[KoshNaranek]

@RCBinTN I'll pay you a dollar to produce a listenable mashup of Yes and Waylon Jennings.

 

[US Blues]

Question for the group, if you had 700 ish dollars to spend on 2ch audio components, where would you put it? Speakers excluded. Would you buy a preamp (saga), a DAC (mimby), and a 100ish amp? Or would you go straight for a Vidar and a Sys to control it (adding better components down the line)?

I guess what I'm wondering, is what do people feel is the most important aspect of a system, aside from speakers or headphones?

Or rather what is the least important item?

I'm convinced that the DAC matters almost as much as the transducers. What component infers the least amount of flavor to the system?

I know (feel) that my cheap 2.1 pc speakers sounded way way better after putting them through mimby/magni, then they did straight from my iPad. Those pc speakers have to be class D right?

Is it just a case of the quality Schiit components mitigating the sound degradation that gets to the system?

Opinions, thoughts, and ramblings very much appreciated by those more knowledgeable then I.

A DAC, like speakers/cans, takes information in one format (digital) and converts it to another format (analog signal). Speakers and can take an analog signal as electricity and converts it to sound via creating motion in an electrical motor. Any device that changes information from one format to another in this manner is a critical component, this is much harder to do than simply amplify an electrical signal like a pre-amp, or power amp.

Now, a power amp also has to deal with the electrical energy generated by a speaker/cans that feeds back to it's circuitry. While speaker amps deal with higher amounts of power, I am guessing this is just as critical in a headphone amp. Thus an amplifier is a tougher design than a preamp, and the ability of an amp to meet all the parameters involved in it's usage has amore direct impact on the sound we hear.

In regards to your question: a Sys + Vidar combo will sound mighty fine, based on what is feeding it (this will scale well with better DAC's), and providing the speakers are within range of what a single Vidar can handle (nothing too power hungry). If you are looking to build a system over time this will save you intermediate steps, and dollars, with lesser DAC's and preamps than you might want in your final system.

 

[Odin412]

I've tried many, many times to rate albums and tracks, and I just cannot do it. Your timing is great though. Last night a friend of mine listened to a few of my headphones, and then we spent hours listening to random stuff through the LS50Ws after he got sucked in. He had never listened to recorded music except through car speakers and/or a bluetooth type speaker, or headphones that come free with phones etc. It was a joy to watch his reactions. The sequence was ... Oh well if you think you like THAT well then listen to THIS... Followed shortly by WOW / DUDE! / $chiit-Eating Grin... He asked me to put together a list of songs he could use to go listen to equipment. After about an hour I came up with a fairly long list.

Well onto actually answering your question - To me, there are some really poor recordings that I still adore just because... If you're looking for some recommendations for things that are well-recorded - I actually have no idea what is well recorded or not, but here are a few that I think sound pretty great that may not be known as well. They're in no particular order, and are not in any "Top 5", but I put a few notes as to why I like them. I hope you will, too. They're what popped into my head in the moment, and you can go from Meiko to Warren Zevon...

Alison Krauss - 100 Miles or More: A Collection.
- Listen to it when - you don't mind shedding a tear
- Why I think it's great - Incredible recordings. That voice, that voice, that voice.
- Stand out tracks - Lay Down Beside Me (Old Don Williams Tune); Whiskey Lullaby; Jacob's Dream (Get your tissues)

Roy Orbison and Friends - A Black and White Night
- Listen to it when - you want (or need) to bounce around and smile
- Why I think it's great - It's ROY and darn near everyone else. I mean c'mon Bonnie Raitt, Jennifer Warnes, and KD Lang are his Doo-Wop Girls. It's an EPIC group of people having an all-out blast playing music.
- Stand out tracks - O' Pretty Woman (James Burton, Bruce Springsteen, and Roy jamming is FUN); Crying.
- If you ever come across a copy of the Blu-Ray - grab it.

