JN writes:
80-90 % of the sources that run through my stereo set-up are multy channel capabele sources, TV settup box, Apple TV or the Amazon like alternatives, BluRay player, which provide surprisingly good sounding CD quality, MS X-box, Nintendo switch, and other great game consoles and yes I play vinyl too. But talking about family live, it’s only very few moments in this phase of life that I get the rest to enjoy that.
I assume high end manufacturers, with top products and services like PSAudio wish to do their customers a favor and allow them to enjoy their high end (and yes, high cost whichever way you look at it) stereo system most in order to provide maximum sound for their bucks.
So why do todays DAC’s or digital not provide multiple HDMI inputs, with video throughput. Spouses do not react too well to having their partners spend 12k+ on a nice looking and hopefully even better sounding stereo system and yet put a different looking mostly more ugly bulky AV receiver next to it in order to be able to enjoy the majority of resources. I know, fees apply adding that feature, but the point is, unless I can find a stereo system wth those HDMI inputs and unprocessed video throuput, my Yamaha receiver, set up to provide bi-amping to my full range floor standing Canton Vento’s stay. I believe that the separate DAC,s, or pre-amps and power amps will sound better and would really like to enjoy them, but the extra real estate and boxes required combined with the cost will not be approved for aesthetic reasons.
HT writes:
I recently turned 70, here is what I have learned. If you are older:
* Get your hearing checked so you know how your ears are performing. Luckily, most hearing loss is in high frequency, Try a hearing aid, some settings can improve hearing in certain situations. Not all.
* Ear maintenance — have your ears checked by a doctor. Some of us cannot shed wax as well as we used to. Get a professional cleanout annually, and maintain with earwax removal juice monthly. It can make a HUGE difference.
* The cheapest way to hear good sound is headphones — Sennheiser HD 600 and a decent headphone amp/DAC (I like Schitt). Best bang for the buck in sound quality. Eventually, I want a DSD DAC for my headphones for playing files. I use MartinLogan LX16 for my desktop speakers, great mids + uppers.
* Next, there is absolutely no substitute for a well recorded performance. You just can’t avoid it. A great recording on a so-so system sounds better than a mediocre recording on a top-end system. Paul’s Picks is a good place to start for audiophile recordings. Some of my own faves are (1) Super Session (Bloomfied, Kooper, Stills), (2) Memphis (Boz Skaggs), (3) Truth (Jeff Beck Group). Test tracks: (4) Rosanne Cash’s Retrospective album, track “What We Really Want”, and the classics: (5) Dire Straits Brothers in Arms “So Far Away From You”, (6) “Graceland” by Paul Simon. Also try Bill Frisell’s Guitar in the Space Age album (“Pipeline”) or his Good Dog Happy Man album (“Shenandoah”). Don’t miss Blodwyn Pig’s cut “Dear Jill”, which is outrageously better than anything else they recorded. Listen on YouTube? Search for “Minnesota state capital” by Lucius — “Dusty Trails”. I listen with SACD or files (FLAC, DSD).
* I recently upgraded my stereo system. I learned that I hear speaker designs differently from a lot of (younger) people. I shopped for floor-standing speakers in the $5k range for over a year. Frustrating. They all sounded restricted, boxy to me — Focal, B&W, KEF, MartinLogan, Dynaudio, Golden Ear, etc, even up to $10k. Speakers that DID sound good had an extremely narrow sweet spot, so aggravating. I ended up going retro. I grew to love the Klipsch Heritage line (Cornwall III) and Tannoy. They opened up the sound and had a live, immediate, full sound that was missing in all slim floor standers I heard. I ended up with Tannoy Cheviots. Wide dispersion, can be positioned fairly close to the wall, and are tunable — with treble boost and accentuation control, which is nice. Klipsch and Tannoy may not be the most accurate, but they have two huge advantages — Position close to wall is OK, and they do not have that extremely narrow sweet spot that is so prevalent in today’s floor standers. You can move around and still get great sound (imagine, more than one person at a time can hear good sound). They excel with live music. And they are adaptable to room size.
* I am a big believer in DSD — on SACD or via network files. I love PS Audio’s Memory Player and DAC/Bridge II. Kills my old, highly-regarded Oppo 205 and microRendu combo, which was pretty darn good. (And I eventually went with the BHK Preamp + 250 amp.) Many audiophiles will laugh at my Cheviots with this system, because it’s way more power than I need. But it is what my old ears like. When I get a larger stereo room with a high ceiling, I would love to try the Klipsch La Scala II. Then maybe a tube amp like PrimaLuna?
* If you are upgrading your system, consider Klipsch or Tannoy with PrimaLuna amp. But you can’t beat PSAudio DS Memory Player and DAC.
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