Rosco8

I did my big upgrade in the 1st lock down, added a Supratek Cabernet DHT, Accuphase DC37 and USB cable on my nos 1 system (all from SNA member Thi over in Perth) plus a couple of Bill's cable. Resurrected another set of shelving and put my 2nd system on it so have 2 systems operating in my main listening room. Now waiting on my DECWARE Zen Switch box (being built) and some more cables from Bill so I can simplify and switch all my sources into either system. Started doing some valve rolling on the Supratek and are adding to my valve stash that feeds both my hifi and guitar amps. Outstanding job is to revalve my 1975 Fender Vibrolux Reverb trying to get back that smooth syrupy vintage tone it used to have, new valves didn't cut it .... most disappointing. Never ending job adding to Tidal playlists ...

Sounds like if you want to try streaming it needs to be really, really simple with minimal IT ... I will walk thru a simple solution that I use in 2 rooms of my house .. quality is pretty good, there are many other alternatives but I am most familiar with what I use and you don't need a PC... I am making an assumption that you can install an application on your phone ??? Big question ?? Do you have Internet in your house ? Is it fixed point in the wall or hopefully you have wireless ?? Wireless seems to now come with all modern Internet routers when you buy a service .. If you have wireless then hopefully you have the connection password/number .. if you don't stop here .. enjoy your CD and Vinyl. If you have followed me this far then this is how easy, or hard to set it up ... Buy a Yamaha wxad-10 .. hunt around, they are damm cheap ... it talks Bluetooth to your phone and has RCA inputs to your amplifier Register for Spotify or Tidal ... have your userid and password handy Step 1 - Make sure Bluetooth is turned on your phone Step 2 - Download and install the Yamaha Musicast app to your phone Step 3 - Press the button on the back of the wxad-10, it will search for your phone, and a pop up on your phone will be a connection for you to connect, name it what ever your like .. lounge etc .. Stpp 4 - It will ask for your Internet (router) wireless password/number, this connects to your network Step 5 - In the Musicast app it will show you picture tiles of the all the main providers, choose Spotify or Tidal and it will ask you to enter your account logon and password, or alternatively you can choose to listen to music off your phone . Step 6 - that's it you are now connected - now choose your music .. its actually surprisingly simple. Your phone now controls the music choice, whilst the device streams from your network. I use 2 of these devices, dining room and bedroom ... if that sounds too hard ... stay with what you have ... cheers

Music is a big part of my life .. from my early childhood playing my mothers pianola, learning the guitar in my teens and playing in bands in my 20's .... I luv' music to be with me where ever I am ... . before I retired and work evolved to open offices with 25% more people per floor, it was a portable USB drive off my work laptop into head phones to create some 'my' work space and to be soothed or motivated by music . on the train each workday it was portable headphones working off my phone . in the car or van its the vehicle stereos .. Tidal playlists nowadays . in the open plan area of my house its a powerful system that can be cranked as I do home tasks and cooking, Tidal again and off my phone . in my home office, a pre/dac off my PC driving a small but musical pair of powerful studio powered monitors, I make a lot of my Tidal lists here .. . out in the alfresco when we have parties, less nowadays as the boys have grown up and moved out, used to be a CD player into a guitar amp 30 years ago but now I use my (band) PA system and play Tidal off my phone . in my theatre/music room I have the main system with fairly high end gear, and just get fully enveloped in beautiful music, 2-3 hours most days .. its only similarly minded friends and extended family that come over occasionally share the experience which in itself is sad but I have learned when my wife became ill 28 years ago to be able to do things solo, dining and travelling solo as other examples, so I have no problems just to zone in and just enjoy .. its just me, well probably 2 dachshunds on my lap, and the music .. So as much as I enjoy company to listen to music, and I do, I am not constrained by the lack of company, and have learnt to appreciate all sorts of music for my own enjoyment. I attend quite a few music festivals as I really enjoy the live experience and dynamics, and meeting like minded new people. So there are many differences in our listening styles, the types of music we love to listen, the type of sound that we like, music that we will work to, or dance to, as is the huge variation in the systems we acquire and to how often, or not, we lust after something else and upgrade, or down grade as the circumstances permit. Only having basic needs to be able to achieve everything you want in terms of family listening to music is a great outcome for you. Great discussion thread. Thanks for sharing your journey.

So true ... so true ... and yes, it would need to be really special and price wise a bargain at this point. Now in audiophilia I easily recognize all the symptoms I had with GAS (Guitar Acquisition Syndrome) ... which I had in spades for many years. I eventually learnt 2 very valuable lessons: 1. there is no end point unless you create one .. 2. there is an unlimited variety of brilliant guitars There will always be another guitar or amp that used to get the adrenalin going, and as I used to say and feel, the hunt is on !!!! I am sure that a lot of it was about the hunt, the negotiations, the ebay auctions and then winning the prize, whilst receiving the guitar or amp was a bit of an anti climax. I find the same sometimes in photography, its the hunt for the shot at times, then seeing the shot thru the view finder to take. The processing and publishing being an anti climax in comparison. I haven't brought a guitar in 3 years, but sold 5 ... so going the right direction. Hifi, well you can only fit so many systems in your house, and when you change one component it may mean that you end up replacing multiple components, well I do !!!! Law of diminishing returns comes into play if you can recognize you have reached that point. Recognition is the 1st point and then the discipline of not getting caught in a moment and being impetuous in acquiring is the next. Time is a good thing to use, slow the decision down, sleep on it .. then listen and appreciate what you already have .. they work for me most times ...

