Same experience. Went down the SACD path to offset vinyl gaps, but some old CD's sound WAY better on the upgraded system.
Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice
- Thread starter Joe Mac
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Russ I
Well-Known Member
What did she hit you with?
Thackeraye
Well-Known Member
The Metro - “Yesterday’s news Tomorrow”.
AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
I reluctantly added a CD/SACD option to my system, but over time I'm really glad I did. I went used with a 2013 multi format player, but as mentioned, CD's do sound better through the right gear and being new to SACD's it was "ear opening".
I think this kind of boils down to where you stand on physical media, I had a long discussion with a friend of a friend who wanted to set up a vinyl system, new to vinyl, just thought it would be fun, etc... After a long drawn out talk she ended up opting for a streaming rig with a CD player. The tipping point, and I'm glad she listened, was that vinyl is a finicky media, I find that to be part of the fun, but once she got her head past the "flavor of the day" notion that is vinyl today, she did realize she wasn't really looking for THAT.
Even though I have a modest streaming set up, I do, and will always, love having a physical copy of my music.
I reluctantly added a CD/SACD option to my system, but over time I'm really glad I did. I went used with a 2013 multi format player, but as mentioned, CD's do sound better through the right gear and being new to SACD's it was "ear opening".
I think this kind of boils down to where you stand on physical media, I had a long discussion with a friend of a friend who wanted to set up a vinyl system, new to vinyl, just thought it would be fun, etc... After a long drawn out talk she ended up opting for a streaming rig with a CD player. The tipping point, and I'm glad she listened, was that vinyl is a finicky media, I find that to be part of the fun, but once she got her head past the "flavor of the day" notion that is vinyl today, she did realize she wasn't really looking for THAT.
Even though I have a modest streaming set up, I do, and will always, love having a physical copy of my music.
Yeah for sure SACDs have the potential to sound great. There is still some fuckery around where they just convert a 24/96 or even 16/44 file into a DSD container but with the right one that has had the tapes transfererd directly into DSD and has then been mastered well they are fantastic. It’s still not quite vinyl though lol
AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
Agreed, and regardless of the format, its all still a crap in, crap out, game. That's a give in. I just think at a more "entry" level, CD's are a lot less fuss for this person.
But yes, nothing beats a well sourced, mastered and pressed album
Agreed, and regardless of the format, its all still a crap in, crap out, game. That's a give in. I just think at a more "entry" level, CD's are a lot less fuss for this person.
But yes, nothing beats a well sourced, mastered and pressed album
Yeah totally. I have hit a point right now though where my vinyl system is such a very long way clear of where I’m ever going to have my digital system that once they’ve been properly mastered even the digitally sourced pressings sound better on it than streamed or on CDs lol.
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AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
I know exactly what you mean, those albums that sounded less than stellar back in the U-Turn days have come a long way, lol
MikeH
Well-Known Member
looks like NAD has a new power amp coming out?
nadelectronics.com
NAD is pleased to launch the Masters Series M23 Stereo Power Amplifier, a once-in-a-decade innovation that virtually eliminates harmonic and intermodulation distortion. The M23 HybridDigital™ Stereo Power Amplifier employs cutting-edge Eigentakt™ amplifier technology by Purifi, with the ability to provide 2x260W of dynamic power into 8 ohms and 2x520W into 4 ohms. Featuring an elegant all-alloy casework, the M23 breaks grounds in the world of class-D amplifier innovation with its pleasing design and thrilling experience for the ears.
M23 - NAD Electronics
Building on NAD’s long tradition of identifying and developing cutting-edge amplification technology, the M23 HybridDigital Stereo Power Amplifier features Purifi Audio’s Eigentakt™ design, a once-in-a-decade innovation that virtually eliminates harmonic and intermodulation distortion. Noise is...
nadelectronics.com
NAD is pleased to launch the Masters Series M23 Stereo Power Amplifier, a once-in-a-decade innovation that virtually eliminates harmonic and intermodulation distortion. The M23 HybridDigital™ Stereo Power Amplifier employs cutting-edge Eigentakt™ amplifier technology by Purifi, with the ability to provide 2x260W of dynamic power into 8 ohms and 2x520W into 4 ohms. Featuring an elegant all-alloy casework, the M23 breaks grounds in the world of class-D amplifier innovation with its pleasing design and thrilling experience for the ears.
