aldog

Responses from aldog

The longest you have owned any gear?
Last year after 28 years, I finally retired a Sumo Polaris that was purchased back in 1988.  I had been using the amp to feed the surrounds in my theater set-up since moving it from my main system many years ago. 
PC recommendation for McIntosh 501's
Well, I finally settled on a pair of Python CX's as I've been enjoying a recent speaker upgrade aka Focal Diablos.Somewhat skeptical as to how much better things could get, I'm honestly amazed at the improvement the Pythons have made and all withi... 
Mark Levinson 32 or Audio Research Reference 3
As an alternative to the 32 (which I've heard), I would suggest the 326s. The 326s shares the same build quality and overall transparency of the 32, but to my ear is more neutral top to bottom.As always, it comes down to system matching as I've ha... 
Mark Levinson 326S with Nelco board
According to Harman there are no sonic differences between Arlon 25N and Nelco N4000-13 SI. However, at least one source shows Nelco as less expensive than Arlon (see 1st link below). The data also reveals that while Nelco has slightly better dial... 
McIntosh SS Owners Question
Was the hum coming from the speakers or the amp itself? If the former, you probably have a ground loop issue.Lots of discussion here on AG if you enter "ground loop" in the search field. 
McIntosh and focal/jmlab
I'm running 501's with Micro Be's (w/ Revel Sub30) and absolutely love the combination. Overall, a very liquid and transparent sound without being analytical or "hyper" detailed. Along with an incredible sense of the recorded space there is an org... 
PC recommendation for McIntosh 501's
Thanks to everyone for the input thus far...Yeah, I'm running two dedicated circuits, one to front end components and the other amplification. Perhaps adding a power conditioner to feed the front-end will make a bigger positive impact at this poin... 
PC recommendation for McIntosh 501's
Thanks Theo - I'll check out usedcable.com Pops, I'm curious to know what cables you've tried as I have heard your "stick with stock" suggestion mentioned before.If it helps, I'm open to anything in the sub $1,200 per cord range. 
Power Cord Revelation
I recently swapped out the stock cord on my Revel Sub30 with an Airsine and EVERYTHING seemed to improve, along with the obvious improvement in the bass. Subs with an active crossover (like my Sub30) seem benefit from a good cord across the spectrum. 
What subwoofers are suited 4 audiophiles
The Revel Ultima Sub30 is far and away the cleanest and most controlled sub I have ever listened to (or owned). It has the features (adjustable crossover, 3-band eq, phase control, etc), speed and finesse to blend with the finest speakers out ther... 
Mini Monitors - Dynaudio and JM Labs
I've been enjoying a new pair of Micro Be's for about a week now and all I can say is these are AMAZING "little" speakers. It's always a joy when your system takes a big jump towards a deeper more satisfying musical experience. These speakers are ... 
Subwoofer with XLR I/O
Revel Ultima Sub30 has both balanced and unbalanced inputs/outputs as well as 3-band parametric EQ that really helps in dialing things in. Incredible sub! 
McIntosh MC402
I am currently running a Mark Levinson 390s directly (balanced ic's) into a pair of MC501's with superb results. As for the 501, I have found this to be a wonderfully balanced amp - the bass control, midrange liquidity, top-end smoothness and soun... 
Tube Preamp for Mcintosh MC501 Monoblock
Aesthetix recommends a 10k or greater load which the MC501 can manage (10k unbalanced, 20k balanced). The BAT has a very low ouput impedance (200 ohms). There should be no issues running either of these preamps with the Mac as it's input impedance... 
Tube Preamp for Mcintosh MC501 Monoblock
I have the 501's and have been using them with an older ARC LS2. I have since purchased a Mark Levinson 390s with a direction balanced connection into the amp with incredible results (makes me want to bypass using a preamp altogether). However, I ...