Axiom Home Page Forums General Discussion Advice from Axiom Owners CD transports

Vinyl suffers from recessed highs? Someone needs to spend some time with a better system. Vinyl may be a bit fiddly, but is superior to digital. I have a Marantz SA10 for CD/SACDs. Sounds good, but good vinyl sounds better. Same with streaming through a Gold Note DAC streamer + power supply. My vinyl is mid level, EAR 88pb phono stage (replacing Audio Research PH9 phonostage), Dr. Feikert Woodpecker, 12" Jelco arm, Koetsu Black Goldline cart. Sound quality with good recordings, terrific. Highs are not rolled off. With a clean disc, No snaps, crackles or pops.

MoFi and Analogue Productions put out some wonderfully recorded vinyl.

Good digital sounds good, analog just sounds better.

2x6 vinyl (and tube amps, ...) is kind of like a religious belief ...

Mojo and I are engineers who go “ah-ha, I think I understand what’s going on here” ... and we go on to state how these things are distorting what was originally recorded to make it sound better on “your system”. Measurements and testing is our religious belief.

Now that does not mean we are necessarily right about what you should have in your system ... as in the end “your ears” are the finial judge. If it sounds better, then it’s more enjoyable and if asked I’ll tell you to go for it! Especially if it makes you happy.

No sir, it is not a matter of 'religious' belief. My preferences are based on observation and comparison. My good friend, Mike Rose, owns Excel Audio here in Newport Beach. He and I spend many hours listening to music on some of the finest systems in the world. I hope someday you can visit us in Southern California.

I have had the pleasure of listening to systems ranging up to the $339,000 Wilson XVXs (and 2 WAMM floor to ceiling subwoofers) driven by D'Agostino separates, sourced by a DCS Vivaldi streamer with their megabuck clock (digital) and the top of the line Clear Audio turntable with a Goldfinger cartridge. I assure you, if you sat in the good seat you would agree as to which sounded better.

Yes, I like tubes. I chose a pair of Balanced Audio Technologies monoblocks and a BAT preamp. However, I have heard some excellent solid state amps and preamps which sound great. In my experience, however, you have to pay multiples in order to match sound quality. D'Agostino, Soulution, Bermeister are some of the best I've heard. Each is out of my price range, and none is better sounding than my choice.

So, my engineer friends, chuckle as you will, the truth is in the music. I wish you could set aside your preconceptions, put the matter to the test (listening test, not a bench test), keep an open mind, and arrive at an informed opinion.

Note: counter intuitively, one of the best solid state amps I've heard was a hot rodded top of line alpha series vintage Sansui amp. Far better than any I've owned ... Kenwood KA9100, Integra M504, hot rodded Yamaha M80. Sansui used to make their own transformers, spun that off ... now known as the iconic Hashimotos.

I’m not arguing with you ... I’m actually agreeing with you ...
Your ears are the finial judge.

With your money and my skills..... what a teamup that would be.

Geez threads like this make me smile.

When I was younger we used to snowboard every weekend. We were poor kids from the NE that rode whipped gear and wore bruises hucking big. I cant count the number of guys we embarassed on Burton setups wearing more gear than I would see in a year working part time. But we all had fun.

Good one Trevor!

What? Could you speak a little louder?

I said, I'M NOT ARGUING WITH YOU

2x ... let me tell you a joke

There's a lever sitting in the middle of nowhere
Everyone who comes across it wonders "what does that lever do?"
So they pull it and a lighting bolt comes out of the sky and hits them
Their response ... "I'll never do that again"

Now an engineer comes along ... "wonder what that lever does", pulls it, gets hit by lighting
His response ... "wonder if does that every time?"


Test and measurement, baby. Test and measurement!

Speaking of testing, have you mastered Audio Tools yet?