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Thread: Hello from NYC

  1. #1
    Junior Member
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    Jun 2019
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    Hello from NYC

    Recently joined this forum, while doing my first speaker auditioning in 25 years. I ended up with a brand new pair of Harbeths SHL5+ Anniversary.

    For 25 years, I had been using the same amp and speakers - Adcom 5802 and Thiel CS3.6. I was always happy getting maintenance done in Kentucky while Thiel was around. Alas, they are no longer, and drivers do fail.

    When my youngest went to college last year, we moved out of our big suburban house into an apartment in NYC. Subsequently, I both blew a tweeter and my Cambridge Audio 851N DAC failed in a spectacular way (the two are probably related). I decided to bite the bullet and shop for new equipment. I loved the transparancy of the Thiels, and they didn't give me any listening fatigue. I listen to music everyday, sometimes for more than two hours, so that is paramount.

    I've owned Magnepans and B&Ws in the past (1980s), and ultimately got a little frustrated with both.

    My wife is a violist, and I am a former clarinetist and guitarist. I see live music about once a week, usually classical, sometimes jazz. I can easily walk to Lincoln Center from my new place.

    I listened to models from KEF, Paradigm, ELAC, Legacy, Wilson, Spendor, ATC, and Harbeth. I had concerns about fatigue after listening to Wilsons, paradigms, and Legacies. In every case but Harbeth, I'd go home, put on the Thiels and feel like..the window had just been cleaned. To me, the Harbeths not only offered that high level of transparency, or lack of coloration, but strings sounded a bit more natural. I could hear the wood of the instrument. I could also pick out more individual instruments in a big ensemble.

    Meanwhile, Cambridge offered me trade in value for my broken 851N on their new Edge NQ (i asked, and lo and behold, they gave me a decent deal).

    I'm very pleased with the sound of the NQ-->Adcom-->Harbeth. People tell me I should upgrade my 1993 amp, that new ones "run circles around it". I have my doubts that it would make such a large difference. I think the *huge* power reserves of the Adcom really help.

    It does run awfully hot, though, and summer is coming....

    [Analysis plus speaker cables, mogami XLR interconnects, tontrager stands, QNAP music server, Minimserver, BubbleUpnP...did I miss anything? oh yeah, Monster Cable power conditioner).

    Other equipment/Second systems: Kef LS50 wireless, IFI SDS pro DAC/Headphone amp, Sennheiser 650D, Bryston 3B, JBL Studio 830s

    Happy to answer any questions I can about any of the above, and always interested in hearing other systems in NYC. Strangely, I don't actually have any close friends who give a s**t about audio. They think I'm weird, although I can usually get them to gasp if they are willing to sit in my listening position for a minute. The way most people listen to music these days (iphones, earbuds, and portable speakers), it's not hard to give them a sonic surprise. Particularly the musicians my wife plays with. The KEFs on my TV even get remarks.

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    May 2013
    Location
    Bucks County PA
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    3,704

    Re: Hello from NYC

    Welcome and congrats on the Harbeths. Nice to get feedback from a Musician on SQ.
    -----------------
    Brian

    Main System -
    Rotel RCD-1572 / Rega P3 > Luxman 505UX Mark II > Fyne Audio F502SPs > Synergistic Cables

    Secondary - OPPO 93 > VAC CLA 1 MKII Pre > Odyssey Stratos > Dynaudio Audience 82s > Tara Labs Cables


  3. #3
    Super Moderator
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    Apr 2013
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    NY
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    Re: Hello from NYC

    Welcome to the forum again, thank you for posting this.

    Work friends think I’m crazy too but they have no qualms about spending crazy money on their hobbies.
    Last edited by joeinid; June 19, 2019 at 10:50 PM.
    Fleetwood Deville by Oswald Mills Audio, Vienna Acoustics Haydn Jubilee, Wharfedale Linton w/ stands, Klipsch RB-75, Klipsch RP-160M.

    Job INTegrated. Luxman L-595aSE

    NAD C 658 streamer.

    First Watt SIT-3, Job 250 Monos, NuForce STA200, AkitikA GT-102 amp, ASL Wave monos, Dennis Had 45 monos. Absolute Audio Labs PCF 25 amp (improved First Watt F7 super clone)

    Topping D90, RME Audio ADI-2 DAC FS, ModWright Ultimate Sony XA-5400ES.

    Burmester 948, McIntosh MCLK12, Kimber Kable, Siltech, Cardas, Avanti Audio cables.

