lynott

Responses from lynott

Has anyone found Audio Nirvana?
IMO, nirvana exists WITHIN us, as a state of contentment and satisfaction with what we have. That doesn't mean it can't end, because the desire to upgrade or change--EVENTUALLY--is there in all of us, so I think that state of complete satisfaction... 
pink Floyd dark side of the moon mobile fidelity getting closer to vinyl
Personally, I've gotten my digital to a point where I don't think much about analog anymore. Analog has many charms, to be sure, but for me, my modded SA-7S1 does the job just fine.If you have an SACD player, the SACD of DSOTM is pretty hard to be... 
Consideration of amp change
The Sim is a good suggestion, but I see that there's a Coda CSi for sale at 3k (possibly negotiable), and knowing how well it drove a pair of Maggie 3.6s in a friend's rig, it would probably take to those Slants really well. 
Reevaluation can be a good thing
Power (among many other things) varies sooooo greatly that, yes, it's impossible to prescribe a uniform solution for everyone. I know a couple of people who've had great success with amps plugged into regenerators--but, alas, it just didn't work t... 
Reevaluation can be a good thing
You're right, Rob. Not that I or my decisions have ever been mistaken for "mature," but as my level of experience has grown, so too (I think) has my ability to discern first-blush changes from long-term, more satisfying ones. The PurePower has tak... 
New Luxman DA-06 doesnt sound so great. Will it get better?
If it requires hundreds of hours of break-in (per Luxman, I assume?), then give it the required time, and you should be rewarded for your patience. The Isotek/Esoteric burn-in disc is a useful tool. Don't give up on it yet! 
solid state gear- leave on?
After reading some of these posts, I think I'm going to start putting my amps into Standby even more often.  
Firstsound paramount 6 mk3 SE or ARC ref3
Wow, $4,800 for THAT pre? Man, I haven't kept track of FS products recently, but that seems like a helluva deal.Just curious, why did you sell your 5SE? That's a very highly regarded unit. Still, the Paramount is pretty friggin' killer. If you lik... 
Firstsound paramount 6 mk3 SE or ARC ref3
That Paramount is an AWESOME preamp. I owned a Deluxe many years ago, and I still have very fond memories of it. And my friend owns an even earlier generation that still sounds terrific. The biggest issue, IMO, with the Paramount is physical space... 
solid state gear- leave on?
I've left my SS Coda amps on 24/7 for years. The only time I turn them off is if I'm monkeying around with the system in some way or if I go out of town. In my experience, SS amps sound best when left on all the time. I sometimes put the Codas int... 
Which CD\SACD?
The Esoterics I've owned, while good performers overall (especially the X-01, which was highly modded), just did not engage me over the long haul. My Marantz, on the other hand, has. When I've listened to the two manufacturers back to back, it sou... 
Marantz SA11S3
Jafant:For cables, I'm using upper-end Jena Labs with my SA-7S1. Out of the many cables I've tried over the years, the Jena synergizes the best with the player--at least to MY ears. But there are plenty of other great choices too. 
Marantz SA11S3
I agree that going balanced is likely the best way in your situation. I run all-balanced with my SA-7S1, and IMO it definitely sounds better than single-ended. Purer and slightly darker backgrounds.Other than when I go out of town, my player has b... 
Which CD\SACD?
A used Marantz SA-11S2 or SA-7S1 would fit your criteria pretty nicely, IMO. They would likely be at the upper end of your budget, though--especially the SA-7S1. 
Marantz
Haven't heard the Lite, but the original Pearl was/is a VERY good player. Limited to 500 units, as I understand. A guy I knew had one, and I heard it at his house compared with an ARC spinner (I forget the exact model, but I remember it was MUCH m...