Recent content by Fsonicsmith

I will be giving the DAC III Balanced a try. Actually more than a "try" since I am buying it. I still love the DAC II Special but Slawa says the DAC III Balanced is at an entirely different level with a midrange that is amazing. I will have no choice but to upgrade my source to something that...

I am not a huge contributor to this Board with maybe a dozen posts, likely less. I used to be a regular on AudioAsylum dating back to '95 or so and then on A-Gon forums. I live in Columbus OH, am a lawyer, and have zero connections to the audio industry. So with that out of the way, my custom...

The DAC II Special referenced above is mine. My system does not match Joe's, but it ain't bad. ARC Ref 6, ARC Ref 150SE, Devore O/93's. Cardas Clear beyond, Analysis Plus Apex Silver IC's, Auditorium 23 speaker cable with Cardas Clear Beyond speaker cable as a back up. I mostly listen to vinyl...

Ummm, I don't know for sure but I am thinking that the DAC II Special also has a built in USB to SPDIF converter and it retails for $5,500. Just an educated guess.

My DP-777 (not SE) has been trouble-free for five years. While the sound I am getting from an Aurender N100H via WW Starlight Platinum 7 USB is glare free, I don't find it to be analogue-like as it was described in Art Dudley's review in S'Phile. I don't get the musical involvement and truth of...

Like many of you, I have been in this hobby for a long time-45 years. Over a year ago I was reading Mike Fremer's column and at the very end he had a single paragraph blurb about someone suggesting the Analysis Plus Silver Apex for his analogue set-up (I can't recall if it was as phono cables...

One could try the Analysis Plus Silver Apex. I did and have kept it though I use it between my phono stage and preamp as my toneram (Reed 3P) comes with captive wire. Fremer likes it, uses it, and considers it a bargain at $1000 for 1M RCA.

Keep in mind the tortured history of TAS. HP believed that there was a single truth and named his publication accordingly. As time progressed even HP loosened his grip on his former convictions and then once he died his magazine became a free-for-all. As to the real topic of the OP- removed from...

I think Art Dudley captured the beauty of vintage idlers best when he wrote in fairly quick succession about the TD124 and then the 301. We can all agree that Art writes well. He knows prose. Both tables were crafted to last and deliver the goods. Art likes to share his dismay at disposable...

Not my first posts. Looks like this will be the 30th. Aggressive? I think claiming that the 3012R is as good as an SAT arm is pretty aggressive. But I do-believe it or not-firmly believe in collegiality and not seeking conflict. Most of my previous posts here pertained to a conflict...

Just what does it mean to "follow some of the best systems on this forum"? What does one have to do to "follow" someone else's system? Does that mean to accept some other poster's assertions that his or her system is indeed "best"? Does "follow" as an active verb mean keeping mental track of...

I agree this is a head-scratcher. Just to come at it from a slightly different perspective, SME has always been known for it's engineering ability. The 301 was originally designed and conceived as a motor unit. Why did SME decide to go full retro with a 3012 arm? The 301 withstands the test of...

I am very satisfied with my Russ Collinson Layers of Beauty plinth I had custom made. I asked for eight layers of alternating solid cherry and birch ply and specified the same width as my Symposium Foundation Ultra top shelf. I asked for cocobolo veneer and piano lacquer finish. Russ did not...

Fixed. :)

I agree with you. Further adding support to this view is that VPI is putting a toe in the water of gimbaled arms. What makes me feel most uncomfortable with VPI unipivots is that once azimuth is adjusted by means of a Fozgometer, the arm more often than not is significantly canted to one side...