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    Introducing Olympus & Olympus I/O - A new perspective on modern music playback

    I did not mean to imply that the DAC manufactures would be put out of business over night. Rather, I was only observing that Taiko, which has not heretofore been in the DAC space, was now going to be in it, and with that expansion of their product foot print, be competing with the DAC...
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    Introducing Olympus & Olympus I/O - A new perspective on modern music playback

    At the risk of kicking a hornet's nest here, I will note that it appears that Taiko may be on a competitive collision course with DAC manufacturers, notwithstanding the talk of cooperation between Taiko and the manufacturers of some of the DACs favored by WBF participants. There is already the...
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    Introducing Olympus & Olympus I/O - A new perspective on modern music playback

    TBD, based on sound of the XDMI analogue . . .
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    What are the Covers You Like Better than the Original?

    Hot Tuna’s version does not suck either
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    Harman International buys roon

    The answer depends on (1) the structure of the acquisition (if the entire entity was acquired, that would include the liabilities such as ongoing license obligations, but if only assets were acquired, those liabilities might or might not have been included) and (2) assuming Harman did acquire...
  6. W

    Magico M7 2023

    If it were polished aluminum, that would be a lot better than chrome.
  7. W

    Magico M7 2023

    Agree, the base mucks up the entire aesthetic
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    Magico M7 2023

    Looks to have more in common with the lines of the M6 than the M9, and perhaps more striking than either of them. Must weigh a LOT as it appears to be a single piece, which is too bad, because my listening room is downstairs from the entry level of my house. Getting the MPros down those stairs...
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    RIP Robbie Robertson

    Surprised to come here and find no post on the passing of this musical giant and arguably the originator of the Americana genre. Songs penned by Robbie Robertson are woven deeply into the fabric of American culture, although he was born in Canada. Will be listening to the Band and period...
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    Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

    Is this now a simple toggle in the app? I ask because last time I inquired on this topic, I was told it was not that simple. I use my Extreme not only as a server for my main rig, but also as a source for a HT system and the distributed audio system for the rest of the house. These other two...
  11. W

    Munich show 2023 Hifideluxe and MOC .

    Actually, it may have been several years before they used an actual line array vs speakers stacked on the stage. But the Wall of Sound was done after October of 1974.
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    Munich show 2023 Hifideluxe and MOC .

    That photo is from 7/21/74. They retired the Wall of Sound after their shows at Winteand in October of 1974, and then took a hiatus from touring until June of 1976, at which point they used a much more conventional line array PA system. As someone who went to a lot of Dead shows, the band...
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    Munich show 2023 Hifideluxe and MOC .

    The Wall of Sound was indeed awesome. But it was also awesomely expensive to maintain, transport, set up and breakdown. So much so, that it was actually only used for live concerts until October of 1974, after which it was retired.
  14. W

    Whither Audio Research

    LMAO
  15. W

    Would you Pay $250 to Hear Specific Equipment at a Dealer?

    I have both an HRS rack and Audionet electronics that came from GTT. As far as not disclosing the dealer’s name goes, my thinking is that it is his right to have whatever policy he wants, and, short of some offense involving moral turpitude, it is not my place to take him to task publicly for...
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    Acora Acoustics SRC-2 Speakers

    Has anyone heard the Acora Acoustics SRC-2 speakers outside of a show? If so, what did you think? Which cabinet material was used, granite or quartz? What were the electronics being used?
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    Would you Pay $250 to Hear Specific Equipment at a Dealer?

    I have no idea whether the dealer would provide a discount. However, if I were inclined to demo on his terms, which I am not, I might also be inclined to negotiate any discount up front, before paying the fee. The equipment is no more or less famous than that of any number of other well...
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    Would you Pay $250 to Hear Specific Equipment at a Dealer?

    Yes, it appears to be the case that if you just wandered in and the specific equipment you wanted to hear was already in use, there would be no fee. Now perhaps if you asked to audition the equipment upon entering there might be a charge. And yes the fee applies toward any purchase of the...
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    Would you Pay $250 to Hear Specific Equipment at a Dealer?

    Until now, I have not shared my own reaction to this approach, because I wanted to hear what others thought without my suggesting any sort of baseline. However, as enough folks have weighed in, I will now share that my reaction was to terminate the call.
  20. W

    Would you Pay $250 to Hear Specific Equipment at a Dealer?

    To be clear, the fee applies where a prospective customer asks for an appointment to listen to specific gear. It is not an admission fee.
  21. W

    Would you Pay $250 to Hear Specific Equipment at a Dealer?

    Well, a closer look at the dealer’s website reveals that the policy is articulated there, although a few clicks are required to find it.
  22. W

    Would you Pay $250 to Hear Specific Equipment at a Dealer?

    I have been looking at putting together a system for a second home we recently purchased. I am trying to keep the system relatively simple as it will be located in the living room. So I am focused on speakers, one of the SOTA integrateds and a DAC that is also a streamer. After spending a...
  23. W

    Lampizator announcement: launch of our all new TOTL HORIZON DAC

    This is generally my experience as well, and while I need to investigate a bit more to be certain, I have found at least a couple data points to support the conclusion that the extent of the trade off between better transparency (without pre-amp) and better dynamics and soundstage (with pre-amp)...
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    RIP Jeff Beck

    A rare combination of technical prowess and emotional expression. Was fortunate enough to hear him play live at the Hammersmith Odeon outside of London in 1990, with Terry Bozio on drums. What a show. RIP Mr. Beck

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