novisnick
EmoPhile
CEO Secret Monoblock Society
Posts: 27,230
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Post by novisnick on May 10, 2015 10:43:00 GMT -5
Easy garbulky,,,,,,,,,,,,easy now,,,,,,,,,,, 8)
MONOBLOCK Society has an application just waiting for you!! And you DO KNOW that that is what you want/need to satisfy your wants and needs. Short term gratification will only make you sad when you try and sell to upgrade to what you really want.
At one time, I upgraded monthly, 30 day return policy, for three straight months. I know this is not normal ( who said I was ) but eventually I had listened to the amps/gear I wanted to hear and settled on what I was going to keep. Made me a very happy man and enjoyed the "Free" listen for awhile. No one at Emo got mad or gave me a hint of disapproval.
If you can swing it, it worked for me, returns from my location didn't cost much ( rental fee ) and I saved money while enjoying new gear. Note, if everyone did this I'm sure Big Dan would be at my door asking what was wrong with me,,,,,,he,,,,,he,,,,,,he,,,,,,, I've since spent a bunch of money with them and am very happy.,,,,,,,,just two more cents from Emo South
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Post by Boomzilla on May 10, 2015 11:17:51 GMT -5
I'm a morning person - the Gars are "early afternoon" folks. Getting Gar to a yard sale at 6AM would leave him so delirious that he'd be snapping up Teac integrateds from 1975! LOL Although there's wheat to be had at yard sales, you're going to have to go through LOTS of chaff to find it. Most lack the patience. They expect to find $20 Audio Research tube amps at the first few sales they to to & become discouraged when they don't. Further, the prime ingredient to successful yard saleing is KNOWLEDGE. If you know that a particular item is valuable, collectable, or exceptionally sweet-sounding when others don't then you'll get the deal. I've bought a Leica M3 camera for $45. I've bought Dynaco PAS / Stereo 35 combos for $100. I've bought Spendor LS3-5As for $10. I've bought a Rolex Explorer for $100. I've bought an Omega "Man On The Moon" watch for $300. But I've also had to wade through LOTS of weekends where I found absolutely nothing. I've done exceptionally well, lately, though, finding musical instruments for the Garbulky family. Sometimes one is just lucky...
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Post by cwmcobra on May 10, 2015 11:53:50 GMT -5
Gar, This looks like it might have "meant to be": UPA-1s for saleSorry if that makes your decision even more difficult Chuck
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novisnick
EmoPhile
CEO Secret Monoblock Society
Posts: 27,230
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Post by novisnick on May 10, 2015 12:03:41 GMT -5
I'm a morning person - the Gars are "early afternoon" folks. Getting Gar to a yard sale at 6AM would leave him so delirious that he'd be snapping up Teac integrateds from 1975! LOL Although there's wheat to be had at yard sales, you're going to have to go through LOTS of chaff to find it. Most lack the patience. They expect to find $20 Audio Research tube amps at the first few sales they to to & become discouraged when they don't. Further, the prime ingredient to successful yard saleing is KNOWLEDGE. If you know that a particular item is valuable, collectable, or exceptionally sweet-sounding when others don't then you'll get the deal. I've bought a Leica M3 camera for $45. I've bought Dynaco PAS / Stereo 35 combos for $100. I've bought Spendor LS3-5As for $10. I've bought a Rolex Explorer for $100. I've bought an Omega "Man On The Moon" watch for $300. But I've also had to wade through LOTS of weekends where I found absolutely nothing. I've done exceptionally well, lately, though, finding musical instruments for the Garbulky family. Sometimes one is just lucky... I hereby revise my statement and would commission Boomzilla!! Yes boom, there's no replacement for old age ,,,,,,,,,,I'm mean knowledge,,,,,yeh! That's it!!! KNOWLEDGE!!!!
