Jimbos Audio ramblings

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Originally Posted by Barry

This is the complete opposite of Linn's mantra "Source first", and "Garbage in - garbage out". But then I didn’t believe anything Linn said, or the sycophantic reviewers.

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Haha yes I remember Linn and their mantra but I thought it was fundamentally wrong, but of course they made they made their name from the source end!

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Originally Posted by Barry

I could never understand why dCS gear costs as much as it does. Maybe it's the cost of sculpting the ridiculously thick front panel. :scratch:

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The market is there I suppose. I don't like the look personally. It's over-styled.

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Originally Posted by Barry

This is the complete opposite of Linn's mantra "Source first", and "Garbage in - garbage out". But then I didn’t believe anything Linn said, or the sycophantic reviewers.

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'Source first' does make some sense with vinyl or tape where you need some serious mechanical engineering to get optimal results. But it makes no sense with digital sources.

Interesting how some DAC manufacturers have gone overboard to set the look of their DACS apart from the boring Chinese black boxes.

I suppose it gets them noticed but there is no accounting for taste. I also don't like DACs that look like a scientific piece of equipment with rows and rows of buttons and little lights but there again I am a minimalist.:)

Ok had an afternoon listening to tunes via the DAC but now on the vinyl - what a relief!

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Originally Posted by Macca

'Source first' does make some sense with vinyl or tape where you need some serious mechanical engineering to get optimal results. But it makes no sense with digital sources.

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Yes - the first 'half-decent' bit of kit I bought was a Garrard SP25 (Mk.II). It was all I could afford at the time, but knew I needed something better on which to play my 'valuable' vinyl records.

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Originally Posted by Barry

Yes - the first 'half-decent' bit of kit I bought was a Garrard SP25 (Mk.II). It was all I could afford at the time, but knew I needed something better on which to play my 'valuable' vinyl records.

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Some of those SP25 series of turntables were difficult to get a high quality level of sound from. I had a few including the Garrard SP25 IV. Lots of plastic involved and lacking in adjustability.

A move away from the crystal pickup to a Shure MM was a big step up. The only mod I did on my Mk.II was to remove the the arm return link.

The Garrard lasted a year before I acquired a Collaro 2010 (a sort of poor man's Garrard 301), removed the indifferent arm and replaced it with an SME and a Shure M55E.

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Originally Posted by Barry

A move away from the crystal pickup to a Shure MM was a big step up. The only mod I did on my Mk.II was to remove the the arm return link.

The Garrard lasted a year before I acquired a Collaro 2010 (a sort of poor man's Garrard 301), removed the indifferent arm and replaced it with an SME and a Shure M55E.

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Ah the Shure M55e - great cartridge. I had some Garrard Turntables in the early 1980s but by then they had gone very plasticky and light years away from 301 and 401. I went back in time and bought a 301 - what beast by comparison. Agricultural build quality and lovely engineering as we all know. Used that with a Decca Blue as recommended by the great Glenn Croft.

Nice to see you've returned back to the dark side!