dayglow

Responses from dayglow

Review: VooDoo Cable LLC Black Dragon II Power cord
Have not tried one yet. Very few show up in the AGON trash pile! Just a joke, me luv AGON Marketplace! 
$1500 for a whole system, budding audiophile
I believe I mentioned this set-up on a previous post. A used Denon-DRA-CX3 receiver/Denon-DCD-CX3 cdp gives you solid build/sound quality with adequate power(150w/ch/4ohms). With about $500 left many used monitors come to mind but stands are criti... 
Integrateds: $3K, $4.5K or $5K
Of the amps mentioned the Bryston is clearly the best choice. The 20 year warranty will help with resale and give you peace of mind! If it's sound quality your after the Marantz pm-11s2/3 is hard to beat at it's price point. 
Phono Cartridge advice
With your current set up go with the Ortofon 2M Black. Remember cartridges have the shortest life span of any audio component. 
The quest
IMO digital keeps improving after only 31 years. The bigger issue is the recording quality of music not the format. Great vocal recordings(Krall-Barber-Bisson-Joyce)in the digital format leave very little room for improvement. 
Amplifiers:A Keeper for Life. Do you know of one ?
conrad-johnson Premier 350-IMO it has the best virtues of Tube, Class A and SS implemented in 1 amplifier. BTW I wonder how it compares to the super exotics... ALEF-Dartzeel or Solution? 
To Vandersteen or not to Vandersteen
Have heard the 2 and 3 many times and they lack the resolution and jump factor(previously stated)needed to duplicate live music or the nuances of a great recording. IMO the smaller Vandy's play it to safe. Give me the aggravation of synergy with t... 
Which component is most responsible?
Assuming the recording is excellent...1-Preamp2-Source3-Cables 
Great Artists with one great record
Macdadtexas-Have you given Anita Baker's 1990 release Compositions a second/recent listen? The production might not be as tight and polished as Rapture but this gives the musicians more room to breathe. Anita's vocals have never been better and th... 
Phono stage rec for Rega P25 with ZYX R100-02H
FWIW-I've had zero issues with the H-1200. I would contact Hammertone Audio about acquiring/locating a used H-1200 before dealing with Fleabay! My favorite "budget" ss phono-pre is the Linn Linto. i've heard it several times and was impressed, sho... 
Phono stage rec for Rega P25 with ZYX R100-02H
Jawks-I had a strong feeling the Jolida would not cut it with a $1000 cartridge. Do yourself a favor and look into a used Allnic H-1200! 
Happy music...
Power Pop-Cheap Trick-The Knack-The Tubes-The Smithereens ect. 
Phono stage rec for Rega P25 with ZYX R100-02H
A tube phono preamp will take the "edge" of the ZYX and relax it. I would investigate the YS Audio-Concerto Plus(mc-tse)$1100(new) as a possible better sounding option over the Jolida. I'm using an Allnic H-1200/AT OC9 mk2/P9 and it tames the ruth... 
Power Cords: A Skeptic Looking to Dabble...
Tls49+1-A dedicted power line is the correct first step. If your an apartment dweller or renter and can't have a dedicated line, invest in a PS Audio Power Plant. Back to the original question... ask yourself what are you looking to improve? And d... 
Survey:What Speakers Do You Want To Demo in Store?
Keeping it at $10k or less here goes...Martin Logan-Montis-Has ML solved the woofer/panel continuity?Lenehan Audio-ML2 Reference-A large stand mount with Dueland caps/resistors, but how does it sound?KEF-R900-How close is it to the mighty 207/2?JB...