[MatthiasP]

Controversial part? They release a DAC that does MQA.

Ha, it's an DSD DAC internally that also converts PCM to it! So: "You've got to buy your entire music collection new if you want to get the best out of our new DAC! We recommend MQA recordings, then DSD, then high-res PCM, and it also does mp3 and CDs!"

 

[bcowen]

Controversial occasionally means expensive...

Balanced Loki with integrated gadget, that also accepts the add-on cards (DAC, phono, RCA) and is a preamp.

Also a + version with a tube gain stage

Same width as Rag. 2, but half the height.

Yeah! Except you inadvertently left off the last sentence: two 300B tubes sticking out of the top.

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

Ha, it's an DSD DAC internally that also converts PCM to it! So: "You've got to buy your entire music collection new if you want to get the best out of our new DAC! We recommend MQA recordings, then DSD, then high-res PCM, and it also does mp3 and CDs!"

Is MQA still a thing? I thought the format was dead.

JC

 

[G0rt]

Thanks for the affirmation of my own findings. I want to mention that I also purchased a pair of Brimar CV 4024 from Vivatubes.com for $59, matched pair. They are identical to the tubes Kevin really likes over at Upscale, and I considered them to be a less expensive set of back-ups for the CV4033 but found them to be remarkably the same--so they are the daily listeners and 4033 are held in reserve.

I appreciate your insights from the other thread, so thanks again. I've dealt with Vivatubes before, so I'll likely look into those 4024, although with the 4033's uprated hours, they could outlast me.

 

[Odin412]

Is MQA still a thing? I thought the format was dead.

The big audiophile magazines are still performing CPR in the hope that it will be revived.

 

[valiant66]

-snip-- It’s also why I scream “kerning!” at many movie titles. --snip--

Keming.
.

 

[Derrick Swart]

Well, my "budget" has already been well broken by Linn, Today I heard their Kiko system, which is ridiculously good for something so small. Those crafty Scots will be picking my pocket once again, I fear. The positive side is that the local Linn dealer has been incredibly helpful with the networking nightmare that is my new house. (Why, oh why would people do a major renovation in 2011 to a house built in 1994 and not 1) run conduit for all the new wiring; 2) run cat 5 everywhere. End result: repurposed all the plentiful "cable" coax within the house to MoCA Ethernet, and put the cable modem, router, and MoCA source together where the cable comes into the house). Anyway, one added advantage of Kiko is that it can be conjoined with the big Klimax system in the main room, so we can walk through the house and have the music follow us. Pricey, I know, but when you are dealing with Northern California real estate... I'll keep Schiit for the headphone system(s), which are my work-time addiction.

https://darko.audio/2019/08/a-short-film-about-the-devialet-phantom-reactor-900/

 

[jimmers]

Keming.
.

Kerning

 

[Derrick Swart]

Is MQA still a thing? I thought the format was dead.

JC

To me it never looked alive

 

[G0rt]

Excellent information and I particularly like the listing of test tracks. I am always willing to try new music.

One of my renters ended up leaving town to play drums for James McMurtry when James first started in his career. An easy name to remember because of his famous father, Larry McMurtry (The Last Picture Show and Lonesome Dove).

Of all the tubes I have tried and used, I probably own the least number of Brimars but I know they are highly regarded and generally fetch fairly high prices.

I also listen to a lot of electronica (e.g. Solar Fields, Tripswitch, Ott, David Helpling) but don't find the genre very useful for evaluations, since so many of the waveforms have never been heard IRL.

Dead Can Dance is one of my favorites, and Desert Dwellers, and the female vocals, and nuanced percussion, are very telling.

For chamber music and some jazz, I've liked my LCD-3f with Jotunheim best, but I'll be taking another listen once the Brimars are well seasoned.

Twiddling tubes is probably the last 1% of finding the right stuff, and I suspect more a matter of synergy than anything else, like a genius wine/beer pairing.

The thing about McMurtry, he's such a lyricist, besides a stellar performer. No More Buffalo, Lights of Cheyenne, Too Long in the Wasteland...

 

[ScubaMan2017]

Is MQA still a thing? I thought the format was dead.
.
JC

09:09 EST, Tuesday. It's quiet here on the thread. I'm waiting for the BIG reveal. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my HDTracks dot com purchases (much cheaper than I thought it would be, and it was in converted-CDN dollars). Indeed, properly-crafted albums exist and can produce music that's breathtaking.
Chesky Records, 30th Anniversary Collection (3 virtual discs [downloaded as a 24-bit FLAC files]). 72 songs from their catalogue.
Explorations In Time And Space. 3 drummers. 2 custom-made microphone-rigs. Damn.

 

[Paladin79]

Twiddling tubes is probably the last 1% of finding the right stuff, and I suspect more a matter of synergy than anything else, like a genius wine/beer pairing.

I would probably give tube rolling a higher percentage of effect depending on the tubes being used. Listening to say a GE tube compared to a Bad Boy Sylvania or Brimar can be a night and day difference for many listeners. Some of the tubes fetch the high prices for a reason, GE 6sn7's can be had for very little money. Put the Brimars up against CBS/Hytron 5692's, or certain RCA tubes and the differences become more subtle. Someone like @bcowen can come pretty close to naming 8 different 6sn7 equivalent tube brands and types blind, but not everyone is in his league. Tube brand and type probably plays a bigger roll for him than it would many listeners.

 

[Paladin79]

09:09 EST, Tuesday. It's quiet here on the thread. I'm waiting for the BIG reveal. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my HDTracks dot com purchases (much cheaper than I thought it would be, and it was in converted-CDN dollars). Indeed, properly-crafted albums exist and can produce music that's breathtaking.
Chesky Records, 30th Anniversary Collection (3 virtual discs [downloaded as a 24-bit FLAC files]). 72 songs from their catalogue.
Explorations In Time And Space. 3 drummers. 2 custom-made microphone-rigs. Damn.

I love that Chesky 30 Anniversary collection and use several tracks for my testing.

 

[Roy G. Biv]

09:09 EST, Tuesday. It's quiet here on the thread. I'm waiting for the BIG reveal. In the meantime, I'm enjoying my HDTracks dot com purchases (much cheaper than I thought it would be, and it was in converted-CDN dollars). Indeed, properly-crafted albums exist and can produce music that's breathtaking.
Chesky Records, 30th Anniversary Collection (3 virtual discs [downloaded as a 24-bit FLAC files]). 72 songs from their catalogue.
Explorations In Time And Space. 3 drummers. 2 custom-made microphone-rigs. Damn.

I don't think Qobuz is available for you in Canada yet but if/when it is becomes available it's a viable alternative/addition to HDTracks. If you're able to swing the $300/year for the Sublime+ tier you'll be able to purchase downloads at a considerable discount. I've purchased enough downloads from them this year to make the $300 cost worthwhile. They don't have everything that HDTracks has but there's still a good selection. They don't, for example, have the Chesky collection that you purchased. But here's how the cost compares for at least one example: HDTracks on the left, Qobuz on the right.

 

[JohnnyCanuck]

Dead Can Dance is one of my favorites

I particularly like 'Into The Labyrinth'. Awesome sound.

JC