crustycoot
Responses from crustycoot
| Recommendations for PC -- for modest system -- You can buy AQ Monsoon Extreme 1M for $301.50 or 2M for $355.50.These are Garth Powell engineered with silver on copper contacts. They are one step below the level where the battery packs come in. At your discount I don't see how anything will b... | |
| Tube Preamp with Solid State Amp? I've done it both ways; SS pre w/ tube power, and tube pre w/ SS power. Both have worked depending on the speakers...the most synergistic combo will depend on the surrounding comps, room character and your listening taste. That's our hobby! Rig... | |
| Suggestions for $2k budget I have extensive experience with Maggies, Klipsch, Focal, and many others form my lifetime in the industry. Really great speakers today cost more than your budget will buy, especially if your musical taste calls for Electronica and Rock, which ar... | |
| Bryston Amp Experience Needed Try an NAD M22 v2. 300wpc and “load invariant”. Yes it’s Hybrid Digital but KR from Stereophile loved it and he’s heard a lot. To me it competes with the 4B3. And it’s in your comfort zone. | |
| Left/Right Channels If you are a percussionist in an orchestra, you are used to hearing the channels reversed. | |
| Best bookshelf loudspeakers under 10,000 for the pair Focal Sopra No.1. Run, don’t walk to hear a pair when you can. Not everything esoteric is better than the well engineered stuff. | |
| What Have I Bought? Original Large: $116.00 per pairOriginal Utility: $102.00 per pairAs a college fool, I bought the utilities!On cinder blocks for stands, with a Rabco ST-4, ADC XLM, Quad 33/303, and 16ga. lamp cord fitted with bananas for the amp and bare twisted... | |
| Unreal prices Pioneer had some of the cleaner looking receivers, design-wise, and great FM stereo receiver performance...their separate tuners are pretty classic, but like most of the Japanese products from the mid-70s, the integrateds & receivers' preamps ... | |
| New TT for ~$1500 At one point in my journey I went from a Linn LP12 w/ Keith Monks TA and Sonus Blue label to a Techics SP12 in the rubber plinth they made for it, paired with Audio Technica's best arm and cartridge (Signet TK9MLa or something). I was totally dis... | |
| Preamp with Phono $3-5k range Many good preamp ideas above. I had a VTL 2.5i with phono to use for a while and it was fantastic...huge sound stage, smooth yet detailed. Might be found used for under your budget. | |
| Want to get into Streaming If you are a music lover you should investigate Roon. A Nuclueus can plug directly into a USB DAC and that's all you need for hardware. Mytek Brooklyn+ is a good one and it decodes MQA from Tidal Masters, which while not a panacea, are worth hav... | |
| Decent preamp If all you need is a selector and volume, check this out: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32968579204.html?spm=2114.12010612.8148356.36.422e1340ix3rkLI bought one from Ray Mottram of tubes4hifi.com under his SP10 model number, but it's the same ... | |
| What 4 subwoofers to buy? To complement your stack of vintage Klipsch look at a pair of the new REL "Predator" HT-1508 subs. As for their lacking speaker level inputs, ditto the recommendation to use car stereo LOCs to derive RCAs from your amp outputs... https://www.jla... | |
| Bookshelf speaker for an apartment Focal 906s are well over $1K. But the new Chora 706 is not. Also like Revel M-16s. Don’t expect much low end from any mini with a 5” woofer. 6.5” is the minimum unless you are adding a sub. | |
| How long is too long for interconnects? Yogi is right, the distances the OP is asking about just aren't long enough either way to make much difference. 12 foot ICs are fine, balanced or un...unless he lives near a transmitting tower. Ditto speaker wires, in almost any case that length... |