mglik
Responses from mglik
| Best "Bang for the Buck" you have owned? In a way, this is a difficult question since, after 50 years of upgrades, I am, thankfully, very satisfied with my system.However, it is an easy choice... Quad 57s!I joyfully lived with them for 10 years and miss them to this day.True, they are fr... | |
| Help with TT ideas for my first TT +1 for MoFi and Rega Planer 3I have owned a Planer 3 and was stunned with how much better it was over digital. And the MoFi has been very well received. They pulled out all the stops, considering price point, to create a modestly priced TT. I woul... | |
| IMHO (and friend's) opinion of acrylic platter After trying a Puresound Tenuto gunmetal mat and a Ringmat, I have found the best available mat-an acrylic mat by Oracle. It is unlike other acrylic mats being high mass and other factors. The vital importance of a good mat was stressed by Ralph K... | |
| How do you know when an LP is a first or early pressing? It was actually Ralph who turned me on to these issues. He told me that he regularly uses a “pink label” ELO first pressing at shows.He also told me to pay attention to the codes stamped into the run out groves. That they list the early or first p... | |
| What is the best way to clean records? HI Charles,The RCM vacuums off solutions with a nozzle at the end of its arm that is suspended slightly off the record bu a thread in between that is automatically replaced. And the vacuum pump is a large and powerful medical grade one. If the noz... | |
| Tubed Preamp recommendations? +1 for Linear Tube Audio MicroZOTL if you buy new. I use mine as a headphone amp. It is excellent. And if you buy used +1 Audible Illusions L3A.I use my AI in my main system and TAS for years refers to it as “best at any price!”. | |
| For anyone who moved from tubes to solid state — a question I learned a lot from my thread, “Is there a SS amp that can satisfy a SET guy?”. The basic answer is no. Tubes and SS are a different paradigm. They approach producing music from different perspectives. My understanding is that tubes are a more vi... | |
| Analog or Digital and why? I don’t want to disparage digital lovers.For sure, there are big advantages over analog.Those are clear and obvious.And there are many drawbacks to analog.However, speaking generally, even a $500 TT produces a physical, gut level reaction to the m... | |
| Best Speakers for a small Nearfield room, budget at most $10000 (used is also ok) +1 for the TAD ME-1. For nearfield listening I don’t think you can find better. | |
| Is idler drive better than belt drive or direct drive? A very informative and interesting YouTube can be pulled up by:“Garrard 301 vs Studer reel to reel”. Not only is this one of the best sound quality MP4s I have heard, it is a great comparison. When he changes from TT to Tape, you don’t want him to... | |
| Is the preamp the “heart” of the system? Hi George,You are right... kind of.When I talk about gain, I actually refer to "meat on the bones".I lived with passives for decades and when I finally tried an active, I will never go back. I am not a tech guy but I think that this aspect has a l... | |
| Is the preamp the “heart” of the system? Yes, yes... a straight wire WITH GAIN!Passives mostly have the straight wire part but not the latter.But “uncolored” is highly subjective. I think that preamp manufacturers all have their own idea of what music sounds like and embues their pre wit... | |
| ~$15K floorstanders: opinions sought wassaicwill,I am surprised no one mentioned that it is, IMO, foolish not to buy a used speaker. Especially at this time when large floorstanders are frequently going for 1/3 retail or less! Other than maybe living with a few small cosmetic flaws, ... | |
| Is the preamp the “heart” of the system? Now replacing my Audible Illusions M3B with John Curl phono boards with an Atma-Sphere MP-3 to match my A-S M-60 amps.I agree the preamp is the brain and that the amp is the muscle and the speakers the legs or the voice. Then the amp would be the ... | |
| Best Speakers for a small Nearfield room, budget at most $10000 (used is also ok) Absolutely buy used on Audiogon, US Audio Mart or Canuck Audio Mart. There is a nice pair of Raidho C1.3 currently on AG for half of $17K. My first choice would be the TAD mini monitor. A used speaker may have some small marks on it but most peopl... |