pinwa

Responses from pinwa

List Of Small Company Tube Amps
Apollo makes some interesting tube amps with unusual power tube choices https://apolloaudiosystems.squarespace.com/  
Experienced Maggie Lovers Please Advise
@aniwolfe That would be my big knock on the 20.7s.  They really open up around 80 dBC.  On most music they simply don't bring the magic at listening levels 10 dB lower.  I have no idea why that would be true but it is certainly my experience with ... 
Step Up Transformers….Are they Worth the Trouble?
@sgordoxyz Unless something has changed, the Lundahl step up transformers in the ModWright PH 9.0 XT are their lower end LL926 ones.  I suspect they are actually a weak point in an otherwise excellent phono stage.    
Experienced Maggie Lovers Please Advise
I have owned the 1.6, 1.7, 3.7, and now I have the 20.7's.  Bigger is always better when it comes to Maggies.  I've never heard the X versions.  I did upgrade the crossovers in my Moabs and that made a significant difference so perhaps it is worth... 
Experience purchasing a used high-end cartridge
I have bought at least 8 used cartridges.  I only buy where the seller specifies his usage and I discount that heavily.  So if somebody says < 20 hours I assume it has at least 50 on it.  I would almost never buy a cartridge where a seller clai... 
Recommend an MC cartridge
@dwcda  Where did you buy the Etsuro Blue from?  It looks like buying direct from Japan would be the best price but I can't figure out how to do that.  
Looking for a true upgrade in sound quality
The differences between modern DACs are small but audible.  I've tried a number of different DACs including the PS Audio Directstream MKII, Berkeley Ref2, Denafrips Pontus, Gustard R26 and several others but the very best sound I've ever gotten ha... 
Half-Speed Masters - are they worth double dipping?
@ghdprentice  I'm not quite sure what your point is.   1) Most contemporary vinyl sounds very similar to streaming the same version/release, but some percentage, call it 15-25%, sounds better.  I think the MoFi release of American Beauty falls in... 
Half-Speed Masters - are they worth double dipping?
@drmuso I have also compared the MFSL American Beauty to Qobuz streaming but I found the vinyl to be better and easily differentiated. I’m open to the possibility that it was a psycho acoustic delusion, but generally I trust my ears in this situat... 
Looking for RCA cables from preamp to amp?
@pindac Do you have a link for PC Triple C Wire.  I haven't had much luck googling it.  Mostly get hits for a Furutech power cable.  
Developing A List Of Tonearm Candidates For A SOTA Turntable
@vinylshadow Good luck actually getting a tone arm from Supatrac.  I ordered the Blackbird at the end of December and still haven't received it and they didn't respond to my last email asking for a status update.  They started telling me it was im... 
Half-Speed Masters - are they worth double dipping?
I have no opinion about half speed masters. With contemporary recordings vinyl is a bit of a crapshoot. I would say over 50% of the time the vinyl is about the same as CD and just very slightly better than streaming. 10% of the time it is worse. ... 
Looking for RCA cables from preamp to amp?
Blue Jeans are a very competent budget cable.  They aren't on the same level as my Harmonic Tech and Acoustic Zen cables but they are a fraction of the price. I have no idea how these Xangsane cables sound but I did buy a couple of meters of the ... 
Importance of streamer in audio chain
In my system the WiiM Pro was the only streamer that was notably less good than other budget options (iFi Zen Stream, Raspberry Pi/Denafrips Iris, Denafrips ARCE).  Streaming Roon, the Eversolo A8 was the best.  Generally the differences were smal... 
Issue with Audio Research 5SE Preamp
I've replaced all the tubes in the 5SE including Electro Harmonix 6H30PI in place of the 6N6P that I personally think sound better.  I'll post here again if the problem recurs.  It might take a few weeks to be sure it is fixed.  If I don't post ag...