helomech
Responses from helomech
| What contributes most to a change in how an amplifier sounds? Take two SS amplifiers that produce a perfectly linear response from 20Hz to 20kHz. How is it they can sound different? My hypothesis is the answer lies in the amount and type of harmonic distortion, and what mix of harmonics dominates the distort... | |
| Totem Element Metal Version 2 Loudspeaker They are relatively small for floorstanders. The drivers are good but the cabinets limit their output. What size is your room? | |
| Topping e70 velvet I believe the channel balance setting doesn’t work in DAC mode. If you set the E70 to preamp mode and adjust the balance from there, you are not going to lose any appreciable dynamic range. Putting the E70 in DAC mode only fixes the output to maxi... | |
| What contributes most to a change in how an amplifier sounds? Distortion signature and output impedance. | |
| Rosso Fiorentino Arno 40 speakers Great speakers/Beautiful music Just another brand with the biz model of stuffing mediocre, mid-fi drivers into a glitzed MDF box. | |
| Starting my showroom again You’ll need a large capital budget, which, if you already possess, might be better invested in some ETFs and rare metals. | |
| Why isn’t more detail always better? IME, more detail is almost always better, as long as it’s accompanied by a good bass foundation and low distortion. The problem with many speakers and components is they produce the detail but not without distortion, especially IMD. When you fina... | |
| Streamers and software Save money and get a WiiM Ultra. It is all the streamer anyone ever needs and its OS is better than BluOs and Eversolo’s. | |
| Bluesound Node Icon I don’t have the Icon but have the standard N130 Node. Idk what happened to the BluOS software in recent months but some functions, like pulling up my Favorites through Qobuz, have become incredibly slow. I now favor the WiiM Ultra in almost every... | |
| what dacs are fast, lively, energetic? Chord DACs are a little lean IME, and as “fast” as they come. A very good DAC that does it all, that just happens to be affordable is the Topping E70 Velvet. I would pit it against any DAC at any price. The nice feature of the E70V is it is sort... | |
| Retirement integrated amp for a “fiscal conservative” The Denon PMA A110 is an excellent integrated that punches way above its price class, and in my system sounds nearly indistinguishable from the $9K Luxman 507Z. It even has a lower noise floor than the Luxman and very similar in tactile build qua... | |
| Other High End Audio Forums Just don’t dare judge/criticize any Audio Note products or disagree with Steve on the Hoffman forum. The rules there don’t apply to the “host.” | |
| Integrated Amplifier Recommendations Needed I am a big fan of some Denon models, such as the PMA A110. Not so much of the new Yamaha. In A/B comparisons with my speakers (Stirling Broadcast 88s/ Borresen X3s/ Philharmonic BMR Towers) the PMA A110 and Yamaha 2100 are not vastly different.... | |
| A list of efficient speakers at ~$5K a pair. My thinking is that Sensitivity + Impedance + Phase angle = Efficiency. My understanding of these factors are not complete. This is correct. However, there do exist some high sensitivity speakers that have rather tough impedance phase angle... | |
| A list of efficient speakers at ~$5K a pair. Why 92dB? You’re better off choosing a speaker by how it sounds in your room rather than any spec. IME, most speakers with over 90dB sensitivity have significant drawbacks in other areas, such as low maximum output or very truncated bass extens... |