moonwatcher

Responses from moonwatcher

Do you think driver “break in” is real?
Yes, break-in of any mechanical device is real. What is wrong is with manufacturers making YOU do the break in. Now, speaker guru Andrew Jones says that 90% of most break-in can occur in the first 10 hours for a well-designed driver. OK, that sou... 
Help settle a streaming argument!
Hans Beekhuyzen on his YouTube channel has answered this question time and time again. The answer is that a better streamer will sound better to a higher end DAC compared to a lower end streamer into that same DAC in a revealing system. He has te... 
Somewhat of an oxymoron - speaker stands for the floor for bookshelf speakers.
If you have cats, dogs, or small children it is imperative that the stands be strong, stable, and not liable to tipping. You didn’t mention the price range of your speakers which would figure into how much you would want to devote to stands. There... 
Two questions to make you mad.
The ASML machine is producing chips, not music. End of story. People don't sit around listening to it print do they? A $62M rocket stage is "accurate enough" in what it does using "regular" cables, but nope, it isn't creating music either.   
How easily can you distinguish between different DACs?
Sorry Jason, but all DACs do not sound alike any more than all turntable cartridges sound alike. Listen closely, pay attention to the sound and what you are hearing. Some DACs have better attack, decay, dynamic range, more musically accurate sound... 
At what price is one considered an Audiophile.
$0. You are an audiophile if you love music, sounds, and notice and appreciate all the nuances you can experience in listening.  Steve Gutenberg knew he was an "audiophile" when he'd spend time just listening to the various qualities of hiss betwe... 
Rumors of CD Demise Exagerated? New Hegel
Love streaming, but also love my CDs, vinyl albums, and even some old cassettes. The main issue I have with streaming, over buying a CD, is that I find something I really like, but then a few months later, I can't recall the artist's name or the n... 
Class D amplifiers. What's the future look like?
@atmasphere THANK YOU for that explanation. Now it finally makes sense.  We are not "doing" Class-D "just to be doing it" for the fun of new technology - there is logic behind the "why" of doing it - which is to achieve lower distortions in the au... 
Class D amplifiers. What's the future look like?
@soix thanks. I'm glad it is improving if this is the "future" of what sonics we will have. I'm 65 and likely won't have to worry about it, but I hope it will get better and better - at least as good as the best Class AB amps are, and if the trans... 
Class D amplifiers. What's the future look like?
Dropping back and punting. Just the basics. Why is there this "push" to Class-D in the first place? What do you gain? In what way would they ever be sonically better than a good Class A or AB amp? I love new technology as well as the next guy. Bu... 
Question: What are some of your best pieces of advise to someone new to the hobby?
To spend what they are comfortable with but make sure they know that other than us audio-fools they can likely get 10 years out of their investment in listening - if they are careful to put together a system that isn’t strident sounding. Take any... 
New to Streaming
For those of you into watching YouTube reviews with a grain of salt, here’s a recent one (Tharbamar) that compares the Eversolo DMP-A6, the WiiM Pro (unfortunately not the better Pro Plus), and the Matrix i4: 3 Best Buy Music Streamers Comparison... 
New to Streaming
@jl35 Yes, I don't have a Pro Plus but reviews say it is exactly the same but with 1. A better clock circuit, and 2. A better DAC that is implemented better. I think John Darko did a 25-minute review of it recently and Matt Coykendall compared it ... 
New to Streaming
@mjcmt the WiiM Pro is a great streamer but the DAC in it is only so-so, maybe not even "so-so" but it could serve as a streamer to a better external DAC of course. The newer WiiM Pro Plus has a much better DAC in it for only $220 and many reviewe... 
What is your most fond musical memory.
Ah, around 1966. I was 8 years old. My brother-in-law bought one of those "console" all-in-one wooden RCA stereos/combination liquor cabinet. I sat down in front between the speakers, staring at the red "stereo" light and heard two-channel, stereo...