[JLM]

The AKFest rooms are horrible.  (Like I said above, I'm spoiled and opinionated.)  Only 4 rooms last year sounded good to me (a speaker guy):  Fried & Gini (transmission lines) and Hawthone & Quad (dipoles).  Like any other audio gathering it is exceedingly difficult to do any critical listening.  So the headphone idea is a good one.  I did headphones while living in college dorms which is a great application for them and know that comfort is the key.

Life if full of compromises.  As I age I'm drifting from being an equipment centered audiophile to more music centered.  So I'd rather be able to listen to what I want, when I want on a decent system/room than only get a couple of hours a week on an ideal system.  I've seen too many mega-buck systems squeezed into silly small/poor rooms.

Note that there is less need for a remote in an audio system.  While you're listening the biggest need is to pause the sound, so the CDP's remote is all you really need.  And getting off your keyster once in a while is a good thing.

Yes, I'm aware of the vices of digital volume controls (loss of data).  If you can use the CDP's output near the maximum it can be minimized.  The Oppo volume controls don't seem to have this problem.

BTW, the additional audiophile upgrades to my listening room cost less than $100.  The key was up front planning.  And my entire system retail cost is less than mchuckp's budget (with no DIY).  Nothing wrong with taking your time and doing the research.  Waiting until you know what Oregon brings might very well be the smartest option at this time.

[avahifi]

We are not in a "normal" hotel room this year.  SalkSound and Audio by Van Alstine have a HUGE display room right on the first floor alturum (turn right and cross the center garden area when you come in).

We have enough room to have three separate systems set up at the same time and no "horrible small hotel room box sound".

Come and enjoy.

And bring money, we will have most of the display AVA electronics available at twenty percent off if you want to take them home with you at the end of the show.

We will also have a fifteen percent off special for orders placed at the show for future delivery.

Now how about this for a good reason to come to the AKFest. 

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[turkey]

We are not in a "normal" hotel room this year.  SalkSound and Audio by Van Alstine have a HUGE display room right on the first floor alturum (turn right and cross the center garden area when you come in).

Maybe you mean atrium?

Now how about this for a good reason to come to the AKFest. 

I bet mchuckp will be happy to hear this. 

[mchuckp]

Frank, I think you just made my day! 

Be it sooner or later, I think I'm fairly convinced that I'd like to get your Insight series preamp, amp, and DAC to match some Salk ST's.  Any chance you will have any or all of these as demos?  Will you be taking credit card or just cash/check?

When you say "we" are offering discounts, I assume you are referring to your company and not you and Jim, right?  If Jim also has some discounts, I'm in BIG trouble!

Thanks,
Mike

We are not in a "normal" hotel room this year.  SalkSound and Audio by Van Alstine have a HUGE display room right on the first floor alturum (turn right and cross the center garden area when you come in).

We have enough room to have three separate systems set up at the same time and no "horrible small hotel room box sound".

Come and enjoy.

And bring money, we will have most of the display AVA electronics available at twenty percent off if you want to take them home with you at the end of the show.

We will also have a fifteen percent off special for orders placed at the show for future delivery.

Now how about this for a good reason to come to the AKFest. 

Regards,

Frank Van Alstine

[Anji12305]

I'm with FVA on the switching amps - any decent midrange will reveal some degree of noise.  Furthermore, any jitter reduction circuitry in the digital realm will likely be polluted by the line noise the amp generates.  I have used the lowest priced Outlaw audio amp <http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/2200.html> with some success, but only when crossed over below 1000Hz.  At least they're cheap.

For my money, any ICE based amp is smoke and mirrors.  Nelson Pass had an interesting article that mentioned a weight/dollar ratio that seems reasonable at the retail level... a decent power supply seems to need a good deal of copper and iron - you pay for the alchemy in assembly.

BUY THE AVA Transcendence 8 Preamplifier!

I like the Lexicon RT-20 for discs, and it decodes everything short of Blue-ray.  (Drop me a PM for a link to my source.)

Get a copy of Daedalus Book's latest cutout catalog - great music you've never heard there.  You don't need another remastered Beatle's album...

$4k is about spot on - you'll get good quality at the price point.

[mchuckp]

BUY THE AVA Transcendence 8 Preamplifier!

$4k is about spot on - you'll get good quality at the price point.

The funny thing is that I was leaning towards the T8, and Frank said the Insight series is better suited to the Salk SongTowers.  We didn't discuss why.  However, I like talking to someone who helps suits my needs and isn't always trying to sell me a higher unit.

[Anji12305]

What we're paying for is advice... if Frank recommends something as a pairing, he likely has thought (and listened) through the products.
There's certainly less fuss in solid state designs.  I think it comes down to the tweeter at the business end; I use a large ribbon from Newform and it is harsh in compression at higher volume levels.  Perhaps my older T8 is less revealing, as it uses 12AU7s - and this 'masking' makes the sound more coherent.

Your choice of CD player will make a HUGE contribution to your overall sound - the gating step, as it were.

If you intend to use a D/A converter, then the player is reduced to spinning out bits only.
Again, I would consider FVAs advice sound.

I'm trying to get down to the fewest switches possible, which led me to the Lexicon RT-20 from dealer in Pennsylvania.
If it was my money (and it isn't) I would want a player that decodes everything up to the BluRay format.

Some SACD recordings were terrific - and are being sold at bargain prices.
I don't know of any D/A converter that decodes this format.