helomech

Responses from helomech

Streamer, Dac,with Pre Amp
Since you don’t need all the functions of the DMP-A8, I suggest considering the new Bluesound Icon for $1000. Alternatively, you could get a Bluesound Node and pair it with the stupidly excellent Topping E70 Velvet DAC and still come in well under... 
Amplifier recommendation
FWIW, the Coda No.11 has achieved a near legendary status among some.   I would not hesitate to buy one for a reasonable price, and that’s even despite the fact I was ultimately somewhat disappointed with a newer No.8.  You should also consider... 
Best low budget speakers for a Levinson 383 Integrated amp
The Revels you had already outperform the suggested Harbeths by a good margin. My advice: don’t drink that KoolAid, it’s way overrated.  Anyhow, I would call up Ty of Tyler Acoustics and inquire as to what he could possibly build you for around ... 
Wanna take it to the next level? Buy MORE speakers!
I have over 20 years in modding the weak point in most loudspeakers ,many mfg use average parts at best , I almost alway upgrade my own the same values inside  just far bette quality , go to humble homemade hifi capacitor test ,  Jantzen foil w... 
An integrated bargain?
Everyone's looking for that esoteric piece that's made in some garage with the attendant secret sauce to shake things up and lay bare to the audio world the absolute truth. Get off the merry-go-round. Reorient yourself to recognize what it is yo... 
Best speaker brands for transient response
  And I assure you, a Magnepan, either a .7 or a 1.7 or ANY Magnepan (and these models are far under $10k) don’t have an iota of distortion in the bass. I’ve owned both the 1.7is and .7s.  I’ve also auditioned the 3 and 20 series Maggies. T... 
Borresen X3 vs Harbeth 40.2 -- my impressions
Good to know I was not the only one who was perturbed by the mid bass bump. I suspect the issues I heard with X3 has more to do with how they've been voiced as opposed to an inherent weakness in the overall design. Nonetheless, it still provides ... 
Are REL the most Musical Subs?
I run two Rythmik L12s with my Borresen X3s (which have faster bass than most speakers in their class) and they blend very well. I am an outlier though in that I run both subs stacked and in mono. In my system, mono subs consistently provide more ... 
Integrated Amps
Marantz makes some pretty good integrateds, better than many of the non-japanese designs simply due to Marantz (like Yamaha, Sony, Luxman and Denon) knowing how to design a quiet circuit. I haven’t heard the Billie. It gets good reviews but I’ve s... 
Six DAC Comparison
If you never listened to any how would you know? Maybe there is. 'Thomas and stereo' has reviewed and compared some of these Chi-Fi dacs very favorably with much pricier units placed in higher end systems. His reviews were very positive. I have... 
Six DAC Comparison
@helomech I did not find the top end Topping DAC (forgot the model) sounded better than the DAC3B. I had both at the same time and was using them with my uber revealing RAAL SR1a earphones. Both DACs were not ideal with this phone, but DAC3B was ... 
Upgrade from Revel 228be?
I have had some extensive auditions of the 228Bes. To my ears, even the similarly priced Børresen X3s are considerably superior.  The cabinet noise was my biggest complaint with the entire Revel Performa/Be floorstander lineup.    You might do w... 
Six DAC Comparison
The Benchmark DAC3 was SOTA when originally released. Its measured performance was surpassed by cheaper DACs years ago. These days there exist $200 “Chi-Fi” DACs that objectively outperform the DAC3.       
Listening to what we Like Instead of what we have to
Within your budget, call Ty at Tyler Acoustics and describe your dilemma.   
MoFi or Harbeth (used)
    I picked up a pair of 30th Anniversary Compact 7’s a few months ago, just to compare to the other Harbeths I’ve owned (Super HL5 Plus 40th anniversary and P3ESR SE). They really wowed me, as well as some of my audiophile friends, and I kept...