philgo01

Responses from philgo01

For SACD fans only
My concerns with I2S connection (via HDMI) are the pin-outs are not standardized AND I am not clear if it can transmit DSD signals to a I2S input of a DAC.  I've inquired with Denafrips' dealer on this  very issue and if my memory is correct, he i... 
DAC - DCS Bartok or the new Berkeley Alpha DAC 3
With the quality and cost of DACs that you are considering, I would opt for a much higher quality streamer than Bluesound... Perhaps   something like Aurender, Auralic, HiFi Rose ???  Bluesound represents spectacular value but it is also considere... 
Better CD Sound: The Search
If your are willing to use your existing player as a transport, I would urge you to consider external DAC like the Denafrips Ares2 (sub $800) or better models.  I love mine. If you are willing to replace your Sony player,  the Marantz SACD30n (~ $... 
external DAC with SACD
DSD's are not available on digital coax nor toslink digital output ports. It's only available on I2S outputs (PSAudio uses HDMI type of connector but it is different from the normal HDMI port available on many blu-ray players that contains video a... 
Streaming virgin
I started this journey ~ two years ago and here are some of my lessons learned:1.  Determine what "STREAMING" means for you:  It can be just an online music service like SPOTIFY, Amazon Music HD, Tidal, Qobuz etc.  It can also be a bunch of downlo... 
Nagaoka MP-150 vs MP-200
@chakster Just because you were born in the former Soviet Union does not make your sweeping generalities that all Chinese nationals are communists or support the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) true.  There is a lot of dissent towards the CCP both i... 
Nagaoka MP-150 vs MP-200
I don't understand why we have racist comments in this forum.  I too expect better from this forum. It has no place in a civilized society.  How can we stop this especially in this much enjoyable forum?  It's very disheartening that people harbor ... 
Got a Node 2i, what's next?
Assuming you are able to stick to your budget of up to $1K,  please keep us apprised of what you ended up with and feedback would be appreciated...  I 
Warning: China-Hifi-Audio.com
$595 for shipping definitely seems excessive but you should price it out yourself (FedEx / DHL) and see that it is 'reasonable'..   It also includes US customs paperwork..  It's very heavy and is coming from around 6000 miles away..  In the USA, w... 
A strange business model for audio
I don't think Technics / Panasonic is unique. I submitted an inquiry to a US based speaker company and it took them almost 3 months to respond back, with 1001 apologies....   I've had better luck with getting timely (w/in 48 hours) response back f... 
Stereophile's 2021 products of the year
Reviews are opinions.  I let my ears be the ultimate judge.  For reviewers, it is best to be totally independent of the manufacturers which means subscription supported.... It is very difficult to come by hence they need advertising revenue. 
how can low watt tube amps drive speakers with higher power requirements
Indeed, wattage is just part of the equation.. Average watts per channel RMS (root mean square) is an average which means there will be peaks and valleys of  power output way beyond and way below the RMS value.  Amplifier manufacturers that do not... 
Please Educate Me
Indeed, digital music is represented by 1's and 0's.. yet the resulting output is analog and is supposed to be music. Music is produced using devices that turns these bits to sound (DAC's).  Analog output sounds very different with different circu... 
Takedown of pricey servers, streamers OCD HiFi guy
He has a point... I am a 30+ year IT professional and was scratching my head about what some of these network streamers / music servers costs.  I am sure higher end units provide better experience but it is definitely way past the point of diminis... 
If you stream music from the internet, I can't recommend this more highly
Been trying to figure out....  I am not clear what streaming services work natively with SGC devices.  I have my eye on Amazon Music HD due to its VAST collection.  I don't think Amazon and ROON works together  at all ?  Can someone shed some ligh...