Best Speakers with a DNA-1?

I still say Vandersteen 2's need to be on your short list.  I use to hang out at a dealer adn he had them paired wiht McCormack all the time.  Just so musical.  So many options in that price range.  Thats' why I am always amazed at how Vandersteen has sold so many.  Just amazing value.  

There was a reason CJ purchased McCormick back in the day.  I too owned a CJ pre as well as a passive pre.  Both sounded awesome with it.  Just well designed gear.  

So often we see dealers who carry Vandersteen also carry the same amps as the other dealers.  Same goes with Focal (they usually carry most of the Audio Plus Services line of gear) or B&W or .......

I always try to find out what gear companies use to voice their own gear. Helps me when auditioning products.

Funny as folks get mad at me when I tell them to try adn purchase his newest models as he really does upgrade constantly.  It's also nice to be able to get some of the upgrades after you have owned your speakers for a few years for a nominal fee.  

Didn't even know Steve still upgrades and is building.  He is one of the forgotten builders I think.  I loved his amps as well as Brown Electronics Lab or BEL amps and a few others.  They would have been some of the first builders who would probably have sold direct back in the day if they really had that.

Agree about getting over to Verona, NJ adn Audio Connection.  The Vandersteen's mate great with those amps. I asked a couple of friends offline (they don't play in audio forums, lol) about their amps that weren't upgraded and how they mated with their Vandersteen's.  To a person they said that for a SS amp, you would have to spend major coin to get such a great match.  One runs the Treo original and the other one runs the 2's (newest ones with the upgrades).  

Yes the Maggies work nicely withe McCormicks too based on what I remember but was a bit ago for me, lol.  

4hannons, funny as I'm looking at the LSA or another remote relay volume control IF I get the new Vandersteen amps that are coming out soon.  I'd love to hear more about your thoughts.  Either on this thread or email me at ctsooner@alumni.ou.edu   

Offnon, I promise you that if you go listen to some of the newer speakers like a Vandersteen or even B&W (Johnny also sells those so you can hear side by side) you will be floored.  

Bob, I will need a preamp/volume control is I get the Vandersteen new mono blocks.  I was told they are as good as most of the 30-40k mono's out there. I wouldn't be able to afford a good Audio Research LS28 ((even used), Richard said to get a great volume control.  The only input I use now is a balanced from the new The Memory Player or the Ayre QX5/20 (if I decide to keep this and not take delivery on TMP).  Was told that Lightspeed is the best sounding, but it's not balanced and can't be. I spoke with the designer, who's in Austrailia, and he said there are too many small variances so balanced won't work.  '

Sure, may as well send some pics.  I won't know for a few months since the amps won't be ready quite yet.  Have to move a few pieces before I can afford it. I also wanted to do balanced if possible as that's how the amps are maxed out and I have a lot of money invested in balanced interconnects, lol. I am speaking with someone who actually made a similar volume control years before this guy did and he said he'd see if he could max one out in balanced mode by matching components better.  Way above my pay grade lol.

Bob, I'm gettin The Memory Player by Sam Laufer's company.  You can get it with or without the DAC built in. I'll have the DAC built directly into it as they do it properly so everything is shielded and isolated properly.  They have totally separate power supplies for the player and the DAC. They have a built in transport for easy ripping etc...  It is one of, if not the best server/streamer in the world.  Constant upgrades included etc...  

You have been over and seen my system.  My end game (if I can get there) would be the new Vandersteen mono blocks with HRS footers, a 'best' volume control and then The Memory Player.  I have my Apple TV and cable box going directly into my TV.  I'd then do an optical out into The Memory Player or into my Synchro Mesh reclocker first and then into TMP.  Then go balanced out into a volume control or take the high output RCA from TMP into the Lightspeed control.  That would then to into the mono blocks.  Much cleaner system with fewer boxes, cords etc...  not quite a high end lifestyle system, but not far away.  All I'd have in my rack/tv stand would be TMP and a small box for the remote volume control.  TMP is controlled by an app on a touchscreen or from my TV and the volume would be from the TV remote (an all in one remote) so I'd only need one remote control out and then use the phone or the pad or the TV.  Just versatile and simple. Also Sam has total remote control into TMP so he can reset fix and install anything whenever it's needed.  

