The Preamp, Amp that got away

[rollo]

Threads like this one remind me I should get rid of some stuff. 

5 amps
4 preamps
6 pr speakers
3 subs
2 cd players
2 SACD players
3 network music players
2 dacs
4 power conditioners
1 turntable
1 arm
3 cartridges (i think)
1 phono pre
way too many cables, and I built two more today. WTF?
1 electronic XO
bunch of drivers
1 cheesy HT receiver
2 headphone amps
2 pr active speakers
1 old Pioneer reel to reel
1 old parametric EQ

since I diy I have parts to build a bunch more stuff and have things in the works and a bench full of test gear.

oh yeah, forgot the cinenova grand 7.1 in the garage that I need to fix.

Very few things I regret selling. I had three of the Vandy subs, they would have worked great with the Abbeys but the GR/Rhythmik subs are better, so maybe no regrets there. I do regret selling my DIY build of the Transcendent SC150's though I do have a pair of killer OPT's waiting for me to build another PP tube amp... 'tis a sickness to be sure.

And I agree on the Carver M4.0T, junk. So bad a guy gave me two of them. One now holds my tubed squeezbox tho, best thing that ever happened to it.
 

 Time for a garage sale. Which electronic crossover do you have ?


charles

[Bemopti123]

Hi,

The only really good cdp that I have heard at my home is a cambridge audio 840C player.  I thought it sounded better than my pioneer 507 cdp (g&d clock and digital output board) and perpetual technologies modwright level 2.

The bass was a little better with the cambridge audio cdp.

I thought the bel canto dac 2 was a little better imo.  I find it difficult to hear differences between products because I don't have a very good sonic memory.  By the time I've changed components I keep wonder what differences I can hear.

Regards

Rod

I think the biggest factor in getting great playback with CDs, for me it seems like it resides in the physic/electrical part of the player, the laser read out, the beam and how it retrieves information.  If that is not as suitable as possible, whatever signals the DAC or processing part will encounter will be compromised. 

When you see how some players sound better than others, it has to do with an extremely well made mechanism that retrieves and an extremely sophisticated processor part that does the job better than other cheaper DACs.

Some of the reference Digital playback systems that makes me think about what is at the top of the game are the Reimyo 777?  player which uses a JVC devised processing system and the Purcell Stack which is also priced in the stratosphere. 

All of this comes down to the following, have you ever heard of people who taunt and rave that their computer based + USB DAC system sound incredible....but I have never read from any serious reviewer who compared their systems to something like the Purcell and the Reimyo. 

About three years ago I was dreaming at getting a Reimyo player, but even in the used market they were prohibitively expensive, so even to this day it is still a dream. 

One place where I notice a jump in fidelity when it comes to $$$$ spent=$$$$ sound, is on my turntable rig.  Low output MCs and expensive phono amplification+ mundane recordings still gives me the jitters whenever I listen to it. 

The problem=limited availability of more recent recordings. 

Paul

[shep]

I feel like a complete sissy here! I have nothing in the closet. I either gave away or sold eveything I ever had.
I miss the analoque rig but not the hassle. On another topic, I have been in touch with Wyred and he had agreed to have a look at my ICE integrated and see if there are not further improvements to be made (buffer, better caps etc.) this will mean some weeks without any sound however. I can live with that knowing it's going to come back tweaked to the nines. This one is a keeper and is not going anywhere (else)

[_Scotty_]

I haven't had any gear that 'got away' from me. I think this is because I haven't pursued an upgrade path that required me to behave in a totally illogical manner by selling something before comparing it to its potential replacement. I do regret throwing out a pair ugly DIY mdf enclosures during the last move. I could have pressed one of them into service in a Dynaquad setup for a rear speaker for home theater use.
I only have 2 extra DIY preamps and one extra DVD player. I have disposed of old equipment via pawn shops in years past before the rise of the internet. I generally cannibalize old projects to build new ones when ever possible.
As far digital replay goes, I moved onto hard drive based playback through an asynchronous usb to spdif interface into a modified Cambridge 740C. We be jammin' now mon.
Scotty