johnjohn
Responses from johnjohn
| Paradigm speakers The Prestige 85F sounds really bright and tinny to me, not at all like the old Studio series. I’ve had the 20v1, 100v3, 60v2, v3 and I currently have the v5. All sound more natural to my ears even though later versions have progressively been voic... | |
| Paradigm Studio 60 v5 somewhat boomy These speakers are not boomy by any means if carefully placed (at least 3ft from any wall or another speaker). If anything they are on the taut side, at least when compared to most other speakers I’ve had in my room. I had Studio 60v3 and they wer... | |
| Paradigm Studio 60 V5 Fingernails on Chalkboard I drive my 60v5 with VTL and Classe electronics and have absolutely no issues with their highs. They are very punchy and detailed but need a quality front end. I tried them with some NAD integrated and, as expected, they sounded rough and chalky. ... | |
| NAD preamp question I’ve had the 114, 116 and 160 and I like the 114 best. It has no remote but it is one of the best sounding NAD preamps. It has the full natural sound vintage NAD gear is known for without sacrificing any detail. Circuitry is ultra clean (much clea... | |
| Music Maker II cartridge This is a very smooth sounding cartridge but no better than my old Grado 8MZ and MCZ. Most frustrating are the plastic mounting lugs that deform with even a modicum of torque applied - IMO acceptable for cheap Grados but definitely not OK at this ... | |
| Pass Labs XP-30 vs Krell Evo 202 Try a VTL 5.5 or 2.5. Only tube preamps that satisfy my craving for solid state bass. I also have the CP50 and the VTL is comparable but different. Listened awhile back to an ARC SP14 and it didn’t measure up to either preamp. | |
| Solid-state preamp with tube power amp I don’t think you can make generalizations like this. I’ve heard some damn good sounding systems pairing the other way around. | |
| Help with VTL TL 5.5 Preamp Get a Classe CA200 or 300 - much smoother than DNA without giving up bass or resolution. Or just replace the 5.5 with a 2.5 which uses smoother 12AU7 tube. | |
| Preamps: Rogue v. VTL v. Blue Circle Stick to the big names for top quality and resale value. I would not buy a piece of tube equipment unless its faceplate has VTL, ARC, CJ or McIntosh on it. | |
| Threshold S300 Power Amp I had an S300 in the mid 80s that sounded decent but kept popping fuses so I got rid of it for a Classe 25 that had much more oomph. Eventually traded that guy for a CA200 with side heatsink (basically a CA201) that sounded even better along with ... | |
| Adcom GFP 750 preamp problem Nelson Pass is an asshole | |
| For tube sound, which is more important: preamp or power amp? Avanti1960 mirrors my own findings. Tube power amp definitely makes a bigger imprint on the overall magic than a tube pre-amp. Not only that, it is much easier and less fussy for a solid state pre-amp to drive a tube power amp. Not so the other wa... | |
| Audio Research Corporation ARC Reference 600 I recently compared a Ref75 against a VTL ST150. I like the VTL better. | |
| Vandersteen 2ci and 2ce Thought Id jump in since there is no end in forum discussions on the Vandersteen 2 series. I think my favorite is the 2CE Sig I (came out around 2000). They have the rugged Scanspeak midrange with a regular magnet that doesn’t have the tendency to... | |
| preamp for classe ca200 The VTL 2.5 is a great sonic and aesthetic match to the CA200. I’ve paired them up to drive Vandersteen 2Signatures for years and totally happy with the result. Very synergistic pair! Classe’s own CP50 from the same period is a good SS alternative... |