stanwal
Responses from stanwal
| A good cartridge match for Thorens 150 mkII? Denon 110 also. Many prefer it to the 160 (I do) and it is available at about $100. I have one, the 103 is better at about $150 if it suits your arm and phono stage, the 110 has considerably higher output. | |
| balanced vs unbalanced output Martin Colloms has tested large numbers of both balanced and unbalanced and has found that in 95% of the cases the unbalanced sounds better. See current thread in the HIFICRITIC forum. | |
| MDF Rack dampening question Actually, MDF can work well when used properly, but its use in lesser designs has given it a bad name. What you should be careful of is mixing different design philosophies in regard to vibration control. Basically, you can either attempt to drain... | |
| Why are most High End Amps class A I do not believe that actually to be the case. As to your question, no , you are unlikely to find an amp that will be unquestionable better than your Mac at that price. You could look at the Pass amps in the 150 range, they will have a different s... | |
| Micro Seiki MA 505 Arm - how good is it? You have answered the question yourself. The 505 was one of Micro's better arms. The sound is what counts, not the expense. I have noted that some of us feel uncomfortable if we are not paying through the nose for a component. Relax, they are all ... | |
| Looking to get a turntable. A good cartridge is the Denon 110, costs about $100. It is a high output moving coil, you will have to see if your phono stage is compatible, also the Shure 97 at a little lower price. A used Rega would be good, the arms I have are SME 3009s and a... | |
| Looking to get a turntable. I sold several of the HW 19s in my earlier hitch as a VPI dealer and found them very well made and reliable. I don't recall any purchaser who wasn't satisfied. Check out current listings, I saw one the other day at around $500 without tone arm. I ... | |
| VPI Aries 3 versus McIntosc MT10 turnta I have my Aries 2 Extended set up. It is extremely good, the best I have used. How it compares to other top tables I will leave to others, I certainly cannot afford to buy several for comparison. But if you are looking in this price range it is on... | |
| Dimple in speaker driver cone If it is in the center of the speaker it is in the dust cap of the magnet. If this is the case it has no effect on the sound and can be ignored or repaired by you. I had one recently which I repaired by judiciously pushing on other side of cap, an... | |
| Spendor Stand question on the new SA1 Tweeter at ear height when seated is the way I have usually tried to have mine. I have Audio Points under my SP-1s but the range of opinion on this is very wide , they work well in my system. I haven't tried the dots. | |
| New vs. old DACs - opinions? "The specifications for D/A chips have improved over the years". But has the sound improved? Chris Bryant, whom I have already quoted, summarizes it like this. To my mind there has been a general and continuing downward shift in the sound quality... | |
| Spendor Stand question on the new SA1 I have found the heavy metal stands to appear to store vibration more than the lighter ones. I am using kitty litter also, formerly used lead shot but have decided it adds a coloration to the sound. My TNT stand sounded better without it. | |
| New vs. old DACs - opinions? See the HIFICRITIC web site for info. Some of the ratings are there. They don't publish the articles as that is how the Mag is supported. As to Mapmans point, specific DACs will vary but whether there is a general trend upward or downward is a leg... | |
| New vs. old DACs - opinions? My own DACs are the Audio Synthesis DAX and Musical Fidelity TriVista 21, which sounds better at 96 than 192. This is also true of my friends MF 324. I have heard new DACs on other systems but not been motivated to purchase any. My own experience ... | |
| Spendor Stand question on the new SA1 I would go with the Skylan stands. I was a Spendor dealer for years and still have 6 pairs and have used Target [was a dealer] and sound anchor and the Skylan are MUCH better. They are used under the expensive Harbeth [forget the model] and make m... |