bondmanp

Responses from bondmanp

Crackle and hiss on some albums
@fuzztone ...+1 on the Sugarcube by Sweet Vinyl.  I have been happily turning sows asses into silk purses with my SC-2 since I got a beta unit when it was crowd funded in 2016. Of course, I still use my vacuum record cleaning machine, the cheep an... 
Transparent Audio is anything but Transparent
@audio_is_subjective +1, except for your gratuitous use of apostrophe's 😉  
Stepping into streaming, finally
So, if I read the description of the Staccato correctly, it is 100% Bluetooth.  I don't doubt what the OP says he hears, but that's something if BT outperforms Wifi, especially at this modest price.  
Qobuz hell
I have no trouble with Qobuz via my Android phone, Small Green Computer Sonic Orbiter and Sonare Ultra Rendu.  Used in conjunction with Roon.  
question of soundstage
Maybe try some tube rolling?  When I rolled from OEM tubes on my McIntosh C220 pre to Mullard reissues, my sound stage did widen a bit.  
Humminguru record cleaner
Great thread!  I currently use a cheap and cheerful KAB record cleaner with a canister vacuum attached.  I have been eyeing the Humminguru, as I like the principal of US cleaning, and the all-in-one automated aspect, especially the drying feature.... 
Is My McIntosh C52 Pre-amp The Weak Link?
IMHO, keep the Mac, but upgrade the DAC.  
Do You Buy Speakers Without Hearing Them?
The speakers I bought after a dozen auditions of all sorts of speakers at local hifi shops in 2000 were good, but ultimately, not keepers.  In 2009 I bought my current speakers without any auditions, based largely on a lengthy thread here on the '... 
Anthony (Tony) Cordesman has passed away
Loved his audio reviewing work.  Not nearly as big a fan of his other work as a national and global security analyst.  I wrote to him once because I took issue with something he had written regarding geopolitics, mentioning that I was a big fan of... 
Best Covers
Rob Dickinson - "Wish You Were Here"  
Best Covers
I Am the Walrus - Boingo Wild Horses - The Sundays Dance Me Til the End of Love - Madeline Peyroux Miss Otis Regrets/Just One of Those Things - The Pogues with Kristy MacColl It's Alright with Me - Tom Waits So In Love - k.d. Lang    
Obvious Epiphany
@kennyc Yes, but...as others and I have said, there are factors that will affect the sound stage that are not static.  So, if you can't adjust channel balance, you might find yourself moving your chair over and over.  Too much exercise for most au... 
Obvious Epiphany
@n80 I would absolutely try tilting the speakers up a little. Also, consider stands or footers that would increase the height of the speakers, with or without tilting them. Sound Anchors makes great, custom fitted speaker stands at reasonable pric... 
Favorite Obscure Rock Song
I don't really find these obscure.  If you can find it on Qobuz, it's not really obscure, IMHO.   "Abort" by Tribe "Jennifer's Bills" by Spirit Varnish Here are some you might actually find on some streaming services: "100% White Girl" by VKTM... 
Obvious Epiphany
A non-centered soundstage is like fingernails on a chalkboard for me.  I don't even read preamp reviews if the subject doesn't have a balance control or left and right volume pots.  My McIntosh preamp has a huge range of balance adjustment in very...