Kevin upgrades his system with KLIPSCH, DENAFRIPS, DECWARE, IFI, DEvORE, PASS, and MORE
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- čas přidán 18. 11. 2021
- Steve's neighbor Kevin is back, with big changes to his system!
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Hi everybody, I'm not sure how to best handle this, but someone (steve
Guttenberg Audiophiliac) is impersonating me. I've seen this message
over and over again in the comments, and its not me! I've removed many
of them. I've reported the problem to CZcams and tried to block further
posts. Anyway please disregard these posts. Thanks, Steve
I’m going to show this episode to my wife. Maybe she’ll think I’m not so crazy after all. Multiple systems and swapping gear is so enjoyable!
Nah, she'll still think you are crazy, but not alone in being crazy. Buying new audio gear is so far down the list of priorities in my house, I trip over it constantly.
Yeah but given some audioneurotics and how they act she might want to swap husbands
There’s really no greater luxury than having options for playing tunes. Some things sound better on different gear.
Kevin's the man who will never get old because he's having too much fun. Enjoying his passion in life, which makes life better, and keeps a person young in the heart.
Hey, good to see Kevin again. Love the high sensitivity speakers and lower watt amps he’s got going on there. Great system! Thanks Kevin and Steve! 🎶🔊🎵
I love the aesthetic of the furniture. Genuine.
I think Kevin has the right attitude about audio and in general - he has a hobby that he enjoys and is enthusiastic about it but keeps his priorities straight; there’s no “My girlfriend complained about my system so I threw her out” kinda remarks. Definitely a journey with him/them as opposed to the destination.
That was a fun video! Love the variety of gear...and his passion shows on camera! It's great to have like-minded neighbors.
Great share!
Kevin, thanks sooooo much for turning me on to Kenny Burrell…wonderful!
…incredible recording qualit, too!!! 👍🏼
You have a very cool neighbor! Enjoy his style and energy, thanks for sharing Steve. Love to see and hear the excitement. I feel the same way.
Fun times! Another great video, Steve! You can just hear the passion in his voice!
“Some beautiful paths can't be discovered without getting lost.” Erol Ozan
Thanks for enjoyable video and tour of your system. You have some good value components Kevin
Great discussion guys - thanks!
great video! it's good to hear a down to earth perspective. I'm definitely at the same speed as Kevin.
Good man putting it all in perspective
An always pleasant return to the well.
Thanks
Steve/Kevin - fun interview, great setups 👌
But I smiled so much during the entire interview 😁 You know you’re in trouble when you’re pushing the older main system into the secondary system and the former secondary system becomes the desk system 😜
I always enjoy Kevin videos….here’s my take this time….
Gobs of equipment for such a small space. Kevin should be done for life but I will bet he’s done till sometime in 2022….lol!!!
Yeah, Pass Labs amps are great but they like others are like land yachts. Exactly why I prefer small chassis amps when you need to move them, especially at we all age. A friend in his 70’s, who repairs high end, land yacht amps all the time, complains about his back all the time.
So glad with all the movement and $ spent, he decided to keep his LS50’s…smart man. However, I never understood warehousing gear that’s unplugged and not being used on a regular basis. Different strokes I guess.
Love the look of the new Devore 93’s….never heard them but they look super cool and are so efficient…93db I believe. John Devore is getting a lot of great press these days and impressive sales numbers I would imagine. Good for him.
I wonder if Kevin and Steve can crank up their gear to reasonable levels (nothing crazy) in NYC apartments? I also wonder about the tenants who live on the floors between Kevin and Steve….lol!!!
Keep the Kevin video’s coming. Love his passion and seems like a great guy to boot!
Really Great!!!
Thanks for sharing your hifi journey/experience with us. You’re made good and sensible choices on your journey.
Thanks for mentioning the ageing thing as I too don’t hear what I use to anymore, so there’s no point in buying gear that goes beyond my hearing range. Nice video as always Steve.
I really enjoyed that. Great interview.
