An audiophile and petrolhead's musings: in the hi-fidelity, first class, traveling set - Page 154

Hey, hey, you can buy them with all that stuff taken care of; better reliability, more power (250+ bhp), and even a warranty. DMC in Texas is still building new ones, at a rate of ~ 12 /yr, starting at $45k. That's not bad at all, IMO.

A DeLorean and a 300Z TT had a baby:



That's tight, IMO.
Edited by Magick Man - 3/21/13 at 8:12am

No one's noticed, or said anything, but I've been using Hall and Oates lyrics and song titles for a while.

I'm just spending according to the rate I'm told I should spend, but I figure it's better that I put the money into vehicles, as investment... "vehicles". Pardon the pun...


IMO, we have too many black & red cars already. I like black and red, who doesn't? But really...

---

The Weiss MAN301: First impressions


On first blush, this Weiss MAN301 is the BOMB. I'm not sure if it's a transport/DAC or a sledge hammer. It's a little larger than a modern BD player but weighs as much as a 5.1 receiver. It's German high-end, and you can tell it immediately. The fit and finish are beyond reproach, which you'd expect from a $12k transport/DAC/music server. The setup is chimp-easy, the DAC, preamp, and transport is all in the box, but I've found that I like the transport/DAC but the preamp is a little quirky. Good but quirky. So I have it hooked up, as follows: MAN301 > McIntosh MX151 > McIntosh MC402 > Wilson Watt/Puppies. And it's just eye-poppingly brilliant.

The disc transport is perfectly silent, you can't hear a disc spin, even with your ear against it, and the eject mechanism can't be heard at 6' (seriously). It plays most things; red book, SACDs, and MP3/FLAC discs, but there's no DVD-A functionality, which bums me out a little, as I have ~300 DVD-As that I listen to at times, despite the fact they're ripped to my server. However, I still have the Oppo BDP-105, and it's a great player as well, so that base is sufficiently covered. As a standalone player, it's faultless, fast, and silent, I can't ask for anything more.

Speaking of music ripped to my server... Once I had it connected and went through the basic setup, which included setting up my iPad and getting the app for it, I was stepped through the music library setup. It went out and found my server, I'd already went in and made an account for it, and it jumped in, read my iTunes pref files, and took off. In as much time as it took to configure the iPad app the way I wanted, it was ready to go. This is the latest version of the app and firmware, and the lag and compatibility issues mentioned in some beta unit reviews have been fixed. Also it catalogs the files from my PC, my wife's Mac, and everything that's AppleShare, DLNA, and SMB compatible on the network, provided sharing is turned on (duh). It works via static IP or DHCP, I chose the former and set it up in my server range. Neato thing here, I can access it from any DLNA device for playback, and soon that will work anywhere in the world, streaming my library to me, anywhere I have an iDevice and IP address (there are rumbles about possible Android support, in time*). Balla'. Everything having to do with the player and server is handled through the app, which is the best I've seen. It has a very "Apple" smoothness/style to it, which is high praise. Blister Apple for their walled garden and iron fist diplomacy all you want, I do it too, but their software works well. IOW, the Weiss server/app just works, and it's elegant and polished, the best I've seen. Navigation, selection, cover art, liner notes (if available), lyrics, etc. are all right there, just a touch away. Kudos to Weiss for actually shipping a consumer-ready device this early on, when most companies fall on their faces and don't get things working for years (I'm looking at you, McIntosh).

**warning some audiophile-speak incoming**

So, I guess we're to the sound, but I'm not prepared to make a firm comment about that yet, but I can say it's extremely detailed, hyper-detailed, if you will. To me, for the most part, DACs are DACs are DACs. I can point out mediocre ones, and usually very good ones, like the one in my MX151, but so far this is on another level. What I normally attribute to DACs are the dynamics of a piece, the expansion of soundstage. My Zodiac Gold is very analytical, to a fault (which I like), with a moderate soundstage, and impressive dynamic range. It's very good, IMO. The a fore mentioned MX151 is also very dynamic, though it isn't quite as detailed, but it has an immense SS, with a hint of warmth and a feeling of "presence" and authority.

The Zodiac Gold: detailed, analytical, dynamic, controlled, in one word "logical". Many would say cold, I'd say colorless.
The MX151: Expressive, dynamic, open, with a feel of power and a dash of warmth, in one word "powerful". Some fault its lack of detail, I think it's just a trade-off for a more inviting, and moving, musical experience.

