desktopguy

Responses from desktopguy

Floor to Bookshelf
Easy recommendation: ATC sealed/acoustic suspension 2-ways. You could get the SCM12 Pros new for <$2K; or the SCM19 or SCM20 passives on a used basis. I own the SCM12 Pros. The sound is mindblowingly good: assertive, detailed, dynamic beyond b... 
What to ask when buying used speakers?
@grislybutter laid out a number of the well-known precautionary steps, all of which I agree with. I’ve purchased 4 or 5 pairs of 2-way monitors/speakers and had very good luck. I followed those precautionary steps, plus one other that needs to be... 
What to do with a large collection
I’ve gone around and around with this issue for some years now. I have approx. 1500 CDs and at least that many LPs. Over 1/2 (maybe 60%) of all of them are classical. I’ve read a lot, talked to people in the business, schemed and planned how to c... 
GaN Class D amps are already outdated, it's time for GaN on Diamond!
There is a journal named "Small." Now my non-existent almighty soul can rest in peace...  
DAC RECOMMENDATIONS PLEASE
My digital journey (which started with CDs ~1984) was troubled. The sound was convenient as hell, but sounded terrible when played above moderate volume on  good audio gear. Digital sound refused to "scale" -- it refused to get better with better ... 
Nearfield listening - once more
There are 2 kinds of nearfield system: The kind where the owner chooses to listen at a smaller distance that absolutely necessary in his/her room, for whatever reason. So for example a stand-mounted 2-way system is heard from 6 feet away (with ... 
Has buying and/or selling audio gear changed?
I buy and sell a lot on all the "usual suspect" websites. And I definitely noticed many sellers going to this stance of "Paypal Friends & Family only will be accepted" thing. I know they have their reasons. Most simply don’t understand that t... 
What was the first power cable that you noticed a difference in the sound?
I never expected power cords made a difference. Then I got a used 2M Audio Art Power I Classic cable, used with a big class D amp. Immediately heard subtle but worthwhile differences. Got a 2nd one of these (1.5M) and put it on a tubed headphone a... 
BEST little know Jazz Album that you ever heard?
Mine would be Blue Mitchell's "Step Lightly." It was his first date as a leader for Blue Note. It was recorded in 1963 but by the time I got released in 980, Blue was already dead. That's insane. For a first date, this is an astounding recording,... 
Subwoofers: Ported or sealed?
My home office is ~13' x 13'. I've had 3 or 4 subs here: The only ported one was an 8" NHT model. I must say, it perfectly matched the NHT powered mains. Overall, this system didn't go that low or loud, but the manufacturer's design (ported sub... 
Help settle a streaming argument!
@david_ten -- is the salmon delta/sigma, R2R, or NOS?  
New R2R DAC
@ken7, where did you get your Orchid modded? It sounds like those mods are worthwhile. Finding and S1 or S2 is hardly a given, but upgrading the caps should be a slam-dunk.  
Watermelon test for audiophiles!
(desktopguy frantically googles these unfamiliar terms, "fun" & "lighthearted") Thanks for the good explanation, @thecarpathian   
Watermelon test for audiophiles!
I don't understand this topic at all. That is to say, I understand the tap test for watermelons very well...it has never failed me. I can also hear differences between cables. Not always, but often. Not sure how any metaphor connects these ttwo... 
Am I wasting money on the theory of Bi-amping?
I knew 2-3 people would show up here to drop their snark-bombs on the topic of biamping, and I wasn’t disappointed. It has been many years since I biamped, but when I did, it was a noteworthy success. It probably would have sounded even better if...