A lot of money for Class D.looks like NAD has a new power amp coming out?
M23 - NAD Electronics
Building on NAD’s long tradition of identifying and developing cutting-edge amplification technology, the M23 HybridDigital Stereo Power Amplifier features Purifi Audio’s Eigentakt™ design, a once-in-a-decade innovation that virtually eliminates harmonic and intermodulation distortion. Noise is...
NAD is pleased to launch the Masters Series M23 Stereo Power Amplifier, a once-in-a-decade innovation that virtually eliminates harmonic and intermodulation distortion. The M23 HybridDigital™ Stereo Power Amplifier employs cutting-edge Eigentakt™ amplifier technology by Purifi, with the ability to provide 2x260W of dynamic power into 8 ohms and 2x520W into 4 ohms. Featuring an elegant all-alloy casework, the M23 breaks grounds in the world of class-D amplifier innovation with its pleasing design and thrilling experience for the ears.
BjorgenFjorgen
Well-Known Member
Dumb question: Audiolab 6000A just arrived. For hooking up my Chromecast Audio, would there be a difference plugging it into one of the analogue Aux inputs or the coaxial/RCA digital input?
JohnnyCashFan
Well-Known Member
using the digital connection I believe you will be using the built in dac in audiolab ? I would compare the two and see what sounds best. The 6000 dac likely to be slightly better quality that the cc dac.
BjorgenFjorgen
Well-Known Member
Perfect, that's what I figured. I'm assuming Audiolab one will also be better. Thanks.
From what I remember of the chromecast when I had one it doesn’t have a coax digital out port on it. The port on it is dual purpose and is either mini RCA to RCA for analogue or mini toslink optical to toslink optical for digital. If the audiolab has an optical digital in as well as the coax I agree that it’s likely going to be better than what’s built into the little puck.
BjorgenFjorgen
Well-Known Member
Yeah, I might have used the wrong words, just going off the Audiolab manual: "coaxial digital inputs" and "optical digital inputs." I've got the CCA with a 3.5mm (on the puck side)-to-RCA cable.
Yeah the optical uses the same 3.5mm port. You just get an toslink cable and a toslink to mini toslink adapter for the chromecast side then. It will connect to the optical digital port.
MikeH
Well-Known Member
yea you'll need that toslink adapter otherwise you're using the built-in DAC on the CC. i have an external dac with my audiolab so mine runs into the normal AUX, but i should try an A/B comparison I suppose!
Angsty
Well-Known Member
Nice review of the Chinook on HiFi News this month:So it's been a month with the Chinook and I'm happy to report its a keeper, and rounds off the "End Game" components of the main system
A little on how this came to be, I've said many times that I tend to look at components for a given system in "price pools", meaning that usually components in the same $$ range seem to get along nicely, not to say there aren't components that "hit above" their price range. My budget for the main system has always been a simple $2-3K (ballpark) per component. With that said, I've always wanted to creep up the ladder with my phono stage, the Insight is a phenomenal piece of equipment, there are no qualms about that, but, the DUO was always there kind of taunting me, lol.
The speed bump, as it were, was the cost. Sitting at $4k it was more than I wanted to spend in keeping with my budget, so we slowly started weighing out the possibility of moving to the 20/20 ($2650 w/LPS). There were no negatives I could really find, I knew what to expect from Sutherland and the Insight was staying in the family either way, so it was decided to make the move.
Enter the Manley Chinook ($2800). Manley has been mentioned on the forum more than once, it wasn't a new name or anything, it just didn't seem to jump out in discussions (part of the reason I'm writing this). I logged on to Upscale Audio and brought up the phono stage page and sorted it by price, just to give one last glance at what was in the same price range as the 20/20.........and, literally, right next to the 20/20 sat the Manley Chinook SE MKII. I shot a PM to @HiFi Guy to get his opinions and at the same time gave UA a call to pick their brains a bit about the 2 units.
