What audio system do you have, or plan on getting?

[Bachtoven]

Wow, and I heard it was the best.  Well hope you find something.

Thanks. I guess if it were the first and only such device I used, then it might be OK. The library management problems include not importing all of my files, both from the external drive and Qobuz (It only transferred about 20% of my Qobuz files--I had it rescan twice to no avail), and I miss the way that both Audirvana and JRiver allow for user-created playlists. I have mine arranged in chronological eras--Renaissance to contemporary, then a separate one for guitar and piano. I can do that with Qobuz, but in the Roon version, all of the individual tracks are listed vertically, and since each playlist can hold 2,000 tracks, that's a lot of tracks to paw through to find the album I want. As I recall, Roon does the same thing with hard drive files. On my MacBook and HP version, the individual tracks do not show until I click on the album cover, which is vastly more convenient. The physical device itself seems fine--quiet and since it's designed just to handle audio, it doesn't have a lot of software running in the background. I do think it's way overpriced at $2500, though. Once the free subscription to the software expires, it's $15 a month, $150 a year, or $830 for a lifetime subscription. No thanks!

[DavidW]

Yeah that is a mess.  I have my cd rips and digital downloads organized in a folder structure and I navigate by folder on my streamer.  It is quick and easy.  In fact surprisingly quicker than relying on metadata and searching.

[Daverz]

I've heard great things about Dirac.

I've been getting great results with Acourate room correction.  I also use it to create the crossovers for my subwoofer/mains.  Unfortunately, it's not something I can recommend to the average punter, as they say in the UK.  The software was written by an engineer in Delphi, and it shows.  It took me weeks of fiddling to get used to its idiosyncrasies.  Also, it costs €286.  But  as a tool for room correction and creating digital crossovers, it's very powerful.

[Bachtoven]

I received this Mark Levinson No.5101 SACD/CD player today--wow! Amazing transparency and detail--seems to mitigate the typical "digital glare."

[Valentino]

I use the MiniDSP Flex Eight as crossover now. Four way IIR filters, dipole compensation, global EQ, the works. Here is the phase response measured in the listening position:

The Flex Eight has the possibility of using FIR filters on the input. Enter phase correction. Result:

2048 taps max and FS 96 kHz makes phase correction impossible without altering the frequency response below 100 Hz or so. Frequency response is more important.

Impulse response measured in the listening position before and after the phase correction. Less smearing in the time domain after.
The difference in sound? Improved spatial cues, a more believable sound stage. Like someone has given the listening window a good cleaning.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I received this Mark Levinson No.5101 SACD/CD player today--wow! Amazing transparency and detail--seems to mitigate the typical "digital glare."

Just looked it up online...cool that it plays a lot of different formats.  Are you planning on using it also for streaming?

PD

[Bachtoven]

Just looked it up online...cool that it plays a lot of different formats.  Are you planning on using it also for streaming?
PD

No, I'll still use my laptop and iFi ProDSD Signature DAC for streaming and downloaded files. From what I read, ML's streaming app leaves a lot to be desired, and I'm happy with the way Audirvana handles Qobuz and my files. Plus my iFi will playback much higher DSD rates than does the ML's DAC--not sure why they opted for a USB type-B input, designed for external hard drives, rather than type-A, which are used for computer connections.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

No, I'll still use my laptop and iFi ProDSD Signature DAC for streaming and downloaded files. From what I read, ML's streaming app leaves a lot to be desired, and I'm happy with the way Audirvana handles Qobuz and my files. Plus my iFi will playback much higher DSD rates than does the ML's DAC--not sure why they opted for a USB type-B input, designed for external hard drives, rather than type-A, which are used for computer connections.

Interesting!  Thanks for the info.  And hope that you enjoy your new purchase. 

PD

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

A few weeks ago, I bought vintage vacuum (valve) tubes- RCA and Sylvania 6ca7- for my audio amps. The amps with the tubes sound warm and clean with extended mid-bass and I'm so happy. The pics are those I found on the web, but they look identical to mine.

[Irons]

A few weeks ago, I bought vintage vacuum (valve) tubes- RCA and Sylvania 6ca7- for my audio amps. The amps with the tubes sound warm and clean with extended mid-bass and I'm so happy. The pics are those I found on the web, but they look identical to mine.

Tube-rolling can be addictive. A simple and inexpensive way of improving/changing the sound of an amplifier.

[Fëanor]

A few weeks ago, I bought vintage vacuum (valve) tubes- RCA and Sylvania 6ca7- for my audio amps. The amps with the tubes sound warm and clean with extended mid-bass and I'm so happy. The pics are those I found on the web, but they look identical to mine.

