in nyc. we have space, noise and other constraints. i am driving the guarneris with the jadis integrated, which to my ears is a beautiful, organic combination. the most important upgrade to my system has been the dcs puccini. my front end now costs about the same as my amplifier and speakers together. in my opinion it was worth every penny :) i am open to your comments and feedback. rk
System edited: i have recently added two dedicated line conditioners, the foundation research lc-1 and lc-2, to power the puccini and jadis, respectively. power in nyc is very low quality. my apartment building was built in the 1850s, perhaps amplifying this deficiency. the difference in musicality after adding the lc-1 to the puccini was substantial and immediate. the difference in musicality after adding the lc-2 to the jadis was subtle and of lower value. my two components are now somewhat isolated from nyc's erratic power grid which i am happy about. as always, comments welcome. best wishes, rk
hi davey, thanks for your note and i have looked at your system many times over the years. great setup, and i have heard very good things about the rowland you use. it just goes to show that newer isn't always better. in terms of maximums, i believe you are correct and that analog is the "best" solution. however, my installed base of cds is about 1000, and the upsampling of the puccini is magic. in addition, i value the simplicity of a one box solution, no external moving parts, low maintenance, etc. i am very satisfied with the current setup and have learned not to "chase the impossible." plus i live 40 blocks from carnegie hall :) take care and best wishes
hi kops thanks for your kind words! i am very pleased with the current set up though i still would like to upgrade the interconnect and get a line conditioner for the amp. it is funny that when i built my first system the price of each component was about equal, then through upgrading the amp and the speakers, my source was the weakest link. now, it is the opposite. i cannot emphasize enough the importance of a great source!!
hi Flg2001, thanks for your kind words. I find that SF + Jadis is very nice, and when I spoke to SF in Italy they told me that the Guarneri was originally debuted with Jadis :) I have also heard that SF + Gryphon is a wonderful combination so congratulations.
I am very happy with the present system, it is simple but very detailed and musical. I am considering some cable upgrades but no major component changes (repressing lust for paganini/scarlatti).
joey_v, thanks again for your comments. i don't disagree with you, and it might work. but my passions are music, art, and antiques, and there is no way a fake tree from target is making into my 1850s apartment (!) : ) best wishes, r
hi Joey_v and thanks for your thoughtful comments. I have pulled them out and they do sound better.
I am considering switching the Jadis DA88s. I love the look of the SF Musica but have been told several times that it is the weakest link of the current set up....
