sns

Responses from sns

Why is there no love for Prima Luna?
I own PL Dialogue Four amp, didn't much care for sound in stock form, too solid state for my setup. Modded with Takman carbon resistors, Miflex Kpcu, mundorf film and electrolytic caps, so much better! Newer PL equipment comes with Takmans. I regu... 
Audiophile demographics?
Applying stereotypes to audiophiles based on sex may be problematic. What is the percentage of males who are audiophiles?  Likely less than 1% of total male population. The vast majority of men don't get it any more than the women.  I suspect nurt... 
What's the best and/or favorite piece of equipment you've owned? And do you still own it?
After many years  in audio and going through so much equipment, I can't say I miss any particular piece of equipment. My present setup is best I've had, I expect future changes will also be upgrades. At this point in my audio evolution I find I'm ... 
Desire to try tubes
I run my highly modded Klipschorns with Coincident Turbo 845 SET,  Prima Luna Dialogue Four (modded with Takman carbon resistors, Miflex and Mundorf capacitors) and custom built 300b monoblocks. 845 tube way more power than you need for klipsch, s... 
Duelund conversion to DIY Helix Geometry Cabling
Haven't visited this thread in a while so unaware of IC recipe. I will have to build some double barrel IC's with the vh audio airlock.I built my first Helix pc perhaps a year ago, easily heard upgrade over Shunyata Python and Vh audio Airsines I ... 
furutech fp-s022n vs neotech nep 3003 mkIII
I built diy neotec 3003 PC with Wattgate, ok, not really all that impressed. I've tried various diy pc over the years, best by far is the Helix diy cable with either Duelund AC rated tin plated, even better is the VH Audio Airlock. I now use the H... 
Upgrade capacitors in tube amplifier?
Both tube rolling and cap and resistor upgrades will improve sound quality. Only question is cost effectiveness. I'd say go for it, while you may spend as much or more than amp originally cost, its a learning experience. Better to start learning o... 
Charging A Fee To Demo An Amplifier In A Brick & Mortar Store
Never heard of charging for in store demos. While I see the rationale for the charge, kind of defeats it's purpose by decreasing potential customer base. Also, forget the in store demo, doesn't tell you how its going to sound in your room. Seems m... 
What has been your costliest mistake in this hobby?
In my early days of diy modding fried out CJ MV-55 after upgrading all caps, still have the fried thing, someday...  Another early modding attempt building a mm only phono preamp, adding tubes and many circuit changes, adding step up transformers ... 
How many people here generally buy used?
Back in early days, lots of brick and mortar audio retailers, purchased more new or demo. Now days, nearly all used, buying new without the ability to hear in my system changes the new versus used equation in favor of used.Also, I tend to modify m... 
Tweaks - An Honest Discussion
Tweaks effectiveness highly variable. I've found the most transformative to be room treatments, speaker positioning, vibration control, boutique capacitors, resistors, voltage regulators, internal wiring, diy power cords and interconnects.It is th... 
Is it all worth it?
My analog and digital setups are both pleasurable listening experiences. It all comes down to modes of emotional fulfillment as to which I listen to.Digital streaming with Qobuz, Tidal and rips of over 10k cd's allows stream of consciousness liste... 
[help] I'm too Boomer to stream. :-(
I started steaming many years ago, very few streamers available at the time. I was pretty much forced to build a diy setup from scratch based on a highly modded mac mini. I now have usb renderers, NAS, optical conversion units, linear power suppli... 
What is the most FUN pair of speakers you've ever had and why?
It seems whatever speakers I have are the most fun, modifying speakers is my idea of fun. Dahlquist DQ10, mirror image and internal wiring mods. Various models of Alon's, cabinet and driver mods. Merlin VSM-MM, just about every part within BAM and... 
Considering simplifying my system... talk me down (or whatever)
I've gone down a similar road with the modified Klipshorns, tractrix horns, changed out all drivers and internal wiring. I went with Crites crossovers, which I modded with Jupiter VT, Audyn True Copper Max capacitors, all Duelund wiring, point to ...