yyzsantabarbara

Responses from yyzsantabarbara

Paradigm Persona series
I would take the TAD ME-1 over the Persona 3F. I would take the Persona 5F over the ME-1. I have auditioned all 3 when I was looking to buy. I would use my KRELL K-300i integrated on both lines because they could both use some warmth.One of the wo... 
Small form factor integrateds
I have 2 Benchmark AHB2 (12 inches wide) and a Topping pre90 and Topping D90se stuffed into an IKEA toy shelf. I use this system because it has as tiny form factor, it is super neutral, and sounds good. The Spendor's I have heard in the past were ... 
Roon for high end audio?
ROON is great and very much hi-end. Send me DM if you want to dive deeper on some approaches to setup ROON. 
Any idea which headphones I’d like?
I had a Meze Empy ($3K) + Benchmark HPA4 preamp/headphone amp. I then got a RAAL SR1a and sold the Meze because it was no contest. The RAAL are like 2 channel speakers on your ears. They do not sound like headphones to me. Read the Head-fi thread ... 
Recommendations for speakers that sound great at lower volume levels.
Before I got the RAAL SR1a headphones low volume listening was a very big deal for me. So I tried a few things.I learned that DAC direct to amp was not the best at low volume. I learned that very quiet electronics, such as Benchmark AHB2 amp + LA4... 
Magico A1 vs KEF Reference 1 (META) vs KEF LS50 + KEF KC62
I am only using 1 sub and feel that it is more than enough bass even in this room with a lot of volume (mostly height with 20+ foot ceiling). I am not too experienced with subs but this KEF KC62 sounds very deep at the moderate volumes I listen to... 
Magico A1 vs KEF Reference 1 (META) vs KEF LS50 + KEF KC62
I got the EtherRegen delivered today and hooked up. Though have not listened yet. I could be done of a while with this downstairs system.As I said before this system is driven by the limitation in my placement options and the small form factor req... 
Magico A1 vs KEF Reference 1 (META) vs KEF LS50 + KEF KC62
I now have the KC62 setup with my passive LS50. I am extremely impressed. I have the LS50's potentially a little too close together and will be getting 10 foot speaker cable on Thursday to space the speakers about 8 1/2 feet apart. The KC62 is res... 
What Integrated Amp do You use
@three_easy_payments The CODA CSiB drove my very hard to drive Thiel CS3.7 with great results. Those speakers go down to 2 Ohm. It was a better match than my Benchmark AHB2 in stereo and mono. I sold the CSiB and bought the CODA 07x and #8 amp.  W... 
Class D amps that are superior to all or most?
@mapman What are the best Class D in your opinion? I have a Pascal based D-Sonic M3a 800s that I use for bright headphones (it likes power). It works great but I am interested to know about others. 
Close, but no cigar ...
@arafiq Given what you have told me about your sonic preferences. I think you should have a listen to the CODA #8 or CSiB integrated. The #8 is an amazing amp that sounds warm, detailed, and huge. I had put off getting it for a few years and final... 
PS audio new 25K dac and the psychological effect of owning a company's best.
I am happier when I spend less for top end performance. I replaced a preamp and DAC recently that cost 5x and 2x more respectively, without a backward step in performance.Audio gear pricing is such a joke. Got to set the price high so that people ... 
Can we talk about Qobuz for a minute
The dropouts I experience are nothing to do with router range. I am hardwired to my router and have a solid internet connection. I also have Tidal and Qobuz at the same time. My example was playing the same album on each at approximately the same ... 
Choosing and buying headphones
You should do headphone research and buys and sell of headphone gear on Head-fi.com.Last month I posted ads on Head-fi for my Meze Empy and Benchmark HPA4. The Empy went to a buyer in Canada and the HPA4 went to Paris, France. I am in the USA. For... 
Can we talk about Qobuz for a minute
Qobuz has gotten a little annoying for me because some music does not stream properly without dropouts. My internet connection is solid and when the Qobuz drops I check out the same album on Tidal. On Tidal the music has far less dropouts. I canno...