stewart0722

Responses from stewart0722

Help me to choose turntable below 1600$.
Sometimes things that sound like an excellent proposition are not.....I had a friend, who is now a dealer......purchase a Marantz TT15 on my recommendation, because on paper, it seemed a killer value.....I think he paid about 1290.00 new for it...... 
best tube integrated under $5000 ?
ARC VSI60, well below 5K used...........stunning with moderately efficient speakers 
Comments on Zesto Andros 1.2 & Sutherland MCX
Zesto Andros would obliterate both of these in every category.....Haven't heard that exact Sutherland, but have heard other battery powered sutherlands.....and have heard the PH5.....There are not any phono pres that I can think of that can touch ... 
Ortofon Quintet Black S Cartridge-Looking for opinions
The quintet black is a great match for the Prime, or any other VPI table for that matter.......I have a Q Red that I use as a backup cart.....and used it with my HR-X and it filled the room with music......I think the 2M Black is also a fantastic ... 
8K for a one-time listen?
You won't be able to buy them, because I just ordered all they had......I like to listen to my songs more than once :) 
Need suggestions for a MC Cart for my VPI Prime
I've heard lots of cartridges w/ VPI tables, owned Ortofon Quintet Red, Bronze, Cadenza Bronze and Black and an SPU.  Have used the Kiseki Purpleheart on a VPI HR-X.  I think for the 3d arm/prime combo in the 2k range, I would audition the Transfi... 
Looking to build a system for under $5k
If you liked the synergy of the Belles with the Vandy’s, then you’re making a severe mistake going away from it just to get an internal DAC (and probably a cheap one at that)I would do the Belles which you know matches beautifully to the Vandys an... 
Looking to build a system for under $5k
curious.......why would audio connection take you to a Vandersteen that exceeds your entire system budget by 2K, and then slide you all the way down to the least expensive floorstander Vandy makes?  Why did they not let you listen to the 2CESigII?... 
Looking to build a system for under $5k
a lot depends on your room......If I had 5K and an average sized space, I would do Vandy 2CESignatureII's (2300 or so) coupled with a Vincent SV237 hybrid class A intergrated from Audio Advisor for about 2300 including a great DACJust add an Oppo ... 
Magnepans
Yes, no budgets ever shared......but based on him originally looking at a pair of 2.5s and nothing else, I would suppose his original budget was no more than a 2 or 3 hundred.......now.....who knows....noone's talkin....The thread primarily serves... 
Magnepans
I would not get too caught up in the whole true versus quasi ribbon question.......a quasi ribbon is ANY variation on a true ribbon, which is simply a ribbon in air w/ voltage applied......In the case of the 1.7i's, the quasi ribbon consists of a ... 
Magnepans
Hasse,When I say low level detail, I'm referring to minute details such as decay of a piano, or revealing of things you hear in older jazz recordings in a quiet passage such as a chair creaking, or the subtle brush of a cymbal....in those areas I ... 
Magnepans
Nature boy,The 2.5r is a very old speaker.....the 1.7 would be quite a bit better, and the I a little better than that......of course the 3.7 or 3.7i would be an even more substantial bump in performance.......it's really a function of room size, ... 
Magnepans
Nature boy, go read Harry Pearson's review of the 3.7's in Harry's Workshop, absolute sound and jonathan valins follow up article......it's a good explanation of why the .7 variants are such a huge upgrade over past Maggie iterations......quasi ri... 
Seeking Suggestions on Preamp Upgrade (CJ, Aesthetix, EAR)
The issues I heard about were from a dealer who had purchased Aesthetix for his personal use....he wasn't an Aesthetix dealer.....It was about 2 years ago......overall, he has been much happier with the Zesto, he became a Zesto dealer after purcha...