OK. Maggie owners...

[mresseguie]

Jack,

I have not visited that dealer. Nearly all shops and stores were closed last week thanks to the Lunar New Year holiday. Likewise, I was busy with LNY celebrations and visiting family members.

I'm pretty content with the idea of buying the Muse even though getting them here is more work. I don't actually need to get them here until this November when we plan to return from the US.

While I do like my Fritz speakers, I also wish to enjoy a fuller range of music. Additionally, I will be able to use a low power tube amp if I wish.

The Fritz speakers will fly back to Oregon in our luggage to be deployed in my office or our bedroom. Edit: I've placed the Fritz speaker on either side of my computer monitor in near-field, and boy do they sound nice. I think I should leave them here. Who knew they would be such great computer speakers?
 

[mresseguie]

My wife and I will be in Singapore for ~5 days this/next week. My wife has graciously agreed to let me wander audio stores on our final full day (next Monday), so I am planning to visit the most interesting two or three shops.

The first place has a huge selection of gear despite its apparent small size. I'll post a link later when I'm on my computer.

As mentioned previously, I am definitely going to buy a pair of Daedalus Audio Muse for my home in Taiwan. They're front ported, so they can be placed closer to the front wall which will please my wife.

My new Nuprime EVO STA-SE Ganfet amplifier will be delivered tomorrow. Proper burn in will have to wait until we return from our Singapore trip.

[Nick B]

Hey Michael,

That sounds like fun! Always nice when the wife allows some freedom and flexibility in your audio hobby. Am looking forward to your post on that.

Jack has mentioned Nuprime to me a few times, but I have not tried one of their amps yet. Currently I'm busy listening to my Erhard Elvis Mk II tube amp and I need to make a post on that.

Nick

[ejk]

My wife and I will be in Singapore for ~5 days this/next week. My wife has graciously agreed to let me wander audio stores on our final full day (next Monday), so I am planning to visit the most interesting two or three shops.

The first place has a huge selection of gear despite its apparent small size. I'll post a link later when I'm on my computer.

As mentioned previously, I am definitely going to buy a pair of Daedalus Audio Muse for my home in Taiwan. They're front ported, so they can be placed closer to the front wall which will please my wife.

My new Nuprime EVO STA-SE Ganfet amplifier will be delivered tomorrow. Proper burn in will have to wait until we return from our Singapore trip.

Can't wait to hear your opinions on the Nuprime amp. I didn't even know they were making a GaN Fet amp until you posted it. Please keep us informed on your findings.

[P.I.]

Currently I'm busy listening to my Erhard Elvis Mk II tube amp and I need to make a post on that.

Nick

Hey Michael,

That sounds like fun! Always nice when the wife allows some freedom and flexibility in your audio hobby. Am looking forward to your post on that.

Jack has mentioned Nuprime to me a few times, but I have not tried one of their amps yet. Currently I'm busy listening to my Erhard Elvis Mk II tube amp and I need to make a post on that.

Nick

Hey Michael,

That sounds like fun! Always nice when the wife allows some freedom and flexibility in your audio hobby. Am looking forward to your post on that.

Jack has mentioned Nuprime to me a few times, but I have not tried one of their amps yet. Currently I'm busy listening to my Erhard Elvis Mk II tube amp and I need to make a post on that.

Nick

Currently I'm busy listening to my Erhard Elvis Mk II tube amp and I need to make a post on that.

Nick

Yes, yes you do. 😁

[mresseguie]

My wife and I will be in Singapore for ~5 days this/next week. My wife has graciously agreed to let me wander audio stores on our final full day (next Monday), so I am planning to visit the most interesting two or three shops.

The first place has a huge selection of gear despite its apparent small size. I'll post a link later when I'm on my computer.

As mentioned previously, I am definitely going to buy a pair of Daedalus Audio Muse for my home in Taiwan. They're front ported, so they can be placed closer to the front wall which will please my wife.

My new Nuprime EVO STA-SE Ganfet amplifier will be delivered tomorrow. Proper burn in will have to wait until we return from our Singapore trip.

Can't wait to hear your opinions on the Nuprime amp. I didn't even know they were making a GaN Fet amp until you posted it. Please keep us informed on your findings.

I'm eager to hear it as well. I have an EVO STA in Oregon, and I really like how it sounds in my main system.

I was originally going to buy two STA-9X amp in order to bridge them, but I was persuaded by Jason that the EVO STA-SE would run circles around the pair of STA-9X amps- plus give me better power and 'umph'.

[mresseguie]

My wife and I returned home from Singapore last night. Wow! What a destination! Singapore is a shopping and entertainment mecca. Even the international airport is a shopping and entertainment hub.

I have photos to share, but I may need instructions to be able to load them here. Alternatively, I can share them in a group email if everyone is comfortable with this.

