[dcp10]

Once you set up a hi-fi system with speakers, you will discover that you're spending money 4 to 10x more quickly. But you might find aspects of speaker listening more enjoyable.

Oh, I agree entirely - and I do have speakers and a nice Naim integrated amp + power supply - and much prefer these for certain types of music (opera, in particular). Sadly, however, I rarely get to use the loudspeakers: firstly, out of consideration for our neighbours (we share a party wall on one side); secondly, because our living room acoustics are so bad; and thirdly because of the open-plan house design (surprising as it may sound, my children don't share my enthusiasm for Maria Callas…). Hence, it's the intimacy of headphone listening that presents itself: with its pluses and minuses.

 

[bpcans]

@dcp10, I’ve been on a little bit of an opera kick lately, listening to at least one entire opera everyday for the last two weeks. My wife and 6yr old daughter don’t share my enthusiasm for opera or Maria Callas either for that matter. It’s fun though when I get that visceral involvement in a piece and the music just sweeps me away.

 

[greenkiwi]

@Icenine2, I coulda bout a lightly used Chord DAVE for the price of that bike.

Isn't the fork alone about the same as an M-Scaler? People really love that fork!

 

[OneEyedHito]

Isn't the fork alone about the same as an M-Scaler? People really love that fork!

Isn’t that the Trust Fork by Dave Weagle that goes for around $2K?

 

[bpcans]

Isn't the fork alone about the same as an M-Scaler? People really love that fork!

No @greenkiwi, the Lauf Carbonara passive suspension forks aren’t quite as expensive as a Chord DAVE. But they aren’t cheap either. I love how mine rides!

 

[bpcans]

Isn’t that the Trust Fork by Dave Weagle that goes for around $2K?

@OneEyedHito, it’s this fork. https://www.laufcycling.com/product/lauf-carbonara

 

[dcp10]

It’s fun though when I get that visceral involvement in a piece and the music just sweeps me away.

Absolutely! That's what justifies all this expense…

Aside: I started getting dragged down this rabbit hole of DACs a few years ago, shortly after purchasing a Naim streamer. I remember feeling that it sounded "flat" compared to my Naim CD Player: just didn't have the same dynamic rhythm and flow ("P.R.A.T." in Naim speak - Pace, Rhythm and Timing). Beefing up the power supply did the trick and I swear I could hear the soprano "smile" in her aria (crazy as that may seem).

 

[bpcans]

@dcp10, last night I was listening to a recording of Verdi’s Il Trovatore that was so beautiful that my eyes moistened up and I got those happy tears. I was so moved that I rearranged my gear rack so that my Chord M Scaler was now finally separated from everything because the HMS generates so much RFI. And also to do a little cable management and get the u turns out my crazy expensive and wonderful sounding WAVE Storm BNC cables.

 

[HarveyLowis]

@dcp10, last night I was listening to a recording of Verdi’s Il Trovatore that was so beautiful that my eyes moistened up and I got those happy tears. I was so moved that I rearranged my gear rack so that my Chord M Scaler was now finally separated from everything because the HMS generates so much RFI. And also to do a little cable management and get the u turns out my crazy expensive and wonderful sounding WAVE Storm BNC cables.

Hi @bpcans , do you still get RFI from Mscaler when stacking to TT2 after you use WAVE Storm BNC cables ?

I just ordered the Storm cable and SRC. DX bundle and Nick recommended me to get the third Wave Storm cable like your setup.

 

[bpcans]

Hi @bpcans , do you still get RFI from Mscaler when stacking to TT2 after you use WAVE Storm BNC cables ?

I just ordered the Storm cable and SRC. DX bundle and Nick recommended me to get the third Wave Storm cable like your setup.

Hi @HarveyLowis. What a pleasant surprise and coincidence that you’re asking me a question, because I was just messaging Nick this morning about my system and he mentioned your name. How is life in Singapore today? Specifically yes there is still quite a bit of RFI being generated by the M Scaler when placed close to the TT2 even when using the WAVE Storm BNC’s, which causes a degradation of the sound quality in music that you’re listening to. When I first paired the HMS with my TT2 I only had the Chord supplied BNC cables. These stock cables are in the box so you can make sure that the unit is working properly, but that’s all. Before I got the Storm’s I had the Moon Audio FormFit Silver Dragon BNC’s which were pretty good and much better than Chord’s stock cables. Then Nick sent me a pair of his WAVE Stratos BNC’s to try and they only made me more curious as to how much better the Storm’s could be. The Storm’s are amazing! I was very skeptical about the SRC.DX when I first read about what it could do. So I just bought the unit by itself and tried it using one of my Moon Audio BNC’s. Once I got it connected properly it became even more obvious to me that radio frequency interference was the real enemy keeping me from getting good sound in my system. I ordered a third WAVE Storm BNC cable almost immediately.

