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duckworp

Responses from duckworp

Amazon just killed Tidal
It is not Roon-compatible at present, nor does it work with most streamers. But that is just a matter of time. What is bad is that it is unlikely ever to work with Chromecast Audio, which is a real shame.My prediction: I think this will kill off T... 
Amazon Launches Lossless "Hi-rez" HD Music Service
Sadly, due to the Google vs Amazon war the neat and effective Chromecast Audio is not, nor ever will be I doubt, compatible with Amazon Music.   This means it is a no-go for many users, a shame as it is £10 a month cheaper than Qobuz. 
Naim Audio system owners - What speakers are you using with Naim?
The best system I have ever heard anywhere ever is my friend's Statement NAC S1 with three NAP 300s driving active Naim Ovator S-800 speakers.  These speakers were launched not long before Focal got involved with Naim so unfortunately were soon di... 
Tidal - why only remastered versions?
@junzhang10 Isn’t remastered sound better? MQA is also a remastered format, sound much better than original.Have a look at my post 12 posts up from here.  I explain in detail why remastered is not generally better for audiophile listening, apart f... 
Tidal - why only remastered versions?
The take home message is - don’t rely on tidal as an archival source. The same with the record labels. Maybe you guys should hold on to those old cds and records. @marklindemannExactly right. It also explains why the early CD editions of albums co... 
Tidal - why only remastered versions?
Tidal takes a feed from the music companies.   This feed will contain the entire live (ie not deleted) digital catalogue.   When a remastered album is released the record label generally deletes the pre-existing version of the album.   So at the p... 
Why HiFi manufacturers don't make active crossovers anymore?
I think Naim still make Active crossover electronics.  They no longer manufacture the speakers to work with these units though.  
CD"S
CDs are cheaper than ever right now so it is a great time to invest. Soon mass scale manufacturing will end and the prices on the used market will increase. In case you ever think of streaming: CDs are better than streaming since you can choose wh... 
WAF Speaker suggestions
The European speakers with a very well-regarded sound and the non-disputed king of WAF is the Boenicke. I am not sure whether they appear on the second hand US market but if they did the W5 or W8 model might reach your budget. Don’t be put off by ... 
Streamer choices
I think you will find the biggest difference will be moving from Spotify to Qobuz or Tidal. In my experience the CD quality, and higher, of these services will yield a far bigger improvement to the sound than improving the streamer/DAC.At 320kbs S... 
Innuos Statement Review
Thanks for your excellent review.  I very much appreciate it when people go to such an effort to listen to and review their experiences. You certainly do not need to do a double blind test for your review to have validity.Thanks again, and I look ... 
Streaming vs. CD
I have spent some time getting Qobuz and Tidal to sound as good as my high-end CD transport.  To start with CD was much better.  Now there is nothing in it.  It took some time and each of these changes made an improvement:- turning WiFi and Blueto... 
Most useful tweaks that are sensible and really make a noticeable improvement
In the UK many of us live in older houses which have suspended wooden floors. In these houses bass vibration is a real problem. The solution is:1. Put your speakers onto cheap granite/stone slabs. I use two cheap kitchen counter top chopping board... 
What brand was better than it is today?
Quad. Their old amps were legendary. Now they are cheap Chinese-made average sounding things.  
What is the best solid state amplifier you have ever heard?
Vitus SIA-025. An integrated amp too. So incredible that I had to purchase it despite it being 100% over my budget.