the_smokester

Responses from the_smokester

best recordings for a sense of scale
If you mean a good sense of space, then I would suggest Duke Ellington's "Jazz Party in Stereo". 
Your favorites amplifiers for their visual look ?
I think my Wavestream V-8 is very cool. 'Cept when it's playing music. 
Preamp inverts phase question:
I think that the original question should be re-posted and all those who participated in this thread be barred from answering. 
Turntables better than a Wadia 861SE w/ Statement
Just to note: The original thread here is a almost four years old. 
Which cd players have digital INPUT?
Wadia 861xi has multiple digital inputs.An issue with plugging an external source into a cd player is clock jitter. 
DAC or CD PLAYER?...again
Why not get something like a Logitech Squeeze box and use the digital outs to go into a DAC? Then, WiFi your music from the PC. 
Recommended acoustic recordings
Any record featuring Eva CassidyJoan Baez "In Concert" 
Balanced vs Unbalanced?
There is no fundamental difference in sound quality between "balanced" and "single-ended" circuits. The major upside to balanced circuits is that they are less susceptible to correlated noise picked up by interconnects, ground loops and power supp... 
Rega P3-24 help required.Right Ch. Distortion
Another thought: Is your turntable level? 
phono stage / step up for Koetsu carts
What cartridge did you get?Another thing: Regarding Step Up Transformers, there are opinions about this. Here is mine since I had to make the decision with my setup.Compared to a mediocre phonoamp, a good transformer can often produce a seductive ... 
phono stage / step up for Koetsu carts
I started out with a Tom Evans Microgroove+ with my first Koetsu. This had an excellent tonality to it but was somewhat noisy. Probably a Groove would be way better but I have never heard one.After trying many phono front ends--Nagra, CJ, Manley, ... 
High powered point to point tube amp?
Another $50k possibility is a pair of Wavestream V-8 monoblocks...Not sure they would do the trick at 1.8 ohms but you could contact the manufacturer. 
amp to power paradigm studio 100s
I drove Paradigm Studio 100's successfully with a Classe CAP 151 integrated. 
Why are server setups so costly relative to CDP's?
I have SlimServer installed on my PC in another room. All my seedees have been ripped to the PC (the hardest part of the process). I have a SqueezeBox attached to the DAC on my Wadia seedee player through a S/PDIF optical fiber. Music is wifi'd fr... 
Fav Hi Res downloads... What & Where?
Try Linn Records (linnrecords.com).