celtic66

Responses from celtic66

Jazz/blues guitarist suggestions for SRV fan.
Popa Chubby, Tab Benoit. 
Decent starter cables?
Best buys are Audioquest Type 6 or Type 6 CV speaker cable, Wire World interconnect. 
Where does that hiss on the master come from?
South Philly. No, really. Hissing occurs in the upper registers and usually means the recording has beeen mostly left alone allowing a more natural sound in that region. Vocals are more natural, symbals ring truer, an openess occurs surpressed by ... 
Jazz suggestions please
Go online and listen to KPLU.org from Tacoma, WA and KUAZ from Tucson, AZ. Best and fastest education as they will play the artists you mentioned AND tell you which albums. 
what's my problem?
Audioquest Type 6 or better, Wire World IC and you're on your way. 
Starting out
Antique Sound Labs does very nice work for reasonable money. I believe they still offer an integrated with phono for under a $1,000 
Recommend upgrade for NAD C541
I've spoken with a dealer handling both NAD and Arcam and she states the Arcam 62 for $100 is significantly better than the NAD. You can go from there. 
Yoiks, I'm amplifier confused.
Here goes. Keep the CDP. Find an outboard DAC as the transport is very decent. Any of the tube amplifier choices are very good. Stick with Rogue if you like the preamp. I listen to a lot of acoustic jazz and run VTL TT-25s if that helps. Very good... 
Monitors $1,000 to $2,000?
The ATC SCM 12s are outrageous and will best anything I've heard in that price range. Nearly as quick as electrostatics with great vocals. Please add to list. 
speaker stand question
Mission 72s are identical as are many of the Mission speakers and I find not ill effects from placing on 24" stands. Of course expermintation is always best. 
++++StereoPhile Class A components+++++
When you absolutely, positively have to know, then whenever possible go listen for yourself. There is some dreadful highly touted equipment out there. A friend is always reading reviews to me and convinced something new is the hottest. Sometimes y... 
The British speaker sound: Tannoy, Harbeth, etc...
I've owned several British speakers and recently come to love the small Spendors and the ATC SCM 7s and SCM 12s as most open, detailed and simply musical. 
Best Jimmy SMith/organ masters.....
Further Adventures of Jimmy and Wes. 
Shipping between Canada and the States
My understanding and experience is that USPS is best as UPS always uses a broker and charges often around $50 per transaction. I've paid this before with speakers coming from Canada. 
$10 / foot speaker wire
Audioquest Slate is somewhat smoother than Type 6 which is also very nice. Audio Atlanta was offering older stock for $6/ft. Good deal.