Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

Nee Lewman said:
I don’t think Apple is catering to the audiophiles. I think from a convenience standpoint it’s fine:
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I think a lot of it is also that airplay isn’t just a music streaming protocol built solely around Apple Music. It does so many other things with video and pictures and their other apps. It still probably not worth their while to rebuilt that whole architecture just to increase the size of file it can carry. If it happens it would be in relation to a whole larger rebuild of the entire protocol. I’d not be holding my breath with them being able to do spatial compressed and that appearing to be their big usp, at least in their own eyes!
 
Joe Mac said:
I think a lot of it is also that airplay isn’t just a music streaming protocol built solely around Apple Music. It does so many other things with video and pictures and their other apps. It still probably not worth their while to rebuilt that whole architecture just to increase the size of file it can carry. If it happens it would be in relation to a whole larger rebuild of the entire protocol. I’d not be holding my breath with them being able to do spatial compressed and that appearing to be their big usp, at least in their own eyes!
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They’ve definitely been incentivizing it on the creator side. Somewhere in the future, someone will crack actual lossless over Bluetooth and it will change the entire game. I wonder how close any of them are.
 
Mather said:
Well there's the rub, in Canada that 21+ is $5500 CAD before 13% tax. I could probably get the Arcam or NAD for $2000 or under. I eventually want to probably grab the Nu Vista 800.2 and @ $5500 that's almost two thirds of the cost of a demo Nu Vista. I'm sure it would be amazing but I think it's just too expensive to reasonably pull the trigger on. I have no experience with separates but with the AVR acting as the pre, how much does the power amp color the sound in general? I kind of assumed it would produce more punch but ultimately the sound signature would still pretty much remain from the pre?
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I have a Bryston 4B-ST, but if I were looking now for a new solid-state amp, I'd get a NAD C298. I have a NAD C272 and it sounds remarkably like the Bryston at any volume level I care to listen.
 
Ghost said:
These things look nuts, what a design, I kind of love em. Wonder what the reviews will say. @mindhead1 you have Buchardts right? Have you seen these?

buchardtaudio.com

E50

E50 Passive Loudspeakers featuring custom made Purifi
buchardtaudio.com buchardtaudio.com
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These look really cool. I love the s400 MKII. If Nemo Propaganda gives them a positive review and upgrade from his s400 mkII to these I’ll be tempted to do the same.
 
Ghost said:
These things look nuts, what a design, I kind of love em. Wonder what the reviews will say. @mindhead1 you have Buchardts right? Have you seen these?

buchardtaudio.com

E50

E50 Passive Loudspeakers featuring custom made Purifi
buchardtaudio.com buchardtaudio.com
Click to expand...

I really dig how the woofer surrounds come pre-blown. They'll fit right in while I'm wearing my pre-ripped $100 jeans listening to Bon Jovi 'Bad Medicine' at max volume.
 
Receiver/amp question: I upgraded my turntable (U-Turn Orbit Theory) and preamp (Darlington Labs MP7B) this past year. I've been rocking the same integrated amplifier (Onkyo A-9010) and have no real complaints. However, I am curious about how much the amplifier/receiver really affects positive audio quality gains in an architecture where you are using an external phono preamp forgoing the built-in phono stage of an integrated amplifier.

I know that technically I could be using a receiver or a power amp that doesn't have a phono stage. I haven't been able to find a lot of information explaining the real value of the receiver in this setup. Is this an area that I could get some decent bang for your buck gains, or is money better spent elsewhere (like speakers)?
 
MattHasIdeas said:
Receiver/amp question: I upgraded my turntable (U-Turn Orbit Theory) and preamp (Darlington Labs MP7B) this past year. I've been rocking the same integrated amplifier (Onkyo A-9010) and have no real complaints. However, I am curious about how much the amplifier/receiver really affects positive audio quality gains in an architecture where you are using an external phono preamp forgoing the built-in phono stage of an integrated amplifier.

I know that technically I could be using a receiver or a power amp that doesn't have a phono stage. I haven't been able to find a lot of information explaining the real value of the receiver in this setup. Is this an area that I could get some decent bang for your buck gains, or is money better spent elsewhere (like speakers)?
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What speakers are you currently using and what kinda budget are you looking to stick to?

Whilst not needing phono may open up options as you go higher end a lot of lower to mid range amp will just bundle one in for convenience as much as anything else. You’ll get the jump by using your standalone through a line in.
 
MattHasIdeas said:
Receiver/amp question: I upgraded my turntable (U-Turn Orbit Theory) and preamp (Darlington Labs MP7B) this past year. I've been rocking the same integrated amplifier (Onkyo A-9010) and have no real complaints. However, I am curious about how much the amplifier/receiver really affects positive audio quality gains in an architecture where you are using an external phono preamp forgoing the built-in phono stage of an integrated amplifier.

I know that technically I could be using a receiver or a power amp that doesn't have a phono stage. I haven't been able to find a lot of information explaining the real value of the receiver in this setup. Is this an area that I could get some decent bang for your buck gains, or is money better spent elsewhere (like speakers)?
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Amplifiers will impact sound, but it's not night and day like some other components. From my experience, a good amplifier will essentially get out of the way and present the rest of your chain "as is." It's also heavily dependent on your speakers, as a 95w sensitivity 8 ohm load and a 80w 4 ohm load are going to exact very different demands on the amp.

I think a good "stop gap" for your needs might be the Yamaha A-S801 which has popped up a few times on sale at Adorama for $600. There are also loads of decent mid-fi amps on sale right now at various retailers.

 
Joe Mac said:
What speakers are you currently using and what kinda budget are you looking to stick to?

Whilst not needing phono may open up options as you go higher end a lot of lower to mid range amp will just bundle one in for convenience as much as anything else. You’ll get the jump by using your standalone through a line in.
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Currently using a pair of KEF Q150s. Honestly, not really in the market per se - was moreso curious as to if an upgrade to the amplifier would really create any noticeable difference. Not sure what kinds of perceptible upgrades I'd see going from the Onkyo A-9010 to the Yamaha A-S801
 
MattHasIdeas said:
Currently using a pair of KEF Q150s. Honestly, not really in the market per se - was moreso curious as to if an upgrade to the amplifier would really create any noticeable difference. Not sure what kinds of perceptible upgrades I'd see going from the Onkyo A-9010 to the Yamaha A-S801
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I think about it in terms of how hard the amp has to work. A Subaru Crosstrek and a big v8 police car can both get to 100 miles an hour, but which one is going to perform better?
 
MattHasIdeas said:
Currently using a pair of KEF Q150s. Honestly, not really in the market per se - was moreso curious as to if an upgrade to the amplifier would really create any noticeable difference. Not sure what kinds of perceptible upgrades I'd see going from the Onkyo A-9010 to the Yamaha A-S801
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As someone who has a pair of Q150’s in a secondary system, I’d vote for saving up to upgrade those first. I had the Q150’s setup for a week or so with my Luxman L-509x and they still sounded like Q150’s. Not bad, but not really showing what Kef can make. If you can find a used pair of R3’s (meta or not) you’ll see a significant jump in all area’s from a speaker not much bigger. Or Kef LS50 Meta is on sale for the rest of the year for $999.
 
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