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Please see below as these messages don't link up well on my screen. pfarrell;364923 Wrote: > Mitchell J. Stein wrote: > > I have a very simple question, and I'm not going to bore you with > the > > background of why I'm asking the question. I have homes, home > > theaters, family rooms, old klipsche speakers, bose 901 series III > and > > the rest of it. > > Do you still have your Large Advents? I still have two ( I gave two > others to a buddy.) They aren't my main listening speakers, but I sure > know what they sound like. They still bring a lot of bang for the > buck, > but you need a big amp to drive those old things. I started with a > Dynaco ST120, and found that 400 watts or more helped a lot. (solid > state, you could get away with less when using quality tube amps. > > > As an audiophile (or at least a > > "wantabee" audiophile, or a rusty one), I use my ears. > > That is the only thing that anyone can trust. > > > However, the IPOD home dock sounds good only on SOME rock 'n roll > > songs. On others, it sounds HARD, ONE DIMENSIONAL, IMPERSONAL and > not > > like the old ADVENTS I used to run against my 1968 "tube" McIntosh > > amplifiers 30 years ago. So, what to do? > > First get something other than the iPod as a source. > Second, to get real sounds, you can't use low end MP3 files. > But we can help with that. > > Do you have a CD that you like? Say Dire Staits Brothers in Arms? or > some old Byrds? > > > > Do I spend $40,000 and re-tube the joint alongside all this computer > equipment? Three > > "experts" have told me "yes." > > They are either crooks, or think you have too much money. > > But you may have to spend a few thousand to get back in the game. > > > > Is my problem the Z 5500 or the lack of a good DAC connected to my > > IPOD? Is the duet a good DAC? > > The duet has a very decent DAC, when you feed it good sources. > > > > What in the world is a DAC and why is so important? > > Digital to Analog Convertor. Its what converts bits to sound waves > that > you can feed to an amp to feed to your speakers. > > > > > Now, my second problem. If the duet really does the trick and > bypasses > > the problem of my IPOD not having the proper DAC, then why am I not > just > > buying the Transporter? > > You can do that, but I recommend you start lower, spend less, and make > sure you are going the correct way. > > Where are you physically? You may find someone here that is willing to > let you come to their house. For example, I live outside Washington > DC. > > > > Does the Transporter even have anything to do with DAC? > > The Transporter contains a DAC. > The Duet contains a DAC, it just costs less than the one in the > Transporter. > > > C. Are the people at DECCO correct when they say "no DAC makes a > > difference if you don't have the old "tubes," "audiophile," "70s > > equipment"? This is illogical to me > > They are blowing smoke. > > Pat > > Pat, thanks for the comprehensive post. It really helps because I am > impulsive and was capable of buying all kinds of wasteful things. I am > new to this forum, and can't figure out how you are able to post in blue > responsive to each question. Kind of neat. I'll figure it out > eventually. Here's some responses and why your answers were helpful: > > 1. I still have the Advents (the speakers are such that the word > Advent must always be capitalized). If the Duet doesn't completely > solve the problem, I'm bringing them out and replacing the woofers in > the process. But after seeing the posts, and reading yours carefully, > my opinion is "not so fast." I want to see what the Duet does. I told > DECCO to take a hike. In any event, I originally ran the Advents off a > 1978 Pioneer SX-1280. I remember listening to Boston and Zeppelin and > The Beatles and Wings off of them 12 hours per day in my college dorm > room. I was at Indiana U. My dorm mates would be competing with the > Grateful Dead, who I never much liked but respected that they got off > on it. So I would just shove Achilles Last Stand down their throat on > the Advents (even if I had to play it 30 straight times) and they'd > leave for the day. It seems like yesterday and nothing I've seen has > sounded that good since. However, in a spring cleaning with my x-wife > (note I said "x"), she sold "the monster" Pioneer (which was also quite > beautiful) in a yard sale circa 1988 for $100. Obviously, we were > divorced within a few years from that fateful day. (I was practicing > law and only interested in my car stereo at the time.) > > 2. Thanks for the comment on the IPOD. You'd be surprised. If > somebody would just "say it," then us people who are trying to make a > comeback can make the right moves. Everybody is saying something > different. Apple is trying to get me to buy a different