Agree whole heartily and is my philosophy for many years. However in the past 6 months and being bored and locked down I have experimented and found that increasing the component spend from $2-5k (2nd hand), to between $5-10k (2nd hand) has rewarded me with good improvements, which has surprised me, as I thought the gap would have been a lot smaller. I also found listening to some more expensive systems in my travels recently has shown me the gap is not that great to keep on spending from where I am now. Hopefully my Audiophilia has reached its peak 😶😶 and i can just be content to play around the edges with cartridges, valves and the odd cables ☺️ 😙

Interesting thread read .. My journey over 45 years has taken me from Vinyl to Tidal Streaming. And I still have everything in between .. Lol ... As a hoarder I still have all my vinyl, CD's, SACD and a huge collection stored on FLAC and high MP3's. Nowadays I play Tidal 99% and have evolved thru many DAC's and are at the stage that I cannot replicate the sound quality of my vinyl unless I spend a fair bit upgrading cartridges and Phono amp, happy enough with my decks, RP8 and Linn LP12. I listen to music a lot more than ever, hours per day, thanks to Tidal ... most weeks I scan the new albums, find artists i like, then also explore their similar artist recommendations, and cherry pick into lots of playlists that get used across my house and vehicle systems. I have a home work office system with a Rotel pre/dac that drives 2 powered studio monitors, and 2 systems with Yamaha Musicast devices that i use my phone as the source, as I also do in my van and car. I have my main man cave system driving 2 systems and was happy for a long time with my Geisler Grob, but recently upgraded to a Accuphase DC37 which has taken my system to a new level. I do have a playlist called great albums, so do listen to some full albums, but 97% is my play lists. So I think my listening has vastly improved, the variety of music I listen to expanded, and the ease of selecting, sorting and playing brilliant. Quality ranges because of the quality of the sources on Tidal. One day i will get my vinyl source improved and enjoy my Sheffield Labs collection once again and drool about analogue. But not today.

Perfect weather to be relaxing to music, Roosevelt at this moment, with the luv'ly glow of valves, in my case a Supratek Cabernet DHT .. just so smooth and warm, with complimentary detail from my Accuphase A70 , who needs heating !!!!

Maybe look at an integrated valve amp if you want a change ... plenty of nice 2nd hand amps coming up on the Classifieds ... talk to the sellers and try and visit and listen to ones locally, you learn a lot .. Have a look at a 2nd hand Leak ... couple on Gumtree ... fits in nicely with your 70's theme ..

You should mention that we have Graz up on the Sunshine Coast who is one of the formost experts and restorers on Apogee speakers in the world. I purchased new ribbons from him for my Slant 6's. Apogees typically take some grunt to drive and I have had wonderful results matched with a Sugden 90w @4 ohm, Parasound 315w @4ohms, Accuphase A70 120w @4 ohms and currently using a Bryston sst2 528w @4 ohm on the Slant 8. So suggest match with amps that can handle low ohm loads.

Unfortunately have never had the chance to hear a pair ... they are intriguing ... I have the Apogee hybrids, Slant 6 and 8's, which I luv' GLWS

I have evolved over many systems and more recently to valves, and now have 2 valve pre/power amps systems and 2 valve pre/SS power amp systems. What is common is that all my key systems are now valve pre. However my number 1 system is valve pre (Supratek Cabernet DHT) with a Solid State power amp (Accuphase A70). Different valves change the sound in this pre, whilst the SS just faithfully supports the valve changes. I have swapped my valve amps in but found that they added their flavour which was just a little too much with the current valves in the Supratek, but they match nicely with the other valve preamps. I do play a little electronica, and along with Rock and Roll which is better on my 2nd system which is valve pre and valve mono amps all McIntosh.

Like you I am very new to the Supratek, with a 2nd hand Cabernet DHT and I was told that they all have their differences. and that Mick supplies lifetime support. The guy who sold it to me, Thi is very knowledgeable and helped me enormously ... especially in valve selection which makes a huge difference to the type of sound (what you listen to) that you want ... mine sounds amazing ... So I recommend going back to Mick or whom ever you brought it from ... enjoy

pm'd you

Brought the same amps in canberra in the mid 80's which eventually drove a set of Apogee Slant 6 for many years. Open and 3d sound, easy to listen to for hours. Broke my heart when a local repairer in Sydney lost my power amp. Moved on now but can thoroughly recommend these hand made English amps. Great value.

Had one of these for a 3 year lease .. beautiful and fun cars .. just a pleasure to drive, used to drive from Brissy to Sydney every year and could have kept driving after 10 hours ... plenty of room and the seats wrap around you ... awesome brakes and all the mod cons .... my son had mine impounded a few days after I got it, was furious, taking on and beating a HSV R8 hitting well over 200kmh so they are very quick if you have a lead foot but have no fear, you can drive it like an old ladies car as well as it can be very well behaved .. seeing this ad brought back great memories, do yourself a favour and take this one for a test drive ... have fun ... GLWS