The Audiophile Bug Is Biting…

PSOVLSK

If you’re playing at the McIntosh level, I strongly encourage you to contact AudioThesis and see if you can get your ears on some Norma gear. I don’t think you’d be disappointed.

jbreezy5

Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll check it out.

jumpindick

PSOVLSK wrote: »

If you’re playing at the McIntosh level, I strongly encourage you to contact AudioThesis and see if you can get your ears on some Norma gear. I don’t think you’d be disappointed.

Agree. Norma gears are some of the really great stuff out there. I run monoblocks, preamp, cd/DAC- all Norman stuff into Sienas. They are like match made in heaven.

erniejade

@tratliff didn't you make the jump from McIntosh to Norma?

PSOVLSK

jumpindick wrote: »

PSOVLSK wrote: »

If you’re playing at the McIntosh level, I strongly encourage you to contact AudioThesis and see if you can get your ears on some Norma gear. I don’t think you’d be disappointed.

Agree. Norma gears are some of the really great stuff out there. I run monoblocks, preamp, cd/DAC- all Norman stuff into Sienas. They are like match made in heaven.

I’m not the least bit envious of your system.

audioluvr

I dated a girl named Norma. She lived in a Bungalow. She tried running me over with her car when I broke up with her. I'll never own anything named Norma or Bungalow. But hey! To each his own. Or her now that we have woman in our club...

tratliff

erniejade wrote: »

@tratliff didn't you make the jump from McIntosh to Norma?

I did. Had McIntosh 601 monoblocks with C50 preamp. Now have a Norma Revo IPA-140. Couldn’t by happier. Still breaking in but out of the box was a significant improvement in SQ.

erniejade

tratliff wrote: »

erniejade wrote: »

@tratliff didn't you make the jump from McIntosh to Norma?

I did. Had McIntosh 601 monoblocks with C50 preamp. Now have a Norma Revo IPA-140. Couldn’t by happier. Still breaking in but out of the box was a significant improvement in SQ.

Now the hard part of it all, update that signature on the forum LOL

tratliff

erniejade wrote: »

[

Now the hard part of it all, update that signature on the forum LOL

Done....

jbreezy5

Can any Norma fans give me an idea of house sound compared to Pass Labs?

Clipdat

jbreezy5 wrote: »

Can any Norma fans give me an idea of house sound compared to Pass Labs?

Norma IPA-140 > Pass Labs INT-25

jbreezy5

Any sonic descriptors?

Clipdat

I'll have to get back to you on that.

But I bought and still own the Norma. I sent the Pass back.

jbreezy5

Earlier this week I received an used ASHLY GQX-3102 EQ upgrade in the mail. This sucker weighs 15 lbs. due to the toroidal transformer.

Initial power-up led to concerns of possible inherent hum issue.

Shout out to @mhardy6647 whom quickly PM’d me some links to help me troubleshoot the problem. It seems to have simply been dirty power, as problem resolved with line purification in the mix.

I think this aesthetically “works” better with my silver gear, than the BSR EQ3000 did.

I’m somewhat overwhelmed by 31-bands of fine-tuning capability, but still prefer it.

Subjectively, the sound thus far seems a bit smoother, more refined, and “mature”, if you will.

The faders of my BSR EQ3000 had a very small amount of electronic noise, or static, in comparison.

audioluvr

jbreezy5 wrote: »

Somewhere right now @F1nut is looking for rope.

jbreezy5

audioluvr wrote: »

jbreezy5 wrote: »

Somewhere right now @F1nut is looking for rope.

Yes, many (most?) audiophiles are anti-EQ. But I have experimented with the EQ engaged/disengaged, and completely absent from my system.

With EQ sounds unequivocally better, especially in a listening space as small and asymmetrical throughout as mine is.

audioluvr

Hey I'm perfectly fine with whatever makes you happy. Just saying...

jbreezy5

One added bonus forgot to mention, is all balanced connection from pre > EQ > amp now.

Honestly, can’t make a sonic claim, only that it should mean improved CMRR.

pitdogg2

jbreezy5 wrote: »

audioluvr wrote: »

jbreezy5 wrote: »

Somewhere right now @F1nut is looking for rope.

Yes, many (most?) audiophiles are anti-EQ. But I have experimented with the EQ engaged/disengaged, and completely absent from my system.

With EQ sounds unequivocally better, especially in a listening space as small and asymmetrical throughout as mine is.

