[Silent One]

Quote:

How long is ur digital coax? I thought there was a theory about the length of digital coax... 

1 meter > Digital Interconnects; Analogue Interconnects; USB; Power Conditioning cords. Why are they all so short? Simple, it's what I could afford, no theories. 

  Yes, there is a theory about optimum length for digital cables. I first heard this from an interview a few years ago with Steve Nugent of Empirical Audio. Which was later countered by Dan Lavry of Lavry Engineering - both highly respected engineers. Further, each point of view has several others in their respective camps. 
 
We're in a very subjective hobby, so none of this surprises. The theory has to do with Rise Times, Reflections & Jitter. Steve found through research that minimum length for a true 75 ohm digital cable to 1.5 M - 2.0 M. Dan suggests that this isn't so and the problem is with much longer cables, not shorter cables. Though not ridiculously short. 
 

 

[Clayton SF]

 
Quote:

Hello Clayton and thanks for your welcome! I am wrong or you are, like me, a great Beatles's fan? If today I adore music it is because, when I was sixteen, I began to listen to the Fab Four and not anynore to the bad music from Italian radios! What kind of tubes are you using on your Wa22? I have read that EML 5U4G mesh it is better than my Sophia Princess, but in these first days with my new Naim 555 all music seems perfect to me and I don't really know if the I could hear the difference changing from Sophia to EML.

Oh yes. The fab 4. I guess we're about the same age. I have the original White Album from when I was in high school along with Sgt Pepper's which is in mono and in pretty poor condition. In fact it still has speckles of white paint when it was spinning on a cheap record player while we painted the walls of our high school classroom.
 
When I was a teenager in Hawaii the rock groups used to either end their American tours in Hawaii or start their European tours in Hawaii (Hawaii -> Japan -> European continent). I got to see the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin (the second year they came to Hawaii--the first time I was too young and they wouldn't let me into the auditorium), and a whole slew of other artists. I think I saw Jimi Hendrix about 5 times (he'd play for free the next day in a park or volcano). One evening just as he was about to play a concert he got on stage, tuned his guitar, did a sound check for about 10 minutes, apologized to the audience and announced that the concert was off until the next night because the sound was not to his liking. The audience left very peacefully (they wouldn't do that now). He returned the next night and gave a spectacular performance. Then he gave a free concert the next day as a thank you for understanding.
 
Ah, the 60s.
 
My WA22 is using stock GE 6AS7, CBS 6SN7 clear tops (made by RCA, so I've been told) and my favorite rectifier, the CV1863 / 5Z4G (pic1 pic2 pic3) made in England. I do own the EML 5U4G mesh though, and enjoy it very much but since I've come across a few CV1863 I've been using those instead.
 

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

 Hello SilentOne and thanks for your contribution to my question: naturally I am not against hi-rez music, ripping and so on. To buy a great cdp was my only choice because I don't want to sell my great CD's collection and I love to take the silver disk from his custody and to put in a machine! In the next years I will buy a music server (like Naim Hdx for example) to store all my collection: it is more convenient because sometimes, when I come back home from work and I have in mind to hearing a certain artist or CD's, I spend all of the evening to find where the h... I put that (or those) Cd's! Some years ago I began to buy a lot of SACD and DVD-A (I have also a Marantz universal player) but the only DVD-A that I really like (I am talking about SQ) was Eagles's "Hotel California". A lot of SACD's are not worth it in terms of SQ (I am thinking to Pink Floyd's DSOTM for example). One of these evenings I will try some comparison between SACD layer (played on my old Marantz) and CD layer (played on my new Naim) and I will let you know my impressions. One great quality about Naim 555 it is that all CD's plays wonderful on it: yesterday evening I put some of my older CD's (Jefferson Airplane' Crown of Creation, Ella sings w. Basie, Blood Sweat & Tears's Greatest Hits, Nat Adderley's Work Song) all published in the second half of the 80's. Well they are not perfect now but surely they play like ever before! Warm, analogue sound, 3D spatial image, tight bass, sparkling highs, wonderful midrange (all with the incredible HD-800 soundstage) and a great musically that sometimes I was listening simply to the beauty of the sound and not to the song! All this, today (I am positive that tomorrow or after tomorrow will be reality) is it really possible from a Dac/music server combo?

