Search results

  1. Birdwatcher

    Who Are Your Favorite DAC Designers?

    @hongkongfoufou Do you like the ML360s more than the DAC in your Esoteric, even if it is still the AKM Chip-DAC and not compareable with actual discrete Esoteric DACs? And generally: Are the actual Esoteric Grandioso discrete DACs, mono version, clock, this and those, (or just in the big...
  2. Birdwatcher

    Grandioso PS1 : external PSU for K1X sacd player

    Who of you have made the upgrade or at least listened to the differences and what are your opinions?
  3. Birdwatcher

    Audio Note Kondo IO-XP cartridge

    Thanks a lot for these informations, also to point out, how good a Lyra Atlas Lambda SL would match it. I had the first Atlas (no Lambda, no SL) for some years in the past… And yes, a MSL Signature Diamond is high on my whislist, too. …too many nice cartridges for a short life of man….
  4. Birdwatcher

    Audio Note Kondo IO-XP cartridge

    Who could compared the IO-M and IO-XP cartridges? I have the IO-XP with actual SFz and GE10i and hesitate, if an IO-M would show something different and interesting to be worth to have it beneath the IO-XP. My other cartridges now are Dynavector XV-1t and Roksan Shiraz (an EMT indeed). But...
  5. Birdwatcher

    Esoteric Grandioso SE products announced

    Are there any listeners or owners, who have upgraded a Grandioso K1X to the SE resp. listened to them maybe even side by side? I still hesitate to invest in a very good SACD playback now, in year 2025, even if I already have a very musical Zanden 2000p/5000s redbook CD playback system. What...
  6. Birdwatcher

    Phasemation PP-2000

    Johan, thanks so much for the postings in the next days, it is beautiful to read it. And on your Christmas wishlist could be a SL-1000R with PP-5000 ;-)
  7. Birdwatcher

    Acoustical Sounds Axiom tonearm

    May I get back to this thread, as some comparisons to Kuzma 4P tonearms were made. After the last posting in 2021 the Kuzma SAFIR made its career. Maybe there are some user here who could compare the Axiom with the SAFIR side by side. What are the sonic differences, characteristics, tendencies...
  8. Birdwatcher

    The Ortofon Verismo Has Arrived!!!

    The Verismo seems not to be a very popular and often sold cartridge, even if was offered as a new technology and fantastic „true and honest“ cartridge from Ortofon. Has someone used and heard it longer? Is it too mechanical, dry, uninvolving, unmusical, „too digital sounding“, or simply too...
  9. Birdwatcher

    Kondo G 72

    So this is not even your G72 already delivered to you?
  10. Birdwatcher

    Kondo G 72

    Hi, do you have maybe pictures from the backside or even from the inside?
  11. Birdwatcher

    Kondo G 72

    From Facebook
  12. Birdwatcher

    Which speaker for Zanden system with 9600 MkII?

    Is there a cheaper solution?? Maybe a Baby-Sigma? ;-)
  13. Birdwatcher

    Which speaker for Zanden system with 9600 MkII?

    Has someone heard Stenheim speakers with Zanden? Today I was listening to Stenheim Alumine 2.5, 3 and 5 SX at a dealer over many hours. They are fantastic speakers, very vivid and musical. They shouldn’t be very critical to room and placing, as far as it is the experience of the dealer.
  14. Birdwatcher

    Kondo Melius

    Do you really mean, that the amp section of an actual Overture is EXACTLY the same as a Melius? I mean not just the same circuitry, but even the exact same parts in the same dimension, quality and selection, including transformer, caps, power supply dimension, etc. If not, it is just quite...
  15. Birdwatcher

    Koetsu

    Super nice! Which tonearm and table do you use? Glanz?
  16. Birdwatcher

    Kondo G 72

    Any news here?
  17. Birdwatcher

    Best amplification for Wilson Audio Sascha DAW

    I would like to use this informative thread, as here are some many informations over the months. How do the Sasha DAW and Sasha V differ in terms of load on the power amplifiers? How demanding and difficult are they, compared to each other? I know the specifications well, which suggest that the...
  18. Birdwatcher

    Most Accurate Stylus Force Gauge?

    But please make the measurements with the tip of the needle, not with cartridge body or anything else, as you get other/false results.
  19. Birdwatcher

    active loudspeakers

    I still have them too, mine were the very last pair sold new officially from the factory in 2012. Fantastic units, and some of the historically important speakers, one of the first of its kind with moulded waveguides and digital FIR filter, with the outstanding ATC 75mm dome driver.
  20. Birdwatcher

    Kuzma XL DC vs Brinkmann Taurus

    I would be very interested in any comparisons between the two, mostly between an XL Air and Taurus.
  21. Birdwatcher

    Brinkmann Taurus,,,, Bardo

    Please let me allow to ask once again, what are the sonic differences between Balance and Taurus, and could you (or anybody else) hear it yourself with similar tonearms and cartridges? Such direct and correct made a/b comparisons are really rare, unfortunately.
  22. Birdwatcher

    Brinkmann Taurus,,,, Bardo

    Was the Taurus no option for you? But instead you went with the Balance. Could you compare Taurus to Balance? Different drive type, same base, much bigger platter with the Balance. And sonically? Do you use a RÖNT? And what kind of base, maybe HRS?
  23. Birdwatcher

    GrooveMaster II Tonearms

    You can see the recommended antiscating parameter on the mounting template. Unfortunately I have my Groovemaster not any more so I cannot show a picture.
  24. Birdwatcher

    Kuzma SAFIR 9

    Marko, thanks a lot for the pictures and report. Can you please tell us, which tools, Test LPs, maybe computer/software, etc. were used? Will be maybe any public video available of the skills?
  25. Birdwatcher

    My personal journey to MY SONIC LAB

    But not the right specifications The Diamond has surely no boron cantilever. And what is correct, 1,4 (mostly stated) or 1,6 ohm for the Diamond?
  26. Birdwatcher

    My personal journey to MY SONIC LAB

    In Germany it should sell for 14000 EUR, stand from August. 1,4 (some says 1,6) Ohm impedance 0,5mV output at 5cm/sec and 1kHz Sign. Gold 7750,- EUR Sign. Platinum 9500,- EUR
  27. Birdwatcher

    Kuzma SAFIR 9

    One more nice old picture:
  28. Birdwatcher

    Kuzma SAFIR 9

    BTW: two days ago I had a short visit in Kuzma headquarter in Slovenia and a short trip through the manufacturing. Here are some pictures from the demo room, and some older pictures from the archives with Franc. And, for me, the Stabi Reference (manufactured since 1992 nearly without any...
  29. Birdwatcher

    Kuzma SAFIR 9

    May I repeat this question regarding the combination SAFIR with Kondo IO-XP? I actually use this cartridge (and the DV XV-1t) with Brinkmann 12.1 or Acoustical Systems 12“ Axiom. What can I expect from a Kuzma SAFIR in comparison?
  30. Birdwatcher

    GrooveMaster II Tonearms

    Please be careful, Groovemaster has not exactly 20mm shaft diameter, but slightly less or bigger, I don’t know it any more, but you cannot interchange with the traditional 20mm bases of Ortofon, EMT, Shindo, etc. So you should use the Groovemaster own bases. The RotaryLift is a fantastic unit...

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