loomisjohnson

Responses from loomisjohnson

DENON, ONYKO, MARANTZ
i agree that anthem is better than the mass market brands, but it may be more avr than you need for your speakers--i'd go to accessories4less and pick out a yamaha or marantz--they have great prices (40/50% off) and you can get a lot of machine fo... 
adding second set of speakers
i fully agree with millercarbon here--adding more speakers, especially of a different brand, will give you more decibels, but will very likely sound worse--you're probably better off with one well-placed set 
The Science of Cables
tedious 
Adcom GFP-710 to Schiit Freya - upgrade?
fwiw, i used a gfp710 for years before "upgrading" to rotel and subsequently to arcam--i always regretted selling the adcom, which had much less coloration and was detailed without being fatiguing. haven't heard the schiit. 
Vintage Fisher Int Amp Model CA 2120 or Kenwood KA 8100....Opinions
agree with mr d 
CD/SACD Player that is at least as good as OPPO BDP 103D
as per uberwaltz, i also have a pioneer dv79avi (for which i paid around $100 used), which sounds better to me for cds than my oppo 103--i haven't compared it directly to the oppo 95, but it's a very serviceable player if you want to save some $$$... 
Nominees For Worst Recording Of All Time
springsteen's commercial breakthroughs were produced by jon landau, who was a rock critic by training--why springsteen wanted that hollow, unnatural sound is a mystery to me, esp. since his first two records sounded good in a conventional way.  
Nominees For Worst Recording Of All Time
i always though born to run sounded horrible. husker du's zen arcade is another vg recrod that was bdly recorded. 
Build a system for $1000
the google chromecast can be used for internet radio and should sound good through the optical in on your avr (alternatively, they could use their computer as a source)--this'll free up most of your budget for speakers.  
CD/SACD Player that is at least as good as OPPO BDP 103D
i have a 103, too, and while it's very good for streaming and video i've never been impressed with it as a cd player--my buddy's 95 is much better, as are my arcam 73 and sony es players. for a grand i think there's much better choices. 
ProJect Pre BOX S2 as preamp
looks like a lot of gear for $399--haven't heard, but previously used a project head box and was impressed with the build and sonics, esp. at the price--very uncolored and clean-sounding 
Pet Sounds: Most Overrated Album of All Time?
it's a great record, butĀ  for me a bit monochromatic in mood and tempo to be considered the GOAT. my main issue is for all the ambitious arrangements it's always sounded compressed and a bit off to me--it just doesn't have the dynamic oomph of say... 
ADS L 520
i still run a pair of l520s in my basement and love 'em--very resolving tweeter and great bass for such a small speaker. also very efficient and easy to drive--as stated above they're a different animal than the heresy, but i'd grab 'em for $50 
Acceptable speaker hum from integrated or sign of impending failure?
my guess is that if it's audible within the chassis that it's more likely a problem with the internals of the unit itself (loose transformer, failing power supply, caps, etc.) than with theĀ  ground or power, but it could be a number of things. i c... 
Acceptable speaker hum from integrated or sign of impending failure?
often the hum is caused by a transformer which has loosened and starts vibrating--i've cured it by opening the chassis and screwing down the transformer (make sure you keep the unit unplugged for a day or so before you do so). if it's some sort of...