Although I generally keep away from those discussions, I agree with Geoff on that...
So many have
discussed wire directionality, and staked out the cases for
or against. The tone of the conversation routinely crosses the line of usefulness, and transcends the magnitude of the issue itself. I feel content to let both sides live happily. If you believe in the directionality of wire, fine. If you don't, also fine. No one should lose any sleep over it either way. Perhaps the one thing I can add is my belief that the
resistance measurements folks in audio employ to disprove the phenomenon may lack the sophistication
to actually do so, and provide the real answer.
Just out of school in the early 90s, I worked as a material scientist / R&D chemist for a company that produced (conductors, resistors, dielectric, solder, etc.) materials for the electronic industry, including those that build the resistors and capacitors we use in audio. Through the course of my experiments, I often
encountered situations that left me wondering how the results could impact the
world of high-end audio. Don't miss the low salary, but do miss the environment and equipment that would allow me to kick such things
around. Had access to the internet, forums like this, and the sharing of knowledge that we do existed, I would have conquered many of those hills, but such is life.
Sadly, the quantity and quality of folks working in this realm continues to decline. With few exceptions, what remains doesn't strike me as having the sort of background, equipment, time, or personality that ask and answer such questions
For the last five years or so I've been on a journey as I learn more about audio equipment, especially digital audio, with nearly constant swapping of individual pieces in my audio system, I think I'm "done" with the hardware upgrades for now, and can relax and enjoy discovering new (to me) music. Since I've gotten the system to where it is, I'm very satisfied with my purchase, so though the equipment is not "inexpensive", I would say it's "stupid good for the money". Nice to relax and not stress about the equipment. My list:
McIntosh C2500 pre amp, MC452 power amp, Autonomic MMS-5A server, PS Audio P10 power plant, DirectStream DAC, DirectStream CD transport, Mytek Brooklyn DAC (for streaming MQA), Focal Sopra No2 speakers, JL Audio F113V2 sub woofers (2), Sennheiser HD800 headphones, Dell laptop iTunes/Tidal/Roon, Wireworld cabling
They are going to start selling a DI version with Scanspeak drivers. I don't think that it will be a lot better and certainly not as stupid good for the money.
Superphon Rev Preamp. Ridiculously good for the $75 I spent on it used in the early 90's. The Chinese tube mono amps ASL was selling in the late 90's were way better sounding than there asking price. Lowther speakers with the right amps are incredibly good for the the money. You will need a sub though... Just bought a pair of Valvet E1r mono blocks that absolutely sing with the Lowthers.
Just read someone here on A'gon just scored a Counterpoint SA-20 at the Goodwill store for $150 - that was a $2K amp, was it not? That's a stupid good score - and it seems to work just fine too.....
I enjoy them both to be honest and I think @seikosha sums it up pretty well. Let me add the Fleawatt is perhaps a bit more extended in the highs. Both are very musical little amps.
I've got some Fleawatt amps as well as an APPJ. Both are great values. I prefer the APPJ, but I'm a tube guy. The Fleawatt is more versatile and has a nice clean punchy sound. Basically the differences between the two is classic tube vs solid state.
seanheis, which Gemtune 1501 do you have, the one with 6bq5's or the 6AD10's? I was thinking about one of these but went a different way when a reasonable Tandberg 3012 popped up. Always wanted to hear one of these Tandbergs, stupid good at $250 because it was a little dirty, cleaned up, now a strong 8-9/10 cosmetically and sounds great!
I once picked up a pristine Proceed PCD-2 for $400, thought that was stupid good for the money, never should have sold it (that never should have sold it list gets longer and longer)........
Good product for the money ?? I just had Johnny Walker on the rocks, glass 3/4 full mind you , and shot of decent tequila and a soda and beautiful young Chinese bartender serve me for 12 bucks . Now that is stupid for the money .Plus gave me something to think about on the way home !
