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chenry

Responses from chenry

Willsenton R8 - how good?
In its price range, the Willsenton R8 is competitive and offers considerable audio value for money. I have done some of the modifications/upgrades shown on the Youtube "Skunkie Designs Electronics" series on the web, and they do further improve th... 
Best Options For A Tubed Preamp - $2500 Or Less, Preferably Used To Maximize Value
The ProJect Pre Box RS2 Digital is a balanced preamp with a selectable tube output (or solid-state if not selected) with multiple selectable filters, a headphone amp, and dual DAC (ESS Sabre Pro 9038). It has a small form factor. New it is a littl... 
Why "bookshelf" sspeakers?
"Bookshelves" were a compromise at one time. They were cheaper and easier to position for people living in small spaces, easier to move, and were compared to standard speakers themselves which were wide baffle boxes with either three-way or hybrid... 
Preamp Gain issues with high efficiency speakers
This high efficiency setup seems a mismatch to the power amp. It seems like a low power SET would be everything the Zus would need and that your C-Js are better suited to a less efficient speaker.  
Help for a Lo-Fi guy
If these are 30 years old, then 50% NPP or less provided they are in fully operating condition and there is documented recent service for cleaning and recapping. The age of the tubes should be established. If they are old, then a significant disco... 
Help for a Lo-Fi guy
Those eBay asks are too high for used gear. The Polish ad is over new price, for a used unit. Forget the HiFi shark. Cary is selling new 300B SEIs direct for $3895.00, so estimate a fair used price accordingly. You didn’t say how old the units are... 
phono preamp to power amp
If your phono preamp is delivering enough gain for a standard system preamp line-in voltage (and not just enough to bring the voltage from MC to MM input) it ought to work.  
Is there such a thing as a good medium priced music streamer?
I can recommend the Bluesound Node or the Sonos Port. Sonos has the best app interface. Both of these devices will require an app interface. I can’t tell whether the use of the HEOS App is the source of your frustration with the Marantz ND8006 or ... 
"Hardly Used / Less than 100 Hours / Took out for pics only"????
[@bigtwin]"If equipment is used 5 days per week, for two hours per day, only gets 120 hours use in 6 months. I have sold equipment in 6 months. Not often but it happens."   I see what you did there.  
FYI There is no "Upgraded" or "V2" Willsenton R8
Willsenton made improvements in component quality and resistor placement. The overall design as a KT88/EL34 push-pull octal tube design didn't change. The amp has been a successful product in its original production and will presumably continue wi... 
FYI There is no "Upgraded" or "V2" Willsenton R8
Good luck with that claim. She pretty much did a Cook’s Tour of the amplifier showing the things that weren’t good quality and the components that were below spec. She has nothing to worry about on the issue of "libel," not least because her atten... 
FYI There is no "Upgraded" or "V2" Willsenton R8
Hard for the company to ignore the web modders of this unit who have been doing and showing their work online, and who have given their reasons for their work. Willsenton has been trying to compete in the market as a full-featured product brand bu... 
Why isn't better quality used gear being made available?
High end estate sale things often end up at auctions. Check Sotheby's and Christie's if you are shopping that end. Ebay, Craigslist, HiFi Shark, AudiogoN and local hi-fi shops that take trade-in gear are the usual places. It is a small hobby in th... 
Nowhere to hear speakers and amps anymore!
Even in large cities, there aren't as many shops. The idea of a dealer network has been successfully challenged by direct sales models, which diminishes the opportunities to audition equipment in a showroom. Some manufacturers at the high end have... 
Have we lost civility and respect on Audio forums?
If posters knew they would be known by name and later meet the people they exchange with online, they would be more polite. Internet fora allow anonymity and the illusion of no consequences. For people of questionable character and poor impulse co...