Quote: so which was better, the FUN or the Maverick?  

anyone have any thoughts on how the nfb12 might stack up against the maverick d1? i like tube dacs (have a monarchy nm24), but i have no option to hear either of these before buying.   thanks in advance.

anyone have any experience using a trs to rca converter and ripping vinyl?

not sure how that echo would help. it doesn't appear to have any rca inputs which rules it out for me

guess i'd say budget is up to $300 to $400, preferably less.

i'm dizzy trying to figure out how i'm going to rip vinyl from my sota table to finally be able to access all the music i have on my ipod. the pro-ject usb phono pre looks interesting, as does the NAD pp3 for the same reasons. but i like the phono stage on my existing preamp, so all i need is...

Quote: Originally Posted by ciphercomplete Nice! I am currently planning a speaker rig and had not thought of a configuration like this. Is your pre-existing preamp active or passive? it's active. it's a 22-year-old meitner preamp. never saw a need to replace it since it...

Don't think you want to remove those tubes. I originally configured my system to use the tube dac only. I liked it so much that instead of feeding my line out from my pre-existing preamplifier to my amplifiers, i fed it through the line stage in the monarchy and then ran from that line out to...

Quote: Originally Posted by memepool Shame. Long shot but I wonder if you could put a 28Ohm resistor accross the left channel to even things out? good question. i wasn't smart enough to ask it of peter. although he did say that the short created "all kinds of phase problems." i...

so to update you gentle folks, i received a call from peter at soundsmith in which he delivered the bad news: a short of some kind occurred in the right channel, making the output only 28 ohms vs the left channel's 56 ohms. there was, he said, nothing he could do to fix it. so, after much...

Monarchy's NM24 tube dac/line stage at $1080 new. Gorgeoous sound.

thanks, memepool. just left a message for peter this morning. the reason i'd sell the dragon is because, well, i also have a cr7a nak deck which is pretty pristine and, frankly, i prefer. i spoke to esl a few weeks ago about it, but i'm not looking to upgrade it, just make sure it works...

memepool, yeah, i suspected the suspension was shot due to the age and the dessicating steam heat here in brooklyn. since this is gnawing at me, as you can tell, i unmounted the cartridge and examined it more closely. appears that my problem is that the cantilever is off-axis. hard to tell...

fran, yes, i've fantasized about this. unfortunately, none of my friends has a turntable (they think i'm nuts). and i don't know if you know the dealers in ny, but i'm willing to bet no one would particularly love to help me unless, of course, i bought a cartridge from them first and even...

you're right, kiseki doesn't exist. too bad. i distinctly remember how koetsu rosewoods were the standard of the time, so if you wanted an exotic japanese cartridge, that one would have been it. still, if peter can restore the right channel to its former glory, i'd be psyched. i called but he's...

fran, memepool, phono stage is a meitner pa-6i. (everything i own -- except for a monarchy tube dac -- is 20+ years old). as far as alignment, nothing looks out of whack to my untrained eye. just checked horizontal tracking alignment with the template and it's dead on. vta and antiskate...

fran, i'll be sure to keep that in mind the next time i come to the conclusion that the tonearm is the source of all of my unhappiness. meantime, assuming the cartridge suspension is shot, you guys have a good recommendation for a cart that matches well with this arm/table. i'm not in...

thanks, memepool. i probably can improve cable routing and distance between the amp and pre, but that's kind of a project and will involve some powertools. as for the low-volume channel, i'll try to remove the pins though it doesn't look easy. in fact, they feel kind of tight. for that...

on misalignment, if the left channel is louder than the right, does that suggest the cartridge is toed-in or out? i'll have to fetch the alignment template, which happens to be in storage so i can't check it this evening.

thanks, fran. yeah, both grounding wires were properly grounded but there's still a hum. i'll fiddle with the antiskate settings and see what happens. if i get no improvement, i'll start pulling the contacts off the back of the cartridge. (fun! in a nerve wracking sort of way). i fear...

thanks for asking. i have a sota star series 3 table, an SME V tonearm and a kiseki purple heart cartridge which, for its age, still has low hours (<100 hours). tonally, the cart still sounds great. when i switch the cables, the problem switches sides so it's an interconnect or cartridge...

i'm experiencing two problems with my turntable that i hope someone could help with. 1. there's a nasty hum. moving the cables around does change its pitch, but my options are limited as far as routing cable away from other. so, can my current table cable be shielded retroactively? i'd be...

i'd look at the tube dacs and can second the notion that the monarchy is very warm, musical and detailed. but i'm sure other tube dacs can accomplish the same analog sound.

well, if it's as good as the monarchy or better, go for it. for what it's worth, i much prefered the monarchy over the paradisea. don't know about the havana, though. haven't heard it.

looks an awful lot like the monarchy nm24.