2. amps-preamps
  3. 976991818

Thanks for advice on smooth amp!

I wanted to thank everyone who checked in with their opinions on what I should do to smooth my system out. I realize that there is much more to think about than just the amp! Unfortunately being on a grad student's budget severely limits my ability to make changes (and I failed to mention my budget limits in my previous post). That being said, I may consider trying out a new CD-only front end, as this, ostensibly, is the weak link in my system. Perhaps a new player, as DAC's tend to be more expensive I think. We shall see... Again, thanks to everyone for helping me out! djjp
djjp
sedond
1,387 posts
 
a cheap fix would be to use a z-man ase tubed buffer-stage. this was the only way i could listen to cd's on my system, prior to getting a tubed preamp. (musical fidelity also made a similar product). these show up on the used market for ~$100. i'm not even sure if it's worth it for me to bother selling mine - i will prolly use it in a future secondary system.

another nice thing about the preamp, besides making my cd's enjoyable (thru a very modest nad cd-changer), is that my vinyl & my tuner have also never sounded better! if ya *do* listen to other sources, spending lotsa money on a cd/dac upgrade won't help *them*

doug

sean
6,231 posts
 
Your absolutely correct Doug. That's why i qualified my statement in the very beginning with the disclaimer about what the brightness is affecting. I had also taken into account that the only source that he had listed in the original thread was a DVD player but did inquire about other sources. While the Z-Man or the Musical Fidelity X-10D might make the system more listenable, we all know that they are strictly euphonic distortion generators and as such, would be paying to take a step backwards. Why not apply the money to something that will offer better musicality and reproduction without the added distortion byproducts ? Sean >
davewavaolcom
193 posts
 
Try the new pass lab gear the x-150 and the x-1 or x-2, or audio research lsb2. Theta makes a great dac as well.
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