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2017
    Location
    Central FL
    Posts
    792

    Re: Hello from NYC

    Welcome!
    Main System - Lumin U2, Modwright LS36.5 DM Preamp, VTV Purifi 1ET-7040SA with tube buffer, EMM Labs DAC 2X (ver. 2), Torus RM-20, Thiel CS 3.7s, 2 Rel S/812 subs
    Back-up 1 - Premium Audio mini Gan Amp, Oppo 103D, 2 Richard Gray cond, Selah SA-2s, Sumiko S5 sub, Teac UD-503 DAC, Carver (modded) C-9
    Back-up 2 - Onkyo TX-NR797, Panasonic DP-UB820, Vansevers cond, B&W P6s, PowerSoundAudio S1500 sub

  5. #5
    Junior Member
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    Jun 2019
    Location
    Corvallis, OR
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    15

    Re: Hello from NYC

    Welcome! Quite a number of my friends think I'm weird, too.
    Jim
    ________________________________________________

    Living Room: SOTA Saphhire, Origin Live Encounter arm, Ortofon 2M Black, Graham Slee phono stage, McIntosh MR77, Oppo BDP-83, Windows 10 laptop-->TEAC UD-501-->Conrad-Johnson Sonographe SC25--> c-jMF2500-->Paradigm SE-3, Shunyata Hydra 8 v2, GIK acoustic panels.

    Home Office: Windows 10 laptop-->TEAC UD-501-->Luminous Audio Axiom II passive-->c-j Sonographe SA250-->Paradigm SE-1, Shunyata Hydra.

    Bedroom: Windows 10 laptop-->TEAC UD-505-->Conrad-Johnson Premier 17LS-->Conrad-Johnson MF2500-->Paradigm Studio 20 v.5, Shyunyata Delta D6, Stillpoints & GIK acoustic panels. [On Order: Shunyata Altaira CG Hub, Alpha and Venom CGC cables]

  6. #6
    Senior Member
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    Nov 2013
    Location
    St. Louis, MO, USA
    Posts
    3,055

    Re: Hello from NYC

    Welcome to AS.

    Have you tried the A+ interconnects to match your speaker cables? You might like what you hear.

    I've had the Adcom gfa 5400 and 5500, I wish I had kept the 5500 just for it's earthy tone of the mosfets. You may have some good synergy going on, however, I am in the camp a better amp would provide better resolution and detail. You'd have to take your time though to find one that allowed you to kkeep what you like while improving on the Adcom. Maybe something like Pass Labs.
    Aurender ACS10 w/Audioquest Diamond USB, Esoteric N05xd
    Mark Levinson #526, 534 & JBL 4367's
    Clearaudio Performance DC w/Maestro cart
    Clarus Concerto & their Crimson cables

    HT: Marantz AV8003, Linn 5125, JBL SAM3ha, Revel s30,
    SVS PC13 Ultra
    Transparent, Analysis Plus & Tributaries. PS Audio filtering
    Sony XBR-75X940D & BDP
    Parasound P6, MBL 8006b, Artisan speakers/subwoofer

  7. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Sep 2017
    Location
    Seattle
    Posts
    1,964

    Re: Hello from NYC

    Yep, we are in are own circle. Nice speakers.

    I had Adcom during that time frame, still have the tank of a CD player.

    Must be great to be in the city that never sleeps


    Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Pro
    Source Analog: Kuzma Stabi R w/4point 11 arm | Kuzma 50 Cartridge
    Source Digital: Aurender N10 | Brinkmann Nyquist MK II
    Amplification: Dan D’Agostino Momentum HD and M400’s | Boulder 508
    Speakers: Wilson Alexias
    Cabling: Nordost Leif, Norse, V2 and Odin
    Power and Isolation: Audio-Ultra Home & Room Power Foundation Performance Package with StromTank S1000 | HRS









  8. #8
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    May 2017
    Location
    Hudson Valley, NY
    Posts
    154

    Re: Hello from NYC

    Hello Ahofer from just upstate.
    Close to your neighborhood the other day while strolling from West End/80's to Broadway/40's to see "Come From Away."
    AKA J2Ordan
    McIntosh/Legacy/VPI/Bricasti/Bryston/DIYCabling.

  9. #9
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    May 2019
    Location
    Netherlands
    Posts
    27

    Re: Hello from NYC

    Hello in return from Nunhem!
    Source: Auralic Aries G2 (with a Hoerwege PSU)/Roon Nucleus (with a Sean Jacobs ARC6-DC-4)
    Pre/DAC/Upsampling: Chord DAVE/HUGO M-Scaler (both with a Sean Jacobs ARC6-DC-4)
    Amplification: Chord Ultima 2 Reference
    Speakers: Vivid Audio Giya1 Spirit

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Hello from NYC

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