Play It Clear - New Audio Blog

[psychotropic]

UPDATE - The review of the Emotiva ERC-1 is up. Do visit Play It Clear.

Dear fellow hifivisionaries. I just started an audio blog to review affordable audio equipment. It's called "Play It Clear" It's available at Play It Clear and I've started with a review of the Topping TP20.

Do check it out and give me suggestions and feedback.

Upcoming features include:

Review of Emotiva ERC-1
Shootout between Emotiva ERC-1 and fully modded Marantz CD63SE
Review of FiiO E7 + Topping TP20 + Cambridge Audio S30 combination

 

[rallynut]

vinay,...:clapping:.u have always looked for budget and value in purchase of a component as is evident in ur audio journey,and am sure the threads started by u in this regard have benefitted many readers out there .all the very best.cheers

 

[wishihadtubes]

@psychotropic,
Good going, mate. Best for your new venture, may your site get many, many hits!

 

[sqvare]

Speaking as one of your (happy) victims - or since I ended up with three Toppings, would I count as three? - I'll be eagerly following your blog for new ways to deflate my wallet with even more affordable audio

Cheers,

 

[metalmickey]

Psychotropic thanx man!,value and affordable audiophile gadgets?man dat SOUNDS great!.dude you are the pride of the chennai audiophiles galaxy!

 

[psychotropic]

Thanks guys, I am lining up some more equipment to review (all readily available with me or friends, usefully ), but here goes more of the list:

Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 headphones
Grado SR125i headphones
Asus Xonar U1 USB soundcard/DAC
Sennheiser CX95 IEMs

Anybody else who wants to offer up something they own for a review (Chennai or Bangalore), do let me konw. Thanks!

 

[odyssey]

Good going! Glad to see that you are taking this hobby in a bigger way to the next level.
What would you consider affordable gadgets for review? Is this only under Rs 10K stuff or would equipment more than that qualify.

cheers

 

[psychotropic]

Hey Sridhar. I just hope I can sustain it

I really don't have a yardstick of what is affordable, but it's certainly not as low as 10k. I'll keep it flexible I guess. If someone protests, then at least I'll know that the blog is being read

 

[cooltoad]

Way to go... Psycho, do keep us updated with your new reviews.

 

[wishihadtubes]

@psychotropic,
may i make a suggestion? could you take the trouble to listen to an original Playstation 1 (model no SCPH 1001 or SCPH 1002) as a CD player and do a review? People like Stereophile and sixmoons.com have extolled the virtues of the lowly PS 1 as a CD player. See my post on the issue for some interesting links.

 

[metalmickey]

psychotropic wat abt a good review on ultra budget! (max 5k!) headphones n earphones!...sply iem's!!!!!!!!!

 

[iaudio]

Vinay, Congrats on your new blog! Just read the article on the Topping. Very well written, typical of you.
Here s wishing this audio blog becomes a force to reckon with in future.

 

[avidyarthy]

Heil Psycho ....... the Topping King ..... :clapping:

 

[captrajesh]

Hi Vinay

Nice review & good going. One thing: Why not the original name, why smith? No offenses buddy just voicing my opinion.

All the best.


Rajesh

 

[psychotropic]

@wishihadtubes - i've heard a lot about the PS1 as a CDP, but there is one particular version of it that is supposed to be good and not the others. I wouldn't mind reviewing it, but how does one get hold of that particular version of the PS1??

@metalmickey - Yes, The Sennheiser CX95 is a roughly 5k IEM, the Grado SR125i and the Audio-Technica are around or less than 150 USD. IF you have any other suggestions do let me know.

@iaudio and avidyarthy - thanks!

@captrajesh - my original blog, created some years ago, was called "Revenge of Smith" and so my blogger handle was Smith, and I haven't bothered changing it

 

[wishihadtubes]

@psychotropic
The PS1 that's good for playing CDs is model no SCPH 100X (X being the number for the region the machine is from, 1 being from the US, 2 from Europe). This model, unlike later PS1s, has RCA outputs on the back. Have a look around shops that sell used Playstations, they go real cheap. I have two pieces, but unfortunately I'm too far away from you to loan you one!

 

[psychotropic]

Interesting. I don't know what shops in Chennai would sell used playstations. Richie Street perhaps? Does anyone in Chennai have an idea?

 

[wishihadtubes]

@psychotropic, I've usually seen that any shop dealing with grey market PS3s or PS2s has a few old Playstation 1s lying around. So don't think of looking in places that sell A/V gear - more like places where kids would go to pick up Playstations or Xboxes

 

[metalmickey]

THANKS vinay?!,wl chk out your suggestions.lookng for dem to pair up wit my ipod classic.need sumthn dat gives good tight bass and great mids!.where do i get audio technica and grado in our singara chennai anyway?.sen's shud be avlbl in chroma i guess.any place u suggest?.

 

[psychotropic]

hey mickey, AT and Grado are not available in Chennai, you'd have to use 20north or shopyourworld to pick them up, or get someone to buy and bring it down from the US.

In the more exciting news, the Emotiva ERC-1 and Cambridge Audio S30 should be in my hands for review by this weekend