deepak

Congrats Haj! x2 on pics (insides too)

I'm no tube hater My speaker rig will definitely have some big tubes in it I think the very good digital gear using good DACs/upsamplers don't necessarily require a tube output stage or buffer to produce pleasant sound. I'm very happy with the discrete output stage on my DAC. My previous digital source definitely had an "edge" to it. Sounds good

I disagree that digital reproduction has an "edge", a good DAC/CDP shouldn't sound like that. I know what you're saying, but I don't think you should assume his setup sounds harsh because he didn't say that in his post. And the tube buffer isn't necessarily going to smooth out the sound of his setup, IMO that has to do with how good your gear is. My tube preamp was basically a tube buffer, but my setup still had a hardness to it that I wasn't happy with. I just don't think tubes are the solution to everything.

How much difference does the tube buffer really make? I'm not sure tubes are the solution to making upstream/downstream gear better... An SH member created a file with and without a MF tube buffer, I had a hard time telling them apart: http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=131934

I was eying that up at A&R, looks like a very, very nice set.

If you really want to hear them try and find a nice 300B amp (dynamic, amazing midrange, solid bass from 50 hz up). I thought I had a decent setup with my tube pre to SS power amp...

Grados are nice, I was listening to some Smiths earlier (The Queen is Dead) and as Morissey would say it was gloriooooooooous. some Grados are better than otheeeeers

I have to agree with Jack, that's about $1000 more than what a vintage RS-1 without wood box normally goes for. Prices fluctuate and things go up in value, but I have a hard time believing they sold for that much.

Throw on a brown headband on any darker RS-1 and you have a vintage RS-1 They didn't even have the wood box.

I know they operate cool

Cool amps

Maybe if you make a thread as shitty as this one: http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f11/what-happening-head-fis-cable-forum-272178/ cables: serious business. Maybe if you're Nordost

laxx is

That's the spirit, question a mod!!

You can get a V0 VBR rip for both discs. IMO that's damn near lossless right there.

German over engineering ftw.

Reinforcing the idea that flat pads = sw8!!

That's my thinking, plunk down the big money for the transducers and it's always worked for me

Yup I have it at my parents house, I can make a copy for you if you'd like. I thought it was a great walk through for a newb setting up a TT.

I suppose I'll console myself since it's not the SE...and I really need the audio moneys for speakers

I really hate you

Viva le revolution right

Yeah but the Hag is still doing USB/SPDIF conversion. The top dollar you're paying with these USB integrated DACs is USB/I2S bypassing the SPDIF. Whether this makes a difference or not

I'm in NH until January 13, I'd love to attend a meet. I was planning on meeting Jay to get my β22.

If the Aero is way out of your price range I think Jacob would agree the M192 is very musical