Odissyus

Would love to hear it. Thanks! -Odysseus

Thanks Mario. I'd like to try them. Also, if I could get the Flamenco recordings, that would be great. Regards, Odysseus

Chopin Polish Songs for me, please. Thanks Odysseus

HDtracks.com has it available in 96 and 192k. Their download is based on a recent remastering as described here: This version is excellent! Regards, Oysseus

Congrats on your selection of Maggies. I've got 1.7s now, MMGs previously. One of the things that struck me about the move from the MMGs, which have planar/magnetic bass panels and quasi-ribbon tweeter panels, was how much "quicker" the 1.7s (which are all quasi-ribbon) sounded. I wouldn't recommend going with any models of the .6 variety. IIRC, they too have a mix of planar/magnetic and ribbon panels. Going with the .7 models gets you all quasi-ribbon and/or true-ribbon panels. It's a big jump in sound quality. Regarding positioning, I've got my 1.7s a little more than 4ft out from the wall and they can just disappear with the right source material. You're correct, the Maggies need some power. I'm very happy with the Odyssey Khartago - it's a fantastic value. If you call Klaus at Odyssey and let him know what you're planning, he'll beef up a model to deliver the kind of current the Maggies need. Regards

A little bit of judicious shopping yields some interesting results: Title: Bizet: Symphony in C major; Jeux d'Enfants; Variations chromatiques Label: Reference Recordings Prices: Amazon MP3: $9 Amazon Used HDCD: $10.46+Shipping= $14.45 HD Tracks 44/16 download: $12 (Wonder if this download contains the HDCD info?) HD Tracks 176/24 download: $25 Reference Recordings HRx 176/24 CD-R: $45+shipping= $50 I emailed HD Tracks and they said that their 176/24 download is the same as the Reference Recordings CD-R. Reference Recordings says that their HRx CD-Rs "contain exact, digit-for-digit copies of the original Reference Recordings 176.4 / 24-bit digital masters". Regards, Odysseus

Back in our college days, my brother and I owned a pair of DQ10s (which he still has) that we eventually had mirror imaged. We paired them with a Hartley 24" sub woofer in a custom cabinet the size of a refrigerator, weighing about 300lbs. and hooked up with the Dahlquist DQ-LP1 Active Crossover. A GAS Ampzilla drove the DQ-10s and a Dynaco 410, wired for mono, drove the Hartley. Well, a lot of time has passed since I had the Dahlquists and I have fond memories of those days but, time marches on. I now own the 1.7s and they're fantastic! I don't think you'll be disappointed. Regards, Odysseus

Agreed. My 1.7s demonstrated a tiring upper midrange glare until I upgraded my DAC - problem solved! Absolutely! They do need some space - mine are about 50 inches in from the front wall - and some power to bring out their best. Regardless of their size, however, with the right source material, they have an amazing ability to just disappear. Regards

+1

Barry does have other samples on the Soundkeeper site. (BTW, every one of his productions is a keeper!) Additionally, back in December, Mark Waldrep (aka Dr. AIX) posted some comparison files on his FTP site. "They are all 96 kHz/24-bit PCM stereo files (so that they can be played simultaneously and be randomly selected) but the quality of audio ranges from the original source, to CD spec, and finally 256 kbps MP3." Here's the full blog posting where he talks about it: Can Consumers Tell? | Real HD-Audio. You can request access to the downloads here. Regards

+1

I've been very happy with the Woo Audio WDS-1 ($1199). It does USB 192 (no DSD), has balanced outputs, volume control and a remote ($60). I also found a sonic improvement when I inserted an iFi iUSB power supply between my music server and the WDS-1. Regards

Hello All, I'm wondering if I can expand the number of SATA devices inside a CAPS v3 server with the Marshalltown MB? The board supports 2 SATA devices which I'm using for an SSD and optical drive. I'd like to add another SSD. Can I use a PCI slot to add additional SATA support? Regards, Odysseus

LOL. Might I suggest you break open that bottle of Henessy and don a pair of sunglasses to cut down on the glare while listening. Don't think you'll be disappointed. Regards

From Soundkeeper Recordings / Winds of Change: "I selected a local 19th century church as the recording venue. It is a stone structure with a wooden interior and a warm acoustic, providing a good sense of air around the players but maintaining a nice sense of intimacy, ideally suited to this music." Having purchased all of Barry's Soundkeeper recordings - and counting them among the best sounding recordings I own - I think I'll trust his credentials, ears and pursuit of TAS on this one...shiny cables and all :-). Clearly, to me, the quality of his recordings - all of which are excellent - improves with each release. The latest, Winds of Change, is astounding in its realism; what I would call TAS factor. Regards