Thursday, December 24, 2009

What makes this music sound so good?


I guess there might be someone out there who wants to know on what kind of equipment I listen to all this music? Well, it's a wonderful system that reveals fine details while keeping music moving. I've heard great systems that can't deliver rhythm and pacing, but this one does this difficult job just fine. Most of the music systems that I don't like sound too sterile, or dry, or they can't involve you at the rhythmic level. Either of these problems makes listening to music very tiring. There is no fatigue while listening to my gear. Here's what I've got:
Reference 3A MM deCapo i speakers
Anthem PRE-2L tube preamp
Granite Audio Aspen 800 tube amp
Cambridge Audio Azur 840C
Wadia 170 iTransport
iPod Classic 160 GB
Music Hall MMF-5 Turntable
Benz Micro Ace cartridge
Pro-Ject Tube Box phono pre-amp

The Reference 3A speakers are just killer. They are very efficient (92dB) so they can be driven by the mighty 8 watts of the Granite Audio 300B SET amp. The Anthem preamp is relatively clean and not terribly "tubey", but it's warm and sweet. I've been very pleased with the sound of the Cambridge Audio CD player, and it's upsampling DAC can be used for other digital signals. I take the digital (Apple Lossless) out of the iPod directly into the Cambridge Audio's DAC, avoiding the iPod's DAC and amplifier. CD quality sound from the iPod. It's a good thing.

Obviously I'm still into vinyl, and there are tubes in all of my pre-amps and amps. Long live analog. I've heard plenty of solid state equipment that sounds good, but I do love the warmth and bloom that tubes and analog recordings provide.

2 comments:

  1. Fantastic blog! Do you have any tips and hints for aspiring writers? I’m planning to start my own website soon but I’m a little lost on everything. Would you propose starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option? There are so many options out there that I’m completely overwhelmed .. Any suggestions? Many thanks! Camp Fire Sounds

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    1. I started this ten years ago on a whim. Blogger was free and I didn't really think about it. If you want to monetize Blogger isn't the way to go, and Wordpress seems more popular right now. I never really cared about getting a lot of readership, but links from other blogs are my primary way to attract readers.

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