gdnrbob

Responses from gdnrbob

Tube amp for Zu Omen
I powered a pair of Zu Unions with Atma-Sphere MA-1's.Holy Cow, that was sweet! They were pretty close to my Vandy Treo's.Thanks, Ralph.Bob 
Integrated amp
The Tetra's look interesting. I'd lean towards those instead of the Silverline's.Both seem to be fairly efficient, and rated at 8 ohms, so they shouldn't be power hungry, but I never listened to either, so I could be wrong.If going with monitors, ... 
Shipping large speakers
Definitely strap the boxes and strap to the pallet. Actually, I shrink wrapped the boxes before strapping.My buyer used Uship:https://www.uship.com/It worked out quite well.Bob 
Best player for Spotify
I use an Ayre Codex DAC with my Bluesound Node (first version).The Bluesound DAC isn't bad, but it isn't great. Using the Ayre Codex gives me the best of both worlds.Are you playing through speakers or headphones?Bob 
Not Enough Options for Auditioning Speakers
@mobius,I would take 333jeffrey up on his offer. There is nothing like auditioning in someone's home. You'll get to see his setup and get some ideas on what you like sound and equipment-wise.I was lucky to have been in NYC in the '80s and got to v... 
Not Enough Options for Auditioning Speakers
You are probably going to have to go to S. Florida or Atlanta to find shops with more brands to audition. Can you take a few days off? It will not only be fun, but you will learn a lot about what you like.Bob 
Low noise, neutral, high current power cord for wall to power distributor
Most of the amplifier manufacturers I deal with say to run their amps directly from the wall outlet. Perhaps you could try that before getting a new Power Cord. and assess the changes?I also agree with Inna, so much of this is system dependent- He... 
best way to go from balanced XLR - RCA (unbalanced) - anyone...?
Jensen makes a good unit for converting XLR to RCA. The price is good,too. It helps to call them directly. They often offer a discount.http://www.jensen-transformers.com/product/pc-2xr/Bob 
which is better? Stereo Amp or Monoblocks?
Ralph ( and anyone who knows), who makes a speaker with 16 ohm nominal rating?Bob 
Subwoofer recommendation
I can't find information on the Plinius.But, in any case, I would wholeheartedly recommend a Vandersteen 2w(q) sub(s), if you want seamless integration.I also own a pair of HSU subs. They are quite good for the price, but the Vandy's really shine.Bob 
Refurbish vs New Amplifier?
To answer one of your questions: I wonder if at the $2K to $3k range a new amp would surpass the performance of the older Krell? Yes, in my opinion, especially so if you are buying used. Not knowing what you are using for speakers and pre and ... 
Will a sub woofer mess up my tone and phase aligned speakers
I concur with audiogroover.Call/email John Rutan at Audioconnection (that is his ID on Agon, too).He can give you the best info regarding Vandy speakers.You can also call and leave a message at Vandersteen. Mr. V. usually calls back the next morni... 
Zu def 4 are they the best speaker made?
I owned a pair of Union's. When hooked up to Atma Ma-1's and an MP-3, they gave my Vandy Treo's a pretty good run for the money.However, they lacked a certain depth- hard to put into words. Perhaps the Definition's are a better speaker, but I'll s... 
Crazy to buy a 17 year old CD Player?
I would buy a current CD transport, like a Rega Apollo, McCormack DAC-1. Both are good CD Players by themselves, but you can add an external DAC like an Ayre Codex or Schiit Gungnir or Yggy and get really high fidelity. I think your (excellent) co... 
McCormack DNA-1 Gold or DNA-225
Good for you dyl71.Steve/Pat are converting my DNA-1's to monoblocks as we speak.As I said, he is going to remove everything, so whether it works or not, or a monoblock is not an issue.I had the gold revision done a year or two ago, when I found a...