ghdprentice

Responses from ghdprentice

How good does my system have to be to realize an improvement with cables?
Yeah, “it depends”.  
Try This With Your SS Amp
While I bought tube gear for the sound… I admit I love seeing the amber glow.  
what kind of power conditioner for front end?
I would consider Shunyata (as in Everest) and IsoTech. I recently performed a detailed search. These seem to be the two high performers right now. Also, lots of detailed reviews.    But auditioning prior to buying a must. Very, very. Very occasio... 
Recommendations for HiFi Listening Room
OP, Qobuz and Tidal are universally regarded as the best sounding services regardless of their resolution. Then between the two Qobuz sounds slightly better… but more importantly Qobuz has over one half million high resolution albums… as of late ... 
Turntables
Hopefully in between liking this versus that there can be useful information shared.   My limited experience points to lighter tables typically being “cleaner sounding”… maybe that is like “livelier sounding”. Which to me has sounded a bit like ... 
DH Labs.
I used to talk the the founder Darren. He was always generous with his time and knowledge. I am sure he was at home each talked with him. Yes, a great reason to work with a small shop. I have found their products excellent for the money.  
Recommendations for HiFi Listening Room
Sorry, no. Think of your investment in tracks as a sunk cost. Qobuz will give you access to probably every tune you bought and millions more… for $14.99 a month. You can assess through an air… I did for years… sounded terrible… ok, not High Fi ... 
Amp straight into the wall
OP,   👍   Really glad to hear it. It is great when something works to improve your sound.  
Turntables
@dover Thanks for your comments.  
Tube preamp recommendations for Pass X260.8 monos
OP,   If the new cost of a REF6SE puts you off think about a used REF5SE… or even 5. You will get most of the sound, for much less money. I am sure the average life of an ARC preamp is over thirty years. I upgraded from an REF5SE to a Ref6se… b... 
What is the added value of a streamer over a networked dedicated Computer
Congratulations!   I remember the moment I heard my Aurender N100 for the first time… I couldn’t believe it. Finally, high end audio sound without a turntable. I quickly progressed to the N10 and finally Aurenders flagship, each more impressive t... 
Why do so many members seem afraid of making an audio decision?
@danager I understand where you are coming from. But remember that is low fi to mid-fi.   Companies like Audio Research, Conrad Johnson, Cardas… virtually all high end companies were not started as primarily money making enterprises… quite on ... 
Comparing external DAC to CD player DAC
What is the rest of your equipment?   In the price range you are comparing anything is possible. Depending on the rest of your equipment, I would recommend maybe start with a Schiit Gungnir DAC as a reference. It is a very good DAC for the money... 
What’s your latest high-end audio purchase?
@fastfreight    Upgradimg the power supply to the Aurlic Aries for a big improvement sound right on the mark!   I owned a Aurlic Aries G2 for about a year… while it was clearly better than computers and MACs… it did not have a dead quiet backgr... 
Mark Levinson & Others
@jjss49   I have to agree with your assessment of Mark Levinson. I spent a lot of time on the 90’s auditioning Levinson… and have actually had a Levinson system in my car for the last 15 years. It is very sterile… well accurate… polite, but to ...