ghdprentice

Responses from ghdprentice

Indentical measurments = Identical performance?
I have to recommend more listening and less thinking. ASR and lots of thinking take you away from great sound quality and lots of fruitless discussions.  
SQ difference XLR vs RCA ?
No. The difference is incredibly subtle and contingent on your specific components and length of run (if dozens of feet). When you get to own the best system you have ever imagined… then bring this issue up again. For now, rca will do the job and ... 
New amp listening fatigue: Distortion or ??????
This is the classic mark of a really noisy system. Perhaps the bias is too high in the amp. I have been subjected to this in cheap equipment and malfunctioning equipment. The, “can’t quite put your finger on it and pressure on the eardrums” is it.... 
Techniques for isolating and comparing a component upgrade or change
Nice system and room. My technique for evaluation is to do a couple quick comparisons, back and forth, just to see if anything sticks out.   Then to get serious. Put the on new thing in and leave it for a couple weeks… absolutely paying no atte... 
Placement of Components
It is a bit dependent on your system… but in most cases center placement interferes with imaging and therefore is better off to the side… or even better yet completely out of the soundstage. My Apogee ribbon speakers did not seem to mind my equip... 
Speaker Placement and Toe-In
The general recommendation for my speakers Sonus Faber Amati Traditional)  is to the “cross the beams” 18” behind the sweet spot. In my room that causes a very restricted soundstage. They sound best with no toe in, just like yours,  
Suggestions for a digital cable.
OP,   That is an RCA….analog connector. Not an Transparent AES.   These are current Transparent AES interconnects: https://www.transparentcable.com/collections/digital-audio-110-ohm-digital      
Opinions on speaker upgrade choices
👍😊  
Good-sounding audio components?
@akg_ca    +1  
Good-sounding audio components?
Wow. What a question. One many of us have spent thousands of hours on. In general, it sounds good. But that is so loaded. If I was starting off again. I would recommend listening to lots of high end systems and attend as much live acoustic music... 
Suggestions for a digital cable.
My components sound best with very neutral high quality interconnects and AES sound better than SP/DIF in my system (shown under my ID). I prefer Transparent. I would have a look through used cables … typically selling for 50% list.  
How to Solve High-Frequency Suckout in Room?
OP,   Thanks for the photos… I like the one with your significant other (?) peering out> Nice system.    With what you have done, I would also would be at wits end. Happily it sounds like you are working to root cause… that it is it is a com... 
Why Purchase A CD Player or Transport ?
I have had very close relationships with three dealers over the last fifty years.   My current dealer has been my friend for twenty years. I consider my current system a collaborative effort. We both love my system. He has brought over equipment ... 
Opinions on speaker upgrade choices
You have a real dilemma. I recommend looking at it like this: The speakers are the most important choice in your system. Unless you have decades of experience under your belt then choosing without hearing is probably a bad idea. You may be happy…... 
Does your "esoteric" taste in audio also exist in other "things" you own/consume?
OP,   Lots of similarities between wine and audio… but also cameras… particularly because they are analog to digital to analog converters. With the highly detailed sensitive eyes involved.   FYI: https://www.flickr.com/photos/jdflood/albums  ...