retiredaudioguy

Responses from retiredaudioguy

What is your scariest moment in High End audio?
Reading the great posts triggered another memory.  I had bought a store's (several years old) demo unit of a highly regarded PP 300B amp, with its tubes.  Some months later, as I was listening, smoke came out of the ventilation grid on the chassis... 
??? My First Classical Concert,What Can I Expect ???
If you ever get the chance to hear a Mahler symphony (especially #2) live, grab the experience.  Some wag said the Mahler wrote for HiFi! The dynamics (pppp to ffff) and shades of tone run from ethereal to brutal. Incidentally I use Mahler 2 as ... 
Musings on Switching Power Supplies (LPS for Oppo / DirecTV/ Radiance)
I am VERY late to this party but I think that, as usual, it all depends.  A good SMPS will beat a poor LPS, and can at best beat a good LPS. Notably, Benchmark uses SMPS exclusively to lower the noise floor.  The LA4 pre is silent, at full volume... 
What is a good all around high quality speaker to purchase?
+1 on Rockports if you can stretch, then you will never upgrade. I was listening to Sonus Faber and others and there were a couple of ones of interest - I'd said $18k to $20k - when the sales guy said can you stretch to $25K.  I ordered the Atria... 
Out of Balance
I find that many CDs, and especially LPs are out of balance, usually not by much - but it only takes a couple of dBs to make a huge difference in position.  Have you moved furniture around?   Did you wake up with wax in one ear, had you slept aw... 
We Need To Talk About Ones And Zeroes
A complex topic when allied to digital music reproduction, made more difficult by S/PDIF. Assuming sound engineering the bits at the output of the receiver in your device at the end of the Cat 5 cable are precisely the same as the bits stored at ... 
??? My First Classical Concert,What Can I Expect ???
Sit back and enjoy the experience of The Absolute Sound, real instruments in a real space - albeit in a space that is probably a bit too reverberant. Regarding applause, this is a source of amusement and irritation for me.  Amusement at "Gala" pe... 
Why Use Aluminum for a TT Platter?
Fourteen years late to the party I just found this thread. How do manufacturers of wooden platters manage the effects of humidity changes?  The third certain thing in life is that wood moves! I am an amateur woodworker, apart from a few of the l... 
TU-8600S
I managed to get the Elekit installed in my main system, the handyman is fixing the damage to the barn caused by a falling tree this winter, he is much younger and stronger than I. The TU-8600S is definitely a rather good amp.  A bit laid back in... 
Hlep chosing a streamer/server for my DAC
I use the (old) entry level Aurender N100SC, now replaced by the N150 - $3,500. I think that the N150 is USB only, thereby reducing the price.  They have excellent performance as a server and support the most popular streaming services, but not t... 
Need Recommendation for Coffee Shop
I have no experience of Dynaudio's active speakers, but my wife has160s (not active & NLA) in her studio and they are excellent. The Xeo 10 might meet your needs.  They support Air Play 2 directly so those plus your iPhone would do it I think... 
TU-8600S
I borrowed the Harbeth P3ESRs and a BluOs box from my "kitchen" system, inserted the three NOS input & driver tubes, and a pair of WE 300Bs, hooked it up with Kimber PBJs and 4TCs and turned it on. Given its location streaming did not work so... 
TU-8600S
I finished the build, I think it took about 15 hours overall.  This kit is significantly more challenging than the TU-8600R.  There are many more components (about 300 solder points) and there are a number of components whose leads must be bent ra... 
Speakers for leading edge, transients, speed and big sound
Rockport speakers have outstanding transient response.  There is a pair of Rockport Technologies Cygnus for sale on Audiogon - this is a $65k speaker on sale for $36.5k. i have the Atria IIs, two levels down from the Cygnus, they are totally tran... 
TU-8600S
I would say 6 out of 10.  Nothing too difficult but it does require care to not get solder bridges between soldering points as they are often very close, and there are a few large joints to be made, there are large solder only (no mechanical conne...