Anybody have a really good audio setup?

[MickJagger]

Hello all, thanks for showing interest in my thread! I am just wondering if any of you out there think you have a pretty respectable sound setup at home that you would like to brag about. Or, if not, then maybe a setup you would love to have someday. My dream setup right now is a pair of Paradigm Studio/100s for my fronts, a Paradigm Servo-15 subwoofer, a Paradigm Studio/CC for my center, a pair of Paradigm Studio/ADP surrounds, and Rotel equipment. Right now, I have a pair of Infinity IL40s for my fronts, an Infinity BU-120 subwoofer, an Infinity IL36c for my center, no surrounds, and a Kenwood 500-Watt AV receiver and CD player. I use my Xbox for my DVD player. I know, it isn't musch to holler about, but I feel that it is a decent enough rig to get me through college. Besides, I can always go home and really enjoy my dad's awesome setup whenever I feel like it! He's got a pair of older Paradigm Studio/100s, the Paradigm Servo-15 subwoofer, the Paradigm Studio/CC center, a pair of Stufio/ADP surrounds, and Sony ES equipment. He wants to upgrade to some component equipment sometime soon but he doesn't know what kind of equipment he wants to get. I look forward to hearing what kind of rigs you all have!

[jomina]

Teac VRDS 50 CDP (channel clearance 1/2 price))
Aura CA200 pre (sh)
Aura PA 200 power amp (x2 soon) (all SH)
Spendor 3/1p speakers (channel clearance 1/2 price)
Audio Technica headphones (for the Sun Ra when my wife is at home)

Works for me.

Coming soon are the extra power amp for bridged mono mode. Possibly/probably a Nottingham record player, and a pair of large and wonderfully ugly Harbeth speakers.
Am also getting hold of a pair of s/h ProAc (as per Craig Street) speakers for the second/PC system.

Lots of CDs, but not enough.

[sideshowbob]

Possibly/probably a Nottingham record player

Now where have I heard that before, dude :D

Just do it man! (Which Nottingham, BTW?)

-- Ian

[jomina]

:D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D ;)

[LeMo]

My main equipement, in my listening room :

CD: VECTEUR L-4.2 (converter 24/192)
Preamp: DB SYSTEM (1972 - old stuff, good stuff)
Amps: FILSON Mono Block (a double push-pull of EL 84 - 1958, very old stuff, very good stuff)

Came TODAY:

Integrated Amp: SIM AUDIO MOON I-3 (2X 100 watts, 5 watts in "A" Class). Warming up from the morning. Not Trying yet.

Speakers: MAGNEPAN 1.6 QR (Two years old, a killer stuff).

Of course, it's stereo setting and it will stay a stereo setting.

[Lonson]

I 'm very happy with my setup:

*A Dynaco cd player with tubed preamp output.
*A Decware Select TWO WATT per channel amplifier
*A pair of Decware Radial RL-2 speakers
*A PSAudio Power Plant PS300 power generator

TARA Labs interconnects, and cryo-treated single strands of Cat-5 for speaker wire!

I love the sound of this system. I'm hooked on it. I'm not changing anything until I can find an SACD player I really can afford that has a tubed preamp output.

[jazzdude]

In my listening room...

Yamaha A 3090 integrated amp (modified with a Cardas Golden detachable power cord

B&W Nautilus 805 speakers

NHT Super One sub with outboard amp

Ultech (Ultimate Technology) CD player

Yamaha EQ

Denon DRW-840 cassette deck

Magnum Dynalab Etude tuner

PS Audio 300 Power Regnerator

Lovan supports under the CD player and Lovan speaker stands Audience power cord from the CD player
Sonora Signature speaker cables
Monster interconnect cords elsewhere.

I do think about a tube amp sometimes...maybe one day. Right now, though, I am a happy camper.

[LeMo]

I must just ad my turntable:
- Thorens TD 150 (from 1964, courtesy of my father) with an SME 3009 and Ortophon SPU gold. Let me says than it works very fine.
I use the Sim Audio Moon this morning for a little ride: It's a BOMB.
Suddenly the Whole Mingus band and all the public of Antibes was right there.
And it's just a beginnning. This amp will give if full potential in no less than four six weeks!

[Claude]

I'm currently upgrading my hifi set, some parts are old and not on par with the rest.

