# Talk Classical newb, excited to chat and learn more from you all!



## Masada (Feb 9, 2014)

Greetings, Talk Classical crew!

I just joined Talk Classical earlier today and now, having made my first 10 posts (so I can unlock features in my profile, etc.), I'm hooked! The following was one of my first posts here and I'm sharing it here, on my blog, as my introduction and first blog post.

I have recently built up my home hifi set-up and though humble, it's really opened up my appreciation even further for classical and opera recordings (as well as jazz, my other passion). To share, my system is comprised of:

*Hardware / gear: *

MacBook Pro (13" 2013 gen, retina, dedicated to playing hires files via USB to the Decco 65)
MacBook Pro (15" 2008 gen, brick dedicated to mp3 streaming to the Apple TV)
Peachtree Decco 65
B&W 685's
Apple TV (3rd gen)
Sony BDP-7100 CD/BluRay (I believe it down-samples SACD's to redbook 16/44.1 so this has to be upgraded)

*Software:*

iTunes (streaming from dedicated MacBook Pro to Apple TV, etc.)
Sonic Studio's Amarra
Audirvana Plus

*Interconnects / speaker cable: *

...all low-end, given to me by the stereo shop I purchased a few things at, aside from an Audioquest Forrest USB for the Macbook / Decco connection for hires files

A few of my favorite classical recordings are:








Solti's incomparable recording of Wagner's _The Ring..._ 
(yes, the new, limited edition box set, yay!)








Gidon Kremer's _Bach - Solo partitas and sonatas for violin_ 
(near reference-quality for a redbook CD)








Arvo Part's _Te Deum_








Takacs Quartet's _Bartók - The 6 String Quartets_ 
(lucky enough to have seen them performed live!)








Rostropovich's _Bach - Cello Suites_
(one of the recordings that got me into the genre years back)​
I'm attempting to work my way through Gramophone's "Best of 2013" recordings and thus far the Kopatchinskaja and Eötvös - _Bartók, Eötvös & Ligeti - Violin Concertos_ has been my favorite, which makes sense as it was their recording of the year.

Nice to meet you all, cheers!


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