verdantaudio
Responses from verdantaudio
| DAC Shootout Starts This Weekend So, as mentioned previously, the MPD-8 Dream DAC from Playback arrived and is now fully tested. This took some effort as I have an amazing opportunity to listen to the flagship integrated amp from AVM and I just received my Inakustik sales sample... | |
| DAC Shootout Starts This Weekend @fsonicsmith I will check that DAC out. I am always interested in learning about new products. | |
| Playback Edelweiss in the house @metaldetektor I don’t find your comments combative. I think they are valid. I would love to heard the NAGRA and and BAT as both use Playback digital modules. I am not sure how they stack up but am a firm believer that power supplies matter and i... | |
| Help me pick a new pair of speakers So…a few years ago, long before Verdant, I had a very similar system I chose to upgrade. My speakers were Performa3 M105s. I had a Rogue Hydra power amp with an Ayre preamp. Rega table. I actually auditioned the RP5 and really liked it. My ex... | |
| Bricasti M3 w/network card vs USB The ethernet card is very similar to an outboard M5 and is internally connected via I2S. This provides stellar clocking between the player and DAC. That is why it outperforms many other options. With my Antipodes K50 I was able to test Ethernet f... | |
| Playback Edelweiss in the house So I received an MPD-8 Dream DAC in on trade and am doing a deep dive into Edelweiss vs. the Dream. Still keeping the Kaya 45s for consistency sake but have a new amp that arrived which is stunningly good. A customer ordered the AVM Ovation A 8.... | |
| Roon Nucleus as a Streamer I found the Nucleus+ to be a step up from the dedicated tower I had running Roon sending a signal via USB. That said, I found the Nucleus got better when it ran as a server only. I think that is the important point here. It is not bad as a se... | |
| A preamp recommendation I would look at two units in particular. For pure SS, Bricasti M20 Preamp. Big sound and extremely dynamic. Bricasti is known for being neutral to a hair warm and is really a superb unit. MSRP is $12.5K. You should be able to find feedback in... | |
| DAC recommendation in 5 to 10K range There are a LOT of DACs in this price range. I will say that based on my testing there is a big difference in performance between between the ~$5k DACs can ~$10k DACs. you are effectively trading off detail for soundstage. The higher you go,... | |
| DAC Shootout Starts This Weekend Next DAC on the agenda is the Playback MPD-8 Dream which should arrive next week. I have a used unit coming in and will spend a little time with it before we find it a forever home. PM me if you are interested in acquiring it. @jeffreyw the b... | |
| Looking for advice re: amps for Dynaudio Contour 20i Dynaudio is the US importer of Octave, and for good reason. The two brands show together and sound incredible together. Dyns can be a bit harder to drive so you need a black box or super black box with them but the results are going to be very, ... | |
| Horns hORNS are supposed to be stunningly good. I have not heard them but a few people I trust either own them or have heard them and said they are worth the time to listen to. Avantgarde is the obvious choice to me. Stunningly good speakers though no... | |
| DAC Shootout Starts This Weekend @sutts AC is a brand that will get added. I like Worldwide and have a good relationship with Robert so it is a brand I was naturally considering and will look at seriously as the year progresses. I would be shocked if I am not a dealer for AC at... | |
| DAC Shootout Starts This Weekend @jjss49 No question a well executed tube based output stage can be extraordinary. When reviews are available I try to avoid reading them till after I form my own opinion and see if I agree. The secondary element that I think helps in a BIG way... | |
| Amp Options - Infinity Kappa 9s Kappa 9s have a min impedance of about 1 ohm. This is one of the most notoriously difficult speakers of all time to drive. I had the first edition Kappa 8s which were bad enough at 1.7 ohms. I blew a lot of fuses. These are worse. That said, t... |