Recent content by REK2575

And yet the Yamaha amps have a long-proven track record of reliability, good performance, customer support at competitive prices. Maybe some of that is just as valuable as 'state of the art SINAD at 1.00 kHz'. Maybe more valuable.

I've used Qobuz and Spotify ("Very High" streaming quality) in tandem for years, and I'm 99.9% sure I cannot tell any difference between them. But it's that 0.1% uncertainty that keeps me subscribing to Qobuz. I just like the peace of mind that with Qobuz I'm getting the best possible quality...

What advantage is an 'R2R' DAC supposed to provide, exactly? Here's what it says on the Amazon listing: Discrete R2R DAC: R-2R ladder DAC converts the digital signal to analog signal by switching resistors' array, it provides a more natural sound. However, this architecture needs precision...

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/poll-for-topping-pa5-owners-only-please.33293/ Failure rate of the PA5 is unacceptably high. Topping has acknowledged there is a problem, but have done nothing about it.

Perhaps this resonates with me as a longtime resident of 'the Commonwealth' myself ;) but I think this is an intriguing comparison. Frankly, I have little doubt anymore that companies like Topping are indeed 'teaching to the test' -- or rather, designing their products to the test, in this case...

My sense of the 12.0s is strongly colored by my experience with the Alpha 3s. I was never really satisfied with the Alphas. They seemed a bit thin in general and ragged in upper registers (I listen to a lot of classical/opera/jazz, fwiw). I gave the 12.0s a shot, and was immediately impressed...

'The Wake' ;) could be considered a very (very) long prose poem, but what I think it really is, is a dream text written in a dream language that Joyce created sui generis. I don't think the book actually depicts one person's dream (this is still a bone of contention among critics), but rather...

Hello @edwardh - Just my two cents, but I use a pair of Diamond 12.0s for a desktop/nearfield set up. I really like them! (They replaced a pair of PSB Alpha 3s that I did not like.) I have a similar desk to yours in terms of size. For me, given other things I need to have on my desk, the 12.0s...

The endurance test of all Joycean endurance tests is Finnegans Wake. I got through it but it took me the better part of two years with a lot of subsidiary critical/explanatory reading to go with it. What I realized toward the end is that it's a book (novel isn't quite right) that can really...

Probably just stating the obvious, but you'll want an integrated amp. with an optical/Toslink in if you want to tie your TV into the system. The Rotel A12 has you covered there, but the A11 does not. I'd recommend taking a good look at the Yamaha A-S501...

The strictly rational part of my brain knows that you are correct, @Blumlein 88 . The semi-rational part still selects the "High Res" recordings over CD-quality recordings on Qobuz. It becomes a kind of audiophile FOMO. "Yeah, I doubt I can hear any difference at all between CD-quality and...

Yes, that stands to reason. What I'd really like to know is, What is the X18's Standby power consumption? I really dislike how warm this thing gets just sitting in Standby. Like @Roland68 point out, it's got to be significantly higher than 0.5W - 1W, to say nothing of the 120 mW standby power...

Gustard really should provide a bit more information about the X18's power usage, whether full or on standby. All the specs say is "Power Consumption: <15W". That's pretty vague! EDIT: By contrast, look at the detailed power info. RME provides for the ADI-2, 2nd screenshot

This is very helpful information - thank you @Roland68. So now I'm wondering how the end-user is supposed to handle this. Is it advisable to always turn the X18 completely off using the back-panel switch when not in use? Or, is it OK to have it in 'standby' at all times it is not in use? Was...

Thanks very much @JimmyMac for confirming. I tried powering down the unit using the back panel power switch, and now it's completely cool to the touch. I guess I didn't read the manual carefully, as the front 'power' button is actually a 'standby' button (Even though the LED screen says "POWER...