jhold
Responses from jhold
| newbs about tubes For EL-34s, try SED "Winged C."For tested tubes and honest service, try Jim McShane:http://pages.prodigy.net/jimmcshane/tubes.htmSend Jim an e-mail with the question you've posted here. He might have a better suggestion than mine. He gives straigh... | |
| Creek Destiny Integrated vs. Current Aragon System Buy a used Nait 5i for a good price on Audiogon (they have been going for ca. $850 - 950 depending on condition). Treat it well. If you don't like it, you can sell it at minimal loss. These amps hold their value, for good reason.You might also go ... | |
| Creek Destiny Integrated vs. Current Aragon System Following up on Sfar's advice -- you can get some of the tube magic by mixing a tube preamp with a solid state amp. Solid state amps like McCormack DNA-125 with high input impedance generally offer best match for tube preamp -- I've owned a DNA-12... | |
| Naim CD5i a decent upgrade? If the Primare has digital out, buy a Benchmark DAC -- it's better than the Naim, in my experience. (I owned both simultaneously for a while. I still have the Benchmark.) | |
| CDP to DAC cable Stereovox XV2 (sold online by Galen Carol Audio)For a low-cost and good-sounding option, consider Canare LV-77S 75-ohm Coaxial -- available online from many vendors, including Cable Solutions. A meter costs less than 30 bucks. It gets you a long w... | |
| Songs about ecology Natalie Merchant, "Motherland" | |
| A good fit for my PrimaLuna Prologue Two? Spendor S5e -- very musical, not hard to drive, vocals with palpable presence. | |
| Rega Brio Sufficient? Hold on to your Brio. I have one in an office system, and it's a satisfyingly musical little amp. I'm driving very inefficient speakers with it (Spendor S3/5) -- not very loud, since it's the office, but when I have turned it up, it still sounds g... | |
| Leave solid state amps on? Or turn off everytime? Recycle every bottle, can, and scrap of paper. Turn off the lights and replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents. Tighten the faucets. Turn off the AC and open the windows. Trade in your SUV for a hybrid. Practice enlightened environmen... | |
| Transport Upgrade I've owned both, and indeed both are excellent. I preferred the Apollo to the Rotel. The Rotel seemed, at least in my system, to have just a very slight electronic haze, if that makes sense. The Apollo was more musical, warmer, more natural soundi... | |
| Sound of Naim cd 5i italic In the post above, Arthur wrote: "I find the older Naim 5i a bit dark on top which might not work with some systems. I assume the new italic version is quite similar."Based on my experience, I'd say that assumption is not accurate. I own the CD5i-... | |
| Mendelssohn string quintets Thanks for the recommendation, which I intend to pursue. I've been re-discovering Mendelssohn's string quartets lately -- heard one performed live and it took my breath away, so it sent me back to CDs that have sat on the shelf a long time -- glad... | |
| Upgrade for better redbook performance I suggest you try the Benchmark DAC-1. Go to Benchmark's website and follow the links to Robert Greene's recent comments in Absolute Sound (he reviewed the new DAC/PRE but comments along the way on the DAC-1). Benchmark is currently offering a 30-... | |
| DAC improvement (1) what component you are using to feed the DAC -- a trusty original Rega Planet CD player(2) the component to which you have the output of the DAC connected -- Naim Nait 5i(3) the type of connection -- RCA out from Planet to BNC in on Benchmark ... | |
| Help -- need Idiot's Guide to music server system Thanks to all who have posted such helpful responses! |