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Listening to equipment at home before you buy

This discussion is a recommendation for PS Audio.

I just retired, am new to the audiophile hobby and am enjoying it. (Hobby does have a steep "learning curve.")  I currently have a Jolida JD302CRC tube amp, teac UD-301 dac/preamp and Vandy 2CE sig speakers.  I like my current system but want to try a solid state power amp to compare the sound to the Jolida.

I have been watching the PS Audio videos and decided to do a home trial of the Stellar S300. I tested the amp at home for 30 days and preferred my current amp and returned the S300 to PS Audio. The return of the amp was as advertised, PS Audio paid shipping both ways with my full purchase price refunded.  I highly recommend PS Audio to anyone who wants to test their equipment at home.
128x1282tuby
jsd52756's avatar
jsd52756
451 posts
 
Ditto to Veridian's "not an audiophile" statement. I bought some of my equipment used.  If I didn't like it, I could hawk it like someone did to me.  I ended up keeping almost all of it. One caveat is I treat my gear like a body part for a transplant, others treat theirs like a football.  I never have figured why some used equipment looks like it was kept in a churning cement mixer. 
sifter
77 posts
 
2 tuby
I would buy 'up" but only to the point where you can discern a performance difference. I have to guard against falling for latest tech breakthroughs on materials and distortion when they often offer no audible improvement. If a leaf Tweeter sounds worse than a metal dome, buy the dome. If a superior metal dome sounds worse than a lowly cone, by the cone. I learned this the hard way.
2tuby's avatar
2tuby OP
36 posts
 
Browndt-Pass Labs is at the top of my short list of amps to listen to but does Reno HiFi dmo in NY?

Richopp-I wish you were still in business

viridian-I have read about different classes of amps and heard different opinions about which class is better but I as someone who has never heard a Class D, I needed to hear the amp for myself.  Some ears prefer Class D?

So Audiogon members, I am in the market to purchase a new or used solid state amp that I would like to listen to in my home, new or used does not matter, but I as a newbie I think used make more sense. Can you recommend a B&M shop that will be be able to help me improve my audio experience?

I live 50 miles north of New York City. 

PS- Audiogon members,thank you for you guidance
stereo5's avatar
stereo5
6,497 posts
 
Audio Connection, Verona NJ
Adirondack Audio,   Queensbury, NY  (Lake George area)
Lyric Audio, White Plains NY
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,078 posts
 
+1 for John at Audio Connection, he is IMO a zen master and often visits customer homes to wring the last ounce of performance out of a system. He as a Vandersteen dealer is also to be trusted to know what amplifiers to pair with your model 2
oh and they are good
not sure I would rule out tubes....QuickSilver will make them sing
or a HD220
or..... an Ayre SS
or ??????
last pair I heard were sublime w 80 WPC VTL

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