celtic66

Responses from celtic66

Weiss 501 DAC
After running the Weiss 501 DAC for over a year, Tom at Big Ear in Tempe suggested as good as the Weiss is as a standalone, it could use some help from a quality preamp.  So, with unchecked sanity, I plugged in a Luxman C900u and he is/was correct... 
Review ATC SCM20PSL monitors 50 hours listening
ATC SCM20PSL monitors now with 200 hrs. playing time on them, evolving with further help from Sound Anchor stands (thank you Tom from The Big Ear) and Herbie's Fat Dots.  Damn they are heavy!  The stands, not the dots.  The stands and dots cleaned... 
Bookshelf speakers that pair well with Decware ZMA
Talk to Steve D. about his transducers.  
Under my tower speakers -- Isoacoustics Gaia, other options?
@hilde45     Yes, the Gaia work quite well doing all they need do.  For lots more money it's the Townshend.  If on carpet/rug the carpet spikes used in conjunction improved the sound as much as the footers.  Really a weird affect to me.  
Vintage amplifier specifications
2 ohm impedance was the threshold for most designs of that vintage.  Even the original NAD 3020 would tolerate 2 ohm until driven hard and smoked.  Unsound is correct about big iron.  Include Yamaha, Accuphase, GAS and Luxman.  
Under my tower speakers -- Isoacoustics Gaia, other options?
Gaia footers do everything well.  I've used them under 2 different pairs of towers:  ATC 40 and ATC 50 actives.  In both cases attack, dynamics, space around voices/instruments improved.  Noise level dropped, hence a blacker background.  Well wort... 
Boz Scaggs Silk Degrees Blu-Spec II
tomcy6  Agreed.  It's a crapshoot at times.  Boz's self-professed trilogy of A Fool to Care, Out of the Blues and Memphis is great with terrific production quality on all three plus real blues.  I like Silk Degrees for what it is and do not preten... 
"Best" 80's HiFi System
Oracle turntable with SME arm Dynavector Ruby cartridge Luxman 1120A receiver Spender BC 1 monitors with original stands Nakamichi Dragon cassette I could still listen to this system and enjoy it immensely.    
Is there a remedy?
If it for sure is cabinet/driver/wire buzz then the suggestions are competent.  I experienced an omnidirectional buzz for weeks.  Turned out it was a ceiling heating vent.  Dampened it with poster putty.  Best of luck solving.  Cheers  
Cheapest but good cables….
holmz    Better be good wire.  Just ordered 24' of it.  Should be fun.  Thanks for info.  
Which Line Level, Balanced Preamplifier?
Sugden LA 4.  Brilliant kit that will set things afire with speed and impact.  No syrup here.  Rich but not lush.  Great sound stage.  The Brits do this one right.  
Cables from amp to preamp or longer speaker cables…
+1 au_lait         I ran these with 30K active speakers they sound terrific!  For the money, unbeatable.  And you can order custom lengths.  Bets of luck.  
Cheapest but good cables….
Duelund DCA 12 is excellent.  Run that currently with ATC 20 passives.  But not as cheap as Mogami at $17/m from Parts Connexion.  It comes as a single wire, so pricing is a bit deceiving as you need calculate 2Xs for one speaker.  2m length each ... 
Cheapest but good cables….
Hard pressed to beat Mogami for cheapest and best.  Here on Audiogon is a small builder doing speaker cables and interconnects with Neutrik connectors.  I ran a pair of his balanced on a 30K pair of active speakers and they rocked. Or you can ord... 
What should I upgrade first on my budget system?
Rotel, absolutely the Rotel.  Rega Apollo replacement perhaps.  It's the Rotel.  I'm sure of it.  Have fun.