HalSF

@Archimago takes a close look and is underwhelmed. http://archimago.blogspot.com/2019/08/measurements-dragonflies-audioquest.html

I'm skeptical that the average person's 200-LP remnant of a 30+ year old vintage rock collection is going to include more than a handful of moderately valuable and highly desirable records. You really have to have done a lot of serious homework to know the right combination of title, pressing, and condition for any given LP that will command a price that makes the effort of selling worthwhile. A used vinyl store that buys records and has a good reputation, followed by a yard sale, followed by a visit to donate at Goodwill or another charitable thrift would be the way to go IMO unless there's something uniquely weird, collectible, first-pressing original, or stone mint rare classic lurking in that collection. Or I'd find a vinyl-mad kid and gift the whole collection. Personally I have about 600 records and I love every single one and will never sell. A handful of classical and jazz LPs (MFSL etc.) may be worth something, and I've probably got perhaps 40 rock and pop records that might sell for a collectible premium price (like Springsteen's The Rising). Even thought the rest are mostly in great to mint shape, RCM cleaned and stored in audiophile sleeves, I know they're worth peanuts if I'm looking for cash. Once in a blue moon I'll do a modest purge to get rid of duplicates or stuff I've decided I don't need on vinyl, and by far the most remunerative way to go IMO is to sell for store credit at a good used store. You tend to get way more $$ than you would if you're asking for cash. But that's not going to help you if you're cashing out of vinyl altogether.

I too have been auditioning and slowly working up to buying new speakers, although I’m pretty sure your speaker shipping/installation budget is my speaker buying budget! Enjoy.

Hi, sorry your post hasn’t elicited a reply. Things may be more active for this device at the Head-fi site, so maybe try your questions there? Meanwhile I’m sure you’ve checked out the manual: https://ifi-audio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/nano_iDSD_BL_Manual.pdf The firmware version number you’re using is also a key factor, and changes have added to the confusion around the iDSD Nano BL color LED scheme. I’ve never updated my firmware over the past two years because I saw a lot of complaints and uncertainty online about those changes (including how DSD and MQA playback are handled). From the v. 5.30 firmware update notes at https://ifi-audio.com/downloads/ - “Magenta is the official MQA LED colour on iFi machines. However, on legacy machines without the magenta LED option, when an MQA file is played, the LED colour will be white/yellow corresponding to the 384kHz file being played. The actual LED colour is cosmetic – once firmware v5.30 is installed, the correct MQA filter is activated during MQA playback. micro iDAC2 White micro iDSD Yellow micro iDSD BL Yellow nano iDSD White nano iDSD BL Magenta nano iDSD LE White nano iONE* RETRO Stereo 50 Magenta xDSD Magenta

Whenever I read about an audio product that “needs” burn-in, I always wonder why the alleged change in SQ is invariably assumed to be, and experienced as, an *improvement*.

While MA isn't the leader here, I really love this live Pablo set from 1982.

As an untutored subjectivist, my response to this discussion is Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt. Which is also the first track of my band's new EP, Inaudible Jitter.

I sense there's some kind of bickering going on, but muting the crankiest and most repetitive MQA posters has improved my forum experience a lot. It's useful to have Cory Doctorow weighing in with this well-researched cautionary take since his rep stretches a long way beyond the confines of audiophlia.

Huge news!?!?!? Whatta tease. Hope it's something fun!

What the hell is wrong with you JoeWhip?!?!? Have you gone completely sane?

For what it's worth, Jason Stoddard of Schiit nabbed a trial membership and posted the following at Head-fi yesterday "We got some invites at the last show, and we have been using it in the Schiitr and personally for about a month now. "Here's the basic idea: DROP TIDAL LIKE A NUCLEAR POTATO AND GET QOBUZ NOW! "Qobuz sounds better. Qobuz has quite a decent selection of 24/44 and higher FLAC content. Qobuz embraces open technology, not cryptic black-box lock-it-up schemes. Yes, the UI is even stranger than Tidal, and it doesn't have a dark mode for people who care about such things, but seriously, it took me like 10 seconds to decide to drop Tidal."

The Brian Lucey interview seems like a possibly significant clue. http://fairhedon.com/2017/11/05/an-interview-with-mastering-engineer-brian-lucey/

I took a long time-out from the site after posting above and only returned just this morning. Something in my @Brinkman Ship Spidey sense quivered I guess. Tanned and refreshed, I feel more commited to the moonbeam and butterfly confessional of "what music means to me" lifestyle than ever. But you be you. at ya.

Hey @Brinkman Ship — can I ask you an off-topic question? You seem to *really* enjoy antagonistic denunciatory argumentation and scorched-earth debate, but every now and then I feel like I see a glint of mellowness and a glimpse of the hi-fi music lover lurking behind the no-rules fighter. I feel like I know all too well what you hate, despise, find shameful and dishonest, and what you revile as despicable shilling, to the point where catching up with an overwhelmingly aggro thread like this sometimes makes me want to gouge my eyes out. But anyone who cares this much must have something to uphold and uplift besides winning this tiny corner of the Internet. How about a brief ceasefire?. Could you tell me something about what you find inspiring and positive about listening to music via great gear and technology? Tell me a little about what you love and approve of? When you're not laying down suppressing fire, what is the hi-fi balm for your soul and what gives you joy and rocks your hi-fi world? Why are you a computer audiophile, what are your fighting for on the affirmative, embracing side? I don't want to believe it's all about being pissed off all the time for you, and nothing more.

With maximum skepticism, I can barely maybe imagine Apple *acquiring* MQA if they thought the engineering and SQ were legit, and were willing to demonstrate why. What I seriously can't imagine is Apple embracing MQA licensing, thus siccing the entire rabid global horde of the Apple tech press on the so-far obscure toxic scandal vibe surrounding MQA, blowing it up into a major controversy about audiophile snake oil and yes, vaporware.