larryi
Responses from larryi
| First Watt to Pass Labs Sensitivity has to do with the magnitude of the input signal (measured in volts/millivolts) needed to achieve full rated output. The F2 requires a fairly hefty signal to reach full output compared with most amps. This is probably a deliberate desi... | |
| Stand out phono stages A lot of tube units are basically tube MM stages with a SUT used to provide the higher gain needed for LOMC. Exceptions, like the Aesthetix Io, have a whole lot of tubes to provide more the extra gain through active stages. I like tube stages with... | |
| Stand out phono stages 1 1flat6,I have only briefly heard the Lyra phonostage and I thought it was terrific--VERY dynamic and lively, and at the same time, harmonically dense and rich (something that is almost never achieved, particularly with solid state). It is too ba... | |
| comments on Naim Audio I like Naim CDPs (I own a CD555) and I think their cheaper integrated amps are also quite good for the money. In my office at work, I run a Uniti (all-in-one CD player, tuner, amp). I also like their top-of-the-line phonostage.I am less enamored w... | |
| Danny Boy - Recommendations I like Jackie Wilson's version myself. Hearing it always makes me laugh (I can't take that song seriously anyway), because it is so over the top. But, it is also a spectacular display of his singing talents too. | |
| Best Late Night Low Volume Speaker Bumping up the bass to compensate for lower hearing sensitivity to bass at low volume (i.e., compensation that mirrors the Fletcher Munson curve) would result in a more natural sound. But, bass energy is more easily passed through walls and other ... | |
| How to restart tube amp and pre in boxes for 2yrs Hifigeel1,Yes, the rectifier does act as soft start for other tubes and for the power supply caps. Perhaps you can help with the issue of using a variac for tube gear that use solid state rectification. A friend had such an amp that had problems w... | |
| How to restart tube amp and pre in boxes for 2yrs Two years is not a long time to be sitting idle. The electrolytic caps should be okay (assuming they were okay going into storage).You should not have a problem with speakers not attached if you don't put a signal into the amp.Elizabeth's approach... | |
| Best Late Night Low Volume Speaker I know that it is a gross oversimplification, but, as long as one has sufficient power, lower powered amps tend to sound better than behemoths. Also, some higher powered amps sound particularly dull and lifeless if they are made to loaf along at r... | |
| First Watt to Pass Labs I can't compare any First Wattt amp with a Pass amp, but, just yesterday, I borrowed a friend's J2 to try in my system. It is being used to drive 99 db/w speakers with a nominal 8 ohm impedance, so the match seems reasonable.On a basic, operationa... | |
| Tonearm choices Grubscrew,I've only heard a Whest phonostage once, and I thought it sounded pretty good. I currently use a tube phonostage myself (Viva Fono), though I've owned a few solid state units in the past (Linn Linto, the phonostage built into a Levinson ... | |
| Tonearm choices A friend of mine had both a Graham Phantom and a Basis Vector arm on a Basis table. He much preferred the Basis Vector with his Orpheus cartridge. I preferred that combination too, though this sort of judgment is very system specific. A friend in ... | |
| Why the obsession with the lowest octave Of course, having the ability to deliver very deep and powerful bass is a big advantage. I just think that, given the usual constraints of size, power requirement, and BIG dollars, there are tradeoffs involved. There are tradeoffs for ANY aspect o... | |
| Why the obsession with the lowest octave If one can get deeper bass without any tradeoff of other qualities, why not? But, such "free" deep bass is hardly ever achieved. Bigger drivers able to push more air usually means more mass (inertia makes such drivers less nimble), bigger cabinets... | |
| Song covers that are better than the originals One more for the list:The Ballad of Lucy Jordan by Marianne Faithfull. I like that version much more than the overwrought version by Dr. Hook. |