Hey Rja,
I will disagree with you about amps. Blind folded, I could tell the difference between the Spectral DMA180 with the DMC 30sl pre-amp and the Audio Research D115 with SP 8 pre-amp with the Avalon Radians 100% of the time with an audiophile recording. Did that comparison a zillion times. Now with a crappy CD full of MP3 files no I could not tell the difference.
But in the long run does it really matter; the only thing that matters: are you grooving to the music that you are listening? Right now I am listening to a killer version of "Hungry" by an obscure 60s garage band, the Raunch, that probably if the mp3 recording hits 12kHz, the recording is doing good. I am playing it on a $20.00 set of Sony computer speakers with 16 gauge cables which if it is lucky hits 80Hz low and 14KHz high with probably 5-10% distortion. Am I still grooving to it even though it is not being played through Audiophile equipment; you betcha!!!
I will disagree with you about amps. Blind folded, I could tell the difference between the Spectral DMA180 with the DMC 30sl pre-amp and the Audio Research D115 with SP 8 pre-amp with the Avalon Radians 100% of the time with an audiophile recording. Did that comparison a zillion times. Now with a crappy CD full of MP3 files no I could not tell the difference.
But in the long run does it really matter; the only thing that matters: are you grooving to the music that you are listening? Right now I am listening to a killer version of "Hungry" by an obscure 60s garage band, the Raunch, that probably if the mp3 recording hits 12kHz, the recording is doing good. I am playing it on a $20.00 set of Sony computer speakers with 16 gauge cables which if it is lucky hits 80Hz low and 14KHz high with probably 5-10% distortion. Am I still grooving to it even though it is not being played through Audiophile equipment; you betcha!!!

