afranta

Responses from afranta

VOTE Naim cd5i or Sony xa9000es or esoteric dv50s
I haven't heard the Sony or Esoteric players, so this isn't a vote. But, fwiw, I think the Naim CD5i is fantastic. It made a huge improvement to my very modest system: Music Hall a25.2 and Quad 11L; the CD5i replaced a Music Hall cd25.2. The bigge... 
Speakers for Onkyo A-9555 Integrated
I second Bondmanp's comments on the Silverline Minuet. I have them in my office (with an old Rega Brio). They're fabulous and sound HUGE. You might also think about the Quad 11L (or 12L). I briefly drove 11Ls with a PS Audio A100 and it was a grea... 
Opinions on the Dynaudio DM 2/8
I have Dynaudio Excite X12s (with a Naim Nait 5i and CD5i) and am very pleased with them. They replaced Quad 11Ls, which I loved. The Quads were great with my previous electronics (Music Hall a25.2 and cd25.2), but I felt that they were a bit warm... 
Small integrated for Silverline Minuets
Another non-US possibility: I have a Rega Brio (the original half-depth model) driving Minuets in my office. Sounds great. 
I can't tell the difference
FWIW, I've been impressed by the Squeezebox Duet streaming Apple lossless files. I thought I'd add an external DAC, but doubt I'll bother--especially since my system isn't high end (Naim CD5i, Nait 5i, Dynaudio Excite x12) and 90% of the time I'm ... 
Budget single disc player-under $600
Should have added that my Music Hall wouldn't play a lot of home-burned cds. No problem with the CA, and the NAD and Marantz are supposed to work well, too (but I don't have first-hand experience with them). 
Budget single disc player-under $600
I just demoed the NAD C545BEE and Marantz 5003. Both are nice. I thought the NAD sounded fuller and more dynamic. The Marantz seems sturdier, but not as fun to listen to.I owned the Music Hall cd25.2 and Cambridge 540C (ver. 2). The MH is very nic... 
Small Speakers for Small Room, Close to Back Wall?
You might check for recommendations on the Naim forum, as Naim users are attuned to speakers that work close to the wall. Two possibilities that I'm sure are mentioned there are the Naim N-Sat and Rega RS1, both of which can be wall-mounted. I use... 
Silverline Minuet Speakers and Receivers or Amps
I'm using Minuets in my office, and was curious enough about your question to swap out the t-amp I'd been using and set up the old HK receiver it replaced. It's staying. Sounds great and the tone controls are nice to have since nearly all of my li... 
Cambridge Audio S30--try with a nice amp
I used them in an office system and thought they were terrific, too. "Clear and punchy" is exactly right. And I was just using a 12 wpc t-amp. I replaced them with Silverline Minuets, which are better than the S30s--more detailed, I'd say, especia... 
NAD C325 or 326Bee efficient enough for PSB towers
On the digital player front, a very cheap option is the Yamaha DVD-S1800 (discontinued and now going for $80 on Amazon). I have one and think it's a great player--as good or better than the Oppo DV980-H it replaced. I haven't used it for video, bu... 
Budget DVD Player Recommendation
I just picked up a Yamaha DVD-S1800 (a discontinued model selling on Amazon for $80), and I think it's a fantastic audio player. It replaced an Oppo DV-980H in my office, and the sound, in my opinion, is at least as good, if not better. In additio... 
Upgrade from Quad 11L?
I stuck with the Quad 11Ls--and changed everything else! It sounds like your experience with the 11Ls, with different electronics, is pretty similar to mine.The first thing I did was add a PS Audio A100, which was great, and I tried QED Silver Ann... 
Speakers for $600.
Quad 12L2s come up under $600 on Audiogon pretty frequently (there were two pair for sale the last time I looked; I don't know the sellers). I have the original 11Ls, which I think are fantastic--fast, detailed, nice imaging, and fun to listen to.... 
Paradigm Mini Monitors v.5
Can't comment on the v.5, but I had the v.3. Great speakers, especially for rock. Big bass for a bookshelf, but boomy. I demoed the 685s when replacing my Minis, and found them to be better--tighter and more refined--but not that much better.