soix

Responses from soix

What's the best mid-range driver available?
I don't know if it's available or if it would work for your tastes and application, but possibly the best midrange driver I've ever heard is the ATC dome midrange. The magnet on that thing is bigger than many woofers I've seen.Tim 
s.s. preamp matchup to mccomack dna1 rev.a
If you're not after embellishment you might do well to check out Placette preamps--very, very transparent and reasonable if you can go passive.Tim 
Best high end multi-disc player as transport?
I don't know offhand, but if you do a search here you'll likely be able to find them with a little effort. Anyone else know how to get in touch with Stan Warren or Dan Wright? You can also check out Ric Schultz's website at www.tweakaudio.com. He ... 
B&W 804 Nautilus help
If he hasn't bought the 804s yet I suggest your friend tries them first in a nearfield listening situation. I could never get the drivers to gel listening in the nearfield, and this may end up being a much bigger issue than the amp, preamp, or sou... 
Best high end multi-disc player as transport?
This does seem to be an unfilled niche in the audio world, and probably why so many tweakers exist to modify existing carousel players. I'd probably start with one of the Sony carousel players(the 555 maybe?) that does SACD multichannel and have s... 
Standing waves
One foot from the wall??? Say it isn't so. I assume since your room is 15' wide you mean the ATCs are 1 foot from the front wall. If you can I'd say get them at least 2 or 3 feet from the front wall and toe the speakers in a bit. A pair of Mana st... 
What is the future of amp technolgy?
Something's going on when a first-generation product like the Bel Canto digital amps have a bunch of tube-o-philes singing their praises. One can only guess at how good the second- and third-generation amps will be...Also, and I should say that I ... 
Which is better, Lex. DC 1 or Theta Casanova
Drop the DC1 from consideration for music--It digitizes all analog inputs. I compared it directly to two other cheaper pre/pros and the DC1 finished dead last in 2-channel(great for surround though).Personally I think a better way to go, if music ... 
Copper for Solid State / Silver for Tubes ?
Frankly there's not one thing the "reputable cable salesperson"(an oxymoron?) said that I agree with. They are all gross generalizations that may or may not hold true for your system and/or tastes. Personally I've heard bigger and more meaningful ... 
Plinius vs. McCormack
If you've got good dealers you should try to demo both the Plinius and McCormack equipment at home, which would give you a clear picture of how they work in the context of your system and room and, just as importantly, which works best given your ... 
Sony SCD-C555ES good for redbook?
Hi Tony,One thing you might consider is to buy the 555 and have it modded by someone like Stan Warren, Dan Wright, or Ric Scultz. Once they get done with it you'll have a pretty damn decent CD player as well. For more details on the mods go to Ric... 
ATC, the big boys
Personally I can't imagine ever needing more than the SCM50s in most any home environment, but I could see some bass freaks wanting the 100s. Anything more than that is like putting bigger tires on a Humvee--sure, you could, but why? 
Amp Suggestions For A Newbie - Please
Given your preferences in music and sound characteristics you should consider looking at Triangle speakers. The Zephyr IIs may be a bit more expensive than the B&Ws or Paradigms, but a much better and more refined speaker overall in my opinion... 
Help Cables
I'd also recommend Acoustic Zen as it is very detailed but really lets the harmonics through too. You might want to check out Srajan Ebaen's Mapleshade cable review on Enjoythemusic.com where he compares the Mapleshade interconnects to the more ex... 
Multi-channel amp questions
Sounds like you've put together a respectable first system and are starting to get bitten by the audio bug--congratulations and God help you. In other words, welcome to the club.Although I don't necessarily agree with his alternative speaker recom...