What a great neighbour to have 👍🏻
I too have gone lower power ( tubes) and higher efficiency ( Heresy IV) and I’m excited about the hobby again.
The neighbors across my street are audiophiles. And that’s cool
Glad you like Decware amp. Such a great value and sound. As long as speakers are efficient enough ofcause. iFi phono is also a steal IMHO. Good ears.
Glad others are on a similar journey with similar concerns (age, hearing, lifting ability). Real world impressions of multiple system combos are more useful than single component reviews. I recently paired Heresy IVs with an Elekit 300B tube amp. Great sound 👌.
I find it interesting to watch Kevin. Being a physicist by training myself, the experimentation is appealing to me. However, I personally prefer what I would deem the opposite approach: I study what I want, research it thoroughly, try and listen to my top items, and then finally get exactly what I want. I don’t buy a lot of gear - but when I do I get exactly what I am aiming for, and so far it’s worked out well for me. I have never bought anything based on a good review, although I do read/watch reviews and that is part of the equation.
You cannot go wrong with Klipsch speakers!
Hi Steve. Kevin is living the dream 😅. Love his passion and choices. I noticed a C6000 CDP on one rig. I just got one and holy moly. Just love it for certain CDs that are mastered just right. I'd like to volunteer to be his nephew 😂. Greg
Steve these videos are awesome. I love your interviews with Kevin and others. One request. How about both of you moving to Queens and become my neighbors. Happy listening.
I thought this was a particularly good episode, as I find it very informative to learn what process others employ to arrive at their choice of equipment. I too use a Bluesound Node 2i, and am very happy with it. I've been agonizing over whether to "upgrade" to an external DAC, as I'm fearful I won't think the improvement is worth the cost (Sorry, Steve, I do believe in diminishing returns). Kevin is obviously very discriminating, and presumably has the means to acquire nearly any DAC he wants, yet he is very happy with the Denafrips Ares II. That speaks worlds to me. Thanks again, Steve.
The DAC only makes a big difference if it is the bottleneck in your system, otherwise it can be an appreciated change. What speakers and amp are you using? People here can always chime in to advise. You will improve your sound by updating the DAC, this improvement is limited only by your upstream components and your wallet :)
Music Lover, thanks for the comment. My Node 2i runs directly to a Parasound a21, which powers B&W Nautilus 805’s (pre-diamond variety). I also run an SVS SB-4000 sub with this system. To my ears, it sounds great now, but I wonder whether implementing a quality external DAC would make an noticeable improvement? Soundstage is not as important to me as accurate tone and timbre. It’s a good day when I actually look up from what I’m doing to see if someone is playing a piano in my living room.
@@frankiep8262 Answer is definitely get a dedicated DAC, that's a high quality system! Bluenode can stay for sure but DAC duties can be externally operated. Set a budget and preference (warmer smooth/neutral detailed) and advise can be given.
Music Lover, thank you again for the advice. I’m leaning towards a Denafrips Pontus II as an, “End game,” DAC, at least for me. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
@@frankiep8262 Great choice, have fun with it buddy 👍
Decware & Klipsch Heresy...hmmm, maybe I should... Another solid interview, Steve. Gives me the audio urge again!
Bingo!
Ha! Amazing! Two of you guys in the same building. “Pandemic bucks”, I know the feeling. Luckily I’m not nearly as close to intervention territory as Steve’s neighbor.
Great video.
Fun video! Kudos to IFI Zen---I have the Zen DAC Ver 2 and it's amazing!
Seems like a nice guy, but Steve why don’t you interview people that have kept their system over many years. It would be refreshing to know why this is so.
I'm one of these people. My first system from 1977-1978 is still in mint condition. It's second system now but it still serves as 'benchmark' for upgrades. Upgrades should have the same sound characteristics but at a level higher enough to justify the investment.
I really enjoy Kevin. He’s a very down to earth guy.
Audiophile industry is a business that requires constantly expending. In the bottom stick to basics; tube amplifier, efficient speakers and analog period. This principles not hurt your pocket. However, all the industry will suffer the consequences. I stick with this principle and watch this videos for fun.