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Post by Boomzilla on May 10, 2015 12:25:18 GMT -5
Yes boom, there's no replacement for old age ,,,,,,,,,,I'm mean knowledge,,,,,yeh! That's it!!! KNOWLEDGE!!!! Alas, the two seem so often to come only as a pair. If I could but go back to being 16 again, knowing what I know now... Pamela Beeson, Juannie Schoffler, Oh My!
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Post by swissie on May 10, 2015 15:10:54 GMT -5
As far as electronics are concerned my biggest improvement came with the purchase of an XSP-1. IMHO 95% of those reading need no power than a XPA-1L has to offer. Putting my sub on spikes improved my bass significantly - it became tighter. Optimising my room using HOFA acoustic elements helped in a big way - got rid of the standing waves and the diffusors took the edge off the upper mid-range. My recording engineer friends appear to spend a lot of time optimising their acoustics at work and at home. Cables and mains filtration helped too. On acoustics, listen here to see what I mean:
hofa-akustik.de/en/audio-samples/
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Post by vneal on May 10, 2015 15:54:05 GMT -5
I bought a RCA Victor horn Gramophone works well for $75 at a garage sale. Bought 3 sets of 4 Audioquest Sorbathane large footers for $15 for all 12 at a sale.
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Post by garbulky on Jul 30, 2015 17:09:03 GMT -5
Okay guys well I've knocked one thing off my list so far and that's the UPA-1's. Now my choices for amps are XPA-1 L, or XPA-2's. Vs XPA-1 gen 2. So some problems against the XPA-1 gen 2, I have very few power outlets in my living room wall. And the few are already kind of shared with a bunch of stuff including a computer. Though I KNOW I can manage an XPA-2, I'm not sure how well it could manage the XPA-1 L's class A power or even the XPA-1 gen 2 class
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Post by teaman on Jul 30, 2015 17:13:09 GMT -5
Okay guys well I've knocked one thing off my list so far and that's the UPA-1's. Now my choices for amps are XPA-1 L, or XPA-2's. Vs XPA-1 gen 2. So some problems against the XPA-1 gen 2, I have very few power outlets in my living room wall. And the few are already kind of shared with a bunch of stuff including a computer. Though I KNOW I can manage an XPA-2, I'm not sure how well it could manage the XPA-1 L's class A power or even the XPA-1 gen 2 class I heard something about a "Fire Sale" on the UPA-2's!
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Post by garbulky on Jul 30, 2015 17:13:55 GMT -5
ROFL!
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novisnick
EmoPhile
CEO Secret Monoblock Society
Posts: 27,230
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Post by novisnick on Jul 30, 2015 17:42:27 GMT -5
My dear friend Garbulky, at this time I will inquire as to your thoughts of the brief listen to the " Bait System " you heard at Casa Novis? Even though we were streaming you did get to hear the JBLs and the Power of the dark side,,,,,,,I mean the XPA-1Ls driving them. Thoughts?
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Post by brutiarti on Jul 30, 2015 18:06:36 GMT -5
Xpa-1's all the way. If the funds are not ready i will upgrade the preamp first
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Post by knucklehead on Jul 30, 2015 18:31:21 GMT -5
After reading this thread in its entirety I'm still trying to figure out why anyone that listens to large floorstanding speakers in a small room at very low SPL needs more power than a mini-x amp could provide. The UPA-2 amp is every bit as good as a pair of 1 kilowatt mono amps in such an environment. Don't tell me about how 'fast' an amp is or about 'controlling' the drivers in the speakers - unless you're listening at 100+db levels you aren't using any of the capability of the larger amps. Do yourself a favor before you dump a bunch of $$'s into a new amp - cart that UPA-2 over to a friend's home and have someone connect one amp then the next - try to pick one from the other - I'm betting ( and so is this guy) you won't be able to tell one from the other. Amps are --- well ---- amps! If you want more power get one of the lowly Behringer A500 amps - they out punch anything at 3x or more in price. Period. It's your money - spend it how you want but you won't hear a difference between the UPA-2 and the XPA-2 at db levels of '60's and 70's'. None! Gar - methinks you read too much internet fluff about amps and such. I agree with you about that Behringer DAC - quite amazing - especially for the price.