To answer your last question first: Yes. But more importantly, a formal "Welcome to Woo Audio Owner Unite." Though I'd like to be there (Italy), I can tell all the way from California that your system is heavenly. 

  But I will also be quick to point out that you can find good and bad recordings in all formats. And sometimes one's gear can be forgiving toward a recording than other gear. This makes comparison tricky. In each and every one of our systems, everything can affect the sound of our systems (fact). 
 
In your case, you're further along than some because you found something that works for you. I'd love to don your headphones and listen to Ella's Decca recording of "How High The Moon?" 

 

 

[LUMAZ]

Quote: (original posted by Clayton SF )
(My WA22 is using stock GE 6AS7, CBS 6SN7 clear tops (made by RCA, so I've been told) and my favorite rectifier, the CV1863 / 5Z4G (pic1 pic2 pic3) made in England. I do own the EML 5U4G mesh though, and enjoy it very much but since I've come across a few CV1863 I've been using those instead.)
 
To tell the truth I guess I am a little bit younger than you (I was born in the middle of the 60's). My town, Lucca (in Tuscany near Florence and Pisa) is small but every summer we have a great festival and in these years I have seen Eagles, Van Morrison, Peter Gabriel, Burt Bacharach, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Roger Waters (w. Nick Mason) and some others. The festival it is 10 minutes away from my home so I always go to the concerts with my bike!
So you think that Cv 1863 is better than EML?

 

[Clayton SF]

 
Quote:

Quote: (original posted by Clayton SF )
(My WA22 is using stock GE 6AS7, CBS 6SN7 clear tops (made by RCA, so I've been told) and my favorite rectifier, the CV1863 / 5Z4G (pic1 pic2 pic3) made in England. I do own the EML 5U4G mesh though, and enjoy it very much but since I've come across a few CV1863 I've been using those instead.)
 
To tell the truth I guess I am a little bit younger than you (I was born in the middle of the 60's). My town, Lucca (in Tuscany near Florence and Pisa) is small but every summer we have a great festival and in these years I have seen Eagles, Van Morrison, Peter Gabriel, Burt Bacharach, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, Roger Waters (w. Nick Mason) and some others. The festival it is 10 minutes away from my home so I always go to the concerts with my bike!
So you think that Cv 1863 is better than EML?

Ah yes. I was born in the middle of the 50s. For my taste I prefer the CV1863. It has a slightly warmer sound and then there's that nostalgic aspect of using a tube manufactured in the 40s. The EML is very good with classical music and the CV is great for all-around music but I don't roll between the two anymore--I stay with the CV; at least with the WA22.
 

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

 

JA CoC. I have that CD. I've forgotten about it. Perhaps if I had had a music server dishing me songs at random that CD could have been reintroduced back into "my mind

." Another reason to have a music server playing music at random.
 
SilenOne: I returned the new Mac mini. I didn't know what to do with software and all and got lazy so threw on more CDs from its jewel box and returned it to the Apple Store located 5 blocks from me. Apple Store SF took back the mini with no questions asked. I think they dropped the restocking fee in January. Do you have a primer for a Mac mini server if the bug should bite me again? Or any server for that matter. Thanks. You and Mike can drop on over this weekend if you want--or just you or just Mike. Bring a chair. j/k.
 

Great! I'll definitely consider that this weekend. Though, it's fast approaching sunrise and I just crawled in from a farewell visit that went final at Travis AFB in the wee hours of the morning here. I was trying to leave at 1900 hours so I could sneak by mikemalter's for a listen after his dinner - this would have saved me a trip (did I mention gas, too?). I told him what a great host & head-fier you are - he wants to meet you!
 
Apple's computers and iDevices are hot! - your mini will not stay in stock beyond a hot minute. This is especially true in "The City that knows how!" (S.F.) And yes, there's basic primers out there for your pizza throwing mini server.  

