jeffreyw
Responses from jeffreyw
| Digital Cable Recommendations One thing I did not address was the budget! In your experiences, do you feel there is a diminishing return when stepping up from $1K, $2K....up to $4K retail, or "jaw-dropping" improvements? I am much more educated in interconnects than in the dig... | |
| B&W 802 d4 with Tube Amplifier @xenolith "Don't belive the myth that big B&Ws need big solid state amplification. Not only is it a myth, it's wrong." Not a myth, a fact. I have been there and done that! Yes, you had a great experience with 100W. You don't think 600W mon... | |
| Upgrade to McIntosh @steve59 @wolfgangamadeusaudiophiliac I can comment on how good the DA2 module is. I run an additional Aries Cerat Helene DAC in my system ($17K). The Helene is clearly better in every aspect. However, what most impresses me about my system is... | |
| B&W 802 d4 with Tube Amplifier I can speak as to the difficulty of driving the 802 series. The ARC will drive them but not drive them properly. The diamond series are power pigs, and it takes a lot of juice to drive them. I love B&Ws, but solid state is the way to go with t... | |
| Power cord length @nyev @audphile1 I spoke with Audioquest, who stated that "there is no difference in the cabling between braided and unbraided." I make the assumption that about one foot of cabling is wasted by braiding all the strands. They have lost quite a... | |
| Upgrade to McIntosh @vonhelmholtz +1 I was going to recommend that as an option to the OP. I still am gobsmacked by the quality of sound produced by the DA2 module, though. I also have a separate DAC, and its cost is roughly 15X the cost of the DA2; it is glorious... | |
| Upgrade to McIntosh @wolfgangamadeusaudiophiliac I have a C2700 feeding a pair of MC611s. To my ears, it sounds like a 600W tube system with the ability to power anything out there. I love the idea of a tube preamp and SS amp. It gives you the best of both worlds. | |
| Streamers? @nevada_matt I just purchased an Innuos Pulse. It outputs USB, SPDIF, and AES/EBU simultaneously. I have it feeding two DACs without issue. I love it! | |
| Mogami 2549 (Standard) vs 2534 (Quad) etc @boomtheroom I use Mogami Gold XLR. I just made an A/B comparison to Audience Front Row XLRs. What I learned is that the Audience is better, but the Mogami's are incredible for their price. You need to pay at least $1K for cables to better them.... | |
| Tough amp decision @arhgef Do not rule out the sound quality of the MAC DA2. I have a C2700 into a pair of MC 611s. My additional DAC is an Aries Cerat Helene ($17K). This DAC weighs more than most amplifiers. Yes, the Helene is better all around, but for the pri... | |
| Digital Cable Recommendations @maxboy00 @ghdprentice Cardas appears to be a good fit from recommendations and reviews. Also, intrigued by Audience Front Row Digital and Shunyata Sigma V2, but not many comments/reviews of the products! | |
| 8-10k budget suggestions please @laaudionut I, too, shared your journey during that time frame. However, I did not like the McIntosh sound during that time; crazy. I gave modern MAC a chance again and was floored by what was presented. The modern MAC sound has changed for the ... | |
| McIntosh preamps I have a C2700 and MC611s. Glorious sound. The C2700 warms things up a bit. There is something to say about MAC synergy amongst components. Another option is Audio Research preamps which I have heard plays well with McIntosh. | |
| 8-10k budget suggestions please @laaudionut I think you should give listen to the modern-day B&W diamond series. When auditioning, I compared 802D3 to Paradigm and Kef Reference. The B&Ws were the warmest of all. I did not find the tweeter bright at all. The Paradigms ... | |
| Digital Cable Recommendations Thanks all for the recommendations. I wasn't even aware of the Jorma brand. I think I may be borrowing some cables to audition soon. |