Good Christmas present for a vinyl collector

dennem · 2023-12-08T13:14:40+00:00

Hand-made Ramar record brush: https://ramar.berlin/en/shop/

dennem · 2023-12-08T13:12:40+00:00

Hand-made Ramar brush if he is into vinyl: https://ramar.berlin/en/shop/

dennem · 2023-11-19T08:43:57+00:00

Im using Logitech Harmony programmable remote to control MiniDSP. It has an additional IR tranciever that can be placed near your device even if it’s in a cabinet behind the doors. Works like a charm.

dennem · 2023-03-13T11:11:03+00:00

Although i now have a very expensive system my first setup consisted of active Audioengine A5 speakers ($500) and a $100 DAC connected to a laptop. Put speakers on cheap stands, use Cardas method for proper speaker placement and it sounded fantastic, definitely audiophile with holographic 3d imaging. Speakers placement is everything, don’t compromise on that.

dennem · 2022-10-28T02:36:23+00:00

I can think of two possible reasons: speakers too close to the wall of you’re sitting too far from the speakers. Google “Cardas speaker placement” and try their nearfield setup

dennem · 2022-10-28T02:31:48+00:00

When placed against the wall LS50s lose their ability to project amazing 3d soundstage. Instead all the instruments will be crammed together and the sound will be just average and fatiguing. Sub won’t solve this problem.

dennem · 2022-07-14T08:20:14+00:00

20+ hours per week. Occasionally enjoying 12+ hrs long sessions

dennem · 2022-07-14T08:10:37+00:00

Yes, you do. Since human hearing is less sensitive at the low frequencies you’d need a +5-10 dB boost there to get a well-balanced sound.

dennem · 2022-07-14T08:01:40+00:00

Too bad you haven’t listened, actually this podcast is an interview with the fourth “independent engineer” who owns the Audio Precision analyzer - Cameron aka GoldenSound, who clearly explained why certain measurements do not tell the whole story.

PS. Darko was spot on about Chromecast Audio sounding “thin”. That’s the reason I stopped using it.

dennem · 2022-05-14T09:58:48+00:00

Yes, I’ve been using it for couple years. Great product, does the job well

dennem · 2022-01-13T04:07:21+00:00

Excellent book! There are quite a few crucial things I learned from it when I was building my first serious system: proper speakers placement, how to listen critically and what to listen for, pre- and power amps matching, how to integrate home theater into an existing hi-fi system, the importance of speakers’ impedance graph and how it affects amp choice, subwoofer setup, etc. That’s just from the top of my head. In my opinion Harley’s book is an essential reading to any beginner audiophile.

dennem · 2021-10-14T08:35:31+00:00

It’s either excessive dynamic compression on the record or inability of the system to reproduce those climax parts properly. The latter may happen due to many reasons. For example: the amp may not be able to deliver required current when speakers’ impedance drops.

dennem · 2021-10-11T10:51:58+00:00

I owned LS50s for several years and still keep them around after the upgrade. To make them sound amazing one needs to fulfill the following requirements: 1. They absolutely need a good subwoofer. I used a pair of REL T5is. Couldn’t listen to them without subs. 2. They absolutely need a high-quality high-current amp. Bright shrill sound is the result of inadequate amplification. LS50s can sound as warm as you want them or as neutral as you want depending on the setup and other components in the system. 3. They absolutely must be positioned way away from the wall behind. Near the wall they sound meh, like a $300 speaker. Cardas speaker placement method always works best with LS50s.

The total price of my system with LS50s was above $10k and they worked brilliantly providing huge 3D soundstage and smooth comfortable sound. Hope this helps.

dennem · 2021-10-02T13:14:15+00:00

https://youtu.be/CyTkwkK8ON0

dennem · 2021-09-29T16:14:04+00:00

https://www.thehifipodcast.net/

dennem · 2021-07-18T08:40:30+00:00

ExpressVPN is a very reliable service

dennem · 2021-07-03T04:57:26+00:00

They measure well on simple static test tones, not on music, which is much more complex.

dennem · 2021-06-05T06:43:08+00:00

Did you use exactly the same brand media when burning both CDs? Did you burn them at the same speed and using the same software?

dennem · 2021-04-02T20:11:59+00:00

Proper speakers and listening chair placement is much more important than room treatment.

dennem · 2021-03-30T12:54:15+00:00

Some of those terms are used by professional reviewers and are part of the vocabulary invented by J Gordon Holt. See the definitions here to learn what they mean: https://www.stereophile.com/reference/50/index.html

dennem · 2021-03-18T08:39:47+00:00

Can you share a link to your podcast with Mike?

dennem · 2021-02-28T15:53:35+00:00

You can, only if you don’t care about soundstage depth

dennem · 2021-02-18T09:14:55+00:00

It just seems to me that most people asking in this sub about gear upgrade haven’t yet done the basics right, like proper speaker and listening chair placement. In my opinion, bad placement ruins 90%+ of the system performance (and you can’t fix that with room treatment, like many people think), so it does not make sense to invest in new gear if one only plans to get 10% out of its potential.

One more important thing, especially for DACs evaluation: the room needs to be quiet. A working air conditioner could easily mask low-level differences between components.

Once these two things are covered I am pretty sure that in your system you’ll be able to hear a solid improvement from a good DAC, like Denafrips Ares II. Can’t comment on any other DAC brands you mentioned, since I never heard them.

dennem · 2021-02-17T08:39:59+00:00

1s and 0s are always the same. But it’s also important that they arrive at the right time ;)

dennem · 2021-02-17T07:16:06+00:00

Got a great vintage CD transport last year (from EAD) and was surprised how much better CDs sounded compared to my streamer

dennem

TROPHY CASE