Sunday, April 19, 2015
New SpeakersThe Monitor Audio Silver 8 speakers arrived two days ago. All I can say is...WOW! A big improvement
on the NHT's. They will need some time to break in, but they are already showing their quality. This system is really sounding
good after all the upgrades. Maybe a more powerful Tube amp is next. The Rouge Audio Magnum (90 wpc, KT-120 tubes) is a contender.
For now, I'll just enjoy playing everything I have over the new stuff. The AQ King Cobra interconnects, the Parasound Halo
P5, and the Silver 8's. I did do a controlled comparison between the Marantz Sa-8001 SACD player and the AQ Dragonfly. The
Marantz won by a small, but definite margin.
3:40 pm cdt
Saturday, April 11, 2015
Audio UpgradesI have recently started a major upgrade of my audio system. First,
I replaced all the AQ Diamondbacks with AQ King Cobra, I then put Herbie's Audio tube dampers on all eight tubes of the amp.
I finally decided to replace the Dynaco, and purchased the Parasound Halo P5. I have ordered new speakers, the Monitor Audio
Silver 8. Also, I upgraded the amp's power cord. Total cost was about $3800. The King Cobra cables made a definite difference,
especiall in the bass and impact. The dampers weren't dramatic, but a subtle improvement in smoothness. The big change was
the Parasound. The dynaco was good, especially with those NOS Mullard tubes, but the Parasound is a big leap forward.
9:24 pm cdt
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