I liked watching this one. I wonder if he is using the DAC in the Bluesound Node.
Klipsch Heresy 3 & Joe Jackson’s Beat Crazy LP which I also have 👌🏾 Steve I’m one your fan here in Toronto!
Just a thought, you can buy small, folding engine lifts to move your gear with straps as an easy solution assuming you have the space to store it. There are likely, in todays tech driven society, even smaller lifts meant for picking up heavy, small loads so I would take a look for something like that. I had a McIntosh MC2205 back in the day that was 90 pounds, I was a healthy, strong guy then, and could barely lift it because of the odd shape. No way I could lift it now, but has I the place to use that amp again, the weight wouldn't stop me, I'd find a way! 😁👍✌
The Quest is for The Holy Grail of Sound, gentlemen. Cue the coconuts. Onward! Clippity Clop, clippity clop.
love this guy. He reminds me of me :-)
Hooray Kevin! Good on ya mate. Now get that furniture out from between the Devores, and go to a Nordost dealer and borrow a full set of cables to try. Trust me.
Nice Pioneer PLX-1000!
Great TTs, even when paired with higher end audio gear.
Agreed. I'm not far enough into vinyl to warrant one for myself.
I believe the Mrs made a brief cameo as she busied herself cleaning the house. That she bought in on the financial impact of the divorce is quite amazing too!!
@steve Guttenberg Audio... Divorce is meant as a play on words with Devores.
Good to hear Kevin is really liking that Zen amp. I’m waiting for mine to get built.
I got mine last January. It took 9 months after I made my order. Decware is very popular these days!
@@kevaudiophile6649 Did you order with any upgrades or did you go with the standard unit? I ordered it in May and hope to see it by end of 1st quarter. But if it takes a year that’s okay too
Yes, maybe too popular 😂
@@Steveh817 No Upgrades. It is well worth the wait!!
Been eyeing the Decware and the Glow Audio Amp one. Leaning towards the Decware because it's American made and rave reviews.
Kevin joins the pantheon of fortunate audiophiles unrestrained by physical space, finances and spousal retribution. Go Kevin!
"Churning through gear at an alarming rate!". LMAO! Thanks!
I have the basic $995 version of the Decware zen amp and love it. I wonder sometimes if it would be worth the money to get the anniversary edition?
i hope in the future diring interviews complete audio set uo can be seen not just bits of it.
@Steve (or Kevin) For the Heresy's, how do you easily switch between the Decware amp for music listening and your AV receiver for TV/movies?
Great story and gear. Sometimes ya have to kiss a lot of frogs to find the Princess
Grandpa has taken over his grandsons music systems. 😂
Kevin's' such a cool guy, would have liked to hear more about the Devores. Steve possibly you can review them sometime?
Great system..love it, but if I was married my wife would be satisfied with me having a boom box presumably. I love this episode, love his passion for listening. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK Steve Guttenberg.( The Devore. sound like divorce ), just kidding.
@steve Guttenberg Audio... love your channel. Keep up the good work.I have been following you in your different formats over the years.Greatly appreciate your hard work.Look forward to your future endeavors.
I see on Kevin’s record shelf he’s got a copy of J.S. Ondara, Tales of America - got my copy at Ondara’s show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg In Brooklyn, couple months before Pandemic hit /my last live show….Wonder if Kevin was there?
Unfortunately I did not see the J.S. Ondara concert. We love his music (& life story)!
good play Kevin!
just peeked at magico - the optional grills to the $14k A3 are $600! notice these speakers are seriously more expensive in UK @ $21-22k!!! grills an additional $1k!! (is this right!??)
Oh the rabbit hole...... Seems like a super nice guy. I have enjoyed all of his videos. Having Steve in the same building would be intimidating!
😂 and fun😉
The iFi phono preamp is $200 everywhere now. I just bought one last week.
Which model Elac was mentioned?