Yes - The Yes Album
- Listen to it when - you want to take a straight and stronger course to the corner of your life.
- Why I think it's great - Dunno... I just do
- Standout tracks - I've Seen All Good People (Maybe a Top 5 song),

Willie Nelson - Milk Cow Blues
- Listen to it when - Coffee time, chill. When you don't mind looking up from your work and to no-one in particular just nodding your head and going "Cool!"
- Why I think it's great - some amazing recordings with some phenomenal musicians and vocalists. Makes me grin.
- Standout tracks - ALL of it. Texas Flood and Night Life if you forced me to pick.

Ray Charles - Genius Loves Company
- Listen to it when - You may feel nostalgic, who knows... It does take a mood
- Why I think it's great - I think Ray Charles had one of the coolest, most expressive voices in music. The song choices and pairings.
- Standout tracks - Do I Ever Cross Your Mind, Sinner's Prayer, Here We Go Again, Crazy Love ... yeah just all of 'em.

Happy Listening!

I will check these out - thanks for posting!

 

[OlDNuke]

...
Rodrigo Y Gabriela - 9 Dead Alive
- Listen to it when - You want to marvel at what 2 guys can do with guitars....
Cheers

Just a note, one of the guys is a girl...

 

[ScottFree]

Rodrigo Y Gabriela - 9 Dead Alive
- Listen to it when - You want to marvel at what 2 guys can do with guitars. You have some spare "headroom" i.e. won't p/o the neighbors or hurt your head. You'll want this loud, and you'll keep creeeeeping it up.
- Why I Think it's great (and I'm only 3 tracks in) - Ridiculous, Ridiculous, Ridiculous talent, and tone. From banging percussive body-beats to the subtlest overtones and harmonics.
- Standout Tracks - I just hit the intro to Misty Moses and the friggin' harmonics just gave me goosebumps. There's something about harmonics on guitars that they either make me smile or wince. I'll stop with the play-by-play.

Just a note, one of the guys is a girl...

Here's what two guys can do with two cellos.

 

[Mike-WI]

Here's what two guys can do with two cellos.

I went to this concert in Milwaukee.
A lot of fun.
My son plays bass so was very interested.
We had good seats and they actually encourage the crowd to get close to the stage (rock concert like).
My kids first experience actually being pressed up against big speakers.
Fun.

Mike

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

Look at the bright side, it will give others a chance to speak up and talk about relevant topics and hopefully the forum will be more in line with the forum title and will be more informative.

Then there where two.

 

[Alcophone]

Then there where two.

Aw! Does Constanza tolerate the intruder?

 

[ScottFree]

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

Aw! Does Constanza tolerate the intruder?

It's her late husband Amadeus.
Since where both widow(er)s we only have each other left.
Had to add some real content to this thread.

 

[Alcophone]

It's her late husband Amadeus.
Since where both widow(er)s we only have each other left.
Had to add some real content to this thread.

Now I'm sad. Maybe you should unsubscribe again

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

It was another member here who reminded my of Constanza's obligations on this thread as a mascot and factotum.
He was rigth so I subscribed again.

 

[RCBinTN]

Yea mate, it's the right thing.
Encouragement from Constanza is welcome. She's a member here, too.
You had us all going, that you'd acquired a new feline!

 

[ashirin]

Question for the group, if you had 700 ish dollars to spend on 2ch audio components, where would you put it? Speakers excluded. Would you buy a preamp (saga), a DAC (mimby), and a 100ish amp? Or would you go straight for a Vidar and a Sys to control it (adding better components down the line)?

I guess what I'm wondering, is what do people feel is the most important aspect of a system, aside from speakers or headphones?

Or rather what is the least important item?

I'm convinced that the DAC matters almost as much as the transducers. What component infers the least amount of flavor to the system?

I know (feel) that my cheap 2.1 pc speakers sounded way way better after putting them through mimby/magni, then they did straight from my iPad. Those pc speakers have to be class D right?

Is it just a case of the quality Schiit components mitigating the sound degradation that gets to the system?

