zgas-music

Responses from zgas-music

Sat front row at the symphony...
@bigtwin Wait til you get your Sound Labs!  You’ll be amazed at how real it sounds.    All the great halls sound good. But they also have front-of-house sound guys who are reinforcing the orchestra. All those small condenser mics hanging over the... 
Is a home theater even worth it or doable?
Oh yeah!  Movies thru a good system is a blast. I have the Sony Bravia 86 inch and recommend it. Using a preamp for 2channel music and a pre/pro for movies and TV. Both share the power amp and front speakers and a subwoofer, integrated thru the pr... 
Thinking of Magnepan ... finally!
+1 @bigtwin on the Sound Lab speakers. After electrostats you’ll never go back. You can find them used (I did) but not all that often. My wife, after hearing our 80 inch M1s thanked me for getting them. Bring lots of power…  
Recommendation for sub with high level inputs
++1 @scm Dont know why Hsu doesn’t get more love on here. I own two- for AV room and my home recording rig. I’m integrating from the preamp and AV prepro. Since Hsu is self powered, less strain on the mains. Seamless…   
Problem with Roon
Roon is very good when it’s working. It’s changed how I listen to music in a good way. But their version release process (if they have one) is truly awful. You may be experiencing a defect in the release you’re running. Your first line for support... 
Law Of Diminishing Returns?
Interesting post. Thinking about my own Gear Journey, I’ve only bought two components new- a turntable to go with the used Fisher integrated bought in 1970, and a Hsu subwoofer bought in the mid 2000s. My systems have improved incrementally over t... 
We should reject hard-to-drive speakers more often
IMO, electrostatic speakers are worth it.  Very worth it.  Like, never imagined recorded music could sound like this, worth it.  Started with Quad63s and now running upgraded Sound Lab M1s. Never going back. But I have had to upgrade my amps. Sign... 
what are your top "audio bargins" in your system history?
A pair of JBL 4430s (Dollys) in a pawnshop for $450. Marantz AV7701 for $100. I’m still using it.   
Some famous reviewers have atrocious listening rooms!
If you’re in the business of reviewing gear, listening in the same environment time after time and having a baseline is probably most important. Live sound guys who are hired to run sound in churches, clubs, concert halls talk about “ knowing the ... 
Anthem vs Arcam
OP, ASR doesn’t like ANY HT receivers using HDMI. In his reviews, he segments them from the rest of the audio component world. He generally will show how a reviewed item stacks up against other of this type.  Since they are, as a class more noisy ... 
Baffled and Frustrated: Streaming/DAC Sound Issues
My streaming system is Tidal thru Roon to an Anthem STR. I’ve found there are some files Tidal sends across (and Qobuz before) that just sound bad; often when the file label says it’s been remastered. Never a problem with the 1700 CDs I imported l... 
Why does pulling out main speakers from wall improve sound?
Great thread!  Great question. Here’s my simpleton take: The sound from your speakers bounces all over the place, like light in a mirrored room.  When speakers are near back and/or side walls, the sound off the wall comes back to yours ears so fa... 
I have NOVA V's and I am not happy
Sonic Tools on the iPhone. Free. Probly available for Android, too. Sound pressure, spectrum analyzer and more. I’ve used the spectrum analyzer while playing music to see what frequency ranges are popping. You can see what “bright” looks like and ... 
I have found out why new cables and tweaks actually work!
Good one, Erik!  👍  
Perception and Watts: Doubling of power
Stated a different way, a 3dB increase in loudness requires twice the power.  This is the reason speaker sensitivity is so important when matching to the power amp. If your speakers are inefficient and maxxing a 300 watt amp, 600 watts gets you ju...