willemj
Responses from willemj
| Bluetooth or not There are indeed two versions of what is called streaming: from the web (Spotify, Tidal, Youtube etc), and from your own server. Chromecast is primarily for the former, but with something like BubbleUPnP it will also do the latter. | |
| amp (or receiver) recommendation for Polk Audio RTi A7 floorstanding speakers For a very sweet top end, Harbeth is probably the brand to go for. They are expensive, but fortunately not fussy about amplification. Their designer Alan Shaw argues that any properly designed and powerful enough mainstream amplifier will do, and ... | |
| Dirac vs dspeaker room correction The DSpeaker dual core can also be used to equalize above 500 Hz, but I think that only works as a manual parametric equalizer, or as a more classical tone control (i.e. a shelve filter).By and large, equalizing only works well below the Schroeder... | |
| amp (or receiver) recommendation for Polk Audio RTi A7 floorstanding speakers A 2x100 watt Yamaha AS 801 amplifier, with both optical and usb inputs, will be a more than good enough amplifier for these speakers. See here for a test of the AS 700, its predecessor without digital inputs: http://www.avhub.com.au/product-review... | |
| Integrated CD transport/DAC with streaming capability What do you want to stream? In most cases I would suggest an Oppo UDP 205, perhaps with the digital output of a Chromecast Audio. | |
| Bluetooth or not And I forgot the simplest solution: a Chromecast Audio, depending of course on what you actually want to play, and assuming you have wifi. Its analogue output plugs straight into your amplifier and is really rather good with 16/44. It also has an ... | |
| Bluetooth or not Wired is better. However, do not rely on the inbuilt DAC of most phones (Iphones are OK but most others not). As long as you are not hoping for the very best, but only for a big improvement with most phones, get a Behringer UCA 202 external usb DA... | |
| New system has fatiguing, harsh high frequency sounds. How to fix? I don't believe break in is a real thing, beyond maybe the first few hours for the speakers. There are just too many myths in audiophile land. | |
| New system has fatiguing, harsh high frequency sounds. How to fix? I am not so sure it is the Sony, but to be sure you have to diagnose properly, excluding one possibility at a time. Going through the chain from the beginning:1 it could be the actual music. Listen to a live symphony orchestra, and at times that c... | |
| Using Oppo 205 instead of per amp processor There is enough internal bit depth for digital volume controls not to be problem anymore. There is an online Sabre document on this somewhere. | |
| Bluesound vs SOtM The streamer will not contribute meaningfully to the sound, and certainly not compared to a laptop with usb. If it sounds hard you either have to blame the DAC, or reality (music can sound hard), or look into the gain (mis)match between DAC and pr... | |
| HD Music Stream Service Qobuz has recently introduced a special (i.e. 349 euro a year) service in Europe where you get High Resolution streaming on all high resolution material in their catalogue, plus lossless cd quality on the rest. I have recently subscribed to their ... | |
| Using Oppo 205 instead of per amp processor I have also integrated HT and stereo, but into a stereo HT system. HT is not important enough for me, and my main speakers (Quad 2805 electrostats) are bulky enough as a pair. The sound is great even if I am missing out on some of the surround eff... | |
| What is you TIDAL setup? Tidal is not HiRez but just CD quality (i.e. 16/44), but that may be all you will ever need in any case. Your Hegel has a usb input, so all you will need is a simple standard usb cable from the usb ouput of the laptop to the usb input of the Hege... | |
| Using Oppo 205 instead of per amp processor The Oppo will be perfectly fine as a pre-amplifier. Contrary to what you were told it has variable outputs (both rca and xlr). See here for their directions:https://www.oppodigital.com.au/blogs/reviews-resources/15420449-using-your-oppo-as-a-pre-... |