Inoculator

Let us know how that thing is. I still think that table is a bit overpriced for what it is just by the looks of it.

@rtaylor76 Will do for sure. Have it coming with the top cartridge (Mastertracker) so will share my thoughts. Has gotten glowing reviews, but mostly from industry publications, and is a product from one of the largest equipment dealers online...so will see if I can provide some validating real-world impressions.

@Inoculator I'll be looking to read your impressions. Real-world (not audio publication) impressions are most valuable.

@Gaspasser a VPI Scout (the Aries model with cone feet, acrylic platter and JWM memorial 9" tonearm). My first deck that I can truly dial in/tinker with, excited to take that step in the hobby. Going to learn my way around it with the stock cartridge, but then get my ZU 103R on there.

How goes the setup? The vinyl struggle is real

@gaspasser well bad news... Tonearm clip came unmounted in transit and tonearm went for a wild ride. Scratched the crap out of stuff and is surely warped ...and I was sent the wrong model by accident. So back to the drawing board. Working out what the replacement will be with the company on Monday.

Every turntable I had before this shipped kind of plug and play, or was a vintage table that I shop alignment/setup work for me. Ready to start taking setup and tinkering into my own hands. Figure an old original VPI scout will be a fun deck to really spend time dialing in.

Does that have a uni-piviot arm?

@rtaylor76 Yep, the JMW memorial 9".

Is this “Start Walkin’ 1965–1976”?

This Darlington Labs phono is the first loaner tour I have gotten to be part of, such a treat to get the chance to try some gear out this way. Excited to share my findings!

Leon Bridges "Shy" is a good example and it drives me crazy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EfVhJkQ-mt8

You would definitely hate lofi hip hop lol.

@E_Schaaf @Phantaminum valid point, and for sure hear where you are coming from. Just means I have to reserve listening to that stuff from my Porta Pros.

https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/the-all-purpose-advice-thread.19/page-509#post-336279 Where I talk about everything I am considering

The Ultradeck looks way overpriced to me. Looks on par if not lower than a VPI Traveler V2. The beauty of the Technics is in the coreless motor - it has tons of torque that belt drives wish they had. The 1500c is a decent deal under $1000. If you want to go fancy, still nothing wrong with a Sol with that unipiviot arm.

Anything higher than $1k, I would post in the Advice forum. I don't keep up with some of those uber priced models.

@rtaylor76 The MFSL looks deceptive, as far as I can tell it uses higher quality components than its looks suggest.

Crunch time for my work, so long days WFH running my LS3/5A for Zoom/Teams with music sporadically throughout the day. Have a long stretch today with no meetings, so fired up the SW51+...guess I will always be a sucker for headphones. Al I want to do is melt into my chair and chill now.

Boo. 2-channel FTW!! Haha just kidding. What do you think compels you with hp vs speakers? Is it the more intimate feeling of it? Or just a different presentation?

I think it must be the more intimate feeling, I am just so much more focused on the music with headphones (bad for during work though, haha). Presentation-wise I feel more sucked into the space of the music and out of my physical space. That being said, nothing is as tactile as a well record live performance from the LS3/5A, it is like I have a saxophone or vocalist right here in my tiny little basement with me.

@Gazny I actually just went cheap with the Rhino panels as I did not have much space. Cheap but effective as far as I can tell.

I just got our little side room cleared out enough to use as an office. I know the dimensions and reflections in here are awful so I'll be doing this myself. I've used GIK at work but I'll look into Rhino.

@Azteca for purely sound dampening, they seem to do the trick. I had really bad reflections from the hollow drywall behind my desk (speakers also sitting a bit too close). Putting a row of the rhino panels in has largely solved the issue. Kind of sounds like a "hi-fi" switch has been flipped, like that awe you get from the first time you listen to a legit DAC.

Until a viable alternative to the Chord Mojo+Poly combo (yuck) comes along for portable roon streaming, I guess I am just stuck using my phone as a Roon endpoint when on the move around the house.

That would be nice. Hmm, you had me look into it and you can get an Android DAP like FiiO but it's still not true RAAT. https://community.roonlabs.com/t/which-dap-to-buy/58337/15

@Azteca yeah unfortunately anything with android is probably going to run into issues. It is crazy to me there is not already something out there!