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Post by vneal on Jul 30, 2015 18:34:56 GMT -5
I bought an AR turntable with a Shure V15 cartridege for 50$ a few years back. Sold it, wish I still had it.
Bought my Furman new in the box never opened for $350
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Post by garbulky on Jul 30, 2015 20:30:57 GMT -5
My dear friend Garbulky, at this time I will inquire as to your thoughts of the brief listen to the " Bait System " you heard at Casa Novis? Even though we were streaming you did get to hear the JBLs and the Power of the dark side,,,,,,,I mean the XPA-1Ls driving them. Thoughts? View AttachmentIt sounded good Unfortunately the JBl's were so different in sound from my setup it was impossible for me to compare it. Other than to say I was "baited" hehe. After reading this thread in its entirety I'm still trying to figure out why anyone that listens to large floorstanding speakers in a small room at very low SPL needs more power than a mini-x amp could provide. The UPA-2 amp is every bit as good as a pair of 1 kilowatt mono amps in such an environment. Don't tell me about how 'fast' an amp is or about 'controlling' the drivers in the speakers - unless you're listening at 100+db levels you aren't using any of the capability of the larger amps. Do yourself a favor before you dump a bunch of $$'s into a new amp - cart that UPA-2 over to a friend's home and have someone connect one amp then the next - try to pick one from the other - I'm betting ( and so is this guy) you won't be able to tell one from the other. Amps are --- well ---- amps! If you want more power get one of the lowly Behringer A500 amps - they out punch anything at 3x or more in price. Period. It's your money - spend it how you want but you won't hear a difference between the UPA-2 and the XPA-2 at db levels of '60's and 70's'. None! Gar - methinks you read too much internet fluff about amps and such. I agree with you about that Behringer DAC - quite amazing - especially for the price. Hi Jones! appreciate the frank appraisal. I can't resist. I do like me some internet fluff. Constantly looking for the best deal. However I very rarely upgrade my gear though I do salivate over the latest and greatest. I made the mistake of doing incremental upgrades many years ago and I realized I would save a lot more money doing larger more lasting upgrades. Whether amps and electronics make a difference etc I think in the end - despite all the experiments - comes down to personal experience whether one jumps on the amps amps amps! bandwagon, or goes down a more practical path. I will always concede that my ears are not really much different from the average joe. For instance, I have no pre conceived notion that I would pass a double blind level matched test. I've tried modest A/B "near" level matched tests and had a hard time distinguishing sounds between units. I'm near certain I would have failed the tests. But...my problem is...in the long run I've found differences in products. The realism and the enjoyment level is different over time. The speed at which dynamics can change is different. Etc. Pluggin the XPA-2 to my system made it apparent to me that there were differences in amplifiers - even if they were subtle and at low volumes. So I hope to upgrade my amplifier. Now obviously you disagree and I assume that you don't hear these differences. That's actually pretty great news! This way when you buy stuff you waste money only on stuff that matter!! Now you have some validty regarding your advice. I've found the biggest jumps in quality so far that I've witnessed was especially with my friend B'zilla were this . Ranked from one onward though some or almsot equivalent. 1. Buying the axiom M80 speakers. 2. Buying a nice sub. 3. Buying two nice subs. 4. The XSP-1. (And Oppo 105 together). 5. XPA-1 L and also XPR-2. (Both provided somewhat equal but slightly different presentations) Now of interest - I did note that even though each purchase helped increase sound quality...it was not until they were all put together that they went from pretty good sounding stuff they were to remarkably good no-grrreat sound! So I guess maybe I should be concentrating on some different priorities like dual subs for instance. But for some reason, I keep getting hung up on the amps It's a curse I tell you. But my UPA-2 is getting long in the tooth though still functioning and is probably my oldest audio gear so that is also a factor... Xpa-1's all the way. If the funds are not ready i will upgrade the preamp first Actually I am incredibly tempted to jump on the XSP-1. Arrrgh. But there is another tempter on the pricier horizon- www.audio-gd.com/HE/HE-1/HE-1EN.htmAlas no bass management. What to do?!