In the past I did use a coiple of higher end EQ's, It has been years since I have. I did find in a couple of my rental apartments or houses they worked pretty good for low volume listening to get more impact that I would only get at louder volumes without the EQ. At this point it's been years since a company came out with a stand alone EQ.

Clipdat

pitdogg2 wrote: »

At this point it's been years since a company came out with a stand alone EQ.

No, Schiit recently released two of them:

https://www.schiit.com/products/lokius

https://www.schiit.com/products/loki-max

I tried the original Loki but felt that it had a deleterious effect on the audio quality, even when set to bypass mode.

pitdogg2

Well I don't look at schitt

I tried the original Loki but felt that it had a deleterious effect on the audio quality, even when set to bypass mode.

The preamp I used was a Carver C16, it actually had a processer loop that it was in the signal path if engaged and completely out if disengaged.

SCompRacer

jbreezy5 wrote: »

Anyone heard either of these two pres?

Yes. BAT gear is awesome. Vicktor Khomenko of BAT called the 6H30 the super tube. "It had to do with its incredible electrical performance specifications. I usually say that one 6H30 tube is equal to four 6922's, hence the term." In other words, high gain, low impedance, high reliability and low noise.

6H30 tube gear is not for everyone. Some say the 6H30 is not tube sounding at all. Eventually I preferred the 6H30 tube sound over other tube and SS pre amps and went with an Audio Research Ref 3 pre. YMMV.

The 6922 will allow for tube rolling where the 6H30 does not have many choices (Sovtek and Electro Harmonix). If you can find them, big dollars for the NOS 6H30-DR military grade tubes but beware of fakes. In some gear you only get a subtle difference with the NOS 6H30 DR tubes.

GlennDog

jumpindick wrote: »

Norma gear are some of the really great stuff out there. I run monoblocks, preamp, cd/DAC- all Norma stuff into Sienas. They are like match made in heaven.

Congrats! You’ve stepped-up your game to the next level!

. . . SWEET

jumpindick

GlennDog wrote: »

jumpindick wrote: »

Norma gear are some of the really great stuff out there. I run monoblocks, preamp, cd/DAC- all Norma stuff into Sienas. They are like match made in heaven.

Congrats! You’ve stepped-up your game to the next level!

. . . SWEET

Thank you sir! I see you have PSA P10. One of a few things I would regret is selling it. It made a big difference in my system. It can help put out more detailed audio, especially if the speakers are revealing.

jbreezy5

Won an auction for a Denafrips Ares II today!

Decided it’s time to hear digital as it was prior to delta-sigma chips.

Milito

Congrats!

jbreezy5

The Ares II arrived on 12/21, and that evening after a stressful day of work, hooked it up and played some discs (classical, rock, jazz) using a Denon DVD-1940ci as transport.

This is in my office system, and usually I’m happy to get out of that space after having been in it for 8+ hours, but that’s not what happened.

I really was hearing digital playback in a whole new way; music was presented with such ease, grace, and beauty I just listened for hours late into the evening [and this result through KEF Q300 speakers, which can be truthful (analytical) to a fault, at times].

I have listened to it daily since then, never tiring, never fatiguing. All the details are there within an expansive soundstage.

There really is something to this R2R DAC. It is very good.

More to come with some comparisons to what it replaced; will also put it in my main rig to hear how it competes against my Jolida TubeDac III.

msg

Very cool. Always great to see and read about enjoyment in unexpectedly significant improvements in our system experiences. I love those nights when we're just sort of drawn in to losing track of time in those listening sessions: "...one more..." or, "I wonder what [track] sounds like..." experiencing favorites in richer ways.

VR3

R2r is much better than delta sigma to me!

Congrats

treitz3

Implementation, design, gear and other aspects can play a big role between the two. This, to me, is akin to the debate between a Chevy and a Ford.

I know, I know, hear me out....

Both have different motors (DAC's). BUT, both have different drive trains, different torque convertors, different compression, weight, exhausts, length, payload capabilities, towing capabilities, body style and aerodynamics, packages, heavy duty parts, etc...

Each of these "supporting" components, as well as the gear associated with the final playback, (or in the case of a truck, the test of power, towing abilities, bed hauling load weight, etc...) all make a difference in what the "preferred" end result is.

Digital is an approximation. R2R does it direct. Sigma does it a different way. Much like a 4 banger with a turbo versus a big ol' V-8 with a thirsty carb. Both vehicles may make the finish line at the same exact time.....but the experiences getting to that finish line in the drivers seat are definitely different...

Even though the end result is the same.

Tom