jonwatches1

Responses from jonwatches1

New DACs High End Munich 2023
Have been very happy with the Benchmark; enough to stop thinking about DACs  
Does anybody pay a pro to dial their system in?
The speaker placement advice is what I would try first.  I also wonder if there is too much dampening in the room.  See what the system sounds like when you remove the curtain behind the system, and replace with some diffuser panels behind the spe... 
Solid copper or stranded copper for speaker cables? What is your choice and why?
Good thread.  Have a great day!  
Better story teller than Edmund Fitzgerald?
“Get Down” by Nas  
How much should I spend on a new DAC
@celestial__sound Hi - my system is pretty similar, broadly, and I’m running a MacBook with Roon/Tidal as my source. When I upgraded from a DAC comparable to the Pro-Ject, I went with the Benchark DAC3, and am delighted with the choice. Hadn’t ... 
Using streaming as a main source ---DSD, FLAC, MQA Streamers and DACS
Hi, @kiwiscott this thread would confuse me too 1) Sign up for Tidal, and play it on a MacBook or other laptop (so that’s the source, and the streamer). Plug the laptop into a DAC. iFi Zen2 for $300. And..you are streaming. You can be up and ru... 
Compact ~20WPC Tube Amp
+1 Will Vincent. Good value for money, and nice industrial design. His piece powers nicely a relatively insensitive set of Harbeths (albeit I’m not listening to rock @ 90 db). Even if I change tube amps, I will keep his, just to look at - it’s nic... 
When were the best tube amps made?
Yesterday  
Bob Carver tube amps
Not specific to Carver, but I would not buy equipment from a company on the edge of viability. Service in the future will be a disaster, unless you live in an area where you’ll be able to find good independent audio repair shops.  And, given all t... 
Aric Audio Custom 300b PSET
Thanks for a great series of posts on the new amp, and glad to hear that the Aric rig is living up to its reputation!  Really cool to see a small business doing so well, for all the right reasons, in this hobby of ours Have a great day!  
Mid-fi tube vs high-end SS
You will hear an enormous difference in an SS amp at that budget.  Unfair comparison to your current rig. Perhaps buy a Benchmark off Amazon Prime (30 day return) & give that a try as first step.  Audition and enjoy!  
Vintage worth the time to explore?
Used gear less than 5 -8 years old is a great way to go for pre’s, amp, speakers Vintage gear is a whole different ballgame - vintage anything is a verb, not a noun. Lots of work involved. Better for folks with lots of experience owning & li... 
DAC recommendations
@earthbound  One more from the peanut gallery I switched from a DAC comparable to the Topping (similar price and benchmarks on ASR) to the Benchmark DAC3 - the improvement exceeded all expectations - just delightful. One of the biggest impacts I... 
Why is everyone so down on MQA?
For me, the decision wound up being made by my choice of DAC (I use Tidal).  I fell in love with the Benchmark DAC3 (no MQA) - the improvement in sound was just amazing.  Figured that difference in DAC was larger than the difference in MQA, so wen... 
Why are so many people spending so much money to build “perfect” streaming system?
@walkenfan2013  It can be inexpensive and simple, and open up a huge range of music. For me it is complementary to LPs - streaming is the most amazing resource for discovering new music Use Roon off an old MacBook. MacBook connects to your existi...