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novisnick
EmoPhile
CEO Secret Monoblock Society
Posts: 27,230
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Post by novisnick on Jul 30, 2015 20:50:25 GMT -5
Garbulky,,,,,,I don't have an amp fetish!?!?!?!?! ,,,,,,,,or do I!! YES,!! I'm Cursed as well!!!
Six MONOBLOCK s later, I only own four!! And a total of 8 amps in the house now!!!,,,,,,NOooooooo! No amp fetish for me,,,,,,he,,,,,he,,,,he,,,,,,,
I Feel your Obsession my friend!!!
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Post by brutiarti on Jul 30, 2015 20:56:58 GMT -5
Gar, i can tell that you are attracted to the regenerative power supply but i read that it shows some issues after a period of time, don't know the exact details why. Also looks like mr kingwa is discontinuing the line. I will just jump on a master 1 or 9 and don't look back
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Post by knucklehead on Jul 30, 2015 21:09:51 GMT -5
Good luck on your audio journey Gar. The trip is at least half the fun so strap in and enjoy the ride. Spend your money wisely and you'll have something that will give you pleasure for many years.
FWIW I'm with the guys suggesting the XSP-1 if two channel is important to you. Its something that won't be replaced for many years - unless you opt into buying an XMC-1 or the upcoming XMR-1. I won't be buying one. While the gen 2 looks better IMO (its what I have) I think they are the same machine although I'm not positive about that. Spray paint the trim and volume knob! I've owned two USP-1's prior to getting the XSP-1 both are very transparent. Volume control is way better than the USP-1 - and since I use the HT bypass (rarely!) and like my 2 channel sans subs the USP-1 would no longer work for me when I bought the song towers. The frequency response with the USP-1 is hamstrung with that not-so-friendly bass control which forces anyone that doesn't use subs for stereo use with no options other than to switch interconnects come movie time - or suffer and use the 50hz bypass - killing low end response.
I've been down a similar road over the years as what you're treading down (I'm 67) and I think I've found what really works well. The combination of the XSP-1 - Onkyo/Integra amp and the song towers have created a very nice setup.
One thing I have to give you credit for - when I was looking for a DAC for my computer to XSP-1 I kept remembering something in your sig line and thought I'd give it a try. For $30 how can you lose? The Behringer UC202 is quite the gem. I wish more audio nuts would give it a try (just ignore the price-tag)- I think they'd be surprised. I was! I nearly bought an XDA-1 or -2 but dislike all the wires and space those things take up. Not to mention having another remote. I have 8 remotes next to me - yeah - thats a lot. The Behringer DAC didn't need one so I gave it a try. And I'm happy I did.
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Post by Gary Cook on Jul 31, 2015 0:39:02 GMT -5
Another happy UCA202 owner here, based on gar's recommendation, mine was $A25 brand new from an EBay Australia supplier (about $US18). I just ordered a couple of Big Ego's, so looking forward to some back to back comparisons.
Cheers Gary
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novisnick
EmoPhile
CEO Secret Monoblock Society
Posts: 27,230
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Post by novisnick on Jul 31, 2015 0:45:53 GMT -5
Another happy UCA202 owner here, based on gar's recommendation, mine was $A25 brand new from an EBay Australia supplier (about $US18). I just ordered a couple of Big Ego's, so looking forward to some back to back comparisons. Cheers Gary Honestly, I would think this little gem would be everyone's first stand alone DAC! But that's just me,,,,,he,,,,,he,,,,,he,,,,,,
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