[themad]

Nice! What speakers are those in red?

 

[nordkapp]

Nice! What speakers are those in red?

um........they are Project speaker box 5 I believe. Scored them brand new for $150. Sound great. Thanks.

 

[Krutsch]

  getting into vinyl now. Nice change from creating endless playlists.
 
...

 
FWIW, I've been spinning more optical plastic for the exact same reason. Gets me to the music faster.

 

[Errymoose]

   
FWIW, I've been spinning more optical plastic for the exact same reason. Gets me to the music faster.

why do people bother making playlists then?
 
I find the easiest way to do most computer formats is to just play albums too.

 

[dagothur]

  why do people bother making playlists then?
 
I find the easiest way to do most computer formats is to just play albums too.

If you have a large enough library but only a dozen or two songs for headphone sampling/testing or like to organize by genres then playlists can be very convenient.  Or if you have a copy of a demo CD (e.g., McIntosh, Marantz, Chesky) but don't want to have to hunt down every artist from that album to get the complete CD.

 

[Krutsch]

  why do people bother making playlists then?
 
I find the easiest way to do most computer formats is to just play albums too.

Well, back in the days of tape (I am old...), it was far easier than changing vinyl records to hear your favorite songs in an order you like.
 
But, with computer audio, it's a little sad, I agree... although, I have about 200 playlists in iTunes, many of which are carry-overs from pre-digital audio days, for no other reason so that I can remember my favorites tracks for a particular artist.

 

[pedalhead]

Lots of changes to my setup in the past six months or so. Asus G751 laptop running Roon and HQPlayer (music on Synology NAS box), out to a Metrum Hex DAC and the mighty Wells Audio Enigma, which is more than capable of ragging the nuts off the HE1000 (something it requires in order to sound it's best imho).  A wonderful combo that (for now at least) is my happy summit-fi rig

.
 

 

[krumley7882]

  Lots of changes to my setup in the past six months or so. Asus G751 laptop running Roon and HQPlayer (music on Synology NAS box), out to a Metrum Hex DAC and the mighty Wells Audio Enigma, which is more than capable of ragging the nuts off the HE1000 (something it requires in order to sound it's best imho).  A wonderful combo that (for now at least) is my happy summit-fi rig

.
 

Beautiful Summit!

 

[bazelio]

Gorgeous Enigma.  I'd love to hear that rig.
 
I just added a 30 pound monster to my rig (see the bottom shelf)...  A Topaz Ultra-Isolator isolation transformer.  This beast is hideous and vile, but boy oh boy does it ever do a good job.  The -149 dB common mode noise rejection must have something to do with it - a spec you won't find matched by any "Audiophile" power conditioner (that I've ever seen) no matter how expensive.    We're talking about an immediate improvement in micro detail clarity without having changed the overall presentation in terms of being more forward or recessed.  This has produced a more significant audible difference than any tube swap I've made to date - and even costed less than my Mullard ECC35 for the Zana Deux.  Picked it up for a song at a local electronics surplus outlet.
 
YMMV with power conditioning I suppose.  My rig sits next to my desk with Wifi routers, Gigabit routers, a 40" LCD, multiple computers, etc.  So I suspect my power is rather noisy compared to most.  I think my next (and final) step is going to be to add a good transverse mode noise filter on the secondary of the isolator.  Furman seems to have a very decent one for $120.
 
 

 

[dagothur]

  Lots of changes to my setup in the past six months or so. Asus G751 laptop running Roon and HQPlayer (music on Synology NAS box), out to a Metrum Hex DAC and the mighty Wells Audio Enigma, which is more than capable of ragging the nuts off the HE1000 (something it requires in order to sound it's best imho).  A wonderful combo that (for now at least) is my happy summit-fi rig

.
 

I would have to spend ten minutes just looking at my set-up before I listen if I had this stack.  Gorgeous equipment.

 

[zilch0md]

  I would have to spend ten minutes just looking at my set-up before I listen if I had this stack.  Gorgeous equipment.

 
I think everything in that photo, except for the cable, is ugly as hell.  No industrial design awards will be handed out for any of that gear - but whoa!  The sound is most assuredly a stunning experience!  And for that, I like looking at the photo and pondering what it must be like.

 

[pedalhead]

lol well I agree the HE1000 is pretty ugly, but I do sometimes stare at the Enigma and dribble a little

.  I love the design...to me it looks powerful and precise...just how it sounds

.

 

[pedalhead]

Gorgeous Enigma.  I'd love to hear that rig.

I just added a 30 pound monster to my rig (see the bottom shelf)...  A Topaz Ultra-Isolator isolation transformer.  This beast is hideous and vile, but boy oh boy does it ever do a good job.  The -149 dB common mode noise rejection must have something to do with it - a spec you won't find matched by any "Audiophile" power conditioner (that I've ever seen) no matter how expensive.    We're talking about an immediate improvement in micro detail clarity without having changed the overall presentation in terms of being more forward or recessed.  This has produced a more significant audible difference than any tube swap I've made to date - and even costed less than my Mullard ECC35 for the Zana Deux.  Picked it up for a song at a local electronics surplus outlet.

YMMV with power conditioning I suppose.  My rig sits next to my desk with Wifi routers, Gigabit routers, a 40" LCD, multiple computers, etc.  So I suspect my power is rather noisy compared to most.  I think my next (and final) step is going to be to add a good transverse mode noise filter on the secondary of the isolator.  Furman seems to have a very decent one for $120.

Power conditioning is something I haven't dabbled in yet. Honestly I'm kinda skeptical but still have enough of an open mind to try something out. The price of a lot of power conditioning gear is prohibitively expensive though from what I can see. Any idea if there's a cheapskate way of getting some power conditioning benefits?

 

[mikey1964]

Power conditioning is something I haven't dabbled in yet. Honestly I'm kinda skeptical but still have enough of an open mind to try something out. The price of a lot of power conditioning gear is prohibitively expensive though from what I can see. Any idea if there's a cheapskate way of getting some power conditioning benefits?

Try it and report back if you hear a difference. But I warn ya, if you say the difference is 'night and day', I'm so gonna ignore you because I don't buy into such hyperboles.

 My friend has a pretty high end home audiophile system (YG Acoustics Anat Reference II, Accuphase Pre and Power amps, Esoteric CD player, Lumin D1 music streamer) and he does have a power distributor. He's thinking of getting some Nordost power cable (as he'd been told it makes a big difference) and I go

. I told him that unless he can get a loaner and try it out for himself to see if it makes THAT big a difference, he'd better saving his money. I believe power conditioners/distributors do help, but power cables? Color me skeptical.....

 

[Coolzo]

Try it and report back if you hear a difference. But I warn ya, if you say the difference is 'night and day', I'm so gonna ignore you because I don't buy into such hyperboles. :wink_face:  My friend has a pretty high end home audiophile system (YG Acoustics Anat Reference II, Accuphase Pre and Power amps, Esoteric CD player, Lumin D1 music streamer) and he does have a power distributor. He's thinking of getting some Nordost power cable (as he'd been told it makes a big difference) and I go :rolleyes: . I told him that unless he can get a loaner and try it out for himself to see if it makes THAT big a difference, he'd better saving his money. I believe power conditioners/distributors do help, but power cables? Color me skeptical.....

I find that with high power tube amps (expecially those in close proximity to one another; >=100 wpc), a power cable with better shielding can drop the noise floor fairly significantly. However, I wouldn't go beyond the cost of an Emotiva power cord for this. TL;DR it depends.