Quote: Originally Posted by smeggy That's the thing, In another amp thread people were saying you need to train your ears, listen more intently and search out subtle differences. That to me is anti-music as you once again spend too much time listening to things and equipment instead of...

Big differences in the quality of a listening experience always start at the source in my experience. But that said, if you are happy with the cheaper amp, great - sell the new one, go back to the cheaper and buy music with the extra cash. You may simply be noticing that for your tastes and...

Quote: Originally Posted by memepool Go and listen to a Rega / OL modded Technics SL1200 up against a modern hi-end belt drive. You'll be surprised at what you are missing. I'd love to if I can find one. I admit I am quite skeptical it is going to be better than the modern higher...

A Linn Adikt is around $200 or less used. This thing is a PRAT king - a great cart for the money (new $350). I've heard ClearAudio tables and, at least in the system they were in, I was not impressed. But I've never had one at home and in my own rig, and that is really the only way I could...

I think you can do the job for a little over 500 euros, but much less than 1500. For around $800 or so (say 700 to 750 euros) I have seen Rega P25's for sale with good cartridges on both ebay and audiogon. This is a table that will definitely show up CD players costing 5 - 4 times more if...

Quote: Wow... it's unusual to find someone who feels this way about direct drive tables. It is, and it should be. I admit there are a few very high end direct drive tables (Rockport - 60k), but the vast majority of high quality tables are belt driven. But if someone owns a direct...

Eric Clapton owns AVI gear (the company proudly passed this info along to their distributor, who is located in my area). Interestingly, he doesn't own their highest end stuff, but rather just bought an integrated that runs for around $3,500. It is a very nice integrated, though. No idea what...

$2900 recently used on audiogon: an Esoteric DV-50 (new around $6000). Many like the redbook playback greatly (not my favorite, but undeniably good). The SACD playback is truly exceptional, however.

Quote: Originally Posted by PhilS It seems to me that Head-Fi is primarily about headphones, and how to get the best out of components, cables, etc. that are being used in headphone systems. It also seems to me arguing about the differences between speakers is really not relevant, for...

Steve: I understand that you have experience in professionally recording, producing, and engineering music. I also recognize that you have some knowledge of acoustic theory and its applications, and certainly more than I possess. But you are monomaniacal in the way you reduce the extreme...

Quote: Originally Posted by episiarch www.chocosphere.com is a great on-line retailer of high-end chocolates. They have a wide selection, good prices, and are very careful about shipping: they will check the weather forecasts for your area, decide what packing/shipping you will need to...

I do hear variations in my system, or at least there are variations in my subjective appreciation of my system. One objective factor that I believe can contribute to this is that the quality of power delivered to your wall socket from the local grid varies depending on usage conditions. (Yes...

Quote: Originally Posted by boodi buying good quantities of vinyl is a thing I'll deserve to my elderly age if my life will be lucky enough to get me rich enough to get some quantities and some quality turntable&rig - main problem are vinyls It is true that if you start tying to...

If you are buying this new to use only as a transport, you might want to check and see if you can do just as well with something for less on the used market. I'm sure there is nothing wrong with this choice, just that if you can save money on the transport you'll have more for the DAC. I do...

Pricey! And, I doubt it can work without some of the legitimate musical dynamics of an LP occasionally triggering the"anti-click" circuitry, thus impairing the sound. Of course I'm not a very technical guy, so the proof would all be in the hearing for me. I am definitely not going to be a first...

Quote: Originally Posted by recephasan That technology has progressed rapidly in those ten years. Just make sure you make a listening comparison with the newer ones before you commit. I am not familiar with the equipment you mention at all, but if it is a CD player, I heartily...

Quote: Originally Posted by bigshot You can't compare commercial vinyl and CD releases to judge which format sounds better. There's no way to know that they were cut from the same master, or that the same EQ and compression settings were used. On older recordings, the LP will almost...

Quote: Originally Posted by bigshot I don't think SACD players are going to drop too much further. They're already quite inexpensive. I'm not so sure how long the format is going to last through. See ya Steve I fear buying an SACD player now is essentially buying a seat on the...

Quote: Originally Posted by bigshot In the studio, I've listened to a mixdown directly off a 24 track analogue master, and I've compared that to an ADAT playback of the same thing... no difference. I can't comment on sound differences at this stage of recording process. But as a...

Jumping in late, but what the heck. A reasonable way to think of priorities is 1) table, 2) tonearm, 3) cartridge. The table limits the performance of the everything else. The cartridge ulitmately has the potential for the greatest impact on music reproduction, but full realization of that...

Quote: Originally Posted by bigshot This sentence alone would make me suspect the abilities of the reviewer. I've found that the whole analogue/digital debate is a pretty good litmus test for finding out which reviewers are listening with their ears and which are listening with their...

Look at the Arcam CD 73 (used around $350, new $800). NAD players are also good, though not quite as good as the Arcam at this price point. These are my preferences, though others may have other equally good suggestions.