mike_in_nc
Responses from mike_in_nc
| Amazon music vs Qobuz Amazon (on Windows, anyway) Works only through default sound drivers Hard or impossible to get through a Roon or DLNA system Very large catalog Low cost Qobuz Works through ASIO or WASAPI Exclusive sound drivers, which gives best sound ... | |
| A double bass is the best instrument to pair with vocals @hickamore - Thanks; I'll check them out. Re: Mozart & Haydn, I do like Shostakovitch, too. No one ever accused his music of being happy all the time! | |
| A double bass is the best instrument to pair with vocals @hickamore - Thanks for clarifying that. We will disagree about Cohen’s singing forever; but I will look for some covers of his songs to see if anyone else sings them more to my taste. (While no one’s music can be happy all the time (Haydn and Moz... | |
| A double bass is the best instrument to pair with vocals @hickamore - Speaking of mopey male vocals, how do you feel about Leonard Cohen? | |
| NAD M33 to KEF Reference 5 The PuriFi modules in the M33 are as load-invariant as one can get. So I would concentrate on the basics: low R, L, C in the cables. That said, Blue Jeans will make some up for you with Belden wire that should be great. You will get advice to pay... | |
| A double bass is the best instrument to pair with vocals Here is an example of double bass & voice that shows it’s not at all crazy and can be incredible, at least if the bassist is Ron Carter: | |
| Schiit Loki Max? I had one on trial and returned it. Make no mistake, it's quite transparent and quiet and does its job well. So why did I return it? The user interface. From six feet away, I couldn't see which way the knobs are pointing. I tried putting tape o... | |
| Mesh network versus a simple Wi-Fi extender Read the reviews on any extenders carefully too though, as I've had really mixed experiences far worse than audio quality. Years ago, I tried several powerline extenders and none of them was any good at all. I suppose they might work if both en... | |
| Mesh network versus a simple Wi-Fi extender I have heard recommendations against a mesh network for audio, as if the connection switches from one node to another, there could be dropouts. I have no experience with that myself, but it seems plausible. So maybe a WiFi extender would be better... | |
| Classical piano solo—Your one favorite performance and recording I can’t pick just one, but perhaps something by Yevgeny Sudbin on BIS. If you like Scarlatti on the piano, his is excellent (and I usually prefer harpsichord in this). If not, his Medtner and Rachmaninoff album also is excellent. | |
| Disappearing Jazz? There is tons of jazz out there on CD and streaming services. Some (but not all) of it requires stretching one’s tastes. That’s not easy to do in middle age and beyond -- but it can bring a lot of musical pleasure, and I think it’s got to help the... | |
| Open Baffle Experience FWIW, I've heard @jaytor 's system (maybe with the old subs) and thought it was among the very best I've heard, including some costing far more. It's clear to me that, if designed and set up carefully, OB systems can be really outstanding. | |
| Balanced vs. Single Ended Interconnects It’s not a choice between Monoprice and (overpriced, IMO) audiophile cables. As @audphile1 suggested, Blue Jeans can supply very nice cables, or you can get cables of Mogami W2549 and Neutrik connectors made up by pro audio shops or from Worlds Be... | |
| Get out and listen! Totally agree. And Row L center is a great spot in most halls I've been in. Far enough back for the music to blend (and avoid craning your neck) and still with great sight lines and dynamics. | |
| Van Alstine pre-amplifiers I have no experience with AVA preamps, but did own one of their amps for a while (FET Valve 400R). It was really excellent. I found AVA easy to deal with and no-BS. |