zlone

Responses from zlone

Anyone upgrade to the Merason Dac1 mkii?
I am considering this DAC as well, would be interesting to get some feedback.  
Upgrade speaker cables from ARC Litzlink
Broken record here, but Acoustic Zen solved all my issues and brought considerable improvement to my system after trying a number of other cables. I am using Satori’s, you can go up the chain from there.   
Aurender A Series DAC Performance
I have always used separates, and would recommend that path unless your system is just for casual listening or you have significant space constraints. I recently upgraded to a used Aurender N10, and it was a significant improvement in sound. I wou... 
Help me pair the KEF R11 Metas...?
Of the brands mentioned, I would lean towards the Hegel. I believe that others have mentioned seeing KEF demo with Hegel at shows. The H390 would cover a lot of bases and allow you to upgrade to better streamer/DAC later. Check out the used ones o... 
DAC vs Music Server
This has been my experience as well. I have had four different streamers in my system, all with the same DAC, each one has been an improvement. The latest is an Aurender N10, which has been a quantum leap forward. Finally time to upgrade the DAC.   
Dedicated 20 amp circuit. 10/2 or 10/3?
Some of the comments suggest running 10 or 12-3 and getting two dedicated circuits that would have to share a neutral. This is not ideal and if done wrong I believe can be dangerous. Best research shared neutral if you doing the work yourself.   
Help me pair the KEF R11 Metas...?
Nice buy on the speakers. While the specs on the Technics are decent power-wise, a bit more might make the KEFS happy. However as a simple first step, you might try a separate preamp and bypass the one in your integrated using Main In. I think the... 
Comparing streamer/DACs between $5-10k
@ghdprentice Thanks! As for the DAC, I am going to let things soak for awhile, having upgraded preamp, speakers and streamer in the last six months. It is tempting to just go with an Yggdrasil or Pontus, but I will exercise some restraint, unless ... 
Comparing streamer/DACs between $5-10k
FWIW, I just bought a used Aurender N10 and am using the OXCO clocked SPDIF output. It is amazing. I am using a Schiit Gumby for a DAC, probably looking at an upgrade there as well.   
Furman Elite 20 PFi - Hummmmm
Thanks Erik, just the man I wanted to hear from. I have on of these  https://emotiva.com/products/cmx2  laying around, I will put it before the Forman and see if it cleans up the hum from potential DC. Will also test the neutral/ground.   
Bananas rule, spades drool. End of discussion.
I agree with Erik having found a loose spade or two. I will second locking bananas as the best solution and one that I believe bumps up the surface area in contact with the speaker. The spade issue has always stuck me as something fairly easy to f... 
KEF Reference 1s v LS50 Metas
Got it. Keep the References. You can always buy a new pair of LS50’s if you experience regret, Refs are a bigger loss.   
help! no sound
Based on the setup, I assume your speakers are active/powered. The most likely thing to fail in this scenario is the tube. Turn off the power and remove the tube, power up and try again, the Lyr will the switch to solid state according to the site... 
KEF Reference 1s v LS50 Metas
Having just upgraded from the original LS50's to the Reference 1 (non-meta), the answer is easy, go with the Reference if it is in your budget.  Some caveats, the Reference need more space than the LS50, so if you are in a very small room, the LS... 
Cable Break In for the Naysayers
I have tried several sets of speaker cables in my system, and with few exceptions, they all sound different after some usage. My expectation bias always leans towards revelatory, and my hopes are generally dashed out of the gate and I must wait fo...