Oh yeah!! Tubes!!

I think most tube equipment users agree that different tubes sound more or less subtly different.  When I got my Sonic Frontiers Line 1 preamp a couple of years ago I decided, just for fun, to swap -- or as aficionados say, "roll" -- some tubes.

My SF preamp uses six, nine-pin, dual triode 6922/E88CC/6DJ8-type tubes, pairs work in three stages:  input buffer/driver, gain, and output buffer/cathode follower;  (don't ask). I chose to "roll" only the gain stage tubes that are considered the most critical for sound quality.

These were those tubes, ranked roughly from cool/austere/detailed to warm/smooth/full. Tube were new except as noted:

• Siemens E88cc 'Rohre' (semi-vintage)
• Reflector 6H23P-EB/6922 (10-15 y/o; originally installed)
• Genalex Gold Lion E88CC/6922
• Electro-Harmonix 6922 Gold
• JJ E88CC/6922 gold pin
• Amperex 6922 'PQ' USA white label (vintage)

I ultimately choose the Genalex Gold Lion E88CC/6922 as good compromise.  In the driver and cathode follower stages I retained the original Reflector tubes.

Here's a pic of the inside of my Sonic Frontiers. The 'gain' tubes are the center row ...

[Bachtoven]

I would not mind having another tube amp (I once owned a PrimaLuna Dialogue HP, which sounded great, but right after the warranty expired, it started blowing tubes!) Two issues give me pause: 1) tubes seem to be quite expensive and/or harder to get these days due to sanctions, and 2) my current B&W 803 D3 speakers dip to 3 ohms below 150 hz, which makes them hard to drive despite being fairly efficient (90dB). I understand that I'd likely lose some low end with a tube amp. Any thoughts?

[Dry Brett Kavanaugh]

Yes I'm a tube roller. I own and roll Reflector, Siemens(RFT), Tesla, Matsushita, Toshiba, RCA, Raytheon, Kenrad, JJ, etc.

[eljr]

Beethoven string quartet #12 op.127

[Mandryka]

Tube-rolling can be addictive. A simple and inexpensive way of improving/changing the sound of an amplifier.

Henry (you know who I mean I think) is convinced that all tubes sound the same.

[Daverz]

Henry (you know who I mean I think) is convinced that all tubes sound the same.

I've done a lot of tube rolling, and I'm not sure that's wrong.

I gave up on tubes.  Just too expensive to maintain, too hot in the summer, and doesn't sound better than my solid state gear.

[Holden]

I've done a lot of tube rolling, and I'm not sure that's wrong.

I gave up on tubes.  Just too expensive to maintain, too hot in the summer, and doesn't sound better than my solid state gear.

I can just imagine the tube fanbois already preparing their pen's (mightier then the sword) to strike you down for your blasphemy   For what it's worth I agree with you.

[Valentino]

Oh, tubes. Ok, I have a 50 years old turntable, but my nostalgia stops there.

This thing is a nice offer for those who need to roll other things than phono cartridges: https://www.schiit.com/products/freya-n
I'm not planning to get one.

[Spotted Horses]

A vacuum tube is an evacuated glass enclosure containing two pieces of metal. One piece of metal (the cathode) is heated, causing electrons to spray off the surface in all directions with a distribution of velocities that depends on the temperature. Some of those electrons hit the other piece of metal (anode), causing a current to flow between the two terminals. A metal grid is inserted between the two pieces of metal and an electrical potential (voltage) is applied to the grid relative to the cathode. If this potential (voltage) is high enough it pushes the electrons spraying off the cathode back where they came from, and pinches off the current. Therefore a voltage controls a current. This is why the device is sometimes called a "valve."

In a transistor (FET) leads are connected to two ends of a semi-conductor slab. Normally the slab is insulating, no current can flow. But an electrical potential (voltage) can be applied to an electrode attached to the side of the slab. This potential can draw electrons into the semiconductor, transforming it into a conductor and allowing current to flow between the terminals. Therefore a voltage controls a current.

They both do the same thing. I'm not sure why one is more "musical" than the other, except that the vacuum tube has substantial capacitance and other physical effects, complicating its behavior and making it more difficult to achieve accurate signal preproduction.

[Irons]

Henry (you know who I mean I think) is convinced that all tubes sound the same.

He said that? Life would be much simpler and less expensive if true. When the day arrives to replace my in excess of a decade old pair of Western Electric 300B's a decision has to be made spend £2000 or £200.