  Curiously, does Sat/Sun work best for you? mikemalter will be logging in shortly and can see what works for him as well. 
 

 

[LUMAZ]

Quote: Original posted by Clayton SF
 
Ah yes. I was born in the middle of the 50s. For my taste I prefer the CV1863. It has a slightly warmer sound and then there's that nostalgic aspect of using a tube manufactured in the 40s. The EML is very good with classical music and the CV is great for all-around music but I don't roll between the two anymore--I stay with the CV.
 
Well my driver tubes are Tung Sol BGRP (manufactured in 1942!) and they give a sound very warm, so for my combo maybe it is better to put a EML than a CV, otherwise I could get a sound too creamy (add to this that Naim sound it is a little too "velvety" sometimes). Maybe I ought to ask to Skylab since he has got a huge tubes collection!
Thanks Clayton I love this forum because you all are very nice (and competent!) people.
It is very nice to be here.

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

 
Oh yes. The fab 4. I guess we're about the same age. I have the original White Album from when I was in high school along with Sgt Pepper's which is in mono and in pretty poor condition. In fact it still has speckles of white paint when it was spinning on a cheap record player while we painted the walls of our high school classroom.
 
When I was a teenager in Hawaii the rock groups used to either end their American tours in Hawaii or start their European tours in Hawaii (Hawaii -> Japan -> European continent). I got to see the Doors, Jefferson Airplane, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin (the second year they came to Hawaii--the first time I was too young and they wouldn't let me into the auditorium), and a whole slew of other artists. I think I saw Jimi Hendrix about 5 times (he'd play for free the next day in a park or volcano). One evening just as he was about to play a concert he got on stage, tuned his guitar, did a sound check for about 10 minutes, apologized to the audience and announced that the concert was off until the next night because the sound was not to his liking. The audience left very peacefully (they wouldn't do that now). He returned the next night and gave a spectacular performance. Then he gave a free concert the next day as a thank you for understanding.
 
Ah, the 60s.
 
My WA22 is using stock GE 6AS7, CBS 6SN7 clear tops (made by RCA, so I've been told) and my favorite rectifier, the CV1863 / 5Z4G (pic1 pic2 pic3) made in England. I do own the EML 5U4G mesh though, and enjoy it very much but since I've come across a few CV1863 I've been using those instead.
 

Did you ever have a chance to see Sly & The Family Stone? They sound so good on my Woo! This despite everything in the recording being panned really hard to the left/right, still a musical delight!

 

[Clayton SF]

Quote:

Great! I'll definitely consider that this weekend. Though, it's fast approaching sunrise and I just crawled in from a farewell visit that went final at Travis AFB in the wee hours of the morning here. I was trying to leave at 1900 hours so I could sneak by mikemalter's for a listen after his dinner - this would have saved me a trip (did I mention gas, too?). I told him what a great host & head-fier you are - he wants to meet you!
 
Apple's computers and iDevices are hot! - your mini will not stay in stock beyond a hot minute. This is especially true in "The City that knows how!" (S.F.) And yes, there's basic primers out there for your pizza throwing mini server.  

  Curiously, does Sat/Sun work best for you? mikemalter will be logging in shortly and can see what works for him as well. 

Sat/Sun works. I'll warm up the amps now. Okay, maybe not.

 
 

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

Sat/Sun works. I'll warm up the amps now. Okay, maybe not.

 
 

Will you be returning from Europe with an 'Au pair' for your family of amps?  

 

[Clayton SF]

Quote:

Quote: Original posted by Clayton SF
 
Ah yes. I was born in the middle of the 50s. For my taste I prefer the CV1863. It has a slightly warmer sound and then there's that nostalgic aspect of using a tube manufactured in the 40s. The EML is very good with classical music and the CV is great for all-around music but I don't roll between the two anymore--I stay with the CV.
 
Well my driver tubes are Tung Sol BGRP (manufactured in 1942!) and they give a sound very warm, so for my combo maybe it is better to put a EML than a CV, otherwise I could get a sound too creamy (add to this that Naim sound it is a little too "velvety" sometimes). Maybe I ought to ask to Skylab since he has got a huge tubes collection!
Thanks Clayton I love this forum because you all are very nice (and competent!) people.
It is very nice to be here.

