jji666

Responses from jji666

Which has a greater influence on sound quality, the amp or the preamp?
Now that I've gotten my morning snark out of the way, my answer is that they are both critical but they perform different functions and thus their relative importance is contextually dependent.   
Which has a greater influence on sound quality, the amp or the preamp?
Which is more important to walking? The left or the right leg?   
DSD coming to Qobuz streaming?
What am I missing? My perception has been that DSD has a slightly different character from PCM.  Much of this could be expectation bias.  And I don't mean to say it is necessarily better.  It would just be fun to have access to more DSD-origina... 
MQA....again.
MQA is fine as a niche thing if people want it. Had it become dominant it could have negatively affected the industry - end to end systems always have issues (HDCP!) - but so what if it exists at the fringes.  I think if there is going to be anot... 
Solid State Power Amps
McIntosh is good gear.  IMHO you pay something for the brand.  But one good thing is they maintain value, and occasionally gain in value (probably not from new price), whereas with most other gear you'll take some loss on resale.   
Eversolo DMP-A8 vs iPhone plugged directly to integrated amp - why no difference?
Did the OP ever identify the streaming source?  How useful can the discussion be without knowing that?  
Ethernet cables
Guys, the fact is there are as many or more knowledgeable folks who disagree with your network logic as agree.  You just all happen to collect and represent a vocal majority here.  That’s all fine but it’s important that newbies know that it’s far... 
Ethernet cables
With due respect, just for balance of message, an actual computer network engineer will tell you that any adequately designed cat 5e or above cable, within spec., will deliver the same sound. Secondarily, be careful with Cat 8 and such - for reas... 
The Horror
My two cents is that the OP has plenty of fine gear but could probably use to put in substantial efforts to optimize the system: ---Doesn’t look like the speakers are optimally placed. For one thing that is a lot of  toe in for Maggies. They may ... 
Recommendations for really well-recorded music for high-end audio system demo
And if you have DVD-A or 5.1 SACD capability, consider that.  It's more of a wow factor for many folks.   
Recommendations for really well-recorded music for high-end audio system demo
Lyle Lovett - If I Had a Boat Kraftwerk - Tour de France  
Digital LP’s
Everyone seems to miss this point. It matters a lot. I cannot speak for others, but I am not missing that point.  I just don't find it to be generally true that hi rez is inherently better sound.  What I have found to be true is that some hi re... 
Digital LP’s
To answer the OP's initial question, no I have not noticed that.  What I have noticed is that format is secondary to mastering choices and other "care" taken with the recording itself. Plus, digital recording goes back quite a few decades at this... 
why expensive streamers
Because people should be able to enjoy their expensive bling without being questioned all the time by people who understand computer networking.   
For city apartment dweller audiophiles. Have you ever had neighbors banging on your walls?
I've been on both sides of this one.  I do believe a little tolerance is in order on Friday and Saturday nights, but on school/work nights, best to be respectful of others' desire for quiet. We actually got our neighbors kicked out of our apartme...