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RE: Ali Express Valhalla, Odin, IC's and Speaker Cables

Posted by el34eh@yahoo.com (A) on August 28, 2022 at 12:01:53

In Reply to: RE: Ali Express Valhalla, Odin, IC's and Speaker Cables posted by thetubeguy1954 on August 27, 2022 at 23:29:59:

Tomasz,

Understood | I'm very happy you're purchasing both of them. As it makes prefect sense to know which works where?, yet the only thing I'd continue to stress is starting on the DAC, as with digital gear going back to 2014..., reading the the site Computer Audiophile, before the title begin changed to Audiophile Style of late.

There was ( is ) always an emphasis on viewing the DAC as one's source | seeming as my system it no longer uses a turntable | cassette deck | reel-reel | CDP or SA-CD Player based medium as I've used in the past, then said DAC is seen as the Source, as the Aurender Network Server doesn't have a built-in DAC, therefore it's sole purpose is to store the music files themselves, whereas actually playback duties are the DAC main responsibility, getting a dirty | unclear | unclean | messy signal here, and no matter what's on one's amplification?, as it isn't going to restore what's lost at the beginning of the chain.

Which is why since 1993, I've chosen to still with integrated amps, as I see it said preamp and power amplification sections are ideally optimized to preform as one, taking the guesswork out of using different brands of this preamp | with that brands power amp, crossing one's fingers, and praying they play well together, isn't always the concept either company had in mind | which is why if one is going to do separated?, then shouldn't one be looking to buy both the preamp | power amp from the same company?. As a single piece of gear, it also allows one to spent a little bit more on cables | as it only requires one pair of IC's | as well as a Power Cord, which in itself means not having to settle upon any given brands entry level items, and maybe being able to invest in a tier or two higher, logically it makes sense to invest wisely here | chill, no?, in my own work a nice sounding pair of pure silver IC's around the $1.000 mark, is where I personally stop looking.

As far as I'm concerned, if an integrated was built to serve solely as that..., and the company doesn't built preamps, why then believe pairing it with another brand can do anything other then change the overall signature of said integrated, by now adding its own?, as it's no longer the character sound of either, but in fact a mixture of said two totally different brands. If I were the type to want ( desire ) separates, I'm going all Shindo Labs for tube gear | or all out on the Dan D'Agostino Momentum range, and calling it a lifetime.

And know that an Odin 2 Silver AC Cord, remains on my list of last items needed as the result of this thread, but after having now purchased a total of 9 items | having gotten rid of 2 which I never even listened to, was a mistake, but in hindsight as the old adage goes " live and learn " applies tenfold.

But that's just how I hear | see one's options.
YMMV?.

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