loomisjohnson

Responses from loomisjohnson

Arcam SA30 vs Denon PMA- A110
my good friend has the arcam, which he uses with magnepan 3.7s, which are admittedly a tough load. it sounds fine but not awe-inspiring--the warm-sounding arcam definitely colors the presentation. otoh, i've heard the denon with focals (i believe ... 
B&W 805 D4: which 5 channel power amp should I go with (home theater): Parasound or Rotel
reflexively i would have voted for parasound, which i've always liked, but @woots makes a very valid point about rotel and b&w playing well together because they're from the same company--synergy is always critical--so i vote for rotel.  
Ripping CDs
rvpiano, if for some reason you're averse to  computers, there's a number of standalone  devices out there which will play, record and rip CDs and store them on their internal drives--the yamaha mcx-1000 comes to mind. i see 'em on ebay for $200. ... 
Whats on your turntable tonight?
quicksilver messenger service, "shady grove"--poorly recorded, but strangely beautiful, with slow stately slightly trippy songs and gobs of nicky hopkins' piano. nirvana, "in utero"--always a tough one for me--half the songs are iconic, while the... 
Young audiophile metal head looking to level up speaker choice
i'd look seriously at the goldenear w/powered subs (which have polk lineage)--they extend low, have a small footprint + you can get good deals on the triton models.  
Receiver for 702 S2 and HTM71 S2
@mysterygadget, i've no doubt the more recent anthem 1140 is favored, but you're talking a lot more money + it's likely overkill for what you need--it has 11 channels? i haven't heard the arcam 550, although i do know the earlier-generation 500, w... 
Receiver for 702 S2 and HTM71 S2
avrs depreciate faster than old sushi, so i'd buy used or refurbished. you can find a  anthem 520/720/740 for pretty cheap--it'll have fewer bells and whistles than the mass market stuff but are better built and will probably sound better. arcam a... 
Adcom pre amp versus Van Alstine
@mrdmbman, not surprised you like the adcom (are you using the active or passive mode?)--it's a helluva good piece. curious to hear your comparison to the va.  
Floor to Bookshelf
https://forum.audiogon.com/posts/2642092 @mightee, the monitor audio i've heard are transparent and very extended at the high end--i wouldn't call them bright (in the sense of having an energized, hard-edged treble), but neither are they as warm/... 
Floor to Bookshelf
considering that you'd probably need stands (and maybe  a separate subwoofer), query how much floor space you're actually savings w/bookshelves vs. a smaller (fuller range) floorstander. as with @perkadin i'd also buy used--scrolling through the l... 
Adcom pre amp versus Van Alstine
i've never heard the VA, so can't opine on it. however, i have owned the adcom 750  and it was  excellent--it's a nelson pass design which is on a completely different level than adcom's cheaper gtp (preamp w/tuner) models. it had a passive mode w... 
Mattresses, not stereos is where the money is
i obsessively researched this very topic before buying my new mattress (dreamcloud premier--fantastic). i was informed by those in the biz that the typical profit margin (after delivery costs and overhead but before salesman's commission) for bric... 
Wiim pro questions.
yes--connect your router to the  ethernet port on the wiim and the wiim to your dac via the optical or coaxial digital out on the wiim. i don't know any cheaper devices with these features.  
Will audio gear be ok in unheated house
Fwiw, I've left my porch system (Integra receiver and disc changer) outside in a cabinet through ten Chicago winters and it still works fine. Now, I wouldn't be so cavalier with high-end gear, and I don't recommend it for others, but there you go.  
Preamp Gain issues with high efficiency speakers
i've also found that in-line attenuators (in my case, rothwells) had a subtle but noticeable affect on the sound, esp. at the high end. that said, i'd also be inclined to try a different passive pre. luminous audio, for example, will match your pr...