Bloody hell, one of my posts has disappeared. I know I replied to hew regarding Audio Research, but I see no evidence of it.
The HeadRoom Balanced Desktop, set to arrive next week, means I a now committed to a balanced signal path. I will already be able to wire things up, in a single ended fashion, without a preamp. Like so:
lappy -> USB -> HRBD
lappy -> USB -> Edirol UA-5
Edirol -> coax -> Adcom GCD-750
Edirol -> tos -> Quad 99 CDP-2
Adcom -> XLR -> HRBD
Quad -> fixed RCA -> HRBD
Quad -> vari RCA -> GLite
GLite -> loop out -> Quad 12L speakers
That is a ...wiring nightmare, but it will allow me to listen to everything through the HRBD. Once I have a proper preamp, I will be able to devise a much more sensible signal path. The truth is, I don't need 3 digital sources, and one of them is doubtlessly going to end up on the chopping block. I look forward to critically comparing the Adcom and Quad CDPs.
No.
No. I couldn't afford it when the KGBHSE was $4500, I can't do it at $5000 either. Ask me again when if I sell my house on Marthas Vineyard. Maybe by then someone will have built the Gilmore-designed TakeT amp.
Sad to say, I have never heard an O2 (or any stat for that matter), how did the H2 sound out of the 717? I'm guessing pretty terrible. I have only listened to the H2 via the TR2, first driven by a Yamaha receiver (unlistenably bad) and a Hafler P125 power amp (flawed, but tolerable and very interesting). Once my current rig has stabilized (read: sometime next year) I plan on reintroducing the Hafler, TR2 and H2 into the equation.
To re-reply to your suggestion: I did a little more Audio Research ...research, and found this beauty. The LS9 is like the LS2B Mk II, but smaller and solid state. That is exactly what the doctor ordered. If this pic is correct
then it is exactly what I need. I am rapidly growing to love the Audio Research database site.