Recent content by barryb

Interesting you should mention the Swiss!

Interesting though comprehensible why the concept of national pride is unfashionable these days. To me, it seems more indicative of a failed entity largely disinterested in the citizen. Also, the associations with grandstanding and chest puffing make nationalism distasteful, perhaps... That...

Re: wanting everything, this seems misguided. So many under 30, indeed an older cohort too, are forced to live at home or go elsewhere. For those with some means, the competition for affordable homes is fierce. Everything is selling way over list price. Investment funds, wealthy buyers from...

Dub here. Cost of living is high - of course, where isn't it around these parts, though housing is prohibitively expensive and competitive for renters and buyers alike. Times are tough for those sub 40 - under 30 has seen a huge exodus elsewhere. Those still here will lament that friends are all...

I tried various Yamaha, Rega, Hegel, Naim with mine. They are a surprisingly easy load - my Yam meters told me so. Leben works very well, looks good too. Hegel worked great also. As others have hinted at, ample free space around them is essential. Things can get very average if boundaries...

I have often read these seeming Shibata weaknesses, though certainly have not experienced them with the 33SA. It's a rich, smooth, harmonic replay, and offers no additional downsides relative to the PTG/II which I also have.

Interesting. Build quality aside, do you think Yamaha competes with the other two?

I'd heartily recommend the Schitt Mani 2. It's diminutive and relatively inexpensive so may take a leap of faith to overcome bias, but I've had Whest, various GS, and various step-ups through here and it can compete with any of them. Personally, I actually preferred it to some of them...

I use an AT33 PTG/ii and a shibata equivalent on an RP6. I use (sometimes) a 2mm shim. Can I hear a difference? Wouldn't put any money on it. Cartridge works fine on the arm, no issues otherwise.

Seems almost too soon for a post mortem. Still ongoing with damage being wrought and so many complexities to untangle. Not an altogether useless exercise, however. I'm heartened to see the vaccine injured getting a modicum of recognition of late, some folk indubitably suffered and were sadly...

Hey, stick around, let us know your impressions of the cart - I rather like mine and think it's a sleeper. Very un-Audio Technica - in a good way!

Sort of surprised there's no Clearaudio owners...

It seems to be incremental evolutions with each iteration. I suppose it's fair to say they share the same fundamentals, the RP8 and P8 - same basic tonearm design, skeletal foam plinth, similar speed controller. Knowing Rega, they would've made the P8 measurably quieter, etc. I'd go with a P8...

Shouldn't a lifetime in service of levies and taxes provide service latterly? Arguably, when most in need? Yes, I believe so. Isn't that how it should work? Millionaires are the exception and not what I'm talking about.

Such taxes seem only ever more burdensome for those that already have less. Here, in ROI, increasingly folk forsake their greatest asset (their home) for state provided substandard care in their latter years - believe me, I've been inside some of these places and know their workings and...