Despite my saying it's a major shopping mecca, I bought no clothing and no audio gear. My money was spent on food, cold drinks, entertainment and transportation...and baked goodies(!). Daily weather was mostly sunny with some afternoon showers and 87 to 89 degrees of high humidity. Most days saw us walking ~18,000 steps. There's an entire boulevard of shopping centers. Shop till you drop has taken on a new meaning. I'm not a fasionista who wears top brand clothes. I haven't worn a watch in decades, and expensive eyeglasses hold no attraction for me, so I simply walked the malls while I accompanied my wife. Many shopping venues have delicious pastry and/or ice cream/gelato vendors who gladly sold me their products. Additionally, Singapore is a gold mine if you consider Asian women beautiful creatures.  [I'm absolutely monogamous, and Melody graciously allows me to look as much as I wish so long as I do it politely. ] Even after ~36 years together, I still consider her to be a marvelously beautiful woman.

On Monday, I visited a single audio dealer - SG Live Acoustics. [Link: https://sgliveacoustics.com/]
It's family owned and has been in business for 30+ years. The two sons now operate the store. I got to hear some nice tunes on some choice gear. The amplifier was a Line Magnetic LM-805ia. It weighs a whopping 92 pounds! The first DAC was an SW1X DAC III. The streamer was also an SW1X product, but I didn't notice which model. The speakers were the ATC SCM20PSL Classic standmounts. My reaction, you ask? Gobsmacked. The showroom is cluttered with too much gear in a small space. The speakers were on obviously too short stands, so the tweeters were level with my chin. [I didn't ask why they were on such short stands.] My listening position was ~5 feet from the speakers, and the speakers were ~8 feet from the front wall. The showroom is a largely untreated cement space very similar to my living room in Taiwan. I was bathed in beautiful music.

If I hadn't already paid Lou for my new Daedalus Audio Muse speakers, I would not have hesitated to buy a pair of these ATC speakers.

After a dozen or so songs, we switched to an Aqua Formula xHD Rev.2 DAC. [None of the songs from the first set were repeated on the Aqua DAC.] I didn't notice any appreciable difference between the two DACs. They both sounded remarkably similar and great.

If I didn't already own great gear and could afford to drop ~$35k(??) to $40k(??)USD on a new system, this pairing of audio gear (with either DAC) would surely please me. If I decide to buy a tube amp for my Taiwan system, this Line Magnetic <room heating> amplifier will get some serious consideration.

Questions? Comments?

[Nick B]

My wife and I returned home from Singapore last night. Wow! What a destination! Singapore is a shopping and entertainment mecca. Even the international airport is a shopping and entertainment hub.

I have photos to share, but I may need instructions to be able to load them here. Alternatively, I can share them in a group email if everyone is comfortable with this.

Despite my saying it's a major shopping mecca, I bought no clothing and no audio gear. My money was spent on food, cold drinks, entertainment and transportation...and baked goodies(!). Daily weather was mostly sunny with some afternoon showers and 87 to 89 degrees of high humidity. Most days saw us walking ~18,000 steps. There's an entire boulevard of shopping centers. Shop till you drop has taken on a new meaning. I'm not a fasionista who wears top brand clothes. I haven't worn a watch in decades, and expensive eyeglasses hold no attraction for me, so I simply walked the malls while I accompanied my wife. Many shopping venues have delicious pastry and/or ice cream/gelato vendors who gladly sold me their products. Additionally, Singapore is a gold mine if you consider Asian women beautiful creatures.  [I'm absolutely monogamous, and Melody graciously allows me to look as much as I wish so long as I do it politely. ] Even after ~36 years together, I still consider her to be a marvelously beautiful woman.

On Monday, I visited a single audio dealer - SG Live Acoustics. [Link: https://sgliveacoustics.com/]
It's family owned and has been in business for 30+ years. The two sons now operate the store. I got to hear some nice tunes on some choice gear. The amplifier was a Line Magnetic LM-805ia. It weighs a whopping 92 pounds! The first DAC was an SW1X DAC III. The streamer was also an SW1X product, but I didn't notice which model. The speakers were the ATC SCM20PSL Classic standmounts. My reaction, you ask? Gobsmacked. The showroom is cluttered with too much gear in a small space. The speakers were on obviously too short stands, so the tweeters were level with my chin. [I didn't ask why they were on such short stands.] My listening position was ~5 feet from the speakers, and the speakers were ~8 feet from the front wall. The showroom is a largely untreated cement space very similar to my living room in Taiwan. I was bathed in beautiful music.

If I hadn't already paid Lou for my new Daedalus Audio Muse speakers, I would not have hesitated to buy a pair of these ATC speakers.

After a dozen or so songs, we switched to an Aqua Formula xHD Rev.2 DAC. [None of the songs from the first set were repeated on the Aqua DAC.] I didn't notice any appreciable difference between the two DACs. They both sounded remarkably similar and great.

If I didn't already own great gear and could afford to drop ~$35k(??) to $40k(??)USD on a new system, this pairing of audio gear (with either DAC) would surely please me. If I decide to buy a tube amp for my Taiwan system, this Line Magnetic <room heating> amplifier will get some serious consideration.

Questions? Comments?

Thanks for the report, Michael. Gawking at beautiful women and not spending a lot of money are cheap and fun pastimes. As to doing 18,000 steps, in that kind of heat and humidity I might be able to do 1800.

You sure mentioned some quality equipment like Line Magnetic and those dacs. I don't know much about ATC speakers, but they must be pretty good to be in the same league as your Daedalus.

I have never had an audio set up that required near field listening. So that would take a bit of getting used to.