Kevin! You live next to The Candy Store! 😁
Kevin's interview is excellent and gives insight to the passion of us Audiophiles! Question for Kevin: Did you audition the Devore Orangutan 0/93 speakers at a dealer or did Steve give you a recommendation before buying?? (The speakers have a very nice finish and you mention the tonality. You mentioned that you can listen for 8 to 10 hours apparently without fatigue - an interested Audiophile).
Not from me, Kevin auditioned them at a dealer, and bought them from that dealer.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thanks Steve!
If you think the IFI phono amp is good, you should check out the IFI Phono 2 amp! I was able to get one new even though they've been discontinued (the replacement IFI Phono 3 is DOUBLE the price at $1000!) and the sounds is bloody amazing!
Decware and Klipsch at extremely low wattage are all you need. Stick with an intelligent system that works, and these brilliant products will last for a lifetime.
Nice guy I can relate to the age dilemma
And weight of some of this gear you need to be Arnold Schwarzenegger to move them,😆 Great You Tube HiFi Show .
I’m curious about the isolating tables under all the pieces of gear. They are new since the last of these videos I saw. I’d be interested to know what they are and to what extent you think they make a difference.
They are cutting boards (made from bamboo) from IKEA
What are the wooden supports that are under several pieces of Kevin's equipment and where can I get them?
Ikea bamboo cutting boards
Humble advice to get the most out of the Heresy’s…get them up 16-18”, level them, move out 4-5 ft from front wall, toe in slightly, then seat height up for ears about a foot higher than top of speakers. You won’t believe the depth and width of that soundstage (and decent height). 👍
Thanks Ben but I respectfully disagree. I’ve tried that earlier on when I reviewed heresys. Each of us has to find what works for us in our situation.
@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac Thanks for the reply, Steve. Yeah, to each his own for sure - and of course rooms can sound completely different. I could not get a good center vocal height with them on the floor - was blown away when I raised and leveled them. Thanks again for your wonderful reviews and interviews.
By the by, Steve - will be trying the new Schiit Lokius 6 band eq soon (when they get around to shipping the darn thing). Has balanced connections. 😀
What a legend 👏
I find it funny that the tiny Genelecs from the previous video have significantly deeper bass than the Heresy.
Deeper, yes. But the heresy is hugely more dynamic, and scales bigger. Make note, in audio we’re always juggling different aspects of performance. But one thing is certain well-designed big speakers always sound better than well-designed small speakers.
I to am audiophile went to flea market yesterday and got high end Rca hts 5000 all 5 speakers man wanted 1200$ for set but i got them for 1000$ love them with my Optiumus devastator receiver wich puts out 85watts rms
Hi Guys,
What is the purpose of the boards under everything?
And are there any units available in your building? I can only imagine having you two guys as my neighbors.
The boards are bamboo cutting boards from IKEA that are used to eliminate vibration in the components. These have been written about many times in the audiophile press and are very economical (since the IKEA are very low priced ($20 for the big ones and $10 for the small)). I suspect they offer some reduced vibration and think they look good!
Hi Kev,
I just Googled Audiophile Press and found nothing. Are you trying to say the Hifi magazines and peoples CZcams postings?
Steve, I’d really appreciate your thoughts on Kevin’s Audiolab CD transport. I already own one but it’d good to know if my ears agree with yours!
Is the comment above ⬆️ real? Or did Steve get hacked?? Anyone else get asked to call him on WhatsApp?? 🤨
I've got a decware zma amp with a rme adi dac....so I turn the volume on the amp high and adjust it through the dac that has a very good remote control...not sure that's the proper way to do it ....but saves me from getting off the couch to turn it up or down.
steve sorry but a cant reach you on that app
@steve Guttenberg Audio... what's up
At the expense of being nosey, I thought I spotted an ONKYO av receiver. Which model is it and how has Kevin been getting along with it? I cannot do separates. So, an "all in one" solution is my goal.
Kenny Burrell!
I'm thinking of buying a Yamaha av receiver rx-v2700... What are your thought on this unit
When you stop listening to the gear and just dig the music, you will be healed!
For me, half the fun is listening to and purchasing new components. I think we all have our moments of being captivated by just the music...but listening to the subtleties of different gear is fun too.
