chisom1

Responses from chisom1

How old are you?
60.Starting building my own gear while still in high school. Bought my first gear at 18.  (Sansui integrated, Philips turntable)  I have now have the best system I've ever had (ARC, B&W, PS Audio, McIntosh etc.) as I head hopefully quite slowl... 
Buying a DAC when you can't try it first
Just another thought: I replaced my older DAC with the Schiit Yggdrasil ($2,449) and was favorably impressed that it delivered so much for such an affordable price.   (plus fully balanced from input to output)  Highly recommended by Stereophile an... 
Most recordings you own by a single artist, group, or composer
All material by MARK KNOPFLER/ Dire Straits, Pink FLoyd/ Roger Waters and most Rolling Stones.Every Michael Hedges and a lot of Windham Hill releases.  AND...... Aimee Mann's "Mental Illness" is a must listen. 
A civil discussion about the state of Audio Research
I own three ARC pieces.  I purchased a Vt-100 in I believe 1997.  About 5-6 years ago, I had to purchase from ARC a plate resistor and a screen resistor than had blown due to tube rolling at my hands.  The ARC service tech was wonderful to talk an... 
Good CDTransport (player) without DAC?
Try Audio Research CDT-1.  No, they're not manufactured anymore, but are 'tank-tough,' built to lofty standards, look beautiful still (at least to me) and have numerous playback modes and a have decent display.  It doesn't' have a USB port though ... 
A moderate priced dac
I purchased a Schiit Yggdrasil (2300 USD) about a year ago, a fairly inexpensive unit; it's a fantastic unit.  However, I sold a Monarchy 22B,  (always ran in balanced mode) which the Yggdrasil replaced.  It sold for 1100 when new in the early 1... 
Audio Research VT100 MK1 and LS15 HELP!!!
Did you check to see if the shorting pins on the XLR inputs are inserted?This was already suggested by another poster: did you check this?All your components should be performing well together.  The DAC is not the reason for your problem.  Are you... 
PS Audio Revises Marketing to a Direct Sales Only Model
With the misconstructions aside (i.e, Buyer getting stuck with shipping costs, etc.): my experience with PSA has always been that they treat their customers at a level that other high-end companies do not.  I currently own 2 of their power conditi... 
Why No McIntosh Recommendations?
I've owned a wide variety of ARC pieces in the last 30 years (I have 3 ARC pieces in daily use right now) and I've never had ANY explosions (or problems)................... 
Why No McIntosh Recommendations?
The MC501 (Stereophile review), MC452 (Enjoy the Music), MC462 (Stereophile) were all highly praised and highly recommended by seasoned audio critics.  (I own a MC452, driven by a ARC Reference 3 linestage powering some Yamaha NS-1000Ms') And the ... 
Do You Remember Your First CD Player?
Yamaha CD-1.  Listed for 1300.00 USD.  Dealer gave me a good price on purchase price.  Fantastic sound.  It was MIND-BLOWING. 
Does anyone play two pairs of speakers at the same time?
Everything is dissimilar.  The "unified theory" is still yet to be proven.  MOST speakers (in an enclosure) are assembled from "off-the -shelf' drivers from the few manufacturers who mass produce them.  Who defines (and decides) what is "similar?"... 
Who makes great active preamps ? Tube or solid state or hybrid.
Obviously, some brands are mentioned more frequently because that company produces a lot of units.  That having been said, of the brands I've owned, Audio Research is one the best I personally have heard.  When the ARC Reference 3 line-stage enter... 
KT88 vs 6550 tubes
Yep... you got a bad tube.  I've got a number of BAD tubes from ebay sellers stating them as new.  (I suspect the tubes are factory seconds.) The tubes from certain ebay sellers measure poorer than the ARC supplied tubes with 2000+ hours on them. ... 
DAC Upgrade
I'm 59.  I've been an obsessed audio geek since I was a teenager.  Up-graded sooooo many times.  You could fill a good sized room with all the pieces I've sold.  My system now is comprised of Audio Research, B&W, PS Audio, McIntosh, Revox (B77...