jrw1971
Responses from jrw1971
| Looking for a new phono preamp The PS Audio is fantastic. I owned one. Moved up recently, but I made a huge leap. For $2.5k, and I say this after 8 different phonostages in as many years, I think it’s a no-brainer. They do have the 30 day return policy you mention. | |
| Speaker Upgrade Recommendation for Current Analog System - under $10,000 Budget OP — I’ve owned a pair of NOLA Contender 2s for 5 years. Really lovely speaker. Happy to discuss my experience, compared to owning Vandy Treo CTs, NOLA KOs, Harbeth 30.2s, Wilson Audio Sabrinas, and recently, DAWs. Don’t know the Golden Ears so... | |
| Equal $$ for Phono OR Streaming? I’m a vinyl guy, and I happen to think the very highest levels of check-the-box / by-the-book sound quality, plus enchantment, plus wow factor, are monopolized by vinyl. But I enjoy digital 20% of the time and I’ve spent time and money going thro... | |
| Do different streamers really sound different when using an external DAC I second feldmen4’s comments. I had the same experience, except with a PS Audio DirectStream DAC. First using Node 2, then using the Bridge II card, each with the same DAC. PS Audio’s Bridge II is far better as a streamer than the Node 2. More... | |
| Best DAC For My Setup Under $10k I own the PS Audio Directstream with Bridge II. It is excellent. But I’ve placed it in a smaller system, because once I heard the Mola Mola Tambaqui, I was toast. It’s a really really good DAC. Detailed and clean joined forces with musical and ... | |
| A stupid question for which there's no sensible answer. I may have missed it, but I don’t think anyone has mentioned what I would consider the easiest, cheapest thing OP should do: try Roon or Audirvana. Running a signal direct from a Mac to a DAC means the Mac’s internal audio "enhancers" are mucking... | |
| I expected more from my speakers (not high end) Respectfully disagree. Kenjit’s post was hostile, but also dumb. OP is at the front end of a trip we’ve all been on. System sounds uninspired, unengaging, dull, and compressed. We’ve all heard that before, and we all know that a better amp wit... | |
| Ok to adjust balance to achieve center vocal image? Lots of ideas here. If it were me, easily my first theory — especially since you said it was not previously doing this, presumably in the same room and with the same/similar gear — would be that my azimuth had fallen into a leaning position and t... | |
| Audio research ref 6SE vs world OP — are you arbitrarily using ARC REF6SE as a benchmark because you know its sound? My big system uses that pre-amp, and I’m in love with it. It beats what I’ve used before in that room by a wide margin, but then again everything I used before ... | |
| Audio Research VT80SE amp vs Prima Luna EVO 400 or 300 Balanced only. It’s a fully balanced amp, and you might want to give that issue a think. Not sure how it would like single ended outputs adapted to XLR from an unbalanced pre. Evo from what I recall is unbalanced (even with the XLR input option... | |
| Audio Research VT80SE amp vs Prima Luna EVO 400 or 300 @BIF,Ken Kessler thinks the REF 75SE is the best amp they ever made, current lineup included. And he literally compiled/authored the latest book about ARC. So, no, I would not agree with the marketer's notion that the 160S blows away the 150SE o... | |
| Audio Research VT80SE amp vs Prima Luna EVO 400 or 300 Flame — hard to say. Different rooms and very different speakers. Some time ago when I replaced the 75SE with the 160S, in the same room and system, paired with DAWs, the 160S brought dynamics and “jump factor" to a whole new level. It is dynam... | |
| Audio Research VT80SE amp vs Prima Luna EVO 400 or 300 OP — I went from a Prima Luna HP Dialogue Premium integrated to an ARC 160S amp and REF 6SE preamp. Never regretted that. I concede it’s not a fair comparison to start with, but I still use my PL in another room and I’ve obviously made my own me... | |
| Looking for a phono stage with pleasing coloration OP, I can’t help but think of an earlier phonostage I loved before moving on to the ARC REF3 phono: the Manley Chinook. | |
| Warm romantic & detailed Love my Harbeth 30.2s in a similar sized room, plus a REL sub. Everything you described in your wish list. I’m extremely impressed with the Harbeths. Fourth pair of different speakers I’ve had in that room, and these really nail natural tone wi... |