Recent content by mat_mcg

When it came to choosing Tidal or Qobuz, it was down to two things. The quality of the iPhone app, as I listen to a lot of streamed music in the car, and the selection, and Qobuz edged for me on both things.

There was a website recently where you could blind test yourself at identifying lossless from 320kbps MP3s and 128kbps MP3s. If you'd asked me before, if I could have consistently identified the lossless from the high bit rate MP3, I'd have doubted it. But, in fact, I _could_ consistently do...

FWIW, I have a set of Castle floorstanders (Inversion 50s) and recently tried a set of Wharfedale Diamond 220s as a possible replacement, as the reviews promised good levels of bass. The reviews were wrong. By comparison with the Castles, the Wharfedales sounded like something was wrong with...

I have found the IQAudio Pi-Dac+ to be very good, but you could also use any DAC with a USB input, or buy something like the HiFiBerry Digi: https://www.hifiberry.com/digiplus/ which will give you optical and co-ax outs that you can plug into your amp. For what it's worth, I found the built...

I used to have Tannoy Mercurys. So I am looking for a definite step up from that, although I really liked the Mercurys when I had them. I did think about recent DC speakers from Tannoy A set of active monitors would probably pay for themselves as I would sell my Quad anp and big Castle...

I've played guitar for about 30 years. I had a fairly long period when I didn't practice much, but I've also had long stretches when I practiced a lot. I've had shifting musical tastes over the years, so these days, a a guitarist, I'm a bit of a jack of all trades, master of none. So I'm a...

Assuming you had say £300 - £400 tops to spend on a set of bookshelf speakers? Speakers that would be used on an actual shelf or on brackets rather than big heavy stands. What would you buy? Second hand is fine. Cheaper also good. Wharfedale Diamond 220s? Acoustic Energy 301s? Cambridge...

Squier and Yamaha are both good choices. The Squier VM and CV ranges are excellent value for money. I have a G&L Tribute range guitar, and I'd put that up against anything under about £500-600, so, I expect that bass would also be a good choice.

I'm 43, and I can hear up to around 17khz, but no higher unless I crank the volume higher than I'm comfortable exposing my ears to. Thankfully no tinnitus, despite a fairly long stretch of regular metal gigs through my teens and early 20s, and playing in bands off and on for a few years, too...

I knew people who used to know him, and he continued to be a gigantic prick, right to the end, as far as I know.

Python is easy to learn, and it can be used to do almost anything. It's quite heavily used in the higher education community, too. If I had to do something quick, I'd probably do it in Python.

Some of the cheaper Spanish made guitars are fine, too. I have one of these: http://www.londonguitarstudio.com/alhambra-classical-guitar-model-iberia-cedar-top.ir I paid under £200 for it second hand. I've compared it with much more expensive guitars, and while the more expensive models have...

I've had plenty of success using old manual focus primes on a Sony Nex body [both with and without an EVF], so I expect the results with the Fuji will be very good. However, you may find wide-open, at f1.2 to be very hard to focus accurately.

I don't have a huge amount of experience with Quad kit, but I've been using a 306 power amp for a few years now, and have been very happy with it. Replaced the big capacitors earlier this year, and reduced the input sensitivity which didn't seem to really make much difference to the sound, but...

FWIW, the Teac V-615 mentioned in post 3 above is available. Either very cheap or for a charity donation, in West London.