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patrickdowns

Responses from patrickdowns

Sonore Rendu
It would be nice if everyone posting these SGC reviews in order to get their free ($29 value) upgrade would do it in ONE THREAD only!  
Sonore OpticalRendu
quintiq I just spoke to Adrian @ Sonore, and he said they hope to have the new OpticalRendu out by this fall. They have had supply chain issues and the parts costs have gone way up. It will be about $500 more than the current OpticalRendu. In th... 
Sonore OpticalRendu
I love my SGC Sonictransporter with the Sonore microrendu. I plan to upgrade to the UltraRendu soon, maybe with the optical module. 2023 Editors’ Choice: Best Music Servers Under $10,000 Absolute Sound Jul 21st, 2023 https://www.theabsolutesound... 
End of life for Vandersteen IICe?
Sounds like they are dead and not worth fixing. You can buy a clean used pair for less than $500, so it wouldn’t be worth putting money into them. Nothing lives forever! You can probably sell the stands though.  
Upgrade from an Audio Alchemy DDP 1 + PS 5 power supply?
lcherepkai re The T+A 200 looks quite impressive but $7000 is way out of my budget.  If you get one, Patrick, please let me know how it compares to the AA DDP 1.  Thanks It is really out of mine too, as I have other things I want to upgrad... 
Upgrade from an Audio Alchemy DDP 1 + PS 5 power supply?
I have the DDP-1 and PS and love it (I have had it for about 4 years). I think I would have to spend quite a lot more money to get a preamp/DAC that sounds a lot better (the DAC module is the part that may be showing its age). The T+A 200 DAC/pre... 
Has Your Hobby Changed?
moonwatcher, re:  After I add about $5K in new speakers, a streamer and a DAC, and a 2M Blue cartridge, I’ll be done and ready to just enjoy the music. Yeah, I’m sure there is better sound out there, but can my 65-year-old ears really hear it? N... 
Has Your Hobby Changed?
Dear mikelavigne, CONGRATULATIONS! I say that as someone who spent "only" 10 years (two 5 year tours) in the car biz, and I retired last fall. 49 years is amazing...I couldn’t have done that (though I did some digging and learned you were in uppe... 
trying to upgrade speaker cable: Audioquest type 9 or Rocket 88
The Audioquest (AQ) Rocket 88 with DBS system would be a noticeable upgrade, I suspect. AQ cables are a great match with Vandersteen (I have the 2CE SigIII). Vandersteen often uses AQ cables at shows, and most Vandersteen dealers sell AQ cables. Y... 
Is there a ceiling limit on what you are willing to pay for an audio component?
If you had even 10% of Elon's money, you (well, I) WOULD spend a fortune on audio gear if you love it. Why wouldn't you? Even if you were "only" worth $100 million, you could spend 2% of your net worth (even 1%) on a room and a system that would b... 
Audio Research in Receivership.
Post in this thread: https://www.audioshark.org/audio-research-corporation-arc-36/future-audio-research-21912.html?highlight=future+audio+research   Re: The Future of Audio Research Hello, everyone. This is my first Audioshark post because I w... 
Are carbon fiber speaker cabinets inherently better than wood or metal ones
Sorry, johnk, but this is wrong: Alunimun is a cheap material marketed as a luxury item in audio because audiophiles don't remember that it's used in beer cans. The machined aluminum cabinets by Magico and Rockport (for example) are both compl... 
2023 DAC comparison: MSB Select vs dCS Vivaldi Apex vs Wadax Atlantis Reference
The Wadax DAC and server seem extraordinary, per Robert Harley. In the stratosphere costwise, but if price is no deterrent... WADAX server Excerpt: Most of us have experienced the thrill of hearing a favorite album in a fabulous remastering. Th... 
Live (analog) vs Digital Home Audio
I LOVE Nickel Creek! Their first eponymous album, "Nickel Creek" (from 2000) is one of my reference discs which I used to audition speakers. It is superbly recorded, imo, and was produced by the great Alison Krauss. Chris Thile, their child prodig... 
What should my heirs do to dispose of my vinyl and CDs?
hifiman5 We are kindred spirits! I had a McCormack DNA-1 Deluxe that I ran for almost 20 years until it died. I had considered upgrading it just prior, and ended up selling the chassis to SMc Audio and now regret it. Not long after, they came out...