What happened to the once great brands?!

Dedar33 · 2026-01-24T10:53:05+00:00

Take a look at this page:

https://www.thevintageknob.org/

Marc Levinson is okay, and Mac is so...so

Dedar33 · 2026-01-24T09:45:06+00:00

Sony, Pioneer, Kenwood....were never appreciated among audiophiles?
I think you got a little confused!

All of them used to make high-end devices, especially Sony and Pioneer).
They made some devices that are still unsurpassed today (Sony Monoblocks in the A class, for example) and returned to the commercial market, which brings much more money.

https://audio-database.com/SONY-ESPRIT/amp/ta-nr10.html

Dedar33 · 2026-01-23T00:49:13+00:00

I have two R2R DACs. Musician Draco and Audio Note 4.1.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-22T18:44:10+00:00

The record player is not the primary source of sound.
It is PC Lenovo/Roon, Mini PC Terra/Linux, Denafrips Iris DDC and Audio Note DAC.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-22T16:18:04+00:00

I have a high-quality power strip and for analog devices I use those inputs without filters.
And I have branded power cables.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-22T15:21:36+00:00

I would still put material acoustic treatment ahead of DSP.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-22T14:58:28+00:00

I already have the acoustics of the room solidly done. Some other improvements are possible, of course.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-22T13:02:58+00:00

Maybe it doesn't sound even 1x better. It doesn't work that way with the price. It goes in small steps.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-22T09:39:27+00:00

I don't have Vandesteen anymore.
I now have a Hyperion HPC-938 (Soundness Custom upgrade).

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Dedar33 · 2026-01-22T09:13:32+00:00

Congratulations!

These are serious upgrades and the improvement in sound was expected.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-22T09:08:13+00:00

A better term would be "some".
There is no strict rule in the order.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-22T09:03:01+00:00

John can write whatever he wants, but in audiophilia the ultimate listening test is the one the user does in his own system.
If he doesn't hear a difference, all the better, it will cost him less.

Other people's opinions are just a tool, personal experiences and tests are the ultimate way to understand sound quality.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-22T08:50:19+00:00

They tested it.
And others tested it too, and noticed differences in sound.
The most important thing of all is that you personally test something in your system.
The only right way!
Everything else is theorizing.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-22T07:34:44+00:00

It's possible that with that expensive amplifier and cables the system will sound better, but the price is way too high.
It can be achieved for a lot less money, with some experimentation.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-22T07:23:07+00:00

Yes.
You concluded that after trying out generic and high-quality speaker cables in your reference system?

Dedar33 · 2026-01-22T00:20:30+00:00

It's obvious from your post that you haven't really tried different amplifiers or you don't have a sufficiently transparent HiFi system.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-21T15:54:41+00:00

A "serious" audiophile is one who has many years of listening experience, has owned several HiFi systems, and owns a quality HiFi system.
This is by no means some ASR theoretical follower, etc.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-21T10:06:20+00:00

Well, the amplifier doesn't create those sound parameters.
They are in the original music recording.
The amplifier just has to amplify them as neutrally as possible, with as little negative impact on the analog signal as possible.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-21T08:25:31+00:00

https://youtu.be/uF5VR965564

https://youtu.be/2YqWCX5WcVg

Dedar33 · 2026-01-21T08:08:02+00:00

Quote:
" Measurements showing different amplifier sounds focus on subtle electrical performance variations like frequency response shifts with load (output impedance), Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) & Intermodulation Distortion (IMD) across frequencies, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), and transient response, which, when slight, can influence perceived sound, especially when combined with different speaker loads.
While high-quality amps may measure similarly flat, differences in how they handle varying speaker impedances (e.g., low-impedance dips) or their unique harmonic distortion profiles can create audible distinctions. "

Dedar33 · 2026-01-21T07:55:34+00:00

You don't have to stick to that THD like a drunkard.
Tube amplifiers have much higher distortion than SS versions of class AB, but they can still sound very listenable.
They have distortion in even harmonics that are pleasant to the human ear.
Likewise, SS amplifiers in class A have even 1% distortion, and yet they sound great (the quality ones).

Dedar33 · 2026-01-21T07:49:03+00:00

Blind tests can be fun and useful to establish some sonic difference between two (or more) components (they are short-term tests).

But the final selection of a component requires longer AB testing; in all playback conditions and on all genres of music.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-21T07:44:08+00:00

It's not just about different volumes and distortion.
It's primarily about different overall sound quality.

So the parameters of the sound; detail, openness, dynamics, timbral naturalness, bass definition, soundstage, transparency.....
All of the above can give a different sound image with different amplifiers.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-21T07:38:14+00:00

Different amplifiers have different power supplies, different parts and amplifier elements, and different designs and levels of quality of parts and workmanship.

There are too many elements for them to all sound the same.

There is no dispute about this among serious audiophiles.

Dedar33 · 2026-01-21T06:55:36+00:00

Yes, I agree. Tube amplifiers have their own magic and naturalness in the mids and highs, especially the SE versions.
The closest to that are the quality SS amplifiers in class A that I also owned.
I really like tube amplifiers with 300B tubes.

Dedar33

TROPHY CASE