User Details - 2-channel

recommendations


Name:
  Colin Gavin
Details:
  Dyed-in-the-wool stereo only listener. Aside from puberty - which was a very long time ago, the greatest revelation has been the AKG-K1000's. Nirvana. But don't let anyone see you wearing them. Also, never underestimate the ability of a standard volume control to b....r up your whole system.
Location:
  North Wales
HiFi:
  Minimalist headphone kit: dedicated reboxed Sonic Impact T-amp, Black Gate input caps., (£42 after mods), 31-step Shallco attenuator - Vishay Bulk Foils/Tantalums throughout (£230), 12v SLA PSU, Wurth rod-core inductors. Single input - no switches in signal path.
Input: Sony DVPNS92V SACD/DVD player (£460 after mods). Sony SCD-XB940, by-passed output caps (£83 S/H).
Output: AKG-K1000 earspeakers (£425).
Cabling: Customized Atlas Equator (£40)

State-of-the-art headphone system for out-of-head listening. 3-D layering (or lack of it) instantly revealed. Extremely analytical and involving.

Also:
Sony MDS-JB930 Minidisc
Sony MDS-JE480 Minidisc
Sony ST-SB920 AM/FM tuner; handbuilt 6-element FM Yagi peaked for Radio 3.
Handbuilt Class B amp, 120w/ch; Wharfedale Diamond IV L/S
Email:
  colingavin@gmail.com
Web:
  http://www.remoteassistance.net
Posts:
  16

 
 
Reviews
Found: 7 show all

Holst: The Planets, Matthews: Pluto - Halle/Mark Elder          (3 of 3 found this review helpful)
  February 15, 2006

Tuning in at the end of an FM broadcast of this SACD, 'Pluto' by Colin Matthews was all that was heard of it. This was more than enough to want more, and the whole disc is a delight. Not that it is going to usurp the Dutoit version as 'king' of the Planets - both from a technical and musical ... more
Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade, Borodin, Balakirev - Gergiev        (11 of 18 found this review helpful)
  February 11, 2006

Incredibly (and perhaps, worryingly) this disc gets a Rosette and an almost unequivocal thumbs-up from the 'Penguin Guide'. It also gives a strong clue as to why it so instantly dislikeable. Artificial reverb. Not a dash here and there, the disc is AWASH with artificial reverb of the most intrusive ... more
Bernstein: West Side Story - Bernstein      (4 of 11 found this review helpful)
  February 6, 2006

If you've been brought up on the original soundtrack version of this, then you'll immediately be ill-at-ease with this one. It's far too operatic an approach for the earthy subject matter and I can't imagine why Bernstein thought he could improve on things. For entertainment value, you can do no ... more
  February 6, 2006

Saint-Saens' 'Organ Symphony' and Muossorgsky's 'Pictures' - orchestral version, were recorded in 1976 and 1974. The performances are good/very good - with virtually inaudible tape hiss. Of the two, 'Pictures' has a much livelier and more interesting acoustic but despite their quadrophonic origins ... more
Vaughan Williams: Pastoral Symphony etc. - Hickox        (3 of 4 found this review helpful)
  January 25, 2006

An utterly spellbinding performance of the Pastoral Symphony, in which Vaughan Williams draws on his experiences of WW1 to paint a very 'English' sonic landscape. Underrated (and underexposed), the music is haunting and thought-provoking in equal measure. Hickox paces everything perfectly. The mix ... more

 
 
Latest Posts

Sony DVPNS92V - with a universal player this good - why buy a CD/SACD machine?
May 24, 2006
Thank you for the info and link. The 5532's are still in the MC output and provide and interesting comparison. The 6172 (tweaked) offers an infinitely more exciting and involving soundstage than the 5532, is jam-packed with 3-dimensionality and the choice between the two is a no-brainer. But there is an element of air and space missing, with ... more
Sony DVPNS92V - with a universal player this good - why buy a CD/SACD machine?
May 23, 2006
Other Sony's - XB940, XB770 XB780 (all SACD); XB920, XB930, XB930E. Perhaps I should broaden my horizons! PS to the review - I would like to try, perhaps, the NJM2114 op-amp in this machine, to give it a little more 'air'. If others have a view on this chip I would welcome a posting. Regards ... more
Sony DVPNS92V - with a universal player this good - why buy a CD/SACD machine?
May 23, 2006
With apologies for the extended delay in reviewing the DVP-NS92V, and for those who want the bottom line first - this is an outstanding machine - and for those considering auditioning or purchasing - do it. First, a brief overview of what's in the signal path between the 92V and the transducers - in this case AKG-K1000's. Answer - not a lot! To be ... more
why 2 channel?
May 16, 2006
MC is trying (and failing) to recreate what 'nature' provides with two channels - i.e. 360 degree stereophonic sound. If you can hear sounds behind you with just two ears, then logic would suggest that two channels is sufficient to replicate them 'artificially'. This is necessarily an oversimplification, but true stereo can only be achieved with ... more
Sony DVPNS92V - with a universal player this good - why buy a CD/SACD machine?
May 16, 2006
Hi Not yet - delivery is scheduled for Wednesday 17 May. I will be posting a review within the next few days. My upgrade differs from the standard JLTi version in that the active output stage is upgraded, instead of the using the (reduced output) replacement passive stage. This is considerably less expensive, and was chosen to avoid any problems ... more