It’s just good, clean fun !!..Especially if your into music. This hobby lets you really “Get INTO music” Of course its all an illusion, but it’s fun to be the illusionist and put on the MAGIC show for yourself and especially others have earbuds and a clock radio and who have never seen a MAGIC show.
Every night after work my listening transitions from "music in the background" to "dedicated listening" of a vast variety of music. This is exciting and pleasurable to me! I buy new/used gear to introduce variety into my listening. Since I don't consider this harmful, there is no need for "healing"!
So Kevin....room treatments? Maybe the next video.
Audiophiliac's Audio Cult...
with those brands in his system!
JJ
Enjoy.
So can you guys hear each other's systems from two floors apart when you push them?
Of course
Kevin, get back to me when you buy MLB 101 X-tremes. You already have enough equipment to open up two stores. Let’s get some ‘real deal equipment’ next😎
What is your opinion on the aurvana creative trio ls for 30 bucks? Greetings
I think I enjoys these type of video better than the reviews .... thanks for sharing..
What kind of toilet paper does he use?
Is it me or have things 180-ed over the past nearly two generations ?? All through my teenage years, my friends and I were serious about the sound quality of the music we loved. We ogled over each other's gear. Now, younger people seem somehow oblivious to how great music can sound in your home. I went to a show last night with some younger friends from work (I'm 53). We actually like much of the same music: old and new. They're passionate about what they listen to just not how they listen to it- but I'm working on them
He likes his niece more than her brother
Kevin is a bit of a freak. But that's OK because Steve likes him.
Steve, would you want to move and be my neighbor !? 🙃
When you have cash the sky is the limit.
seem like he bought all the massively reviewed stuff
These are sponsored advertisements!!!! nothing more
I read a massive number of reviews and as many as I can find pertaining to the gear I am most interested to sample. Nowadays there are so many reviewers (print and internet) that nearly every piece of gear in the market is the subject of a "massive" number of reviews. Also, I don't agree that there is ANY Product Placement Going On!!
Never got/get upgradeitis tend to buy a new system about every 20 years, 1980, 2000 and 2020, always maggies as speakers currently have 3 pairs of the "3" 's I keep my earlier systems and when I want a change revert to an earlier system saves a fortune. I never stream as it's THEFT
Steve needs a new design for face mask. It should say LET'S GO BRANDON! signed Audiophiliac. Steve you will triple your CZcams income.
Nice, but the Klipsch Always should have a sub .
I have the ifi zen connected to Heresy IV and it is excellent ( sub filter also:)
In our small room, the non-subwoofered Klipsch setup is bassie enough for us!
I wonder how you guys handle neighbours. Aren't you often in an argument about that? Can you enjoy your system to the fullest?
If by fullest you mean loud, well I don’t listen loud too frequently. And when I do it’s an afternoon in short bursts. I’ve lived in the same building for 31 years and complaints are very rare. I don’t get the impression that Kevin listens loud.
Hey Folks.....See that album in the background?....That's Tales of America by J.S. Ondera......BUY IT!!!!...You won't be sorry....
Its absolutely tragic that eventually you get to the point where we are forced to listen to class D amps because you can't lift a real amp.
Not Kevin! He said he’ll still have his Class D Deckert amp!
Not sure what you mean. None of my remaining amps are Class D. I used to have a Class D Rogue Sphinx Integrated that I really enjoyed. And I had a NAD Class D that I gave to my niece.
@@kevaudiophile6649 It was a joke. I'm old with arthritis and lifting heavy amps is a problem. Class D amps are light and I was saying I may get to the point that Class D is all I can lift and I tend not to like class D amp. I'd buy a Wilsenton 300 B tube amp in a minute but it weighs 100 pounds.
@@fletchermunson6225 Thanks for your follow-up. There are lots of heavy amps I would like to buy but my arms and back cannot handle the load anymore.
@@kevaudiophile6649 It doesn't get better.
Kevin, I had no idea that kvetch lives in your building... LET'S GO BRANDON!