rdavwhitaker
Responses from rdavwhitaker
| Z phono or PP 2 I have no familiarity with the NAD unit, but I own a Zphono. The Parasound is well built, handles both MM and MC cartridges, and sounds fine. I have seen used units for sale here at around $100, which is a stone cold bargain, IMHO. | |
| Fed up with people making noise at classical shows Let me add to Brownfan's can of worms the tendency of audiences at both classical concerts and theater performances to reward every performance, whether ordinary, good or great, with a standing ovation. I don't condemn anyone who sneezes or coughs... | |
| Which is a better choice? New, or used preamp? One preamp that would meet your criteria is the VTL 2.5. It is in the right price and age range, purchased used, and is renowned for its soundstage. There are a couple threads discussing the 2.5 on this site - it has an enviable reputation.No doub... | |
| Tubes for VTL ST-150? I have a VTL ST-150, and my understanding, from reading some posts on the subject, is that the 6550 and KT88 are considered largely interchangeable, but that the KT88 was designed to be a bit more stable in amplifiers. For myself, I have always fi... | |
| What more possibly could they offer consumers? My personal guess is that the emphasis for the next several years will be on integration and customization software, and not on hardware (I'm afraid the TV manufacturers and home theater audio manufacturers may be in for a long dry spell -- they a... | |
| Mahler Project on LP I was sorely tempted,when the vinyl collection was first offered, to order a set. But the price was so ridiculously high, and so obviously gouging, that I just couldn't quite bring myself to place the order. I wish them luck finding another 500 su... | |
| Classe move to China I spent three weeks in China in 2010, went to a lot of places westerners don't often go, and had a chance to have some extended (and frank) discussions with a party member who works on economic development for the government in Beijing. China has ... | |
| Loss of inner detail I wouldn't be too surprised to find out that Sony is using better DA converters than Bel Canto -- As Plato says, separates can be an improvement over integrated units, but that's because they frequently reflect better design and the use of higher ... | |
| Classe move to China Whether or not quality suffers will depend, in large part, on the amount of "hands on" quality control Classe exercises. For myself, my view has been that there is enough quality audio equipment being made in the U.S., Canada and Europe that I con... | |
| Best audio purchase of 2011 Wilson Benesch Curve speakers, matched to a Velodyne DD-10 Plus subwoofer.Second place goes to a purchase I made on a whim here at the end of the year - a used VTL 2.5 preamp -- it actually made a huge difference in my system. | |
| Phono Preamp vs Preamp for a Turntable With your existing equipment, a preamp isn't going to work. What you want is a phono preamp to hook up through one of the line inputs in your receiver (like the AUX input, if you have one).. There are several good inexpensive phono preamps out the... | |
| Equipment you just must get if you can An Audio Research Ref 5 Preamp. | |
| What did you get for Christmas? With my sainted wife's blessing, a Schiit (yes, pronounced like you think) Valhalla tube headphone amp and a used VTL 2.5 preamp to match with my long-dormant VTL ST-150 Amp (I haven't put up pictures of them yet on my system page). The VTL combin... | |
| Which power amplifier match audio research ref 3 I second the suggestion to look at ARC amps (although I am sure many others would also work fine). I have used an ARC VT 100 mk III with the Ref 3, and also a VTL ST-150 (not an ARC amp). Both worked well, but the VT 100 was a better match, and ha... | |
| VPI Setup - What Happened? I don't know if the stylus is replaceable on that Dynavector -- I'd suggest calling the good folks at Needledoctor, who are terribly helpful, and can tell you if either (1) a stylus replacement is possible or (2) Dynavector offers a "trade in" pro... |