Granted different rooms/chains (usually at GHA they are hooked up to Line Magnetic integrated or top end Naim setup). At least with the LS3/5A and comparing my listening there and at home, it seems they sound a bit technical/aggressive with kind of tinny bass too close to the wall and over isolated, and instead very musical and natural on proper stands. Will see if that holds up once I have a pair though

What did you think of the 5/9 vs the others? Some report they are more rolled off on both ends (esp the highs) and not extended enough compared to the LS6.

I am going to have to give another listen, was a short visit that day and all I remember was being completely gobsmacked at how good it sounded. They were rocking a $20k Linn LP12 build that day for the source so I kind of just had my jaw on the floor drooling at that. I do remember them sounding pretty effortless for a bigger monitor in a relatively small space, so that might suggest a bit of that rolloff.

RIP my all silver setup, black is growing on me though. I dig the cleaner lines Naim ripoff aesthetic of the Akitika stuff with the green glow. Most of the money gained through this process was eaten up getting a TH900 to get an ESX900 going with @E_Schaaf

Nice mid-century industrial era cart.

@rtaylor76 Thanks! My local 2nd use building supplies spot had it for only $20! I can raise that upper shelf area if needed also which is handy. When I was there getting it, they had that granite remnant on top that fit perfect for $5! Wheels probably don't give great isolation, and it is a bit bulky, but I love it, and can't beat the price

apparently they're $200k new; that was for a used pair.

That's around where I expected honestly. Machined from a big block of aluminum like that...
I mean the top priced speakers at yg were like 250k I think

Haven't even thought about Chord for ages. Checked out their website. Yes... still ugly. Reflect on the cost of those cases, and how much less of one's money is going on electronics. But audiophools think stuff like that sounds better!

$43k for speakers, turntable, pre, and amp... How good can it sound? As a not rich man, guess I will never know.

I love that aesthetic too! In my limited experience Yamaha gear leans toward the lifeless side of the spectrum, even with musical instruments.

Lots of folks love Yamaha integrateds on Steve Hoffman Forum. I'm not a big fan of the aesthetic so haven't looked into much. Think some stuff was differential and used some version of a circlotron?

Overall very cohesive-sounding headamp driving the HD 600. Compared to the SW51+: A little more direct and sterile, a little etch to female vocals, less holographic and has less sense of musical flow....but overall a great SS option to have in the stack. Nicely dynamic, very clear/authoritative without being fatiguing, and has a good sense of drive/punch.

In my first call with them one of them spotted my HD 600 and I found out he is rocking an Asgard 3+DT-990 combo, so may see if he would rather just get a dedicated microphone.

Neumann U87 for him then.

And $5k in room treatments to make it sound good. :)

I used low Z pretty much all the time. My amp had hum which was worse on high Z. Ultimately it made me not enjoy the amp and sell it. Recently got a ZDT jr that doesn't hum and enjoy it as much if not more.

For me low output=no hum or minimal hum with most phones high=minumal hum to pretty bad hum depending on the headphone (koss porta pro hums very badly) But my SW51 has a custom transformer made one for japanese 100V so it might be different from the others. Also I had hum problem in the past with Jotunheim, WA6-SE, Vali2,Elekit tu-8200 but no hum at all with Magni 3+. Headanp gilmore lite MK2, DNA Stratus

@gixxerwimp Late reply, but mine is definitely a very very subtle hum from high Z with HD 600, but it is there for sure. Noticeable with nothing playing. I wanted to test today to make sure I was not just having an off day or something as I did not notice the first day I had it, but sure enough still noticing it this morning. Maybe my tubes are just a bit noisier or something

SW51 BF2 HD6X0 best combo evar

@Gaspasser I have seen the light. Easily the best HD 600 has ever sounded. I expected the SW51+ to be a bit more technical/analytical sounding, but it might be the most emotional sounding amp I have ever heard...without sacrificing technicality. I realize I am gushing, but like a tear came to my eye listening to Cat Power.

I've recently sold my Sonnet Morpheus and Hermes because I needed funds for other things. Now I have BF2 as my only DAC and SW51/3F amps. Mostly listen BF2-SW51 combo and it is good! I can't say I lost a lot when I sold Morpheus, music is still enjoyable.