I've made several recent changes to my system:
1 - picked up a used Audio Electronic Supply (AES) (Cary) SE-1 300b power amp. Hooked up to my 93dB sensitive JBL 4430s it sounds awesome. I've always been curious about the 300b bandwagon / sound and now I understand what all the fuss is about.
2 - picked up a new interconnect between my preamp and Quad 909 power amp. It is made using Gotham GAC 4/1 or 1/4 shielded wire or whatever (I hate these complicated names and don't want to take time to research back to Amazon, where I bought them). It is nicely burned in now and sounding very balanced.
3 - the new interconnect has allowed me to insert my Morrow Audio SP4 speaker wires. Nice change.
4 - Cambridge Audio CXC transport feeding my MHDT Orchid DAC.
5 - With the Garrard 401 I put together this summer I incorporated a VTAF (see Pete Riggle audio engineering for more on this). I'm now convinced that most people who review cartridges or criticize cartridges are... Well, let me say that correct VTA etc makes all the difference in the world. And unless that's dialed in - which takes a lot of time - then you're just not really hearing whatever cartridge accurately.
1 - picked up a used Audio Electronic Supply (AES) (Cary) SE-1 300b power amp. Hooked up to my 93dB sensitive JBL 4430s it sounds awesome. I've always been curious about the 300b bandwagon / sound and now I understand what all the fuss is about.
2 - picked up a new interconnect between my preamp and Quad 909 power amp. It is made using Gotham GAC 4/1 or 1/4 shielded wire or whatever (I hate these complicated names and don't want to take time to research back to Amazon, where I bought them). It is nicely burned in now and sounding very balanced.
3 - the new interconnect has allowed me to insert my Morrow Audio SP4 speaker wires. Nice change.
4 - Cambridge Audio CXC transport feeding my MHDT Orchid DAC.
5 - With the Garrard 401 I put together this summer I incorporated a VTAF (see Pete Riggle audio engineering for more on this). I'm now convinced that most people who review cartridges or criticize cartridges are... Well, let me say that correct VTA etc makes all the difference in the world. And unless that's dialed in - which takes a lot of time - then you're just not really hearing whatever cartridge accurately.