docking > station. Then there is this other company called Sonos? Who put them > into my life? Using pure logic, I figured that the source was "bad," > just like having a bad turntable 30 years ago or a bad tape deck circa > same. But nobody will just COME OUT AND SAY IT like you did. I'm > keeping the sound dock, but only for smaller uses (maybe on my boat). > I'm gonna make sure that the duet is not the answer. You are right. > Most prudent way to go. However, if duet is the answer, I would > appreciate somebody telling me what extra "ya yas" I would experience > from the Transporter. The thing looks nice on the website. There's > got to be some technology in there! I'm pretty sure the MPEG-4 format > is good. That is what I'm using, so maybe the duet will lead me in the > right direction. Is that right? > > 3. I have an audiophile-worthy CD player and also a large home > threater "on the other side of the house" with a huge Sony system > installed by "professionals." (It sounds "just OK" and "came with the > house.") In any event, the only disks I still have that I like are the > entire Eagles collection and 10 visual concerts (DVDs) of Clapton. > > 4. I am in Pittsburgh and would love any assistance if you know how to > get someone here. This little room I've developed is like a sanctuary > to rock 'n roll (I was at the first three pink floyd concerts as a > kid), bodybuilding, roberto clemente and the steelers. Then, I've got > a Computer Tower with a large monitor with 6 hard drives each holding > 500GB. And then, I've got this huge television (new phillips) to watch > the games and movies. That is where the problem has come in. All of > the experts have been wrong so far. They are nickel and diming me. I > got two new IPOD docking stations. No good. Larger speaker wire. No > good. A new generation IPOD in which I went through the brain damage of > downloading my ITUNES four times until I got it right -- developing 8 > new playlists -- I mean, complete and total maniacal and wasteful work. > No difference. (The IPOD guy said the new generation IPOD had the > "finest DAC made;" that is the first time I heard the phrase "DAC.") > Because the TV sounds great out of the Z5500, I have not pulled out the > Advents from the basement and gone for a new receiver . . . yet. I will > do that next, but you seem to be saying "not so fast" and the duet will > be here Tuesday. I'll tell you how it goes. I hope it is not too hard > to hook up. > > 5. Your comment about DECCO. LMFAO. I ordered the unit, but > cancelled the order on the Internet this morning after reading your > post. If they shipped it (40 watts per channel or something; what was > I thinking?), I am sending it back w/letter to follow. But don't laugh > at me too much before first looking at their misleading advertisement > and realize what my issues are. It looked like it was "the answer." > Click here to see their misleading advertisement on this exact issue: > > http://www.signalpathint.com/images/stories/Brochures/decco_brochure_v2.pdf > > Hell, they even say that you need their system if you are buying a > duet? Now, after reading your post, it is a little clearer. I've just > got to see if duet's DAC makes a difference in "my own ears" and if it > does, I then hook up a squeezebox in every room in the house (I already > have good systems throughout the house) and . . . bingo. But how about > DECCO? What are they doing man? Convincing a perfectly good, albeit > slightly damaged, brain who has listened to his share of music so that > he knows it all by heart (note for note, word for word), to buy a 40 > watt per channel, two channel, amplifier? Pretty sick. > > Am willing to spend what is needed "to get back in the game" but I want > to incorporate the new stuff because it is obviously important since all > my music is now in digital format. > > I also need some help with my theater room. The screen is the size of > a theater and something is missing on the sound. The rack has 10 > components on it and it all works off of some gigantic remote control. > I'll post on that later. You seem to know your stuff. I am tired of > having the experts come out and sell me. They want me to turn the pool > lights, the outside lights, the garbage disposal and the jacuzzi on and > off with the theater room remote control. Things are getting bad here. > "Got to get down to it. Soldiers are cutting us down." > > Thanks Pat! > -- > Pat Farrell > http://www.pfarrell.com/ -- Mitchell J. Stein ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Mitchell J. Stein's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=21520 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=55712 _______________________________________________ discuss mailing list discuss@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/discuss