Recent content by DaveC

  1. DaveC

    Sophia (blue) EL-34-ST Tubes

    Not sure on those, but ime everything requires some burn-in if there's power or signal going through it. 100 hours is a minimum for anything, although things often change quite a bit right up front in the first few hours. Some stuff, like teflon insulated wire, often improves for hundreds of hours.
  2. DaveC

    Sophia (blue) EL-34-ST Tubes

    I agree they probably need more burn-in but the Sophias are certainly fuller and warmer sounding.
  3. DaveC

    Tinnitus Resulting from Covid or Vaccines

    Just an update... I did find something that has helped. Maybe it can help others... Quick summary: Since I posted this thread I've had ups and downs. I felt like I was recovering, but then I got diverticulitis. I thought it was food poisoning, but it didn't go away and I had the worst abdominal...
  4. DaveC

    The [coffee snobs'] espresso thread

    Sorry I missed this! I've seen the Robot and some other similar devices. I assume it's very similar to the Forge, but maybe the design provides better leverage, the Forge does take a decent amount of force to achieve 9 bars. It's not too much, but I guess that's relative. I think some may find...
  5. DaveC

    The [coffee snobs'] espresso thread

    I also do pourover with a Kalita Wave. It's nice to try beans in both espresso and pourover, although I've been neglecting my Kalita since I got the Espresso Forge a little while ago. Here's this morning's Forge shot, an Ethiopian Hambela roasted at a local shop called Otis. It's between 4:1...
  6. DaveC

    The [coffee snobs'] espresso thread

    My setup has evolved. I make espresso at home and have a Bezzera Strega spring/lever machine. Then a friend of mine started Espresso Forge, so I got one, and now I use it instead of the Strega! There are pros and cons, the Forge is a portable manual machine without a boiler, like a big stainless...
  7. DaveC

    Tube Dampers

    This is a valid topic and not just snake oil. The reason why is all tubes are microphonic to some degree, so the sound produced by the speaker will vibrate the tubes and the mechanical energy in the sound waves will be converted to electrical energy and sent back to the speaker, forming a...
  8. DaveC

    For what it's Worth-Tesla

    I hear you, and avoided being dragged into the morass previously, but this shows the difficulty of separating Elon from Tesla. Unlike a lot of auto companies, Elon is Tesla's PR department. -------------------- Here's a recent discussion on the cybertruck, Tesla and Elon by a couple folks who...
  9. DaveC

    Does Everything Make a Difference?

    Star Quad makes for pretty good SC. Add some material to provide mechanical damping, for internal cable wrapping it with an old cotton t shirt or rag works. UPOCC wire is superior to other types, I think Icono even uses it, they just charge a fortune. Neotech is a lot less expensive and have...
  10. DaveC

    Does Everything Make a Difference?

    Audioholics debunks everything. In particular, they think a lot of things are below the level of our perception that are not. Whether you correctly attribute dielectric absorption to what you hear is another story though. ;)
  11. DaveC

    Does Everything Make a Difference?

    Apparently not.
  12. DaveC

    Does Everything Make a Difference?

    Same as anything else... how do you buy cars, TVs, appliances, etc? The more you educate yourself the better off you are. You can find reviewers you share taste with and agree on other things. Maybe you can test it out yourself?
  13. DaveC

    Does Everything Make a Difference?

    You're better off buying Neotech UPOCC copper or silver wire.
  14. DaveC

    Does Everything Make a Difference?

    I have a Stratos, they are single ended. While there is an XLR in, pin 3 is left completely disconnected. IMO, XLR in should be an extra cost option with an input trafo used, but since that's not the case RCA in is better. Also, if you look at Iconoclast pricing, you can just buy a single cable...
  15. DaveC

    Does Everything Make a Difference?

    There's no doubt that subjective impressions may vary, but if you look at a large sample size it's quite clear that objectively better gear results in subjectively better sound. The key is understanding what objective parameters matter and how they relate to what we hear. There's a lot we can...

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