medium_grade

Responses from medium_grade

Phono stage for second system
@rivinyl    I have the Trumpet in the setup at my office. I thought it was pretty good with the stock tubes and standard power supply, but I think it's exceptional with the SBooster power supply upgrade. I tried upgrading the tubes as well, but ... 
Budget integrated amp?
Dude, you need to check out the Spark from Vista Audio. Very budget friendly and a real sweet and delightful amp. Look up reviews to see what I'm talking about.   
Suggestions for phono preamp for LOMC's
I am using the Sun Valley Phono EQ which is a kit (though you can pay to have them assembled) with a Lundahl SUT and it sounds absolutely incredible. I also have a Hagerman Trumpet (with an upgraded power supply), Bottlehead Eros and a Pete Millet... 
Phono Preamp Selection
I would echo Schiit Skoll at that price point. If you're into diy, build out the Pete Millett LR Phono and then get a step up transformer or head amp.  
The Low Volume Loudness Dilemma
I like high sensitivity speakers with low watt tube amps for low-level or near field listening. Omega's Alnico speakers are excellent for this.   
Speakers or Turntable upgrade
Rega P3? I just sold one that I upgraded with power supply, sub platter and platter upgrades. I replaced it with a vintage Dual 1219 from fixmydual.com. My taste in music is similar to yours, and I liked the Dual way better than the Rega even with... 
Best streamer, don't want Roon, don't want a screen, A DAC is OK but not necessary
Get a Raspberry Pi, a DAC with a TOS output and install Volumio.   
Rega Planar 3 upgrades
I mean, if you like the Rega sound, go for it. I had a P3 and bought the upgraded power supply, sub-platter and platter. The sound definitely improved. The image was wider, background was blacker, it was able to handle loud and complex passages mu... 
The Jico SAS/B Stylus VN 5 MR
I have a JICO stylus on my M97xe. Fantastic cartridge for what I paid for it, but there was a slight peak in the mid-range somewhere that irritated me. I added a wood body from stanley-engineering.de and it significantly improved the tone and clar... 
You're not a true audiophile unless...
These are starting to sound like Jeff Foxworthy bits. I love it 😂  
Looking for RCA cables from preamp to amp?
I have been very happy with cables from Snake Oil Audio (I know haha). I believe they are one of the OEM cable makers for Schiit.   
Best Tube Amp for High Sensitivity Speakers: 45, PX25, or 300B?
Personally, I love my Elekit 8600 300B amp. Even if you get someone to build it for you, the price is fantastic and you won't have to wait nearly as long as you will for a new Decware amp 🤮  
Is there a list of full-range speakers (20-20kHz) somewhere on the internet?
Try the Omega high output Alnico or 8 inch speakers. The speakers are configured to use a single full range driver and then a second identical driver cut off with a low pass filter around 200 HZ. I love these because you get the benefit of full ra... 
Made in USA
Omega Speakers are based in Connecticut and I know for a fact each one is handmade there.   
Cartridge burn-in
While I am a firm believer in "breaking in" most new gear, it is hard to quantify. It's hard to know how much of it is the gear itself changing character over time and your own ears becoming accustomed to what it's hearing and also not hearing. Th...