vthokie83

Responses from vthokie83

USB Cable
OP, You've got enough recommendations to add a dedicated streamer, so I'll echo that.....your system deserves a component in the same league......base recommendation would be an Aurender N200. Entry level cable would be a Supra Excalibur for abou... 
Significant steps? (DAC)
TVRgeek, I don't see your virtual system, so not sure what your remaining system is. IMO I'd start at step 4 and something like a Denafrips Pontus II 12th at $1,850. The Musician Pegasus is also good, though I do prefer the Pontus. I've not done ... 
New R2R DAC
Gareents, I have never heard the AudtioNote or Lampi, but I have heard the Holo Audio May DAC KTE ($5,600) model and the Denafrips Terminator Plus 12th ($7,500) are truly amazing DACs. I did prefer the Terminator Plus, but I'd be happy with eithe... 
Question: What are some of your best pieces of advise to someone new to the hobby?
OP, You didn't mention a price range, that could certainly define any recommendations in the upgrade path. If the budget is $4,000, then a $2,000 DAC wouldn't be a good choice.  
USB Cable
What is your outboard DAC?    
Tube Rollers! Which has more impact to your sound- Rectifier or Power (and why)?
desingnsfx, As others have suggested, when in doubt, reach out to Brent Jessee.....he is simply the best resource for information and tubes. Tube rolling power tubes is a no go for me, as I have 4 output tubes, I currently have Tung Sol KT88s an... 
Resolving CD Transports Crowd Sourcing
Deep_333, Not sure where the snarky comment came from, maybe you're not a fan of Jay's or in ChiFi at all. I gave a short impression/opinion of the unit tested in my system, with my ears, in my house....nothing more. My system tends to be more "l... 
Specific i2s cable for use with Sonnet Morpheus DAC & 3rd party DDC
Carlsbad2, While yes I2S can be carried via an ethernet "like" connection, it is much more common using an HDMI "like" connection. The problem with both, is that I2S has no industry standard pin configuration; but many transports, DDCs and DACs h... 
How do you add color?
Call it what you will, but certain components can "mold" a sound that can be more enjoyable to some people. and less enjoyable to others. Tube pre-amps, specific pre-amp tubes, R2R ladder DACs, cables, and speakers are all going to "mold" the sou... 
New to Streaming
My 2 cents (since you asked): You did not mention if you have an outboard DAC, so I'm going to assume that you do not. (1) IF you decide to go with BlueSound, make sure to buy the Node 130 (third generation) or the Node X. Both have superior DACs... 
Let's Talk DAC's
I forgot to mention my current set up for you: BlueSound Node 130 with LHY LPS, Denafrips Iris DDC, Denafrips Pontus II DAC, several amps I can use, and Buchardt Audio S400 MKII speakers. The BlueSound is not long for this world, I'll be upgrading... 
Let's Talk DAC's
Desperado915, If you are only interested in DACs that you can buy from a local source and test drive, then you can ignore both Musician and Denafrips. They are sold direct without a dealer network (and thus the associated 50% markup)....IMO that ... 
Full range stand mounted speakers
Cakids, A price range would be nice, I can recommend speakers from $2,000 to $20,000.....but useless if it's not in your comfort level  
Help us build our playlist for our next show in November!
KD Lang Constant Craving Chris Isaak Wicked Game Roxy Music Avalon Alice In Chains MTV Live - Bunch of songs Natalie Merchant MTV Live - Bunch of songs Eagles Hell Freezes Over - Bunch of songs Paul Simon Graceland & You Can Call Me Al ... 
Aurender A20 or Lumin X1
re-lar-kvothe, Absolutely you are correct, you were specifically asking about those two units....and I truly believe both the A20 and X1 are truly amazing products (though I've only heard the X1 and A20 not in my system). And as so often happens,...