reg19

Responses from reg19

Luxman 595ASE
Why is Luxman still so expensive? The yen has depreciated roughly 20% over the past year vs USD.    
Would someone mind translating this Hegel H30a / P30a video?
Basically: I am very glad that I acquired the P30 and H30 before they are hard to get. Of course, most of our modern transistors are low noise, but the Toshiba ones are so euphonic. My previous Hegel was the H590 which I would characterize as ‘cle... 
Would someone mind translating this Hegel H30a / P30a video?
Thank you, lukemaximus. This is tremendously helpful. 🙏 🙂  
Which DACs are known to be sweet/rich/relaxed?
I have the Scala Utopia, which, offers somewhat similar challenges as the Stella Utopia (albeit on a smaller scale). It sounds harsh and revealing with some equipment. After a lot of experimentation, I’ve settled onto this for musicality: 1. A b... 
Point of diminishing returns for a Network Streamers?
Interesting topic. However, IMHO, the discussion is quite haphazard as, perhaps, our forum knows a lot more about amps, preamps, analog sources, than perhaps the new digital stuff. I’d suggest we first zone in on what qualities are important in ... 
Best preamp combination with Hegel H30?
Looks like they fixed the P30 defects. I bought one recently and I don’t see any issues.   Fantastic combo with the H30.  
Holo Serene vs Denafrips Athena (anyone compared these preamps?)
Serene is almost transparent (as if you connected your DAC directly to your amplifier).Suits if:1. You have a good DAC2. You do other stuff to improve the signal.I use it with the Holo May L2 and upsample with HQPlayer + NAA. 
Question Focal Sopra2 pricing $5k increase yo $19 kin 5 years, vs Wilson Sabrina X,
Real (not reported) inflation this year has been massive, as has the increase in shipping costs. Given that, I think that this price increase is not out of line at all.I’m on my 2nd pair of Focal speakers (I recently moved on from the excellent El... 
Best Preamp and Amp combination, interesting finding!!!
If, by preamp, you exclude the DAC, then:In my experience, for systems with only digital inputs, no preamp beats having a preamp.More money should be spent on improving the quality of the digital signal going into the DAC and into the DAC itself. 
Vandersteen Treo CT or Proac D48R
We need to create a sub-group of those who have had the good fortune to enjoy JohhnyR's hospitality in Verona!I love the deep, weighty, bass from his Treo CT's - I think he uses an Auralic Vega G2.1 DAC and probably a class A Belles power amp. Gre... 
Is the Hegel H-20 better than the Parasound A-21?
My 2 cents: I compared my Parasound A21 with the Hegel H190 today.Both fed by the RME ADI-2 DAC FS (used as a preamp for A21 and tried using it both as a DAC only and also as a preamp for Hegel)Speakers: Focal 1038Be with twin REL S510 subsListeni... 
Has Roon’s native engine caught up to HQPlayer?
tobes: with Roon alone (no HQP), I prefer regular redbook (no upsampling). DSD upscaling with Roon alone does not sound as good (clarity suffers though music gets 'softer'). PCM upsampling with Roon alone makes music 'thinner'.For my set-up, HQP i... 
If you stream music from the internet, I can't recommend this more highly
I did not find any discernible SQ difference between ultraRendu and opticalRendu. Though, I found uR to be better than mR. 
Has Roon’s native engine caught up to HQPlayer?
robes: For upconversion from PCM to DSD (highly recommended if you have a Delta Sigma type DAC), the choice of modulator makes a bigger difference than choice of filter in HQP. Can your rig run EC Modulators (like ASDM7EC) without the music stutte... 
Has Roon’s native engine caught up to HQPlayer?
A resounding no.HQPlayer sounds way better than Roon. Whether you upsample or not. Especially if you upsample (Roon upsampling is of not good quality at all).I have the RME ADI-2 DAC FS. I get the best SQ when I ‘enable DSD Direct’ on my DAC (so i...