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Good luck Jacob! I had lunch with a dear friend and I'm having dinner with another dear friend tonight... a rare day when I get to have two meals with lovely people. I have not had much of a chance to get out and meet new people over the last two years since I've had the majority of custody of my daughter. Getting out with two friends in one day is a real treat. Sometimes it's the simple things that make one's day.

Sitting here holding my HA-1 while it silently weeps. Y'all hurt its feelings. Damn it its doing the best it can, its a Sabre DAC for chrissakes.

) awwww thanks man! Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Good luck, Jacob, but you don't need it, you'll be fine! Your daughter is lucky to have you! But friends are nice, too.

I sold my HA-1. Liked it a lot, but just couldn't LOVE it (I'm with JP# on this one). Ultimately a little too analytical for my taste, and I wasn't using the headphone out on it, one of its best features. It DOES have a lot of I-O options, including both balanced and single-ended analog inputs. Does the PCM & DSD, has the cool display panel, etc. When I got my LFD LE Mk V integrated, I had my Sony HAP-Z1ES going balanced in to the HA-1, and then to the LFD. Sound was VERY good. Changed it to go single-ended directly from Sony to LFD, sound was GREAT. That was the tipping point for me, when I chose to sell the HA-1. I just took some time to find which DAC would replace it; chanced on the Exogal, got a demo deal from Audiogon, and am not looking back. The HA-1 has more I-O options than the Exogal, but for me and my limited use, the sound improvement is way worth it.

That is not cool.

the best way to do that is to buy 2.

I am trying not to buy a Tudor Black Bay.

Lately been drifting a bit towards convenience over ultimate fidelity. Would love a single box for the speaker rig and in the most recent Audio Advisor the new Parasound Halo Integrated [pdf] was featured. Checks off a lot needs in a digital & analog rig, but anyone see an obvious weak spot? Need to hear obviously, but hopeful.

Situation dependent. For me, I have a fine integrated amp already in the LFD. So, for me, yes, DAC sound is more important because it will only play that 1one function. The Parasound looks quite nice, I've heard some Halo separates and they were very good. And even the Z-DAC has been shown as good for cheap money; so one assumes things would scale up nicely. If you already have an amp, though, then the NAD is a nice option (and it is modular, so is quite expandable/configurable). I heard it with their new amp using a variation of the n-core modules from Hypex. Lovely, lovely sound!

I definitely would go separate.

I have been using a Motorola SB6141 for the last year and it has been trouble-free. I use a seperate wi-fi router because all my previous combined units have sucked donkey balls.

Wirecutter says http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-cable-modem/ Use only approved hardware, so they can't use the "we don't support that model" response when/if there are issues. What plan (max upload / download speeds) determines the minimum number of up/down channels required to support those speeds. Are you (or your isp) planning to upgrade in the near future, bear that in mind. SB-6141 available in black http://www.amazon.com/ARRIS-Motorola-SurfBoard-SB6141-DOCSIS/dp/B00YUU5628 Don't forget http://thewirecutter.com/reviews/best-wi-fi-router/

Two two-inch strip steaks having a hot tub. Oh for a Searzall but the skillet will have to serve ...

Make sure you check your AC capacitors. That seems to be the first to go in the heat in my experience.

Leprous, The Congregation -- metal with keyboards and clean vocals, I am in heaven. And some pretty spiffy modern production.

Relevant lyrical content.

Now with extra tech ...

Paella.

Let the jacuzzi-ing begin (I knew those insulated shipping containers would come in useful. We have ignition!

I think my metalhead friends will appreciate this -- when I saw the band name -- Leprous -- I just assumed death metal and moved on, but it's actuallly really great. https://soundcloud.com/officialinsideoutmusic/leprous-rewind Also: lots of clean singing. Which is telling.