drmuso
Responses from drmuso
| How important is an LCD screen on your streamer? I agree with those who say the screen is unnecessary and adds to expense and impairs sound quality. I have universal disc players in my systems. In my main system, if I turn off the video circuitry of the disc player, I hear more deep bass if th... | |
| Why did you lean one way or the other The only tube stereo gear I ever had was a Citation III-X tuner. I've progressed through four SS preamps and 3 different SS amps. Once I decided that dipole speakers were the way to go for my listening room, that eliminated the possibility of mo... | |
| upgrade question regarding DAC and streamer @jrdavisphd I think others have given good advice--your streamer is not likely to be the problem. I would want to know what you're seeking when you say "imaging." More pinpoint focus, perhaps? I don't think real, live music sounds like tha... | |
| You are there vs. They are there @sns +1 I think the only times I've heard sound in front of my dipole speakers is when some tracks were deliberately recorded out-of-phase to provide that effect, which I find very enjoyable. This recording technique can make sounds appear t... | |
| Do Audiophiles usually keep the gain of the digital source at around 80%? I recently read in an old Stereophile magazine that output voltages over 4v are apt to overload preamps, yet 4.2v seems to be a current standard output for DACs. Why are they doing that? Is it just to boost their S/N ratio specs? | |
| What is your vinyl commitment? SOTA Star Sapphire III $1700 ET-2 tonearm 570 Monster Cable AG1000II 400 (decomissioned) Lyra Kleos ... | |
| Outer Vinyl Sleeves, is it a good idea? @baylinor +1 I keep my home at around 50% humidity and the only mold problems are when I've bought secondhand LPs. I do what I can to deal with those, and once I can't smell any more mold, I put them also in outer sleeves, which would elimina... | |
| CD's or Vinyl? I listen to LPs more than CDs, but most of the time I stream, preferably higher-res files from Qobuz. Only very good records can surpass the quality of well-mastered, high-res files, and it does take time to keep clean records clean, but I'm OCD ... | |
| Is it possible to really know what you're doing? In addition to what others have mentioned, I relied on Stereophile reviews and on seeing what gear manufacturers and dealers chose to use at a Stereophile-sponsored audio show I attended. I was fortunate also to know a dealer who sold me his demo... | |
| Old SS amps My Classé Audio DR-9 amps are over 35 yrs. old and functioning fine. They came with a lifetime warranty. Try to get one of those these days. I expect they were built to last. They are Class AB, so never get as hot as Class A amps, so that also... | |
| Native DSD versus DoP I'm not sure how to quantify the differences I have heard streaming 24/192 vs. playing an SACD in DSD. They are subtle. One difference I noticed was in playing "The Priest" from Joni Mitchell's Ladies of the Canyon, her guitar was set further ba... | |
| What's ideal size for a listening room? @emergingsoul You mention that the larger room is "open." If it is open on one long wall and not the other (as is my listening room), you’re apt to get the best results with panel speakers--they lessen side reflections, compared to box speakers... | |
| Are you operating in the correct SPL window for high-fidelity listening? I play guitar and have played in and attended enough performances, both acoustic and electric, to have a good sense of the volume level of live music of different sorts. With serious listening to acoustic music I generally try to match the level... | |
| Thoughts on using the DAC in my oppo 205 with a CD Transport. I'll second the recommendation of a Denafrips R2R type DAC. I have both the Ares II and the Venus 15. At your price range you could do very well with a used Pontus II or 12. Many consider this the sweet spot in the Denafrips range. My Venus ... | |
| Bluesound node confusion I've used a Bluesound Node 130 for several years with a system that some here would say deserves a much more expensive streamer. I did add an external power supply and use an external DAC, and it sounds very good. The BluOS app is one of the bet... |