sfar
Responses from sfar
| Help building first tube system. I'd second millercarbon's suggestion of a Raven Audio integrated. My Blackhawk LE is the most satisfying piece of equipment I've owned in a lifetime of gear changes. The 45-day in-home, no obligation, free trial makes it an easy call, as well. And... | |
| Recent upgrade to Cronus Magnum I had a similar experience with the Cronus Magnum. I had a tube amp/preamp setup, an AES/Cary AE-25 amp and AES DJH preamp with a pair of Devore 8 speakers but was persuaded to try the Cronus Magnum based on reviews. To my ears it wasn't even clos... | |
| HiFi tube equipment repair technician in the Seattle area About 12 years ago I had the capacitors replaced in my Cary Sli-80 F1 tube integrated at AudioConnection in the University District in Seattle after a capacitor failed. I haven't done business with them since because I moved away but they are deal... | |
| My next investment should be.....??? My experience has been that the least expensive and possibly greatest improvement you cold make would be to switch from Spotify Premium to Amazon Music HD. I made that switch and the improvement from Spotify Premium's 320 kbps stream to the Amazon... | |
| Curved front Pioneer units ever sold in the U.S.A.? Pioneer Elite SX-A6-J and others... I didn’t know about the SACD player but looked into it after I responded to your post. There was such a player, the model number was PD-D6-J and it matches the style of the receiver. The receiver I have is a beautiful design and looks much better ... | |
| Curved front Pioneer units ever sold in the U.S.A.? Pioneer Elite SX-A6-J and others... I have a Pioneer SX-A6-J but it's a receiver, not an SACD player. I bought it used some years ago and it's been primarily a back-up to other amps. It's an exceptionally well-built and good sounding piece with great reviews, especially at its price... | |
| Basic EL34 and 6sn7 tube recommendation. Agree with tuberist about the Gold Lion KT77s in place of EL34s. I've used them in two amps, one of them a Cayin that's made in the same factory as Prima Luna amps and in a Cary Sli-80 F1. They even compared favorably to some RFT/Siemens EL34s I h... | |
| WD-40 for electronics Deoxit D5 is the basic, all-around stuff for cleaning and lubricating.https://amzn.to/2FDEnAH | |
| WD-40 for electronics The ’WD’ in WD-40 stands for water displacement. That’s what it’s designed for, primarily to prevent rust. It’s not a very effective lubricant and only a moderately effective solvent.Spent half an hour or so last weekend treating every pot and swi... | |
| Canare 4S11 I have both the 4S11 and 4S8 cables and both are very good sounding, flexible and well made. I have considerably more expensive Analysis Plus cables in my main system and they may be a bit better but I think you'll be surprised at the Canare. Ther... | |
| Entry level tube integrated for bedroom/office Oh, and I was very happy with a Cayin A-50T EL-34 powered integrated that was my primary amp for awhile. With upgraded Gold Lion KT-77s replacing the EL34s it was very impressive. It or any of the Cayin models come up for sale used fairly often an... | |
| Entry level tube integrated for bedroom/office Another vote for the Jolida FX-10. I use one for hours every day in a near-field setup in my office. The EL-84 output tubes seem perfect for that kind of setup and you can try different 12ax7s to tailor the sound a bit. I use Russian military 6P14... | |
| extremely soft RCA cables I've made up interconnects from Mogami 2534 cable and they are the lightest weight cables I've ever handled, thin and fairly flexible. They're also inexpensive relative to most interconnects. https://www.proaudiola.com/product-p/1-m2534-rca-rca-1.htm | |
| Should I still buy a CD player? Suggest one? The Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital is a great value at $400. The DAC functionality is very good sounding, it can function as a preamp and has a good headphone output. It works at almost any available resolution and got an EISA Best Product Award. I u... | |
| Should I still buy a CD player? Suggest one? Marantz, Denon, Onkyo and Yamaha all make decent players at a range of prices. If you’d like to stay with a British brand the Cambridge Audio AXC35 is a good bet. I have the Cambridge CXC transport and think it’s a great value. If you want to add ... |