Showing (off) your Roon setup - description and photos [2015-04 .. 2021-03]

There are a few that let you have the best of both worlds, like the Schiit Freya+, can switch between tube mode, and solid state mode. Real interesting to listen to various recordings and various genres, under the different modes.

Now that’s more like it!

You think new vinyl is bad, and by that I take it you mean the 180 gm. stuff, you should have tried listening to early '70s vinyl. Sometimes the Columbia Record Club sent records that were so warped one couldn’t play them.

I spent more than $500 1970’s dollars on machines to get rid of background hiss and pops and clicks because the vinyl was so thin and non-virginal.

So it goes.

I like the syrupy warmth of tube distortion. :wink:

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I get it in the sense that you’re working within the analogue domain. So adding tubes rather than going solid state will alter the sound in another way. Not saying solid state/transistors doesn’t alter the sound. Solid state is more keeping it on the dry and in most cases more “correct”. This is my experience.

So when it comes to a DAC I’d rather keep things as correct as possible and then later alter this to my liking within the analogue domain. Of course the DAC already outputs analogue but I like that to be as conservative as possible.

For example many people praise the Chord DAVE as having a great pre amp. I find it ok but lacking a true body and soul. I’ve tried to challenge this view in order to save both money and space, but ended up buying my Grandinote preamp. Still love the DAC for what it does though, no doubts there!

No, I’m speaking of all vinyl sourced from digital masters (99.9% of all new recordings are digital) and digital remasters (100% of all remastered recordings). doesn’t matter whether or not they are 180 gram. Still sourced from digital, even if the original recording was 100% analog.

Okay I can accept that. At least you are being honest!

If we weren’t all different we would have no one to feel superior to [tongue in cheek].
In my opinion people should follow their own path, I wouldn’t ask 100 people’s opinion before trying marmite.

@RodS thanks! Here is a couple more per your request :grin:


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now you need to ID your tonearms. :wink:

is that a funk firm fx3 lurking in the back of the 301?

:grin: sure @woodford
Actually, the one in the back is a my diy tonearm based on empire tonearm, fishing pole, and audio Technica parts. I like to call it as Frankenstein tonearm lol. The others two are Jelco 12 and 10. My reason behind this is , I can play 78, mono, stereo, or any kind of records without having to change cartridges all the time.

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which Jelco? 250, 750, etc?

@woodford They are Jelco SA-750L (12”) and SA-750E (10”). I’m quite happy with them. Currently the 12” has fidelity research fr1 mk3f the 10” is with shure v15 type3. Last but not least, my Frankenstein arm has tannoy mono cart. :grinning:

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Someone should write a Roon DSP plugin which would allow you to dial the precise amount of 2nd harmonic distortion you want to hear. Seems like that would save you (among others) a lot of trouble and expense.

Hmm, that would HQPLayer?

BTW - In this whole discussion about a tube DAC, do I detect veiled or maybe not so veiled disdain from the solid state crowd?

Not from me. If you’re cognizant of what you’re doing (i.e., if you find the bit of distortion added by a tube stage pleasing to the ears), then by all means go for it!

I was just suggesting that there are probably software alternatives which can achieve the same effects, with greater versatility, at lower cost.

Yeah, but then I couldn’t spend even more money on tube rolling. :smirk:

Peace.

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Tube DAC, Tube Pre-Amp, Tube Amp, Tube Mono-Blocks, and then add find something in your audio chain that needs Tube Rectifiers. You can be sure to have to swap out a dead tube for every listening session!! :wink: :crazy_face: :crazy_face:

A tube buffer is a good minimalist tube solution. Available a different price points. In my system the change is very subtle.

http://www.audio-horizons.com/pages/tube_buffer.html

Thanks. Hue lights

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I think, but might be wrong, the DigiOne is ethernet only. That’s the way I used it anyway so never considered whether it was doing WiFi. Don’t have it around anymore, swapped it for a Chord Poly for convenience and find the Poly/Moly combo shockingly close to microRendu/Hugo2. Never actually tried the Allo with the Hugo2 DAC.

Does it not depend on its host Raspberry Pi, eg, a 3+ has on board wifi?

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