sdcampbell
Responses from sdcampbell
| Help completing vinyl front end. Well, let's talk TT choices first. I own the VPI HW-19 Mark 4, and can recommend it without hesitation. The Mark 4 has the same platter and bearing as the TNT version. If I were in the market today, however, I'd probably get the VPI Aries instead ... | |
| big Bryston 14b pwr amp I've heard the 7B-ST mono amps, and the 14B is simply two of the 7B-ST's on one chassis. The 7B-ST monoblocks are "Class A" rated by Stereophile, and they're a superb pair of amps. I can't imagine that the 14B-ST is going to be anything but excell... | |
| Looking for advice I recommend the Bryston 3B-ST (120 wpc) or 4B-ST (250 wpc). Superb amps with a 20-year unconditional guarantee. You can get the 3B-ST for about $1250, and the 4B-ST for about $1650 (contact Danny Oovlin at "Bestofdeal" - bestofdeal@aol.com for mor... | |
| Interconnect Recommendation? I have to second the recommendation for the HomeGrownAudio Silver Lace. I recently installed a pair between my Bryston preamp and Bryston 4B-ST amp, and I am VERY pleased. I do not think there is a better buy in high-end interconnects than HomeGro... | |
| Does gauge of speaker cables matter? Yes, gauge does make a difference -- just like size makes a difference, I suppose. However, beyond some gauge/size, it's not meaningful. For longer runs of speaker cable, it is necessary to use thicker wire (smaller gauge number) to ensure that th... | |
| Pioneer PDS-06 VS Pioneer DV737 I assume you meant the Pioneer DV-37 DVD/CD player. While I have not heard the PDS-06, I own the DV-37 and use it as a CD transport. I have been very pleased with it as a transport. The drawer mechanism is very solid, and the unit has audio and vi... | |
| High Efficiency Speakers You don't offer a price range, so I'll assume that you have a decent budget. Generally speaking, the most efficient speakers available (in the 96db+ range) are horn speakers. The Avantgarde Uno and Duo have gotten very good critical comments, and ... | |
| Where is the best place to buy SACD You can buy SACD recordings from both Tower Records (www.towerrecords.com) and Amazon.com. Of the two, Tower usually has a bit better selection, and they do not charge state sales tax (only shipping, which is also cheaper than Amazon's). | |
| Moderately priced phono preamps Puddles, you are correct that the Adcom GFP-750 is a line-level only preamp. I meant to list the Adcom GFP-710, which is an analog preamp with phono stage. Essentially, the GFP-710 is the successor to the GFP-565. | |
| Running bi-wire cables backwards OK? Right on, Jostler 3. It has always annoyed me that cable manufacturers and audio dealers perpetuate the myth that cables are "directional". As you note, electricity flows in one direction, and until the laws of physics are repealed, it always will... | |
| Vienna Accoustics Mahler / Mark Levinson I think it is very unlikely you will get a discount on the Mahler's if they are new. The Vienna Acoustic line is carried almost solely the "audio salons", which rarely discount high-end highly priced speakers. I have seen one pair of used Mahlers ... | |
| Moderately priced phono preamps I'm not quite sure how to respond to your question, since it's not clear to me how you intend to operate the system. If you are looking ONLY for a phono preamp stage, the two choices which come to mind are either the Creek phono preamp, or the Leh... | |
| ?? best expandable banana connector The title for your post almost begs for some kind of mildly off-color comment, like: my wife really likes my expandable banana connector..... | |
| Do amps need time to break in? my hpa-2 I have no direct experience with your amp, but I bought a Bryston 4B-ST about 8 months ago and it took a LOT of time to break-in (about a month of frequent use). I leave my SS preamps and amps on all the time, unless there is an electrical storm i... | |
| Bryston 4B-ST or 4B-NRB? There is a substantial improvement in the circuit design of the 4B-ST (the "ST" stands for Stuart Taylor, the electrical engineer who designed the new circuitry). The 4B-ST has roughly an order of magnitude less THD and IMD than the NRB, which is ... |