The Most Audiophool Thing You Own

[watchnerd]

For me, hands-down, it's my Yph phono stage:

It gets more comments, questions, than other piece of electronics I own. As a work of living room art, it's great.

As a work of craftmanship, it's great. Hand-made case, point-point-wiring.

As a piece of audio gear, it's crazy. It doesn't fit in a rack. It has no adjustment to cartridge loading or gain. It's output is somewhat anemic. The noise floor is high. Specs would probably be bested by a $50 solid state stage with a wall wart.

But, it's part of my vinyl world, which is already objectively inferior, so I don't worry.

And yours?

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

I have nothing that can top that.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[amirm]

Wow, that must be the most unusual industrial design I have seen for any audio product!

 

[amirm]

I don't have anything exciting to offer other than I guess my Reel to Reel tape deck and tapes I have paid $250 for.

Don't have a full picture of the deck handy but do have this snippet of its meters taken with my cell phone:

 

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

That deck looks very professional-grade. What is it?

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[Thomas savage]

I have something that's horrendously compromised , over indulgent and basically not fit for purpose....

 

[watchnerd]

I don't have anything exciting to offer other than I guess my Reel to Reel tape deck and tapes I have paid $250 for.

Don't have a full picture of the deck handy but do have this snippet of its meters taken with my cell phone:

I've thought multiple times of getting into R2R (not the DACs), but every time I look at the same price of the media and the maintenance needs of the decks, I slap myself.

But I'll probably get one someday, if I find a Revox. If nothing else, I'll make mix tapes of my LPs.

 

[amirm]

It is an Otrai MX-5050:

It was the last reel to reel still in production. Sadly, they shut down the factory this fall.

I understand the main market for it was radio stations.

 

[watchnerd]

It was the last reel to reel still in production. Sadly, they shut down the factory this fall.

I understand the main market for it was radio stations.

Isn't Nagra reviving their line?

 

[amirm]

I asked them about it at RMAF. They seemed to have a lot of reservation about doing so. My sense is that they won't.

 

[watchnerd]

I asked them about it at RMAF. They seemed to have a lot of reservation about doing so. My sense is that they won't.

Well, damn. Back to hunting for good used ReVox models, then...

 

[RayDunzl]

All my stuff is rather utilitarian, unless taken as a whole, then I probably look insane to the average Joe.

I've been considering hooking up my Dad's old shortwave transceiver so I can listen to the BBC as nature intended, if that counts.

I did stick my DAC to the glass shelf with some Blu-tac, so I could push and pull its cables with one hand. I could claim it was to stop vibration, if pressed.

Oh, wait... I'm using the CAST connection from my pre to the monoblocks. Bet nobody else here does that... I guess I spoil it by using Chinese knockoff Lemo's and some 4 conductor phone wire from the snake pit.

 

[fas42]

Best I can offer are some Van den Hul cables, from 30 years ago ...

 

[Thomas savage]

All my stuff is rather utilitarian, unless taken as a whole, then I probably look insane to the average Joe.

I've been considering hooking up my Dad's old shortwave transceiver so I can listen to the BBC as nature intended, if that counts.

I did stick my DAC to the glass shelf with some Blu-tac, so I could push and pull its cables with one hand. I could claim it was to stop vibration, if pressed.

Oh, wait... I'm using the CAST connection from my pre to the monoblocks. Bet nobody else here does that... I guess I spoil it by using Chinese knockoff Lemo's and some 4 conductor phone wire from the snake pit.

Intresting, I used to fancy using cast during my 5 year krell obsession.. Bought the cables and the amp but never got round to having the cast pre and or CDP.

From anecdotal reports over the years iv got the impression it was worse than the standard balanced connection though.. What do you think Ray?

 

[watchnerd]

Oh, wait... I'm using the CAST connection from my pre to the monoblocks. Bet nobody else here does that... I guess I spoil it by using Chinese knockoff Lemo's and some 4 conductor phone wire from the snake pit.

CAST?

 

[amirm]

CAST?

It is Krells proprietary current based interconnect scheme between their equipment.

 

[Sal1950]

Dang, nothing left to post in way of gear, I feel so left out.
Closest I get to anything High End now a days is my Emotiva DC-1 DAC
I do have a subscription to Stereophile if that counts, very audiophool IMHO

 

[Sal1950]

CAST?

It is Krells proprietary current based interconnect scheme between their equipment.

Thanks Amir, I was just going to ask. Funny I never heard of it either..

 

[watchnerd]

Dang, nothing left to post in way of gear, I feel so left out.
Closest I get to anything High End now a days is my Emotiva DC-1 DAC
I do have a subscription to Stereophile if that counts, very audiophool IMHO

Stereophile is sane compared to Analog Planet or Audiostream.

 

[watchnerd]

It is Krells proprietary current based interconnect scheme between their equipment.

Why in the world would they re-invent the analog interconnect?