mcondon
Responses from mcondon
| What preamps outshine the Aesthetix Calypso? Edorr, I have tried the PW DAC straight into my VAC Phi 200. I even bought a Lightspeed Attenuator to try, given the supposed shortcomings of a digital volume control. After a few weeks, I just did not like the sound, as the soundstage seemed to c... | |
| What preamps outshine the Aesthetix Calypso? Ckoffend,Yes, I have done a fair amount of tube rolling with the Calypso, buying a variety of NOS tubes for that purpose from Vintage Tube Services.Audiofreakgeek, yes I have experimented with and am using good power cords, isolation, power condit... | |
| Morrow MA3 interconnects I was never that impressed with the Morrow MA3s. The Crimson Music Links are much better. Close to the same price as the MA3s, but far, far better extension and bass. Very musical and satisfying. WyWires are also very good, with really hefty solid... | |
| A bit overwhelmed, need preamp advice A few thoughts...first, I agree that you should look for a better DAC. The PW DAC (used) or W4S DAC2 would offer a lot of bang for the buck in your system. Second, I don't like going amp direct from a digital source. Digital volume controls are of... | |
| Why do no audio enthusiasts use McIntosh? What is an "audio enthusiast"? If you mean people who love listening to recorded music, then I suspect that many people with iPods and earbuds better meet the criteria, while many people who churn through audio equipment are not. I suspect the lat... | |
| Conrad Johnson ET3, Mystere CA21 or Prima Luna Pre I would look for a used Aesthetix Calypso, which usually goes for a little over $2K. I have enjoyed mine immensely...it has a big, addictive, enveloping sound associated with tubes but also has great frequency extension. Very reliable and quiet to... | |
| ALO RCA Silver/Copper or Jenal Fugue RCA I doubt you will get many responses to your questions. ALO is really best known for making headphone replacement cables (and some feel their prices are exorbitant.) Unless ALO provides a free trial, I would avoid them as you would have a hard time... | |
| PS Audio Perfect Wave DAC without the transport Does anyone know whether the firmware updates affect how the Perfect Wave DAC sounds when playing CDs on the PWT. I read over on Head-fi that the newer firmware sounds better than the older firmware, but they seem to be using the Bridge exclusivel... | |
| Share thoughts on Keith Jarrett I think he is a great musician. Love his albums "The Melody At Night With You" and "Tabula Rasa", an album of Arvo Part compositions he did with the violinist Gidon Kremer. Hardcore jazz fans, however, seem to dismiss him because he is vaguely acc... | |
| Best solid state headphone amp under $1000 I have compared it to a Woo WA22 and a Singlepower PPX. As a headphone amp, it is the closest you can get to a tube-like sound but with terrific bass and phenomenal left/right imaging. I think it sounds almost as good as the Woo, which was a lot m... | |
| Best solid state headphone amp under $1000 Blue Circle, hands down, the best solid state amp I have heard below $1000 and I have heard many of them. It is slightly warm and euphonic sounding but has great bass and wonderful left/right imaging. I would definitely go for the version with the... | |
| Purist Audio Design /Tara Labs Call the Cable Company and borrow all three SC's from their lending library and see what floats your boat. PAD is a more euphonic cable, in my experience, while Tara Labs are more neutral and transparent. I prefer Tara Labs, but I believe one's pr... | |
| Why Not More Conversation about VAC? Podeschi, I don't own a VAC preamp, just a VAC amp (the Phi 200). I agree with most reviewers that the VAC Phi 200, even though fully balanced, sounds better with single-ended than balanced interconnects. I have done some extensive auditioning of ... | |
| Most achingly-beautiful music Sigur Ros "Hvart/Heim", Lisa Batiashvili "Sulkhan Tsintsadze", Arvo Part "Tabula Rasa" (Kremer/Jarrett version), Gorecki Symphony No. 3, Explosions in the Sky "The Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place", Coltrane "A Love Supreme", Copland "Appalachian Sp... | |
| Morrow MA4 Vs JPS SC3? Clear Day are great speaker cables. As far jp#s claim that Gabriel Golds crush Morrow, I would offer a different assessment. Gabriel Golds are very extended but can sound a little fatiguing. In my experience, the higher you go in the Gabriel Gold ... |