Bob, if you want to talk, I am selling my Ayre QX5/20 that is a complete digital hub with 10 inputs and streamer built in. You've heard it.  It's a SICK unit.  The volume control on it is as good as any pre I've heard under about 4k or so.  It's not quite as good as my Ayre integrated pre as that's in the range of a 10k preamp, lol.  The DAC is silly good.  We had it up against DAC's in teh 20k range and it's a SMIDGE below, but not that much. It actually has a bit more detail than the great Brinkmann Nyquist DAC (love this DAC), but not quiet as much bloom, but close.  

I also use the balanced outputs on the QX5 headphone amp and it's as good as any of the Woo headphone amps I've used.  sorry for the long post. 

Here's a link to The Memory Player:    https://www.thememoryplayer.net

Bob, no a decent preamp will be better for volume control than the Codex will give you.  They spent a ton more money on the QX5/20 headphone amp and volume control.  

bob, send me your email again please. I can't find it.  Sam is the BEST. He's a good guy who cares.  Teh software and other updates he offers really make a huge difference.  That mini is a great unit too.  

The Synchro Mesh is an amazing piece.  What it would do it give me flexibility to use a sp/diff instead of the optical.  The TV only has an optical out, so I would need to use it if I want a different input into TMP.  Sam said he will turn on the optical input if I want but if it will degrade the sound at all, I won't do that.

Cheeg, go see Randy at Optical Enchantment.  He's over near the 3rd Street Promenade I believe:  http://www.optimalenchantment.com
He has a lot of great gear and has been doing this for years and years.  I'm sure he'd love to help you.  I don't know him, but friends who have purchased from him over the years love him.  They say he is not high pressure at all and loves to teach.  

Let us know how that goes. I don't know his full product line as I just did a search in your area.  I just got back from Pasadena for the Rose Bowl.  I used to spend a week or two a month in the 90's for business.  There was a great high end store off Colorado that had Avalon's.  Closed now, but in the day they were awesome.  

Oh, used Treo's are going for about 4,800-5,700 or so and they are rarely on the market. Right now there haven't been any on the market since October 2017.

Actually there are none for sale right now.  The prices are for the regular and not the CT.  The only CT I saw that has sold went for around 6k

There is no absolute answer there.  It literally depends on what iteration of speaker you are getting.  If you can afford the 3k, I'd probably get a new pair of 2's and a new integrated where you buy them that mates great with them.  As I told you, I'm always a bit Leary getting used speakers.  The Yamaha amp won't give you the magic the the TReo's or any speaker in that range will give you.  It will drive the 3 or lower, but still a new pair of 2's driven by a Rotel, Nad or one of the other integrated amps that AC sells will sound better IMHO.  Funny as I did a search on regular Treo's and noticed selling prices from 3800 (they had scratches on them) to 4500.  None are even on the market right now that I could find and only a couple have been sold in the last year.  Either way, you will get much better sound with 2 to Treo.  

I agree with Bob and Hifiman.  As for used gear, there are some great stories and some not so great ones.  As long as you have an idea of who you are getting it from and or can see/hear it first (Bob came over and listened for a bit before taking them).  I have been burned a few times, so I get a bit skittish on speakers.  I'd never get a used pair that used foam surrounds.  The only problem with older drivers is that the materials on them wear out after a period of time.  The newer materials won't do that and if they do, the life span will be much much longer.  For components, caps and things do dry up and fail over time, so that's also a concern.  That's one reason I alway send out older components to be looked at and upgraded as needed.  Even on the Onix integrated I'm going to sell, I had someone check it out a couple of years ago and install some new caps etc.. as needed.  It's just a buyers beware deal. 

I know on used Vandersteen's, I've seen guys send them back for the upgrades (if any are offered) and pass that cost along to the next owner as he will only upgrade if it's the original buyer.  I've seen that set up in the past and then the person purchasing them, knows they are getting a speaker that is latest and greatest AND has mostly new components.  Works out great for all.  Just another thought.