agwca

Responses from agwca

Small compact 2-way speakers? Harbeth p3esr xd vs DALI Menuet SE ?
I had the Dali Menuet SE before the price increase and while they are nice and do well what they are supposed to do which is present a very holographic image with good note weight, they were too dark for my liking.  If one likes a smooth (I could ... 
Have some fun with bookshelf monitors!!
Well, given your constraints "Speakers have to sit on a bookshelf, have a wood or white finish, and most importantly be interesting!", you could do 1 of 2 things. 1: Buy a speaker designed to be both near a wall and on a bookshelf, Ex. (some Dali... 
Unusual countries for audio gear
Currently using a Keces amp (Taiwan) and Audel speakers (Sicily).  
Standmount speaker suggestion
Having just bought new speakers (Audel) I had a shortlist.  I wouldn't recommend the new replacement speaker that I had bought on closeout as it took a huge price hike when there are still the others I considered were as stated above from others' ... 
Have you reached your end point with this addictive hobby?
Downsizing my gear (large standmounts, big amp) and  went through some trial periods with various equipment.  Was perfectly happy downsizing to Opticon 1 on a Keces E40 using a Topping D70s with a small sub.  All worked well. In fact the little Ke... 
Do You Unplug Equipment During Thunderstorms?
Yes, if I am able.  So far so good although the Apt wiring is old and out of code.  Use surge protectors in series and probably have dirty power but music still sounds great.  Moving soon to something in code.  
Shipping costs- WTF
Get a Fedex account and request ground shipping.  
Speakers sound too bright.
I had the ML 15i and didn't find it bright but I tend to favor speakers some find brighter for whatever reason.   Had Focals if that tells you something and have a variety of others that most would not call dark or warm. Although they were very a... 
Why did you purchase the equipment you have and what do you like most about it?
Purchased alot of mid priced gear over the years and at this stage I know what I need and don't so much in SQ.  I listen at low to moderate levels and wanted gear that isn't too bulky, sounds great to me and has a reputation for reliability and lo... 
Has it all been worth it?
Gone though alot of gear myself. Never bought super expensive gear costing multiples of thousands but have spent 2 grand on speakers and a bit more on an amp, both discounted and were closer to double retail. At this stage, I listen at lower to m... 
Anybody having trouble getting near-your-asking-price for used gear ? (Plz. no hype)
With used gear in an environment where new gear are having to have substantial markdowns for sales people notice.  If velocity of used sales and prices have a downward trend, unless someone finds their dream piece and jumps on it, time will go by ... 
Is there any such thing as a bad sounding DAC these days?
Today, it is expected that any dac over a $100 sound pretty decent with either improvements or a sound emphasis that perhaps provides a noticeable improvement or works better with one's amp, speakers, etc., that supports the increases in price. A... 
Should I use Impedance 4 or 8?
While I don't use tube amps, the Stereophile impedance curve shown from the review dated Mar 17, 2023 shows what some consider to be an older design when people used tube amps versus more modern designs where impedance curves are both flatter and ... 
Class A bias, speaker sensitivity, watts...?
Would like to try a really accomplished class A someday but don't want to deal with heat.  Same with tubes I suppose.  Purportedly, some class D can sound very class A like and that could be the best option. But if space suffers, instrument sep. ... 
soft dome versus hard dome tweeters
I had speakers with metal drivers for years, seemingly more info than previous soft domes although varied in ringing, glare or sibilant extension. Even some soft domes were overbearing. Then I went with Dali Menuet SEs which comparatively subdue...