Kef 107.2 for $1400.00 Martin Logan CLS-llz for $850 - with new(ish) panels and the old ones Mirage 750's for $200 Cdn - great speaker for the money! Adcom GFA 555 mk ll for $300, sounds pretty good. It drives the ML's pretty well and sounds surprisingly good for a low end "high end" amp. The one I like the best is the Cary SLP-03 I got for $1000 about a year and a half ago. I love it!
IFi iPhono preamp. Unbelievable sound for the money.
Also I just picked up a pair of mint Spendor SP1's for less than $900 ! They look brand new and have midrange to die for - like Quad ESL 57 good. Just beautiful sound. They are keepers......
Joe Curcio upgrade for the OTL amps in the Acoustat Monitor 4 E-stats from the late 1970's. The increased speed, openness of the soundstage and base extension were unbelievable. Paired with one of the most neutral preamps, the Audio Research SP-10 Mk2, a system that still satisfies today.
Genesis APM-1. Drove from L.A. to Albuquerque for the used pair. $1500.00. Their plate amps have been up and down. Eventually, I'll get one of those new big ass SVS subs for 2 G's and call it a day.
Quested Speakers H108 Studio Monitors Passive. Its stupidly priced. It can walk over Giants! The Clarity and Soundstage with the soft dome tweeter is utterly convincing.
Eminent Technology LFT-8b loudspeaker (the highest-value new speaker currently on the market). Used Quad 57's. Townshend Rock Elite Turntable (my current), AR XA Turntable (my first good one). Decca Super Gold Pickup (my current), Decca Blue (my first good one). Magneplanar Tympani T-IV's (my current), Tympani T-1's (my first good ones).
MFA ’Venusian’ 3 chassis octal tube based preamp. An un-labeled prototype, seemingly with a unique circuit.
The bottom box is a 40lb power supply. Chock full of NOS(ish) rare and expensive Octals, matched low noise quads of red base RCA on the phono amp, etc.
Procured for.....$108.37 on an eBay auction.
One can’t even buy a thing like that, let alone find it on eBay for that kind of money.
Of course, this was an accidental bargain, not something that anyone could have bought as a regular item.
Genesis Physics model 7s - about $75 new in 1984. Still have them, never refoamed. What a set of tweeters! (See Human Speakers) Oppo DV-980H - $83 used including S&H in 2015. Got me into hires. Shure V15 RS. Still sounds great with original HE or SAS styli.
I bought a used 5 shelf Symposium Isis Ultra Rack with TT shelf last December for $3,300. A real game changer that justified the cost vs performance of the entire system. http://www.vpiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=8479 Two tweaks - A sapphire thrust pad and ceramic bearing, and a tonearm rewire with Nordost Valhalla 2. $195 and $150 respectively. They each brought super improvements and collectively pulled my VPI HW-19 MKIV TT out of the stone age. http://www.vpiforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=4881
XTZ Master M2. $1,600 - but worth way way more and as close to sound balance and perfection as a bookshelf speaker can achieve up to $10,000. No more produced, no world stock available, not a single one available on second hand market. One regret: not have purchased a second pair.
Benchmark AHB2. $3,000 - just one of the very few best amps in the world in every aspect, and even more so for pound per sound. A near zero fault lifetime product and an audio benchmark.
to bigfresser- i purchased new back in the late 70s the advent for 269 and rogers ls3/5a for 495. what a steal even at new prices. went through many used tube amps along the way, but kept both the advent and the rogers 30 years. regret selling both now.
geoffkait, "Fulton Nuance floorstanding speakers. New from going out of business sale for $250. I’m not hot doggin ya. Replaced my Quad 57s. Never looked back."
The automotive correlation: sold an 87 M3 for an 89 Celica. Never looked back...
I'm dating myself.... Advent receiver used as a preamp. It had an outstanding phono section, Apt-Holman preamp section and very sensitive tuner. I got it new for $165.00 and it smoked preamps costing 10x more!
I combined it with a beautiful Quad 303 amp $165.00 and found a used pair of Rogers ls3/5a for $350.00
Still have the Rogers......nice little system for very stupid money now
You must have a verified phone number and physical address in order to post in the Audiogon Forums. Please return to Audiogon.com and complete this step. If you have any questions please contact Support.