Oh YES. Skylab is the man. A tubemeister. He has a Smörgåsbord of tubes in his collection. He is also a veritable library of excellent audio information.
 

 

[Silent One]

The Sun Is Out :  :    :   :
 
Time for bed! But it should be a very good week. I shipped my DAC-1 back to W4S, Monday. Will hook up the Woo to the EMU later tonight. And also yesterday, I checked out 30 CD's from the library to enhance my music appreciation, while my gear is in the shop.  

 

[Clayton SF]

Quote:

The Sun Is Out :  :    :   :
 
Time for bed! But it should be a very good week. I shipped my DAC-1 back to W4S, Monday. Will hook up the Woo to the EMU later tonight. And also yesterday, I checked out 30 CD's from the library to enhance my music appreciation, while my gear is in the shop.  

The fog is in. Have a great rest, you digital vampire. I've got classical on the turntable at the moment. 1964 RCA pressing of La création du monde, Op. 81a, Milhaud. BSO, Charles, Munch, cond.
 

 

[grokit]

I am finally listening to vinyl again out of my Woo, and giving the GCPH balanced phono stage a real workout for the first time. The Denon DL 103R low-output moving coil cartridge only has a .25 mV output level so the GCPH is being fully utilized as it barely gets it done on the highest gain setting, with just enough attenuation to spare using the adjustable gain cell for fine tuning.
 
In the GCPH manual PS Audio does go to great lengths to say that the adjustable gain cell is definitely not the same thing as a volume attenuator if you're reading this MM.
 
It took me a while to get everything set up right. I had to switch out the turntable, install the cartridge and re-wire a few things. I have the balanced XLRs from the GCPH feeding my modified WA22 (2 XLR inputs, no SE), and the single-ended output is going through a vintage grounded phono switch box so I can select either my speakers or my Mac's audio input for ripping the vinyl into iTunes at 192 kHz (hopefully). I haven't gotten to that part yet but I am all set with Audacity installed and ready to go. I might also download a demo of Pure Vinyl just to compare.
 
I have had the cart for a while and the switch box forever but this is the first time I have used either piece of gear.
 
This is my first experience with an MC cart, and the best my records have ever sounded. I'm currently listening to my favorite Miles Davis album, We Want Miles which is a double live album from the later part of his career. There is certainly no random play with vinyl!

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

I am finally listening to vinyl again out of my Woo, and giving the GCPH balanced phono stage a real workout for the first time. The Denon DL 103R low-output moving coil cartridge only has a .25 mV output level so the GCPH is being fully utilized as it barely gets it done on the highest gain setting, with just enough attenuation to spare using the adjustable gain cell for fine tuning.
 
In the GCPH manual PS Audio does go to great lengths to say that the adjustable gain cell is definitely not the same thing as a volume attenuator if you're reading this MM.
 
It took me a while to get everything set up right. I had to switch out the turntable, install the cartridge and re-wire a few things. I have the balanced XLRs from the GCPH feeding my modified WA22 (2 XLR inputs, no SE), and the single-ended output is going through a vintage grounded phono switch box so I can select either my speakers or my Mac's audio input for ripping the vinyl into iTunes at 192 kHz (hopefully). I haven't gotten to that part yet but I am all set with Audacity installed and ready to go. I might also download a demo of Pure Vinyl just to compare.
 
I have had the cart for a while and the switch box forever but this is the first time I have used either piece of gear.
 
This is my first experience with an MC cart, and the best my records have ever sounded. I'm currently listening to my favorite Miles Davis album, We Want Miles which is a double live album from the later part of his career. There is certainly no random play with vinyl!

You're stirring the pot with interest! I'm trying very hard to lead-in with my BIG toe first, rest the foot some (buying an album or two), then e-a-s-e the rest of that foot into the vinyl pool so I don't get sucked in without having the ability to swim! (discretionary $$$)