Opinions, thoughts, and ramblings very much appreciated by those more knowledgeable then I.

I like this question! I'll share my personal experience with this. I built my 2 channel system from scratch over the better part of a year (and aside from one piece it's almost done). My main goal was to avoid buying stuff that I would want to upgrade or replace too soon. I had some cheap Monoprice powered monitors lying around that I bought mainly for backyard movie nights and get-togethers. I decided to use those until I could get the pair of speakers I wanted (LS50). I also had a pair of Tekton Pendragon subwoofers I got off craigslist for $40 each a while back (man, that was a steal). My 2-channel system is for music and home theater. Ideally those would be separate systems, but I'm not made of money and I love movies as much as music.

I decided to make my first purchase the Saga. It's overkill to feed $180 powered monitors, of course, but it's the piece I was going to buy eventually. Also, it was relatively new, all analog, it had all the features I wanted, and it was in my budget at the time, so I made the purchase confidently. It was perfect for hooking up multiple sources to both monitors and subwoofers and giving me remote volume control. I cannibalized the first generation Modi and Wyrd from my headphone setup (since I care much more about my 2-channel system). For music, that's what I use the vast majority of the time (connected to my phone or computer), though sometimes I listen through my turntable. For movies, I use a cheap optical DAC (FiiO TAISHAN-D03K) from my TV to the Saga. I also added some Etekcity Remote Control Outlets to help me turn everything on and off, and it allows me to quickly add the subs in and out of the system depending on what I'm listening to (or how late it is). All of the big purchases so far are analog, so I know I can use them for a long time.

I stayed with that setup quite happily for a long time, saving up and waiting for Schiit to release Vidar. Everything came together over the holidays when the LS50's dropped to $1k. Those, with a Vidar, was at the edge of my budget, but the timing felt right, so I went for it. This is the system I have been using ever since, and I am thrilled with it. I love every piece I've bought and don't feel like I need a better version of any of them right now, which is really nice.

Eventually, I will buy a new DAC. I really wanted a Bifrost multibit, but there hasn't been room in the budget yet. I was very tempted to buy a Modi Uber (possibly used) to simplify my setup (by getting rid of the Fiio) when I bought the Vidar, but I held off, because I knew it would leave my system eventually. I also strongly considered Mimby, and I almost bit when they were available B-stock for $199. However, deep down, I really want the Bimby, with the Gen 5 USB, upgrade-ability, and the ability to neatly stack with my Saga. So far, waiting to get the pieces I really want when I can afford it, as opposed to settling for lesser components that will either leave me feeling curious or eventually just get shifted out, has worked for me. The main board on the Bimby is now over 2.5 years old, so I'm keen at this point to wait for an update and bite when that becomes available. This might be a while, which is okay. Hopefully not too long though.

Lastly, to try and answer your question more directly, assuming I already had the speakers and about $700 to spend... I would find a way to stall until I had $1050 to spend on a Vidar/Saga combo by buying a very cheap integrated amplifier, or using literally anything I already had that could safely power my speakers. Or, if I really didn't need remote control or more than two sources... I would seriously consider the Sys/Vidar combo. I believe in the analog-components-first approach, since digital products usually advance more quickly (though recent innovation in the Schiit analog components has somewhat upended this trend). I also believe in getting products that I won't want to upgrade too soon. For instance, keeping in mind the $700 cap, maybe a Mimby + Emotiva A300 + Sys would give the best sound for no more than $700. Or if you need remote control, the Emotiva A-300 + PT-100 for the exact same price. I considered those options too. However, I personally would want something more in line with the quality that a full Schiit 2 channel system offers and I would be willing to wait either in part or in whole to get that when it is in budget.

 

[ItsAllInMyHead]

Just a note, one of the guys is a girl...

Great call out. I did know that, and almost went back to edit, but I was using "guys" loosely. I should have noted it as two people or a guy and a gal to be more clear. I meant absolutely no offense to Gabriela.