socrates

Responses from socrates

123 Reviews All 5"s For Odyssey
The Stratos may just be that good. Of the dozen amps I've gone through in home, ranging to $3K, it is the best one I've heard by a large margin. I could only compare it with the $6K Parasound JC-1 monoblocks for competition that clearly betters th... 
Modify/Tweak Monster Cable HTS-2500 conditioner?
Thanks so much for the great responses! Sean, I am plugging the amp directly into the wall. For kicks I did try plugging the amp in the "AMP" port but the sound somehow became harsh up top, flatter and the quality of the bass dropped off noticably... 
Rogue Amps: Unlike other Tube amps
I had a Rogue 66 magnum preamp and absolutely hated it, it did not fit my tastes or system at all. It was noisey as heck, large amounts of detail was obscured, the top end is rolled off hard, the bass was soggy and slow. It had amazing ability to ... 
Anyone had experience with Odyssey Stratos?
I own the Stratos and have had Adcoms, among dozens of other amps--you will be simply blown away by hood good the Odyssey amp is! I would write another review but all the glowing praise on www.audioadvisor.com, www.audioasylum.com and www.harmonic... 
Want to get excited about SACD again??
Just heard SACD for the first time through a $1,000 player on a nice ~$8K system similar to my own, some really good recordings from Telarc and Sony. I was not impressed. I can't see how this will ever go over with the average consumer with probab... 
CDP home shootout Rotel vs. Arcam vs. Marantz
I predict the sound to be indistinguishable between the 3 when fed through the MSB, and the sound superior to any stand alone with the MSB in place. I auditioned various audiophile brand CDPs only to end up with a 100 disc Pioneer Elite changer fe... 
After Market Power Cables - Gold or Snake Oil?
Junking the 18 ga cables that come in the box for 10-12ga shielded cables with better connectors is a good idea for basic physical reasons, and doing so should cost under $50 a cord to make. Go to audioasylum.com for some great DIY cables. With ad... 
New cd changer?
A friend and myself also used CD changers, but large 100-300 disc beasts. Of those, among the many tured, the Pioneers offer the best sound by a long shot. With my Pioneer Elite 100 disc changer feeding a MSB Nelson Dac w/upsampling on, I get amaz... 
MSB Link and static electricity
Had the exact experience of Amandarae with my Nelson Dac, nothing to worry about. 
PS: Typical McGowan Sound? -- HCA-2 & Classic 250
And since we are talking about the HCA-2, anyone else really disturbed by the claims stating that a $500-$2000 power cord is absolutely required to make this amp sound good! 
PS: Typical McGowan Sound? -- HCA-2 & Classic 250
A psychologist could make a career and a fortune out of studying audiophiles behaviour! It is sad that egos and simply people's need for approval are the motivation for the majority of online reviews (and maybe profesional reviews [ST !!!]), as an... 
PS: Typical McGowan Sound? -- HCA-2 & Classic 250
The number of these amps on the used market is disturbing, but more disturbing is what they are being sold for, or rather, what people are willing to pay for them! These amps can be bought NEW for what folks some are buying them USED for! Hot or n... 
interconnect vs speaker cable
The sad thing about this hobby is that "the most expensive (fill in the blank for any component here) that you can afford" is not always the best sounding product available to you. More often then not I've found that "more expensive is better" is ... 
Time to replace speakers, suggestions wanted
You may well hate ML's for rock music, the woofers are a joke, the panel is made for lightweight music and can't handle large dynamics without breaking up very audibley. I highly suggest that you demo those speakers before buying, I know many folk... 
Time to replace speakers, suggestions wanted
You could replace the speaker yourself, likely for under $75, and in less then an hours work even if you have never soldered before. Contact your speaker manufacturer and ask them to sell you a replacement, or look around online for the driver, I'...