Rodak

Didn't read far enough - "Roon-ready streamer". Hmm, interesting. I've never worked with a Raspberry Pi (never really had a need for one), but this may be the application that gets me into it.

Thanks! So it looks like it would involve a PC running the software, in your example, Roon. Never heard of that, but I'll definitely look into it - not desirable for my main audio room, but for my study, where my computer is, it might make more sense than just picking and playing music using Windows Explorer or Media Player.

I'm looking to get a CD player, and thanks to some previous discussions I found here, I'm steering away from a used player from the 90s and will be looking into a new model, probably a Marantz, Tascam, Denon or Cambridge (I may also consider a changer from Onkyo, the CD390). What I also found here, however, was a) FLAC, which I had not heard of, but am very interested in (I installed EAC and ripped a CD just to see the process - not bad!), and b) the idea of storing the FLAC files on my NAS and using a DAC to play them back. One thing I did NOT see were any references to what DAC to use - I understand DAC stands for Digital-Analog Converter (or something to that effect), and I know exactly what that is and why, but is there a hardware device called a "DAC" that will plug into my stereo amp and play files from my NAS? I know I could do this with a Windows computer, but I'm not keen on having a keyboard/mouse/screen in my audio room just to play digital content. What exactly was meant by all the comments to "rip your CDs to FLAC and get a DAC to play them"?

Wow. Adorama has raised their price on these to $389...EACH! Still $299/pair at Amazon, I wonder for how long, though...

Well, I got the R-610Fs in a few days ago, and have listened to them a fair amount. It's been decades since I sat and listened to a really good pair of speakers. (I have some Bose 2.2s hooked up to my computer, but describing those as "really good" is pushing it). These did not overwhelm me at first, but the more I listened, the more I liked them. I think the best descriptive word for the sound would be "uncolored", as in, they seem to do a good job of reproducing the source material without adding or subtracting, which I think is the main goal of a good set of speakers. I've read that Klipsch speakers tend to be harsh on the high-end. Nothing of the sort here - I actually had to crank the Treble up to about 4 o'clock to get to where it sounded good to me. I do have significant hearing loss in my left ear, but my right ear is still pretty good, so I use it to judge more then the left. My wife didn't say anything about it sounding too harsh or too much on the high-end, either. Bass is surprisingly good, I run the Bass between 12-o'clock and 1-o'clock, and the Mids between 11-o'clock and 12-o'clock. The room I have them in is very live, with hardwood floors and very little furniture, so I'm sure those settings will change as we get things filled-out. Closing my eyes and listening intently, I can pick out all the individual instruments easily (even noticed a note or two I hadn't before), which I think is a good test - I've noticed that cheap speakers tend to mush things together. Efficiency is great, as-expected. I run the volume between 9-o'clock and 10-o'clock. At 10-o'clock my wife complains that I have it too loud. I will keep these. I consider them an excellent deal for the price. My wife also is suitably impressed. I may yet go check out some other speakers eventually, just to see how they compare, but I don't know that spending 2-4 times as much is going to give enough bang to justify the bucks.

Well, I pulled the trigger on the R-610Fs - too good a deal to pass up, and that price may not last very long. I'll correspond with the guy in Roswell, and may go check out some of his after I've had a chance to evaluate the R-610s. If I decide I just HAVE to have the big pricey ones, I may be able to re-sell the R-610s to my daughter, who is getting into vinyl and will need some good speakers eventually (gotta get her a turntable and amp first!). Her space and budget are considerably more limited.

Yeah, those look awesome, next-best thing to a pair of Voice of the Theatre A7s, which is another set I'd love to have, but I seriously doubt my wife would take kindly to something so big and raw-looking.

Wow, that guy in Roswell has several pair of nice looking speakers, all priced in the $1,100-$1,200 range. Might be worth a trip just to listen to them - assuming he'll demo without a purchase commitment. I corresponded with another seller willing to demo, but only if I committed to buy first - not gonna happen.

Another round of excellent replies and advice, thanks! I'll continue to research these various models. So "Heritage" encompasses several different models, right? Is that list defined anywhere? There's a pair of Forte Is nearby, but $1,100 seems a bit pricey.

Wow, what a great batch of thoughtful and helpful responses! I'm in NE Georgia, about 45 minutes north of Atlanta. I'll check out some of the recommended sources and models. I'm not in a hurry, as the room really isn't ready yet - gotta paint and get some furniture. I *could* afford a pair of La Scalas, just not sure if I want to spend that much. Plus, finding a pair locally could take some time, but you never know. Yeah, shipping could be expensive...and risky. @geezin'Thanks for the Youtube demo - hardly a good way to judge speakers, but it did sound pretty impressive! @geoff.Yeah, my Marantz (it's a 1060) does crackle a bit when turned on. That's why I like the speaker on/off buttons on the front. I rebuilt the power supply and replaced the big filter caps in the output section, but it's still slightly noisy on power-on, but dead silent after that.

I'm looking for a pair of speakers for an audio room. I've never owned a pair of Klipsch, although a roommate I had about 40 years ago had a pair which I was impressed with. I also heard LaScalas in a few bars back in the day and was also very impressed. I can't afford a pair of LaScalas, but have been shopping around for a pair of used "classic" speakers, like Bose, Klipsch, Advent, etc. Found and researched Klipsch KG4s and KG3.5s on Craigslist, but both were sold by the time I decided they were worth a listen. So now I see that Adorama and Amazon sell the R-610F for $300/pair. That's roughly what I was looking to spend for a pair of 30-40 year old vintage speakers (that may have needed re-foaming, crossover rebuild, etc.) Those R-610Fs seem to be a LOT cheaper than most other similar Klipsch's. Would I likely be as happy with those as with a pair of vintage speakers that may take who-knows-how-long to locate? I don't have golden ears by any means, but I can appreciate a good pair of speakers vs a mediocre pair. Other new Klipsch models look to be double the price or more. FWIW, I'll be driving them with a 1978 Marantz 30-watt-per-side integrated amp, playing mostly 1970s rock and prog rock.