Paul R

Sometimes, especially on some CD's that are slightly different releases, the match won't work and iTunes will by default, upload your RIP. It also happens of course, when iTunes doesn't have a media file of the same or higher quality as the one you are presenting. That is getting much less common, but it still happens. I have no idea why the play counts are not updating though. Sorry...

I am sorry guys - when I posted the link it was at $499 - now 15 mins later, it is back to $649. I bought mine on Sunday, it was shipped on Monday and arrived today.

If anyone is looking for a good semi-auto table I just bought one of these for the bedroom. Gotta say, it is fun to listen to, even using the built in phono-amp and $100 cartridge it comes with. I am not affiliated with B&H other than as a customer. This is not an advert, etc. https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?q=music hall classic&sts=ma

Oh my - I do believe I am a little bit jealous. ;) It's pretty and looks so well designed.

Well, it actually involved a squirrel in the house and discouraging said squirrel… 🤠

Kinda amusing, but - Core Audio is used by a lot of music production software. Like Chris pointed out, auto rate switching just means you have to grab exclusive access. But nobody is holding your feet to the fire to choose Apple. Linux is a great alternative choice.

To each their own, but whatever it is today, it has BSD as its true ancestor. I can port most UNIX programs to the Mac without any issues, including audio programs. I am not sure what you are talking about with automatic sample rate switching, the only thing that has ever limited that on the Mac was iTunes playback. (shrug) While I won't dispute that there is an "Apple Tax" and that PC's can and do perform really well, there are a lot of advantages to the Mac. First, if you can do it at all on a Mac, it is generally pretty easy to do. Second, it works and keeps working. I have a Mac mini here that got thrown thru a wall, and still works. In fact, I want to replace it but can't bring myself to spend the money until it stops working.

Probably Linux, but note that Macs are really Unix under the cover, and if used as only a music player are quite reliable. Purpose built Linux is better though, and is quite likely what is running your CD player. ;) Kinda off subject a bit, but Sanyo based DVD players are cheap, reliable, and sound pretty good when used for audio playback. In a mini case and with an ESS DAC, they are also incredibly cheap. A heck of a lot of musicality and detail comes out of one of those rigs, at least to my ancient ears. I can see your point.

James Galway on RCA vinyl..

That is really vintage! Are you listening in mono, or with a pair of stacks? :) Mono listening has a joy all it’s own. I have a batch of old mono snd mono-78 recordings that can sound amazing. You can hear things that might get lost in a stereo mix. i was thinking about trying some Chi-Fi LS3/5A knockoffs, but not sure if it would be just throwing away money or not.

I love Audirvana, it makes music. :) I have a license for it, but don’t have a computer in the bedroom with this setup.

Only 89db, but they are able to energize the room at around 11 o’clock on the volume control. That amazes me to no end. What legacy speakers are you thinking of?

Yep - I tossed most of the older gear up on Facebook or at the yard sale, and bit down hard on my lip and ordered up a Willsenton R8 with KT88 tubes in it. Amazing sound, fantastic build quality, and $1299 off AliExpress with Free Shipping. As a lot of the reviews a coupe years ago noted, this thing has great build quality, point to point wiring and all the stuff that gets Audiophiles excited. ;) The tubes are Willsenton tubes, but I am saving up to get a good quad of EL44's. The sound amazes me, with full round and clear bass, a nice vocal presentation too. It's more forward and (to me) better when set to Ultra-Linear operation vice Triode, but some music sounds better in Triode. It can deal with some really harsh recordings. I don't have room to setup the LRS Maggies here, but I did anyway just to see what they sound like with the Willsenton. Jaw dropping vocals. Karen Carpenter, Julie London, and dozens of other vocalists sound utterly amazing through the WIllsenton and the LRS speakers. It's really soothing to my soul. The KEF 350's do an excellent job, I have no complaints. They are plugged and about a foot away from the back wall, and when I turn on an album, I am lost in the music within a minute or two. But I sure wish I still had a set of Large Advents (or Harbeth P3Srs). Acoustic Suspension just provides the hyper controlled midrange I utterly adore. The Q350s do an excellent job, but in a way they sound too precise and, if some will forgive me, too accurate. Maybe a little clinical is a better way to describe it. In any case it is really soothing to my soul (and a great anxiety reducer) to be able to listen to good music on a relatively good system again. Even the best soundbars don't really cut it for me. The bass is always slightly out of synch from the woofer that is great for reproducing Booms - bit not so much a piano. The vocals are always way forward, as they should be since one of the primary goals of a sound-bar is to reproduce clear and intelligible dialog. I'm thinking of adding a small turntable to record the few hundred albums I have left around here, most of which are ancient soundtracks. I got three copies of the RCA Victor South Pacific album on vinyl, but not a single digital copy. How un-forward looking of me... I would also like to perhaps upgrade the Q350s, but that is all a while in the future. Cost driven mostly. I think I also need to get a dedicated Roon server, but not at all sure what would be the best (and perhaps least cost) route. Right now, there is a small external raid array on the Mac, which is doing the job. Seems to have zero impact of the daily things I do on the Mac. As always, thoughts and ideas are welcome. Yours, -Paul

Guess some things never change, and the price of things in yesteryear are nothing but pocket change now... ;)

Hi John - Yes, Mg really does help with hearing, as does blood pressure medication. Thanks for the tip you gave me on it a couple of years ago! :) Yours, -Paul