool. So mine is but one opinion. I have lived with O/93s for 8 years now and don’t have any desire to replace them, even though I can see how some might prefer something else. Same with... 
I have atcsm40 want possible alternative
Try something that is more sensitive and can therefore “wake up” at lower sound levels. It would be useful to at least listen to examples such as (in the price range) Devore O/93. But... such speakers often sound at their best with tube amps (less... 
May I have any advice on Horning Hybrid Aristotle PM65 speaker?
I’ve spent quite a bit of time with the Aristoteles at High Water Sound and like them a lot. I think I have a handle on the Maggie sound (I owned once: big, enveloping, but lacking microdynamics IMO), Harbeth (owned once), Vienna and SF (the last ... 
How deadly is transformer hummm...
The OP asks how deadly is transformer hum. With only a little bit of exaggeration, I feel transformer hum might have significantly lowered risks to my life:I have a class A tube amp. A little bit of transformer noise when up close, but nothing to ...