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russbutton

Responses from russbutton

Does it make sense to "ignore low ball offers"?
Price negotiations are just business.  It's never personal.    This is a free country and the buyer is free to make a low ball offer as I am free to not take it.   When I'm selling something, I have in my mind a bottom price I'm willing to sell i... 
UPS Driver Literally Drops Package with New Hana Umami Red
Whenever I pack something for shipment, I pack it in such a way that it can survive an 8 foot drop onto a concrete floor.  Put that in your mind when you double box and pack things and you'll be good.  
Speaker that are 'KEEPERS" for the long haul!!!
I run a set of custom built Linkwitz Orion loudspeakers.  Like everyone else, I get Audiophile Lust, but then I play my Orions and it goes away.  The Orions sound amazing on voices, piano and most anything acoustic that is well recorded.  They are... 
Are Sales Down
Hi-end audio has ***ALWAYS*** been a lousy market.  It has never sold well.  It's never going to get any better either as the lower priced gear continues to improve and the higher priced stuff today is really all about demonstrating to people that... 
Help this old rookie with speakers
My first "hi-end" system was horn based, not all that different from the Crites.  What a mistake.  Terrible on voices.     What's an insane value right now is a pair of SEAS Thor speakers well-built from a Madisound kit that's for sale now on US... 
List some of your favorite live Jazz recordings
"Side By Side" Richie Cole with Phil Woods   This has a version of Donna Lee that totally rips.  
Integrating speakers into contemporary decor - can WAF ever be overcome?
Larsen loudspeakers are engineered precisely for extreme WAF problems like you have.  They sit up against the wall.  You need to have them both on the same wall of course, and an appropriate distance apart.  Don't let the wife put them on differen... 
Turntable recommendation
I always recommend against getting into vinyl for newbies.  Good new turntables start at $1000 go waaaay up from there.  It's very easy to drop $1000 on just the cartridge.  Not every tone arm works well  with every cartridge. You spend $20 on a ... 
Looking for high power warming sounding tube amps
@smodtactical I run a VTA preamp I’m thrilled with. I’ve heard one of their ST-70 amps. Were I in the market for a big tube amp, the M125 pair would be what I’d go for. The designer, Bob Latino has a very good rep. These are well built and enginee... 
Looking for high power warming sounding tube amps
Get into a VTA M-125 monoblock pair.   120 watts each.  You can enjoy the immense satisfaction of building them as a kit  ($2000/pair - no tubes), or just buying them fully assembled and tested ($2800 - no tubes)(tube sets available for $750).  
McIntosh to Luxman?
Both Mac and Luxman are good gear.  I doubt you're going to hear significant differences.  Certainly not worth what it will cost you for the Luxman, plus the pain of selling off the Mac.   Do you enjoy what you have now?  If so, be happy with it.... 
Good Suggestions for Tube Amps under 6k
With your budget, I'd get the Don Sachs ($3000) custom built version of the VTA SP14 preamp ($1600).   They're both the exact same preamp, but the VTA looks like a home-brew kit.  It is available as a kit and if you feel you'd enjoy the satisfacti... 
Help me upgrade my beginner system!
There is NOTHING wrong with the DAC in your Peachtree.  It sounds better than you think.  Of course, if you're hell-bent upon spending money, then by all means do so, but you'll be throwing it away.   I run the early model Peachtree DAC-iT.  Your ... 
Compact Floor-standing Speaker Recommendations under $4k
The SEAS Thor loudspeaker is a DIY kit designed by Joe D'Appolito.  What's always your very, VERY best value in a loudspeaker is a properly and professionally engineered design with top-of-the-line components.  Typically these projects will sell f... 
I feel it is time to upgrade my 1977 system.......
As @carlsbad2 said, your Altecs are ungodly efficient.  You're probably never pulling more 10 watts and mostly never more than 3 or 4.    Those speakers were designed in the days of tube amps and are quite happy with them.  I think your best bet f...