128x128

mapman

Responses from mapman

Why Don't More People Love Audio?
e more music you listen to the more you need a good hifi. It's that simple. 
Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD
Mhdt non over sampling dacs check all those boxes and could save you thousands. I use SS Constantine and tube paradisea. I've heard and coveted dcs and others for reference and these keep me satisfied. 
High value, high efficiency speakers for SET amps
Also 4 ohm nominal impedance rating. that alone is a red flag for must tube amps, much less a SET. I'd pass on this one. 
High value, high efficiency speakers for SET amps
"Sensitivity: 95dB - averaged across 200Hz to 5kHz at 1M - on axis"Efficiency down to 200hz is not that hard and not that meaningful IMHO. The bass is where it becomes hard to maintain efficiency levels, exponentially so as the frequency decreases... 
High value, high efficiency speakers for SET amps
Maybe the two 15" woofs are enough to do the trick in lieu of an enclosure. The money goes into the large drivers rather than cabinetry I suppose. Might work if the whole design is executed well, especially in a smaller room. 
High value, high efficiency speakers for SET amps
I can't see a moderate size and cost open baffle design working particularly well from an efficiency perspective with a low power amp. The box size in conjunction with drivers is what delivers extended bass efficiently. Those drivers would have to... 
A-B testing of cables
My experience is sometimes there is a significant difference and other times not. It all depends. I believe design is a big factor in how a wire 'sounds". Some wires share similar designs and others attempt more "esoteric" designs.I often tend to... 
Why Don't More People Love Audio?
live music is my ultimate reference. But of course there is a continuum of quality and scale even with live sound. Live music consists of players venues and listeners just like home audio. All good sound have two things in common low noise and dis... 
High value, high efficiency speakers for SET amps
Tube I'd agree with your assessment of the mhdt dacs. Both I own share the same positive traits though one is tube and sensitive to tube rolling and the SS and just darn good as it is. Either sounds similarly excellent with most any good quality s... 
Why Don't More People Love Audio?
Tbg not sure what needs explaining. Assuming high standards to start not all achieve results to their satisfaction as fast or easily. That's pretty much how all of life works. Ability to learn and apply knowledge is probably the most important ing... 
Bad news for audiophiles?
Onh I never thought about that but your probably right. Prices have to cover overhead. That's for sure. The rest is harder to be certain of. 🏆 
Why Don't More People Love Audio?
Home audio is like photography. Put an even modest camera in the hands of a good photographer and great photos result. Same true with home audio. In the end it's the skills of the user that determine the results. Most results will be average but m... 
Electron microscope slow-motion video of vinyl LP
I need an electron microscope video of my wallet to understand where all the money goes. 😲 
High value, high efficiency speakers for SET amps
More Shameless plugs:Tad hibachis are gone. I have stax phones and mhdt tube Dac up for sale now. I'd love to hear both with a set amp. If not in tested send me a set to try and I might end up keeping them both. 😉 
Replacement drivers that ARE NOT NEW STOCK?
Whether used drivers are worth it or not depends on how well they actually work and what are the alternatives. There is nothing inherently bad about the idea. It all depends.