soulbrass

Responses from soulbrass

Phono PreAmp with less than a 12" x 15" footprint
Having upgraded my spouse along the way, I can assure you that purchasing pretty much any phono pre on the planet is infinitely cheaper than a spouse transition!YMMV : ) 
Best intro to tube integrateds?
I've owned both Jolida and Cayin EL34 integrateds and have to agree w/ Buconero117 - the Cayin outclasses the Jolida...but by any measure, the Jolida is no disappointment!!!Either will give you a good taste of tubes and, should you decide to move ... 
What budget integrated for 2-channel A/V gear?
I've seen several Audio Refinement Complete integrateds come and go for Several reviews are online.Good luck! 
stock denon 103 vs. zu for my vintage rig
Agree w/ Prcinka - the 103 is a super cart in its own right and, in its stock form, is a good match with the rest of your gear.A new 103 can be had well Good luck! 
Music player recommendations?
Apple iPod Classic w/ Shure e530 earphones...got me through a longer-than-$%#@ flight to New Zealand! If you want a little more fidelity, add a Headroom AirHead or BitHead portable amp and you're good-to-go!!!One can argue all day long about other... 
Should I replace my Technics SL-D202
Start w/ a Shure m97xe. Under $100...lots to enjoy! Put any extra money you have into a record cleaning machine and MORE MUSIC! Decide from there if you want to go down the vinyl road with table, cart and preamp upgrades.Happy listening! 
Best floorstanders under $600
If used works for you - try to find some JMLabs/Focal 714s. Strong performance, easy to drive and good looks!Good luck! 
24bit wave to CD?
The Musical Fidelity CD player you have can not read 24 bit information - only 16 bit "redbook CD" formatted discs...same as every other CD player.24 bit references the way that your player reads the 16 bit data.DVD-A is the only way you will be a... 
24bit wave to CD?
The "redbook" CD standard is limited to 16 bits. Recording techniques that capture word data in excess of 16 bits always need to be dithered down to 16 bits before final CD formatting to play on any CD player. 
Another "Which Bookshelf Speakers to Get" Thread
Energy RC-10...If I was forced to get rid of my Paradigm Signature S2s, I'd be very happy with the RC-10s! 
Very small very sensitive floor stander 1000?
Totem Arro!I have a friend who replaced the MDF bases w/ polished granite (cheap from countertop company) - looks and sounds beautiful!!! 
Praise for DacMagic
Can you compare the PC>USB>DACMagic sound vs the Sony>(did you use toslink or coaxial?)>DACMagic sound? Any difference?Thanks! 
5 must have classical recordings
Orchestral or chamber, old or new, fast or slow, voices or no voices?Some recommendations from my collection...all should be easily found.1) Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. Chicago Symphony/Reiner. RCA Living Stereo.2) Vaughan Williams - Fantasia ... 
Modest/Simple System Building Help Wanted...
Way under your budget, but should easily contend...Naim NAIT 5i integrated - $850ish usedNAIM or CHORD RCA-DIN interconnects - $80 to $150ishNaim NACA5 speaker cable, 3.5 meter - $150ish used.Denon DVD 5900 Universal - $400ish usedSpeakers - look ... 
Speaker Pairing Question
Lots of choices in the $600 - $800 range. Ponnie has some good advice...especially the Naim NAIT recommendation - magic! The DL110 is a gem on the SL1210.Musical Fidelity, Rega, Linn, Creek are all strong choices, too! Depending on your sense of a...