crustycoot
Responses from crustycoot
| Budget streaming amp The R-N303 is entry level. No balance control, power spec is a joke, etc. Look at the R-N602...much beefier, full features (including variable loudness, balance, B&T) and uses their ToPART concept. Sells for $599.95. The $749.95 R-N803 adds... | |
| phono/preamp analog front end He doesn’t refer to the actual stiffness of the cantilever, but to the electromagnetic damping effect the loading applies, which affects the compliance of the moving system, I think... | |
| Are these fake? I bought a "Zero Zone" preamp through Tubes4Hifi that is marketed on ebay and Ali Express as a "CJ clone" circuit. Maybe fake CJ, but a real enough preamp, and I like it...quiet, musical, ample gain.https://www.ebay.com/itm/Manual-PRT-05A-12AX7-T... | |
| Good Stereo Speakers for outside use during BBQs, evening pot luck dinners etc Coastal Source 2-way Ellipse Bollards are totally weatherproof and quite good Fi. But if weather proof isn't an issue, AND if you are somewhat handy, look into the Parts Express Executive BT kit: https://www.parts-express.com/executive-200-watt-p... | |
| Should people who can't solder, build or test their speakers be considered audiophiles? Like a lot of boomers, I got into this hobby building Dynakits, Heathkits, even an HK Citation 12 kit (1971?), b/c of poverty, a love of music, a fascination with the technology that could re-create a musical experience in my dorm room! I have al... | |
| Best tube preamplifier for under $15k Since no one else has mentioned them, VTL makes some great sounding preamps under your budget. You don’t say if you want a built in phono stage, but they offer with or without. | |
| Hand me down audio equip- upgrade advice Lots of good advice above. $1500 doesn't get you in the game these days unless you get lucky, or can fine another mystery benefactor! I remember the 103/3 w/KUBE without a lot of fondness, so the upside is large if you are willing to re-foam ano... | |
| Upgrade to Maggi 3.7i or Tekton Moab? Prescribing a solution without a better idea of your tastes and music preferences is a common error on these pages. Do you want more impact from acoustic live-to-2 channel ensembles (whether classical, folk or jazz) or EDM? It makes a big differ... | |
| Loudness - Why has the industry stopped producing amplifiers with this feature any longer? Like Vermonster, I have sold the Yamaha variable loudness concept for years, and he explains it perfectly. [They actually did make one stereo receiver model with VL on the remote (it had 2 motorized pots), as Jovian notes...this shoulda been the ... | |
| Low volume listening dynamics All the answers are here...low ambient noise, good 1st Watt, effective tone controls for shaping the source to sound balanced at your listening level, and controlling the room's reflectivity around the speakers. I disagree about needing high sens... | |
| Best cheap integrated amp NAD316BEE is $449.00...all analog w/MM phono and a punchy 40W/ch rating. Of course smaller speakers may want more power, not less, due to lower sensitivity, but a solid 40 is usually enough for a 2000 cu ft room at non-injurious volume levels. T... | |
| New Buchardts coming out! Who is first? Dynaudio, Dali, Kii, or go way back, Braun, a/d/s/, Philips. | |
| Best small, desktop speakers, $500 or under (new or used) All the love for RS Minimi should make us recall that they were introduced as "everyman's" knockoffs of Visonik's David and the a/d/s/ L200. You can disagree, but IMO the a/d/s/ L300 series (C,CC,e) were the best expression of the concept...5" 2-... | |
| Technics or Thorens, need suggestions I made my choice in the mid-late 80s that belt drive was more to my taste. I had a Technics SP-12 in their rubber plinth with Audio Technica's best arm and Signet TK-9Ea ML after having been used to an LP12 with KMAL arm, and I was very disappoin... | |
| New TT or upgrade cartridge/platter on Project DC I’m going to go full Yoda and say “Find a Well Tempered” either used or buy the Simplex new. You will be done searching unless your station in life dramatically improves. For a cartridge you’ve had some good recommendations above. No one’s said ... |