knotscott
Responses from knotscott
| Question: What are some of your best pieces of advise to someone new to the hobby? The sound we like is extremely personal...you choose what you like Speakers are very room dependent, and you’re listening room is unique Buy speakers you love the sound of, and that work well in your room, then buy an amp that drives them well... | |
| Need advice for bi-amping or tri-amping Sonus Faber Aida speakers There can definitely be some benefit to bi or tri-amping. There can also be significant cost involved, but doesn’t have to be expensive. A lot of folks will argue that an active crossover is the only way to bi-amp. There are pros and cons with b... | |
| Tube Rollers! Which has more impact to your sound- Rectifier or Power (and why)? Never used a 7591, but I’m pretty sure it’s a different tube altogether with different pin wiring, and not interchangeable with a 7581. The 7581A is the higher output version....KT66 and 6L6 are interchangeable with it AFAIK, but always check your... | |
| Tube Rollers! Which has more impact to your sound- Rectifier or Power (and why)? If the rectifier is doing 100% of the job, it shouldn’t have much impact on sound. Sort of a big if in the real world. There can be a bit of sag when the amp gets pushed hard with rectifier tubes, which can be a desirable thing for guitar amps, bu... | |
| DAC DIRECT IN TO AMPLIFIER OR TO PREAMPLIFIER Every situation is a bit unique, but preamp outputs tend to be better suited for driving the impedance of any given amp than a DAC output. That's not saying that aren't acceptable matches between some DACs and some amps, but it's primarily would ... | |
| speakers cables for Lavardin and Harbeth? They're very different wire configurations, so it might be worth some cost and effort. What type improvement are you hoping for? BTW, the Monoprice 4-conductor 12 awg OFC wire is very reasonable, and very good if you can DIY the connections. Rig... | |
| Preamp to Pair with NAD M23 I tend to be a tube fan, especially in a preamp. In addition to the potential for stellar clarity, you can roll tubes to tailor the sound to your liking, | |
| Does an upgrade make sense? Subs are rarely a bad idea, and are usually well received. It looks like you've picked most of the low hanging fruit, but assuming your speakers are well designed with good quality drivers, but built to a price point, it's very possible the cro... | |
| Warm vs Revealing—the struggle for balance @waytoomuchstuff Love this! IMHO, we've got push the resolution envelop past the point of "comfort" to learn which exit to get off on. It's all part of the hit-and-miss experimental process. | |
| Tweeter protection Unless you’ve had issue with burning up tweeters in the past, I’d recommend against adding a fuse to speakers in a nice sound system...it’s possible to hear the fuse or circuit protection in a very clear setup. Never in my 10 years of having a spe... | |
| Warm vs Revealing—the struggle for balance Our preferences are all different, and we all have a unique "sweet spot" we need to achieve to let the music take us away. There’s not a one size fits all road map. It’s always a matter of striking a balance on all fronts (including baffle width).... | |
| One key to building great systems over time. There are certainly benefits and drawbacks to any approach, but I feel strongly that there is great benefit by gaining exposure to excellent audio gear. Breaking from the mass-fi mold offers a significant advantage in sound quality IMHO, regardles... | |
| Help and opinions needed on pre-amp situation I'd definitely lean towards a preamp...a very good one. It'd be good to get input from either Atma-Sphere, and/or someone very familiar with optimizing those amps. | |
| Raven Nighthawk tube rolling. Nice to hear a success story, and nice to hear of a local dealer who's customer focused. It's also nice to read about someone else who's dialed in their system with tube selection, and loves what they're hearing. 😎 Congrats. | |
| I Am Not an Audio Snob I can’t afford to be a snob 😄 I’m just particular about how I want my system to sound, and have a profound respect and admiration for great gear, and little love for overhyped, overpriced gear that falls short. It’s all about the sound (or lack th... |