What I've noticed so far, with my top 5 test albums; Rumors, Lateralus, Little Earthquakes, Wish You Were Here, and Mozart's Requiem Mass. ALACs ripped to my server.

The Weiss MAN301: very detailed and dynamic, but also expressive and powerful. It lacks that bit of warmth of the MX151 but is moving and inviting, nonetheless. Combine that with almost granite-etched imaging and a full, deep soundstage and you have quite a cocktail. At this point, I'd say it's head and shoulders over the Antelope and McIntosh offerings, or anything else I have.



*Interesting note, it "found" my McLaren IRIS system with my car parked in the garage, connected via WiFi. But since you can't turn sharing on in IRIS, I couldn't get into it, which is a good thing, in retrospect. However, this means when the internet streaming functionality is available I can possibly use it directly from the head unit, while driving along. That's not a given, just an assumption.
Edited by Magick Man - 3/21/13 at 10:49pm

In other, more biodegradable, news. A friend of mine (I say "friend" but more like a near life-long acquaintance) contacted me, and why would a long-distance "buddy" contact me? Yeah, you guessed it. Honestly, can't someone just call to tell me when things are going well, or to just shoot the breeze? No, it's because they have a financial problem. I'm sick of it, really dead-tired of the whole thing. I don't do loans. They know this, but they ask anyway, then get incensed when I say no. The reason being that once you loan cash to a friend, and they can't pay it back, they avoid you and it sours the friendship. So it isn't that I'm greedy, I just don't like losing friends over something so petty.

Anyway, this has a twist to it. At one time, this guy owned one of the largest comic book stores in his region, my family has known his for years. Back in the 80s-90s he prospered, but when the comic industry tanked he was caught with his pants down and hadn't saved enough for a rainy day, much less the monsoon-like Great Depression that hit the hobby. Sure, people still read comics, but sales, overall, dropped 60-70% in one year. This didn't effect the best of the best, the rare and valuable Gold and Silver age comics (in fact, pristine comics from the 30s-60s have outperformed the stock market for the last 30 years, by more than 300%), but a good store doesn't make its money from those sales. It's the monthly subscriptions and hardcore readers (and speculators) that pay the bills. Or at least they did, but not anymore. So, his business went under and he filed Chapter 7. However, like Jay and Silent Bob, he had his "secret stash". Over the years he'd personally accumulated the best of the comics that walked in the door, from collectors and salvage people who had walked through the door for >20 years. Whether for investment (likely) or sheer love of the books (unlikely), I don't know.

He's always called me "Captain Marvel" because that's my thing, Marvel Comics. Though I'm a fan of a few DC heroes, and really like many of the more gritty Adult DC titles, >90% of what I collect and read is Marvel. My collection is pretty decent, I have series runs of all the major titles, in CGC "lok-tites". Though I've slacked a little lately, I still buy nice books from Heritage auctions and various other sources and still get the sweaty palms when I find a mint condition, rare book. I'll never leave the hobby, it's too much a part of me. The fella in Florida is DC to my Marvel, specifically Superman, Batman, Justice League, etc., the Golden Age "big dogs". His collection, although not huge, is historically important, and I'd say almost unique in the world of comics. Despite being DC (though not all of them are), I'd be interested in them. Who doesn't like Batman, right?

The story goes, he needs money, but he can't go to the auction houses and sell them, there's a complicated issue involved (aside from those auctions being fickle and the seller paying a huge amount off the top). What he wants to do is sell them but not "sell them". Take the money, he'd take roughly 50% of their value, in one lump. BUT he wants me to just sit on them, with him having the option to buy them back within 24 months, for what I'm paying + "reasonable" interest. If he were selling them outright I wouldn't blink, but I'm not a pawn broker. Also, he's been a decent enough guy to me, his father and my grandfather were drinking buds, but he's "oily" and I don't trust him very much, at least not enough to go into an extended deal with him. Why do things like this have to be so complicated?
Edited by Magick Man - 3/21/13 at 10:42pm

The guy personally didn't file bankruptcy, the business did.

So... I'm trying to figure out how to get to Scotland without my wife knowing... any ideas? lol
Edited by Magick Man - 3/22/13 at 9:30am