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tromprof

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Posts posted by tromprof

  1. On 1/31/2020 at 12:36 PM, BobRiff said:

    Sweet!  Please let us know what you think of them.

     

    The amps arrived in one day after ordering from Sweetwater. Seems like a nice small company, customer service contacted me to make sure all was good and to answer any questions.

    The amps are heavy and seem solid. Using these in my HT, one to drive Quarter Pie bass bins, the other to drive the rear pair of speakers. They both are doing a great job and are nice and quiet.

    Happy I followed this thread for sure!

    • Like 1
  2. 57 minutes ago, tigerwoodKhorns said:

    A little more info please.  I had an original Benchmark DAC1 when they first came out and it was great. 

     

    When I am ready, I plan on using a DAC for streaming from Amazon and my server (which is a mix of CD quality and MP3s) so I assume that critical listening will still be with albums and CDs.

     

    I think that either something like this DAC or a Denafrips Ares ($760) will do the trick.  Is there a reason to get a really expensive DAC if you have a really good TT and CD player? 

     

    The Benchmark that the SMSL replaced was the DAC1 USB, so a bit older model. I always thought the sound was extremely good but the SMSL is clearer/cleaner and can do DSD.  It has an ESS DAC in it, similar to the DACs in my Yamaha CX-A5200 pre/pro. I believe Benchmark is also using ESS in the most recent offerings.

  3. My retired desktops do that duty. You really don’t need anything special. It can be a new I7 or a 6-8 year old I3 processor, for music streaming it will work the same.

    I have all my music files on a NAS and stream from there. A good usb dac is the biggest part of this IMO.

    • Like 1
  4. I passed on the LG OLED TVs and picked up a Samsung Q80R this week (65"). My living room can be bright and lots of reflections as well when its light outside, so I figured OLED would not be the better choice.  The Samsung picture is very good, blacks are surprising good, and the anti-reflection screen really works quite well.

    • Like 1
  5. I am selling an Integra DHC-80.3 preamp processor. I purchased this from Accesories4Less in 2017. The unit has operated flawlessly, and I have found it to have both an excellent sound as well as having a nice and flexible interface. Always operated with extra cooling fans on top. This pre/pro will not pass 4K video or do Atmos. If you do not need these things it is an outstanding piece of gear.

    Includes Audessy mic and ships in original box.

    $350 plus shipping

     

    • Like 1
  6. 1 hour ago, ClaudeJ1 said:

    I can't ever say enough good things about the Yamaha, with state of the art Sabre DAC chips, and YPAO room correction with a single microphone reading. I have owned 2 of the 5000 and  one 5200 currently. I'll be keeping one of the 5000's for 2 channel in another room, it's that good. I think the 5100 also does Dolby Atmos, but I'm not sure. Of course, my 5200 does, but that "Atmos" never shows on the display because Yamaha uses AI technology. Working on plugging a pair of Super Cornwalls for SR and SL, along with 4 Super Heresy's for ceiling bounce for total envelopment. At the touch of a single button on the remote, I go from 2 channel with subs, to 11 channel with subs my 4K home theater. Thumbs up all the way, which impressed the carloads of Klipscheads that were here 2 months ago. Call me if you more info. I think you still have my number. If not, you can PM me.

     

    Claude, thanks for the vote of confidence in Yamaha. It seems like Marantz gets all the press and the Yamaha has less written about it. 

  7. Now that 4K projectors have started to become more affordable I am thinking of upgrading my projector and preamp. I am currently using an Integra 80.3 which I have been quite happy with, but I have read a number of posts about how the newer Integra units are not competitive with many of the other brands . I am currently considering an Anthem AVM 60 or a Yamaha CX-A5200 (or CX-A5100). I would love to be able to consider the Marantz AV8805, but I am not willing to spend that much. The Anthem sounds like it is super well built and has a great reputation for sound, but it is several years old at this point. The Yamaha also seems to get good press for build quality and sound and is a slightly newer design than the Anthem.

    Any thoughts or advice appreciated

  8. Lots of things you can do to hotrod your K-horns. Go slow, and enjoy one improvement at a time. 

    I would suggest reading lots of the old posts on here, there are so many different things people have done and found real improvement without spending a fortune. 

  9. BTW My point was not to argue that John Williams music is better. Better is a matter of taste. Artistically speaking, it is superior IMO, but better?

    Another composer whose soundtracks tend to dominate the film is Philip Glass. 

    • Like 1
  10. John Williams clearly has studied musical composition and orchestration. He can be accused of "borrowing" frequently from other great composers, esp. in sound tracks, but is also an excellent composer in his own right. John Williams writing is so excellent it tends to stands along side a film instead of hiding in the background. Few modern movie composers have his level of knowledge and craftsmanship. The film with live orchestra concert is very popular right now. I have played Star Wars and Jurassic Park film concerts this past year, a Danny Elfman concert (video and music from several different films), and Pirates of the Caribbean a couple of years ago. The level of musical sophistication between the Williams scores and the others is vast.

    The decision to have that level of musical involvement, as well as where it is placed is also decided by the films director.

    Zimmer's stuff is not bad, just not the same level of writing. Danny Elfman has written some good stuff too, and a lot of fun to play.

    John Williams is over 80 at this point, I am not so sure he will be producing many more new works.

    • Like 1
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