Visit to Marc C.'s (SpiritOfMusic's) House in England

[spiritofmusic]

I'm musing on an Auralic Aries to start, £6k for this, my likely dac and trusty Sablon Reserva USB.
I'm hoping this will do me.
W my investment in 1.5k cds, determination to keep buying CDs esp collectors box sets (I'm also still an active Blu Ray film buff, refusing all pressures to give up physical media), wish to keep my Eera cdp in commission, £6k sounds about right to discover new music not readily available on disc, and at an immediately very acceptable SQ.

 

[Ron Resnick]

What is wrong with just using Spotify? That way no nasty, EMI-spewing computer has to be connected to your stereo.

 

[asiufy]

You're basically listening to MP3s through Spotify, with lots of nasty compression and artifacts.

Ron, you should check out Roon+Tidal, even if you don't hook it up to your stereo. Just install it on a Mac/PC, and listen through headphones or cheap little speakers. Much better SQ than Spotify, and a zillion times better user interface, that'll actually facilitate the task of discovering new music that you may actually like.

I believe both products offer free trial periods.


cheers,
alex

 

[Ron Resnick]

Thank you, Alex. But I bet I get better sound quality listening to Spotify over Sonos Play 5 speakers than listening to a computer over cheap little speakers.

I have no audiophile state of mind when I listen to Spotify on Sonos Play 5s.

(They are going to have to pry the Stylast and cantilever brush from my cold, dead fingers!)

 

[asiufy]

Hey Ron,

You must have me confused with somebody else! I love my vinyl, and I keep buying them damn things at a furious pace! And one of the facilitators of that is streaming.

I understand not having audiophile pretensions for that specific objective. You described a usage pattern (discovering new music) that would be better served by the combo I suggested (Roon/Tidal), IMHO. And you don't need a computer anywhere near your stereo. If you have a Mac, you can, from within Roon, stream wirelessly to your Sonos via Airplay. Or you can also do the same from within the Tidal app, on your Mac, iPhone or iPad. While I don't recommend doing this for audiophile listening, it'll surely do the trick for discovering new music, without the MP3 gremlins getting in the way! And of course, you'll end up with a lot more music, that you can then purchase on LP

If you need help with any of that, let me know and I'll do my best.

cheers,
alex

 

[trev]

I take my hat off to you Marc for the system you have achieved I bet it sounds wonderful in the beautiful room you have created, a great house in a beautiful location too. I know how beautiful Norfolk is and all the benefits of rural living, I moved from within the M25 to rural Norfolk 10 years ago myself and couldn't move back even if you paid me a small fortune.
For what it is worth I am sure you will not regret exploring the digital/streaming side of things, I myself have just got a Melco N1A and am looking into getting a bridge and then Roon/Tidal

Enjoy Norfolk and that great system of yours


Trevor

 

[bonzo75]

Spirit,

If we were honest, we'd probably have to admit those moving from digital toward vinyl would face the exact same problem.

In hi-fi, as in life, if anything's worth doing, it's generally worth acknowledging the learning curve will be steep, and existing assumptions may need to be held lightly.

Best,

853guy

Disagree. Moving to vinyl is much tougher as all actions are unnatural. Setting up VTA, SRA, gain and impedance settings, knowing how to match cart to arm and phono, wiring, is all vinyl specific. I haven't done that for any other activity. On the other hand, USB plug in, ipad, typing on a keypad, putting a button on an off is something every non audiophile has done. We have done much complex stuff in terms of updating software on PC. Streamed YouTube and iTunes. Downloaded files.

It's easy for anyone, vinyl phile or non audiophile, to move to streaming playback

 

[PeterA]

Peter, when I've got time later I'll respond in more detail.
But for now, why would you hide away your streaming?
The dac I'm looking at, and especially the SGM, are fine pieces of audio gear with great aesthetics.
If I go streaming, it becomes part of the system, family etc.
Hiding it seems skewed if you don't mind me saying.

Peter, one last thing.
I hate Computer Audio as a medium.
With a passion....

