loomisjohnson

Responses from loomisjohnson

Ascend Sierra 1 Reference vs. Era D5
i haven't heard the sierras, altho i have heard the 340s, which are, i guess one step down their food chain, and my recollection is that they were ok-but-unmemorable. i did audition the eras against psb imagine/synchrony, kef xq and paradigm signa... 
Inexpensive integrated to drive Klipsch
since you asked, i'm a huge arcam fan--i currently have an alpha 9 and also have some experience with the diva a65/a85. tons of oomph (60w drives big, relatively inefficient revels effortlessly), and very refined and detailed on the top end--sonic... 
New spreakers sound great But
i went through a similar not-enough-bass crisis when i switched from a parasound amp to the rotel rb980 to power my naim arrivas (which actaully extend quite low). the after much experimentation and a lengthy forum thread, i ended up adding a sub,... 
I need your advice on system for a non-audiophile
sit: since yo uasked, i went down to the basement to check. my particular piece of sonic nirvana is the philips pwb-c798/17 and it's quite the jewel of the disco. in fact, i regard this multi-function, brightly-lit unit as the finest exemplar of a... 
I need your advice on system for a non-audiophile
no disrespect to any boseophiles out there, but $499 for that wave system doesn't strike me as good value, esp. when you can get a comparable product from, say, crosley or sharper image for a hundred bucks or so. now, i fully concur that, purely f... 
What to choose?????
all of the above get great reviews, i'd pick the esoteric, which is built like a friggin' tank and handles video as a bonus--even if you're currently planning to use it just for music, you'll have a piece that will play every format and will last ... 
Denon or Marantz? Home theater beginner.
to my ears, whatever differences exist between the japanese-branded mass market avrs aren't really cost-effective--all of $1000 or so msrp yamaha, denon, marantz, onkyo, sony etc. units do the same thing about as well--heck, marantz and denon are ... 
I need your advice on system for a non-audiophile
i vote with sfar and recommend avoiding the nad combo units, which from my experience are quirky and unreliable. the cambridge sonata receiver and dvdp are nice, small form factor units (easily available around $600); add some of the above-recommn... 
Von schweikert VR-1 VS Ascend Sierra
i can't comment on the ascend sierra, altho i have heard their 340 monitors and wasn't blown away--build quality and sound were just okay. the vr-1 on the other hand, is fantastic--beautiful wood, dynamic, engaging, with a ton of low end slam. lik... 
The best acoustic guitar recordings??
this month's issue of acoustic guitar magazine (which, coincidentally, i just read at borders) lists 240 essential acoustic albums from the past couple of decades. their choices seem very diverse and sound. check it out. 
New CD player required
since you have a goo dac already, i'd look for a decent transport and save some dough. you haven't specified a budget, but at sub-$500us i'm partial to cambridge audio 540/640; used arcam or rega jupiter/appollo are also just fine 
Fixing a Broken NAD C320BEE
i'm with philojet on this one---you're buying a pig in a poke; you don't really know what's wrong with it. the only thing you're certain of is you'll need to spend a hundred bucks (on top of the $75 for the broken unit) to find out if it's even wo... 
Amplifier and Speaker Advice needed
within your budget, a used b&k amp is as good a choice as any; parasound hca is another--you can find either around $200. for speakers, i might look at either ohm walsh or mirage omnis, which aren't fussy about placement and disperse widely--t... 
What is the most analog sounding CD player under $
i was very impressed with the vincent s1.1, which is a hybrid tube player--very natural sounding. they also make tubed players (probably available used at your 1k target) which are well worth checking out. 
Need Help W/ Ipod + Phono System
harman kardon makes a 2channel amp (hk3480 or 3490) with a ton of power, digital inputs, phono, sub and preamp outs, etc., which you can get used on amazon for around $200. it has an optional bridging station for an ipod (around $100) which lets y...