bwyoung

Responses from bwyoung

life without audio dealers
I totally agree with Jmcgrogan2. It is just wrong to use a loaner from a b&m store then buy that very item from an online source. It costs that dealer real money to give you that service (which is why some do not offer it).As to life without b... 
How to make sound less detailed with warmth?
Replace the amp since its dead anyway. Change the cables next (the cardas suggestion is a good one), then if that has not sufficiently fixed your problem change out the Thiels. I owned the Thiel 1.5s and they can sound heavenly if properly matched... 
New or used???
Go used. There are many great deals here on Audiogon and many sellers are selling gear that is in mint or near mint condition. Pay attention to the feedback they have received however. I have been burned. Also, pay attention to how long they have ... 
tube pre suggestion
I am not a tube preamp expert by any stretch but I believe I struck gold upon my first venture into tubes. I purchased a AE-3 DJH signature (cary) preamp. This preamp is not the soft or rolled off variety of tube preamp. It is dynamic and has an o... 
Pre-amp, integrated, new power amp...I'm confused
Sell your integrated and buy a primaluna integrated. I think it has the sound you are describing. Well built too. 
lat international
Talk to Kurt at Echoaudio.com. I found the LAT interconnect to be very very good for the price. I sold my $1,700 cable it replaced. 
Balanced usage with Opus 21
I am an Opus owner and have been since its release (including the upgrades). I too love this player... sounds great and is a very versitile unit. I have used RCA, balanced and DIN outputs in various configurations. I agree with the owners and revi... 
Amp for B&W 802N
I second the Krell 300cx. That is my setup. I would also biwire them using the extra pair of speaker terminals on the Krell. Both the amp and the speakers seemed to like the extra set of wires... more bass and more open sound. 
XLR-RCA adapters - which to choose?
I have not owned or listened to the Purest Audio Design adapters, but I have owned the Cardas adapters for about a year. It became necessary to insert XLR to RCA adapters in my system because of the preamp I had chosen. All I can tell you is that ... 
B&W HTM4s verses HTM2 center speaker
My fronts are B&W 802N. I do not have room for the bigger HTM1 or HTM3s. 
Speaker upgrade suggestions
What is your price range? I think that the 700 series of the B&W's are a huge step up in sonics from the 600 series speakers. However, they are revealing and if your electronics are on the bright side, I would choose a different path than the ... 
Double sets of speaker binding posts on Krell ?
Krell amps have plenty of juice and seem to like bi-wiring. When I bi-wired my B&W's and used both sets of binding posts, it seemed like the amp took better control of the speakers. Of course, B&W recommends bi-wiring, so your mileage may ... 
Which is more important? Amp or Preamp?
In my experience a preamp upgrade surpasses an amp upgrade. Search the archives on this question. Volumes have been written. My $.02 = Buy a mint-used $1,500-$2,500 tube preamp of your choice. Use the preamp 'main' RCA outputs from your Rotel proc... 
Amateur inherited an audio system...
I read my wife this post and some of the clever responses. Her first response was, "keep the gear and upgrade the girlfriend." 
XM vs Sirius Portable Receivers - What's Out There
I am new to XM. I cannot speak to the other options you are considering but I just purchased the Delphi MyFi unit 2 weeks ago. It is very easy to use and transfer from office/home to car. For the gym it would work fine as long as you are listening...