mcondon

Responses from mcondon

Physically Comfortable Headphones
I have the same problem - headphones are uncomfortable for me. I can tolerate the HD800S reasonably well, but every other headphone is a no-go comfort wise. I recommend trying a decent set of IEMs. They have come a long way in terms of sound qual... 
List Of Small Company Tube Amps
I don’t know if Coincident qualifies as small since it makes a complete range of audio components and is probably best known for its high efficiency speakers, but it sells direct to consumers (no dealers) and looked a bit like a one-man operation ... 
Buyer Dispute
Can’t believe some of the comments. Seller advertised working speakers. You received non-working speakers. I’m skeptical like many others that shipping caused both tweeters to fail. But it doesn’t matter, shipping damage is the seller’s problem, n... 
Never Spend More On Cables Than Your Equipment Cost$$$$$$$$$$
I guess that rules out the Professional Elite ICs from High Fidelity Cables for those of us who have spent less than $100,000 on our speakers and upstream components.    
Blue Dragon and Moon
Moon Audio has been around a long time, known primarily for its custom aftermarket headphone cables. In my experience it’s a well run company. I have tried two of their headphone cables - their top of the line Black Dragon cable for Sennheiser HD8... 
Truly Balanced Cheaper Preamplifiers?
One of the best tube preamps I have owned was the Aesthetix Calypso, which is fully balanced. Years ago, Paul McGowan of PS Audio claimed that his reference DAC at the time, the Perfect Wave, sounded best with no preamp in the chain and should be ... 
Buying speaker cables on-line: Is this advisable?
Optimal cable selection really requires comparisons of various brands in your own system. There is no other way to make an optimal selection.  I don't think the information a manufacturer or dealer can provide to you will reveal how the speaker ca... 
What is your experience with legacy CH Acoustic cables?
I owned a CH Acoustics X-20 power cord some years ago, bought after demoing many other power cords.  I chose it because it was very open sounding -- extremely clear and fast sounding, about as far removed from a tone control as one can get.  I see... 
High Fidelity Cables CT-1designed by Rick Schultz
I am grateful for High Fidelity Cables, not because I own the cables, although I have demo'd them.  Mostly, seeing their price tags a few years ago and the numbers of people who I generally respect who have bought them made me realize how seemingl... 
Integrated Owners: I Need an Excellent Power Cord
I use an integrated.  I demo'd many cords a few years back.  CH Acoustic is the best I tried, Silent Source was very good as well and close to the CH Acoustic, HiDiamond 4 is good if you want a more relaxed sound with bass emphasis.  Used, they al... 
Looking for a power cable upgrade
For your budget, I would recommend the Mad Scientist Audio NEO power cord.  It compares favorably to some very expensive cords, in my experience. 
Hot off the press: Yggdrasil review
I thought it was a good review and refreshingly unusual, in that Chris compared the Yggy to $15K DACs that he considers to be his references. And the Yggy in no way fell short. Chris Connaker supposedly had the review unit for over 2 months, and d... 
Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD
Are you in New Jersey? If so, I would give Brett Messler at Audio 202 in Far Hills a call. Some of the speakers on your audition list were also on mine. Brett carries some interesting brands you won't hear elsewhere. I auditioned Behold Tanara spe... 
Anything wrong with PS Audio DirectStream DACs?
There was also a glut of PS Audio Perfect Wave DACs for sale a few years ago on Audiogon. Paul McGowan, the head of PS Audio, tends to hype his latest product release, in ways that have undermined his credibility in my book. A year ago, he was cla... 
Speakers to hang on to for LIFE
Living in a New York apartment, the idea of trading into and out of speakers has not appealed to me...too much lifting, too much hassle,not enough time. About 2 1/2 years ago, I started looking for speakers to replace my Sehring S703s through all ...