desktopguy
Responses from desktopguy
| Demo'd a few sets of speakers over the past 2 weeks... I had Vandersteen 4s in the mid-'80s w/all tube preamp & amps (SS on the subs only) and that remains the best sound I've yet heard from big-time speakers. That is to say, I've certainly heard way more expensive gear, and sometimes the sound wa... | |
| What is a lowball offer? How low is low? Every situation is different. Factors that make a given offer "reasonable" vs "lowball" include:1 - Whether the unit being offered F.S. was purchased used or new2 - Age & condition of the unit3 - Relative rarity and/or reputation of the unit4 ... | |
| What is the best BNC Digital Cable under $4,000? I wouldn't spend $4K on any digital cable. But I don't need to. The best digital cable I've heard (I have the RCA version, but BNC is easily available) is the Oyaide 1.3 meter DR-510 coax cable. It's silver and sounded so much better than others h... | |
| Vandersteen VLR CT Question about stock VLR &/or VLR CT...I listen to 2-ways strictly in a nearfield/desktop setting. There's perhaps 1 foot behind the speakers to the big picture window in front of desk (covered w/blinds). I have found that sealed/asoustic susp... | |
| "You cannot handle the truth" I do a fair amount of buying/selling in desktop audio, including headphones. I definitely have sold several headphones, other things because it became crystal clear from 1st listen that I didn't care for their sound. Usually I continue burn-in, ho... | |
| Moderately priced audio There are countless "budget" components out there (some are truly excellent) & excellent systems can be assembled from them.I've subscribed to T.A.S. & Stereophile for ~35 years, also some other publications that came & went. Generally... | |
| Opinions and recommendations on active loudspeakers ATC all the way. I own the passive ATC SCM12 Pro's (simply couldn't fit any of their active designs on this desktop) and am enormously impressed. Easily the best 2-ways I ever heard.I read a lot of info from music pros & studio types, where va... | |
| Difference Between DAC Types I got involved in early digital ~1985 and found the sound truly hateful (from a good CD player of that day) vs any vinyl or even good FM. I started getting DACs in ~12 yrs ago as part of a big desktop system. Had 2-3 delta-sigma DACs and found the... | |
| What equipment have you bought this year so far ? (some of these entries give me heart failure!)I bought a lot of headphone audio stuff in 2018 & thought I was done. But noooooo. The opportunity arose to purchase (gently used)-- Woo WA22 headphone amp/preamp + entire NOS tube-set-- Meze Empyr... | |
| New speakers? No thanks. I love Vandersteens. Still have the Model 4's (mid-'80s model) that I had set up in previous house. That was a high point in my audio life.No room in new house for that system, so it has all been desktop audio for past 10+ years (before then it wa... | |
| How to identify tube amp there's a piece of wood INSIDE the case! that's insane! | |
| I’m gob smacked. What were you’re aha moments? (great thread) I'll keep it in the last 5 yrs, since all my really big 2-channel moments were 35+ yrs ago.I have a pretty robust desktop system. For years I got along with less than audiophile 2.1 speakers/sub. Pretty good, but not as good as poss... | |
| High resolution digital is dead. The best DAC's killed it. Wherever people talk about DACs, certain themes reliably emerge:-- that R2R, specifically NOS, sounds better, more natural than D/S-- D/S DACs sound way more accurate than multibit & NOS DACs, and image way better-- that certain DACs or DAC mf... | |
| Highest BUILD quality tube amps? +1 for Music Reference tube amps. Roger really knows what he's doing. The amps I have appear to be bullet-proof... | |
| People That Have Upgraded From Harbeth 30.1s.... Interesting to read this thread, since I’ve obsessed over Harbeths for a long time. The larger models (30 & 40) interest me most, but there’s nowhere for them in this house--and they’re way too large for my robust (but space-constrained) deskt... |