charles7

Responses from charles7

My experience with the First Watt F7
I have the FirstWatt F8. I am unable to find any of the issues you reported for the F7. Now this might be because I don't understand, in gut terms or rather in ear terms if you will, what they really refer to. My preamp is a Van Alstine Transcend... 
Which pair of speakers changed your Hifi life?
  Focal Aria 906s —not because they are super special speakers; they are not. But they are good speakers. They let me try amps, preamps, integrated amps; I heard the differences. When I settled on my amp and preamp, I could see that maybe other s... 
Current Pass integrateds?
His newest FirstWatt, the F8 power amplifier, is excellent. Paired with a Van Alstine Transcendence RB 10 tube preamp, the sound is realistic without calling attention to itself ("see how vividly there I am?!"). Of course, your speakers must be co... 
Help…looking to buy turntable
I have a Rega R2 and really like it. It is ready to play. With all turntables the first step up is the cartridge. When I wanted to take the step, I got an Audio-Technica VM95ML. Even better, still affordable.  
Suggestions for a Phono Preamp.
I am happy with the inexpensive TCC TC-750. https://www.phonopreamps.com/tc750pp.html When I bought it some time ago, it came with a 0.5A wall wart. I upgraded later to their 1.5A wall wart, and it really made a difference. If you buy the preamp,... 
Go Ahead and Laugh at Me
Another reason to be happy you have a voltmeter or multimeter.    
Pass INT-25 better than Wilsenton R8?
I have a FirstWatt F8 amplifier, which has a similar power output rating. I tried an Emotiva PT-1 preamp. Not really bad, but too bright. I swapped in a Van Alstine Transcendence RB 10 tube preamp. Now the sound is excellent. If you give the INT-... 
Preamp match for my First Watt F-7 amp.
I feed a FirstWatt F8 from a Van Alstine Transcendence RB 10 preamp. I rarely have the volume control past 10 o'clock. The sound out of Focal Aria 906's, rated 89.5 dB sensitivity, is terrific.      
Every day I see another turntable recommendation...
... and resign yourself to acquiring and playing the one percent or less of all vinyl issued, those few discs that give your system a source equal to their demands. 😉    
Is it worth upgrading my current turntable setup?
After a couple of bouts with upgraditis, I did not hear problems from my system - not harsh at the treble, not muddy at the bass, just no complaints. Therefore, I reasoned, the components are compatible and the result is good. Yes, I could have go... 
shiit Freya+ muffles the base? Recommendation for preamp please
Van Alstine Transcendence RB 10 tube preamp!    
Madman! Digital vs Vinyl
I have the monaural Brandenburg Concertos three-disc set performed by Felix Prohaska and the Vienna State Orchestra. I play it on a midfi setup with a stereo AT-VM95ML cartridge. I haven't seen it available on any other medium, so vinyl is best.    
Need help picking my first tube amp
I had the Xiangsheng 728A preamp, a Chinese product. Once I worked through a couple of quality control issues, it was a workable tube amp. I didn't notice glaring defects in the sound, nor did I hear any notable excellence from it. I went to a Va... 
What is it I'm failing to grasp?
If you can't listen to your system for at least a few hours, you have a problem.  If you can listen for hours, either you just play music for background, or you have nothing more compelling to do.  
Improving Comcast modem signal
  The Internet and the router are digital signal things. Am I wrong to think they don't introduce noise into the bitstream? Now if a power supply is near some analog device in your setup, the solution would seem to be putting some distance betwe...