Hi Marc, I was only responding to this comment you made in post #76. If you hate it with a passion, I would want to hide it away and not look at it. I went to hear an incredible system last night in a beautiful room. But the guy had a computer CPU on a stand right next to his audio rack with a Kronos, CH Precision phono, CAT preamp, Vivaldi etc and then this ugly CPU. I say hide it away. I have no idea what the gear you want to buy looks like, so if you like the looks, by all means, display it proudly.

I still contend the beauty of computer audio is convenience, cost, and content. I would add, that it can be invisible. Just stick it in a closet and use an iPad pro to access content.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Sure Peter.
The killer dac and SGM I may get will aesthetically match anything I have, so it'll go on display like my other components.
My declaration of "love" for computer audio is more the concept of having to use it rather than looks per se.
Just some British dry irony, not meant to be taken absolutely literally.
No, it'll go out there like all my other boxes.

 

[bonzo75]

So you are buying T+A which you think is killer?

 

[bonzo75]

Also there is an aqua formula on sale at 5ish

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Ron, you should check out Roon+Tidal, even if you don't hook it up to your stereo.

he will hook it up, since he will want to hear it right.......it's not all on analog.

because never is a long, long, time.....and life is short.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Ked, no, not T&A.
And not Formula.
You'll hear about it when I make the order

 

[bonzo75]

Ah, schiit

 

[PeterA]

same tt, same/similar arm and cartridge. same or similar level tape deck. same pressings. same tape dubs. same preamp and phono stage.

the differences are magnitudes more significant than the gear variances.

Yes, but Mike, I have done demoes for people in my system where I change the VTA by 0.5mm and people claim to hear a big improvement to the sound and emotional connection to the music. Did the same guy set up both arms? We have all read reports about sample variations between cartridges, etc? I'm sure Durand can easily identify differences between his similar arms, even if only a ceramic mounting plate, etc. Did you both use the same Durand record weight which is supposed to make a significant difference? How about power delivery? Though extremely similar, there are still differences, and some probably the kind that some audiophile would spend $Ks to improve slightly.

I agree with Dave C, and would place higher value on your data point observation if the rips were made using your software on your analog front end and played back on your system directly comparing to the original. The fewer variables the better while making such comparisons, especially if we are to draw definitive conclusions about original versus ripped copies.

 

[microstrip]

Disagree. Moving to vinyl is much tougher as all actions are unnatural. Setting up VTA, SRA, gain and impedance settings, knowing how to match cart to arm and phono, wiring, is all vinyl specific. I haven't done that for any other activity. On the other hand, USB plug in, ipad, typing on a keypad, putting a button on an off is something every non audiophile has done. We have done much complex stuff in terms of updating software on PC. Streamed YouTube and iTunes. Downloaded files.

It's easy for anyone, vinyl phile or non audiophile, to move to streaming playback

Disagree with the main idea that any of the actions is more unnatural or tougher. Although you can go in an infinitude of tweaky and fanatic procedures in analog, you can use common sense as several audiophiles I know about do : get a well known turntable such as the SME combos, pick a cartridge developed with this arm, follow the well written instruction books, use the manufacturer recommended settings and enjoy great audiophile sound and music forever ...

 

[spiritofmusic]

Nope Ked, that Schiit ain't my shhit

 

[Ron Resnick]

he will hook it up, since he will want to hear it right.......it's not all on analog.

because never is a long, long, time.....and life is short.

Thank you, gentlemen. I assure you I get the searching and streaming thing in concept and in practice.

I spend sonetimes hours a day searching for new music on and listening to Spotify. Spotify literally has changed my life in terms of finding new music and in vastly increasing the number of hours per day I spend listening to music.

 

[KeithR]

Thank you, gentlemen. I assure you I get the searching and streaming thing in concept and in practice.

I spend sonetimes hours a day searching for new music on and listening to Spotify. Spotify literally has changed my life in terms of finding new music and in vastly increasing the number of hours per day I spend listening to music.

I can't remember if I showed you Roon or not that afternoon. Next time we get together, I'll let you take a spin with it.

 

[spiritofmusic]

Keith, the Def4s are absolutely outstanding here.
Ron has heard some of the world's very best spkrs, and he really enjoyed the Zus' presentation.
I did go the extra mile w them w Duelund caps to high- and low-pass filters, and Lundahl transformers to the Hypex sub amps, and these changes have really paid off.
The room has given them a real shot in the arm w so much more transparency provided now.