newbee

Responses from newbee

Speaker Placement
FWIW the last time i set up planers i had them in a room 13.5x19.5 firing down the length of the room with the center of the panel about 2.5 ft from the side wall and the speaker about 4.5 ft from the back wall with the panel turned inward half wa... 
CAL Alpha DAC - Cool Tubes?
i keep the top on - have newver had a problem with tube life. here's a thought on tubes on the cheap - try some yugo el12ax7s. they are cheap and have a very transparent high end. very clean. i prefer them. i don't have the converted model (24/96)... 
Music to test with:
detlof, because i'm that kind of masochist - you should to see my back - i wear out a whip a week. by the way the operative word was "used" (in the penultimate sentence). 
Music to test with:
here is a contrarian thought - instead of great sounding recording of music you love, use discs that you love but that have problems which can be excerbated by poor performing components, for example a disc with a high end that is almost too etche... 
Music to test with:
here is a contrarian thought - instead of great sounding recording of music you love, use discs that you love but that have problems which can be excerbated by poor performing components, for example a disc with a high end that is almost too etche... 
What's so bad about Sovtek 6922s?
tubes are very system dependent. if you can't hear a difference either your system doesn't resolve the difference or you are blessed. i suspect the latter. i use both the old sovteks (halo getter), the 6h23's, and the tesla's. the only ones i can'... 
"EAR VS Cables"
both Twl and Tentrek have made excellent points. in my view cables are the big black hole for money. If you can't hear a difference then for you there is no difference. be happy with your system as it is and enjoy the music. don't let the salesmen... 
Older vs newer with comapinies like CAT & AI??
i would go for an older model that was SOTA in its time and have it upgraded/or have vunerable parts replaced. there may be a lot of changes in the years since they were SOTA but not all were necessarily for the better, just different to encourage... 
Does size matter?
clueless is quite accurate on the trade off on size and effeciency. small speakers = little bass, which i believe is the underpinning to good (read warm, realistic, etc) sound. the 8k speakers you refer to do not provide more bass. it may be bette... 
Basic Repertoire or flogging a dead horse
pbb, in my experience posting my opinion of the best of anything when no one has inquired regarding a specific recording is a waste of time and bandwidth. when some one wants a specific piece they can post and i'll bet they get a good response. fo... 
Basic Repertoire or flogging a dead horse
the best by what standard? the performance, the recording, lp, cd, sacd, hdcd? 
high end audio insurance?
Tthomas, leaving the industry early was probably a good move. i don't know of many really old adjusters. alcohol or heart attacks takes a big toll as well as burn out. too bad as its really a great profession which allow you to learn so much about... 
high end audio insurance?
standard homeowners policies cover audio gear without special riders or $ limitations. you will be paid the actual cash value (usually cost less depreciation calculated by using a table unless you can substantiate another value) less your deductib... 
What tube to use in Sonic Frontier Power 3
you might try just changing the drivers lst. i use svetlana 6550c's. i had sovtek 6922's which i traded out for tesla e88cc's. the tesla's are not as cold sounding as the 6922's. by the way i have the 6h23's in my pre amp - not that much differenc... 
What is the best used ARC Pre-Amp to get?
the sp8 has a built in phono. re the sp10II besides the price there is a sonic difference to consider. the sp8 has a more up-front sound - the sp10II is more laid back. if you can find one and spring for the extra bucks the sp10II is worth the dif...