helomech

Responses from helomech

Parasound vs Coda
@christianb5s4  The Coda has greater resolution, a wider soundstage, and better instrument separation. Also, it’s more refined and has greater decay as mentioned earlier.  FWIW, the JC5 is merely an A21+ with a slightly altered bias and better q... 
Parasound vs Coda
I have the Coda No.8 V1. It’s much better sounding than the Parasound amps I’ve tried. The Coda sounds similar to the Pass XA25 but with way more grunt. It’s also much quieter than any Parasound amp.  I’ve ran my No.8 with the Topping A90D and Ma... 
How much hum is normal from a new tube amp
Chances are a replacement of the same model will exhibit the same issue.   
Lounge Audio
@nicktheknife, I can’t really say as I haven’t personally had much private correspondence with them. I believe I did send Decware a question about their ZTPRE preamp about a year ago and didn’t receive a response. Unanswered emails or very late r... 
What speaker could safely be ordered without hearing it first?
I sold a pair of black MA Silver 8s to a guy in Chicago a few years ago. Maybe he is you?! I went from the MA Silver 8s to Harbeth C7ES3s and then to Spendor SP2/3R2s (now known as the Classic 2/3s). I kept the Spendors up until last year. Occasi... 
SET Lovers, what's the one solid state amp you love(d)?
For relatively little more money than the Pass XA25, one can get a Coda No.8 which is a wholly superior amplifier in my system(s). It takes everything good about the XA25 up a notch or two. Its current output ability is incredible yet it also has ... 
Lounge Audio
Unfortunately this is a common problem when a small “mom and pop” operation receives accolades from the likes of Stereophile. And of course, these guys aren’t shoring up their manpower in anticipation of a tidal wave of orders. The same thing happ... 
DAC Under $3000
I’ve had the Qutest for 4+ years and think it is super detailed and really special sounding with a huge soundstage and preciese pinpointing of instruments. I’m ready to replace it due to its age. But it’s so good it’s difficult to find anything u... 
DAC Under $3000
Of all the DACs I’ve owned the Electrocompaniet ECD-2 best fits that description. To my ears it has the “layering” and lush midrange of an NOS DAC but all the resolution of the measurement kings like Benchmark and Chord. Its measurements are nearl... 
Perplexed on how single driver speakers can cover such a large Hz range
They play into break-up modes, that’s how.   
New Stereo Times review on CODA CSiB Integrated Amplifier
Since there is some discussion here regarding the Pass XA25 vs the Coda amps, I’ll throw my $.02 in the mix. I owned two examples of the XA25 and now have the No.8 V1. The XA25 is a nice amp, but when it comes to speakers of <90dB sensitivity, ... 
Why is solid state more popular when tubes are better?
Tubes are typically inferior on balance if you know how to setup a system well and know what to listen for.   
When are speakers considered Hi-Fi and not Mid-Fi???
I fully agree with @2psyop it’s all relative and a matter of your personal perspective. And keep in mind that much of what is dismissed as “mid-fi” on this and other forums produces better stereo sound than what 99% of the population has ever hear... 
Looking for an Amp Replacement
The original Parasound A21 is excellent, and on balance, as good as some amps costing twice its original retail.   
New KEF R11 META : The Real Giant Killers !
The original R11s rightfully received a lukewarm reception, easily outclassed by similarly priced competitors. Based on that, I can’t imagine the new series are “giant killers.” Very few mass-market speakers are true performance bargains.