willemj

Responses from willemj

Oppo UDP - 205
I am dead serious. Just look at the frequency response of a decent solid state amplifier with low output impedance: it will be flat within about 0.2 dB across the entire audible spectrum, and often even a bit beyond. Now compare that to some of th... 
Test Equipment vs The Ear
Show me the research in peer reviewed journals that show that what I said is an old wives’ tale. Here is a famous one from me: http://www.keith-snook.info/wireless-world-magazine/Wireless-World-1978/Valves%20versus%20Transistor... 
What's the weak link in my system?
Well maybe what you are hearing is that vinyl is a challenged medium. Noise, distortion and dynamic range are all far less than what real music needs, or than what digital sources can deliver. Hence a muddled sound.Marantz cd players are excellent... 
Most Important, Unloved Cable...
Yes peer review is part of the scientific method. And without science you would still, for example, have a life expectancy at birth of at best 30 years, and believe that you were getitng ill because of bad spirits or whatever nonsense. And medicin... 
Most Important, Unloved Cable...
Sure if there are no measurable differences in noise or frequency response, there is nothing until somebody comes up with a better measurement. An alternative and perhaps even purer way to look at it would be to inspect the digital packages and co... 
Most Important, Unloved Cable...
Well, here for the measurements:http://archimago.blogspot.nl/2015/02/measurements-intercontinental-internet.html http://archimago.blogspot.nl/2015/02/measurements-ethernet-cables-and-audio.html 
Newb to DAC question. Benefit of a DAC for only CD listening
That cd player is fine. In this case, don't waste money on an outboard DAC. 
Test Equipment vs The Ear
The problem is that human hearing is not very good - your dog is much better at it. The good news is that for most parts of the audio chain it is now possible to design and manufacture units that are better than what humans can reliably discern. T... 
Best Tube/SS Amps for Harbeth 7ES-3
They have been designed using a variety of bog standard Quad power amps. Alan Shaw, their designer, agrees with Peter Walker that a good amplifier is just a straight wire with gain. His criteria for choosing an amplifier are, first, enough power (... 
Need help in general and for choosing mid ranged amplifier
I would go for the AS 701. It is pretty powerful with a big and heavy power supply, and it has digital inputs so you will not need a separate DAC. You seem to be somewhere in Europe, and for your purpose and within your budget I can honestly not t... 
Crazy to buy a 17 year old CD Player?
An Oppo UDP 205 will give you video as well, plus a very fine DAC that you can use with other sources such as a Chromecast Audio or a television. I have my tv connected to my stereo system for much better audio, and I do not need multichannel (two... 
Question for cable/wire naysayers.....
The scientist in me then asks first, have you equalized levels to within 0.2 dB (you need a volt meter for that), and second, did you do the listening double blind? If not, your experiences  are just that: impressions rather than facts. And I have... 
System Upgrade Recommendations
That is not a small room, so a bit more power such as delivered by an extra sub will not go amiss. And a second sub makes for a much smoother response in the low frequencies. A second hand T7 is a good idea, therefore, but if you find one (I am su... 
Need help in general and for choosing mid ranged amplifier
1 Those Yamaha amplifiers and receivers are excellent (and the heaviest is likely to be the best, because it will have the biggest power supply). They are powerful enough for your efficient speakers in a small room (and would also drive less effic... 
Amps Always On - System Power Up Sequence
Everything gets turned off here, for two reasons. The first is the fire risk, and the second is concern for the environment. I think it is really wrong to add even more emissions, and I say this even though we produce nearly (but not quite) all ou...