 

[dcp10]

@dcp10, last night I was listening to a recording of Verdi’s Il Trovatore that was so beautiful that my eyes moistened up and I got those happy tears. I was so moved that I rearranged my gear rack so that my Chord M Scaler was now finally separated from everything because the HMS generates so much RFI. And also to do a little cable management and get the u turns out my crazy expensive and wonderful sounding WAVE Storm BNC cables.

That's quite some kit! Interesting to hear about the HMS RF issues - I'm new to all this - I guess that's one of the reasons for my indecision re. Dave/TT2, in that I'd rather keep things simple; on the other hand, it's easier to build things up incrementally (better "Wife Approval Factor" as my local HiFi dealer calls it).

Talking about tear jerkers, here's my favourite Diva and my favourite recording of this work:-

Not exactly Hi Fidelity - and her voice causes a burbling distortion in the too-closely-placed mics; but artistically, it's a masterpiece - not least with HvK conducting.

 

[bpcans]

@dcp10, thanks so much. Thats so cool because I was going back and forth between the Maria Callas and the Leontyne Price recordings of Il Trovatore last evening. I love both of them a lot. One can never have too many different flavors of great operas. So while my wife and daughter are at church, and before I have to blow and shovel several inches of snow that fell last night, I’m indulging myself with this marvelous bit of music. Not many people know that the melody for the Star Bangled Banner is an integral part of the score in Madama Butterfly.

 

[Christer]

@dcp10, thanks so much. Thats so cool because I was going back and forth between the Maria Callas and the Leontyne Price recordings of Il Trovatore last evening. I love both of them a lot. One can never have too many different flavors of great operas. So while my wife and daughter are at church, and before I have to blow and shovel several inches of snow that fell last night, I’m indulging myself with this marvelous bit of music. Not many people know that the melody for the Star Bangled Banner is an integral part of the score in Madama Butterfly.

It is sort of Puccini´s version of a Wagnerian Ring "Leit Motiv" for Pinkerton.
I have both this recording and the Karajan Decca recording of Madame Butterfly. Both essential recordings imho.
Cheers CC

 

[dcp10]

It is sort of Puccini´s version of a Wagnerian Ring "Leit Motiv" for Pinkerton.
I have both this recording and the Karajan Decca recording of Madame Butterfly. Both essential recordings imho.
Cheers CC

The late-lamented Mirella Freni. A great loss to all Puccini lovers. It's such a shame that Karajan did so few recordings with Decca - by far the best recording company of those times, and to bring things back into context, one of the true pioneers of digital audio. I was able to get the "limited edition" version of the Decca, on a blu-ray disc in 24-bit/96 kHz and with a gorgeous hard-bound libretto (quite a rarity in these penny-pinching days). Here are my two favourites (Callas is incomparable - but the sound is, ahem, 'vintage'):

 

[HarveyLowis]

Hi @HarveyLowis. What a pleasant surprise and coincidence that you’re asking me a question, because I was just messaging Nick this morning about my system and he mentioned your name. How is life in Singapore today? Specifically yes there is still quite a bit of RFI being generated by the M Scaler when placed close to the TT2 even when using the WAVE Storm BNC’s, which causes a degradation of the sound quality in music that you’re listening to. When I first paired the HMS with my TT2 I only had the Chord supplied BNC cables. These stock cables are in the box so you can make sure that the unit is working properly, but that’s all. Before I got the Storm’s I had the Moon Audio FormFit Silver Dragon BNC’s which were pretty good and much better than Chord’s stock cables. Then Nick sent me a pair of his WAVE Stratos BNC’s to try and they only made me more curious as to how much better the Storm’s could be. The Storm’s are amazing! I was very skeptical about the SRC.DX when I first read about what it could do. So I just the bought unit by itself and tried it using one of my Moon Audio BNC’s. Once I got it connected properly it became even more obvious to me that radio frequency interference was the real enemy keeping me from getting good sound in my system. I ordered a third WAVE Storm BNC cable almost it immediately.

Hi @bpcans , thank you for your information. Actually I'm from Indonesia, maybe Nick thought that im from Singapore because im shipping the cable to Singapore. We're good in Indonesia but this last 3 weeks covid cases has been surge from 200 cases daily to 35000 cases daily.

I think i gonna try the Storm Cable with SRC.DX first before ordering the 3rd cable, who knows my ears cant tell the different from stock BNC to Wave Storm BNC.