vthokie83

Responses from vthokie83

Has Anyone Compared the DAC On a Bluesound NODE 3rd Gen to a Separate DAC?
Tcotruvo, I have the 3rd generation node, and did A/B testing with my Denafrips Ponuts II DAC......absolutely no comparison; the Denafrips improves the sound on every single measurable I can think of. Also though the Denafrips Pontus II ($1,825 U... 
recommendations for buying used balanced integrated or power amp 2k range?
Audiocanada, I have a Denafrips Thallo amp that I truly adore, 120W inro 8 ohms, 220W inro 4 ohms. True balanced design, and in fact only accepts balanced XLR inputs......$2,100 US, (S$2,900 Singapore dollars). Definitely worth reading up on h... 
Speakers need to be placed close to back wall. Help
Rustler, Not sure of the specifics of a "medium sized room", what are the dimensions? Maybe try the Buchardts in your space before installing them in your daughter's space....that should give you an idea if they will work for you.  
Are Expensive Balanced Interconnects Necessary?
I specifically purchased a Denafrips stack (Pontus II DAC, Hades Pre-Amp, and Thallo Amp), in part because they are true balanced devices throughout......in fact the Thallo amplifier only accepts XLR inputs. I am running Morrow Audio MA4 XLR inte... 
Speakers need to be placed close to back wall. Help
Rustler, glad to lend a hand. I know during my research, I got a ton of great tips here at Audiogon that helped me narrow down some options and save a ton of time. The veneers are beautiful, I have the Rosewood veneer.....but I've seen the Walnut ... 
Denafrips Pontus II vs Venus II
Stevebohni "When connecting the I2S from the DDC to either the pontus or the venus, are most of you using a USB or coaxial cable from your computer or streamer? Is one better than the other??" I plan on connecting the Iris DDC to my Pontus II vi... 
Speakers need to be placed close to back wall. Help
Russ, I have recently added a pair of Buchardt Audio S400 MkII speakers, and have them about 10” from the wall and sound amazing. They have a rear passive radiator, and their website says they can be placed close to the wall…..about $2,050 per pai... 
Has anyone had on of these CD players? How good are they?
+++ Audiolab 6000CDT, blows my old standby Onkyo C-7030 away. Running it through a Denafrips Pontus II DAC.....amazingly adept at delivering sonic improvements across the board  
Denafrips Pontus II vs Venus II
I did not audition a Venus, but I do have a Denafrips stack that I adore (Pontus II DAC, Hades Pre-Amp, and Thallo Amp…..all true balanced with Morrow XLR cables driving a pair of Buchardt Audio S400 Mk II speakers. After all we’re broken in, I am... 
When a budget speaker is preferred to a high end one...
I think it's also the reason that cheaper speakers are preferred, what is your environment? I had an AMAZING pair of Thiel CS3.6s, that are the best sounding speakers that I've ever heard in person and had a simple system that drove them incredibl... 
DAC recommendation in 5 to 10K range
jl1ny, Funny how small changes can cause some sweet sound, just a little money and time to find a better solution. If you want to upgrade that USB cable, there are some very good "reasonably" priced cables that will improve your sound even furthe... 
Best "Budget" / "bang for my buck" 2-channel amp and speakers can I get new?
Don't own one, but test drove the Hegel H190 integrated amplifier, about $4,300.....also has built in streaming capabilites should you ever decide to add that to your mix. I didn't end up buying the Hegel in the end as I went with separates from D... 
Reasonable but not outragious interconnects
++ Morrow AudioCables - MA4 XLR cables, and DIG4 digital co-ax....Mike Morrow indicated to me that the Level 4 class cables are the best bang for the buck in his line up, and I am incredibly satisfied. These cables MUST be broken in, I used the 20... 
What cable companies make the best cables and sell them directly?
For me cables do make an audible difference, but I am a big believer in "Bang for the buck" cables.....nothing I have is more than $300 per cable in my $12,000 system, below are cables I have used with great success and some new ones I'm going to ... 
DAC diminishing returns
Dsfreeh, I wondered the same when looking for a DAC for my system, and in my research, I had decided to go with an FPGA or R2R Dac instead of a DAC chip based model.....would a $1,000ish DAC like the Denafrips Aries II R2R at $820 be sufficient, ...