rdavwhitaker

Responses from rdavwhitaker

Has any audiophile fellows compare the sound.
I actually own both a REF 75 and a DS 225 - not quite the 450, but I doubt the difference in sound between the 225 and 450 is meaningful. The 225 has a more solid, well-defined bottom end, but is a little brighter at the top. Just about exactly wh... 
The Audiophile's Wife no longer putting it out?
It sure looks like she has decided to bring her blog entries to a close with "Swan Song." I'd like to thank the Audiophile's Wife for two years of wonderful, funny insights on all things audiophile. Her blog entries were always a highlight of my w... 
How much do you have to spend, to get a good Sub?
If you are buying new, a good subwoofer that will be relatively easy to integrate into your system (which requires, as others have noted, that the subwoofer have some sort of automatic room correction software) will run between $2400 and $3200, mi... 
Preamp for headphone use
If your budget will accommodate things like McIntosh equipment, perhaps it has room for you to consider getting a dedicated headphone amp that you can either pair with a good preamp or even, in the short run, plug into the tape monitor output of y... 
Sennheiser hd 650 vs hd700
Well, Emster, there you have it. Six responses, and a clear consensus has emerged that headphone choices are highly subjective, dependent on associated equipment, and there's no accounting for taste. ;)I think the moral to the story is that you ar... 
Sennheiser hd 650 vs hd700
I have one of each - I've had the 650s for a couple years, and got the 700s a few months ago. I share Chadeffects' view that the 650s are a little dark, but I prefer that to overly bright headphones. I got the 700s because I had heard repeatedly t... 
Music Server now bane of my existence
Celtic66's comments resonated with me -- I was just thinking this evening, as I tracked down a glitch in my music server setup, that the whole music server "thing" is still way too glitch-laden, complicated, unstable, and involves way too much fid... 
Does The Squeezebox Touch Have a Worthy Successor?
I don't think so. Sonos probably comes the closest, but it is way more expensive. The Cambridge Stream Magic has even more functionality, and a better DAC, but lacks the cool interface and is, once again, much more expensive. I don't understand wh... 
Audio Research Ref Phono 10 comes in at $30k
The upper middle class and lower upper class in America are disappearing, and these companies know it. I suspect that unless trends in the US change soon, we will see most equipment between the Best Buy and Boulder price points disappear in the ne... 
Pure Music or Amarra with iMac
I have used both, and also the recently released jRiver Media Center Alpha build for Mac. I also recently downloaded Audirvana Plus and started playing with it. They all have strengths, but I think I've about settled on Audivarna Plus. It allows i... 
What reviews do you trust if any?
Audio reviewers are entertainers, not reporters, and in many cases are loaded down with conflicts of interest that would even embarrass a politican (I once read a review where the reviewer started by raving about the magnificently expensive steak ... 
how do YOU stream?
Mac Mini > jRiver Media Center (new Mac Alpha build) > USB 2.0 > Meitner MA-1 DAC > preampAlsoCambridge Audio Stream Magic 6 (for radio and streaming services) > Coax connection > Meitner MA-1 DAC > preamp 
Just for something different.....
I've been through a lot of speakers, and have finally settled on a pair of Wilson Benesch Curves, augmented by a Velodyne DD-10 Plus Subwoofer. The combination is very musical, with good balance and a great soundstage. I'm very happy, and not like... 
12v triggered power strip?
Another option, if all you want to trigger is the amp, is the Niles 12 volt trigger box, available from Crutchfield, among others. I used one with an amp that did not have a trigger, and it worked fine. 
Preamp with bypass/throughput
You might look for a used Cambridge Audio 840E either here or on eBay. Should be less than $1000, great sound, highly versatile, and a pass-through.