So little sidebar, huge kudos to both UA and Manley for phenomenal customer service. I spoke to Josh at UA, a few times actually, and a couple of emails as well, in all probably spending close to 90 minutes comparing the two based on my rig, which he was nice enough to ask about, pull up the components to see their specs and use those in formulating an opinion. At the end of it all with all feedback processed we went with the Manley. What I did appreciate was UA breaking it down to this.......spec wise I would most likely enjoy either or, but if I liked the "tube" sound and what I was getting out of my PL I would probably enjoy the Chinook more. As for Manley, it was kind of shocking getting an email directly from EveAnna Manley after registering my Chinook, even more so when they gave me a shout back telling me they may have sent a unit without all the UA tweaks. After some research on their end it was confirmed my unit was fine, but something to take note of, they could have just as easily ignored the issue, it would have been really easy, but they didn't. And on top of that, it was EveAnna who was carrying on the correspondence with me, which was really crazy to me, but I appreciated so much..........I even got a free T-Shirt for my "troubles".
View attachment 78917
So, how about this bad boy? It's brilliant, noticeably quieter background, silent. A more detailed, airy, dynamic sound with a fantastic mid-range and soundstage. The comparison is difficult, if not bordering on unfair, the Insight is a SS stage that I would categorize a level below the Chinook. If I were to compare, I would put the Chinook against the 20/20, if not something a little higher. At this price point and with what I'm hearing from it, in my opinion, you would be hard pressed to find better without a substantially higher investment.
The "Special Edition MKII" is in reference to the tweaks Manley added to this unit exclusively for UA. An expanded capability to handle load/gain requirements and UA "curated" tubes. The tubes were something that weighed heavy on this discussion with the Chinook, is stacking this with the PL going to make it "too tubey", whatever that actually means. I really fell in love with tubes, the tube sound, how ever you want to define it, with the PL, the Chinook has just brought that beautifully "liquid" sound up a couple of notches, if it's too tubey, it's a good thing. The Chinook does go through a factory burn in process and it was recommended to give it a week to really hit it's stride, to which I assumed 40-50 hours would get us in the "zone".
I think, as with anything, you think you've heard great until you hear the next "great". The Chinook, in comparison to the Insight, does take music/vinyl to another level, once again I sit amazed at how different certain albums sound, how much they've opened up. While some phono's tend to reveal the flaws in crate finds or "lesser quality" recordings, the Chinook actually does a really good job of making audiophile recordings sound jaw dropping, and not so hot pressings enjoyable. The Chinook is a really easy listen, its comfortable, its not strained in any way when you sit down to listen to a variety of music. Full, lush, detailed with an overall natural sound.
I do like sticking to things that I know work and work to my liking, but I'm glad I decided to go a little outside the box on this one, if you're in the market and in this price range put it on your radar, If you're considering a 20/20 I would toss the Chinook right next to it, it's a phenomenal piece of equipment.
Manley Chinook Phono Preamplifier
AnthonyI
Well-Known Member
I absolutely love it.
Russ I
Well-Known Member
Just received 8 Skylan Q-bricks to place under my Harbeths on their Skylan stands. From what I'd read, they're intended to sit on the 4 points of the platform where each of the supports is attached to that platform and in that way help to improve isolation by moving it to and through the supports (or something like that?). Put them in place and I feel like I've experienced that thing that people describe as the bass 'tightening' up. It's funny how with some of these audiophile terms, they're just words until you experience what might be behind them, and then it makes perfect sense. My brain can't accept that any of this is possible with a few little discs, but whatever, I'd recommend these for isolation purposes.
Photo of the Q-bricks:
And the tops of Skylan stands (not mine--generic photo) to show those depressions.
Photo of the Q-bricks:
And the tops of Skylan stands (not mine--generic photo) to show those depressions.