change of clothes… change of hi-fi

[12th Monkey]

You really are an obsessive, aren't you?! That's one mightily imposing box...

 

[Wil]

Latest arrival of 10 x SACD, $2,343.00 HKD before shipping. But worth it, even if for only one or two songs that stirs my emotions, evoking a memory.


My listening with a PM-15 amp to 80s & 90s Cantopop can be liken to using a period instrument. Previously, PM-KI Ruby gave superior transient response, including a clearer treble. Yet PM-15 gives softer high notes and a more powerful bass (what Ken had described as "where low frequency energy hangs on in the air").

Well, I believe for recently released albums like Pricilla Chan's Evolve SACD, to really enjoy it, I'll need to switch back to Ruby amps.

And regarding disc player, SA7001 KI when playing back SACDs it doesn't lose too much to SA-KI Ruby. It's from CDs where Ruby player holds supreme.

 

[record_spot]

Next Wednesday will mark the 1st anniversary of Ken Ishiwata's death. I bought Hi-Fi sets he finalised for the double fun of listening and, secondarily, reporting back to him my experience.

But of mixing-and-matching, this is what I'm currently wearing:
View attachment 1783
The amp is a 1993 release, PM-15, bought second hand in 2006. And SA7001 KI player was bought new in 2008. I find this combination sounding so attractive playing CantoPop SACDs that I want every listening occasion extended, no end. And each new day, I look forward to restarting…

The SA7001-KI was a great player. I bought mine probably around the same time and had it for a good few years. I only sold it on when I bought the Cambridge 752BD six years ago. The WHF review at the time called it a bit light in the bass, but I used it with a Sansui AU-217 amp and some Mission 752s and the combination was terrific. One of my favourites.

 

[Wil]

Sometimes, I've connect the SA7001 KI to a onesie MS7000:

My office space, it's a setup I've used primarily to explore web content e.g.:

Concerning Netflix, I now mostly watch on a bigger 55" screen…

Incidentally, I noticed this list of 39 best:

The 40 best TV shows to watch on Netflix

We've binge-watched 'em all. Now it's your turn.

www.whathifi.com

Well, I'd prefer to rewatch 野武士のグルメ or 火花:

Samurai Gourmet | Netflix Official Site

Recent retiree Takeshi rediscovers his passion for food and life by getting in touch with his inner warrior and eating what he truly desires.

www.netflix.com

Hibana: Spark | Netflix Official Site

A dramatic series about friendship and conflict between two comedians who search for meaning in life and comedy. Based on the prize-winning book.

www.netflix.com

 

[Wil]

I entered 2021 with this CD-63 KI to MS7000 setup, listening for the past few days mostly (at floor level) to spoken-word media:


Reverting back today to:

Because I disable Displays (or have them dimmed), I can use 50cm interconnects—with fronts facing away.

 

[Wil]

For me the music is always the first consideration, but I am interested in the equipment as well. If I wasn't I'd simply have one of those set-ups and never read a hi-fi magazine or forum again.

I was reading your Time to change approach? Thread.


Although I haven't spared the time to update this Thread, some weeks ago I changed to using SA-KI Ruby:


Its DIGITAL AUDIO IN is enough for what else I want:


KI talked about "precisely integrated" functions… But, after his passing, I've misgivings towards subsequent Model 30n, specifically the inclusion of HEOS.

 

[Wil]

Say music is the-body—wearing-clothes.

Contrary to Cambridge Audio's preamble on Hi-Res Audio, I've dismissed buying any more CDs:
"Don’t worry, we’re not simply dismissing the faithful old CD. CD quality is still great. The problem for us is that while some material sounds incredible, quite a lot of it doesn’t! Much has been written about recent problems with the mastering and recording of music with reductions in the amount of dynamic range in some albums making them sound terrible on a good hifi system. We feel that our ATF upsampling and adjustable filters can alleviate some of these issues but obviously good quality recordings to start with will always come out on top.

Therefore beyond the measurements and arguments over human hearing, we feel that high res music has a role to play. As well as the technical benefits of 24 bit mastering which you can choose to believe is useful or not, they are generally recorded and mastered with far greater care and attention than many mainstream releases. For example, The 2nd Law [2012] by Muse. This is available on CD and as a 24/96kHz high res version and it is fair to say that the difference between the two versions is not small. This is in no small part because the high res version has completely different mastering and vastly greater dynamic range that gives the album a scale and depth that simply isn’t present on the CD mix recorded with radio broadcast and MP3 conversion in mind. Is this cheating? It may well be but we know which version we would rather listen to!"

1x dubbed casssette, 4x genuine…

So, I've found my cassettes (format that introduced me to many albums…)… Comparing the performance of their Hybrid SACD releases, CD layer sounds conclusively second place to its DSD version.

If anyone has a CD to recommend me, I'll look into it. But it'll have to be extraordinary for me to want to buy 16bit/44.1 again.

Incidentally:

Compact cassette tape inventor Lou Ottens has died aged 94

Ottens also helped develop the CD

www.whathifi.com

 

[Wil]

I was considering, for quite some months, buying another PM-KI Ruby to do ITU standard 5.1 SACD.

Not because of the money, but mainly because I’m now (90%) sure there won’t ever be enough time (to seriously [set up, periodically, the lounge to] enjoy multichannel), I won’t be buying it.

2 channel is what I will focus on.


For a spell, post elbow surgery, in my secondary listening room, I played with a M-CR611 driving a pair of Concept 20:

And, visually, this is what I meant about using a 21.5" monitor for low bitrate content (my brother subscribed to Prime Video and recommended to me a documentary on an ex-rugby player, Dan Carter):

And having switched back to D'Appolito stacked Concept 20, I prefer the stacked performance.

 

[Wil]

new cheap-Fi:

Wharfedale Diamond 12.1 review

Surprisingly sophisticated standmounters for their size and price

www.whathifi.com