Digital source:
- Sony SACD/CD player SCD-XA770QS
- Sony CD player CDP-X777ES (this 11 year old player is built like a tank and will probably last forever. I need 2 CD players)
- Sony DVD player DVP-NS405 (used mainly for MP3-CDs)
- PC with Terratec 6fire 96/24 soundcard

Analog source:
- Thorens TD160 MkII (just auctioned, needs a new cartridge)
- Sony TCK-808ES cassette deck (used for a big archive of radio concert recordings that I'm slowly digitizing)
- Kenwood tuner

Amplifier:
- Electrocompaniet ECI-3
- Rotel RC995 preamp, for phono input only

Speakers:
- Dynaudio Contour 1.3
soon to be upgraded with Dynaudio Special 25, B&W 805 Signature or KEF Reference 203. I'm still testing them.

Kimber speaker cables and interconnects

[peter rh]

Claude - Are the Dynaudio Special 25's available now and have
you heard them? I am considering Dynaudio (maybe 82's) but
dread to think how much the UK price is for the 25's. Do you
prefer smaller speakers or is that a requirement based on space?

[Claude]

The Dynaudio Special 25 is available since November last year, but this anniversary model will only be made for one year and is rather difficult to get right now. Price is 4000 Euro/pair

I prefer "bookshelf" speakers placed on quality stands because they are easier to set up (but not always) and offer a superior transparency in the mid range. I'm not a bass or dynamics freak, with small jazz combos this is not essential. My living room is rather large (45 square-meters), but my current Dynaudios deliver enough bass down to 30Hz. I can't stand the slightest boominess in sound. I wouldn't use them in small rooms, as they should be placed at least half a meter away from the walls.

But I'm also considering the KEF Reference 203 floorstanders, which have a very controlled bass. I have listened to the KEFs and the B&W Signature 805 at my home and am waiting for a pair of Dynaudio Special 25 to make a final decision. This should be an investment for at least the next 10 years. The Dynaudios have a 25 year warranty :)

As a new Dynaudio Contour series has just come out (2500 - 6000 Euro/pair) you should also envisage the old Contour series which is on sale everywhere.

[jomina]

I would suggest listening to the Harbeth range.
They are certainly not to everybodys' taste, but anyone auditioning Dynaudios and KEFs, and specifically interested in mid-range accuracy, should get their ears around a pair of of M30s, Compact 7s or SH5s.
A minority taste, but sometimes the minority is on to something.

[peter rh]

Claude - thanks for your reply.I understand your thinking in
relation to the type of music you listen to and would be interested
in your final choice. Good idea about the old model Contour series
I'll investigate further.I accept that there are very good smaller
speakers available but I presently have Musical Fidelity MC2s which are medium size monitors so upgrading leads me towards
larger rather than smaller.
jomina - Harbeth make good loudspeakers along with a number
of other manufacters but I'm confident that Dynaudio speakers
will match my Naim amp and produce a better result than
Naim / Harbeth.

[jomina]

Originally posted by peter rh
I'm confident that Dynaudio speakers
will match my Naim amp and produce a better result than
Naim / Harbeth.
Hi Peter,
Why? I am interested.
Harbs are more neutral and more accurate (IME, IMHO) than Dyns (certainly the Dyns I've heard). The Dyns have added mid bass excietement, but this is artificial sweetner (again IMO) and has a negative effect on the midband.
Dynaudio also has a far larger marketing budget than Harbeth :D
Anyway, I would suggest listening to both, and perhaps also Shahinians - which do seem to be popular with US Naimies.

[peter rh]

Sorry jomina - I know British,American and Japanese have varying
tastes in HiFi sound particularly concerning amps and speakers.
I have heard Harbeths with Naim amps and much prefer Dynaudio
72s/82s- no real contest.There are amps that would suit Harbeths
better and produce results as good but I don't intend changeing
from Naim.
If I'm a Namie I must be a British version, so won't be looking for
Shahinians ;)

[jomina]

Hey Peter,
Apologies for getting your nationality mixed up :D
If you auditioned both and preferred the Dyns with your Naim, then that is the end of the story. This is about personal preference, and we all listen in different ways for different things (about the only constant I have found in audio)
From my perspective, at least you went to the trouble of actually demoing the Harbeths! I really like what they do, and while I realise that they are not for everyone, I do think they are worth a listen. Sadly, many people seem to have certain idee fixe about the "British" sound and simply bypass the listening before deciding they don't like these speakers :confused:
You are right about the differences between the US, Japan and Europe (and dare I say it, between the UK and mainland Europe). In Japan, for instance, there is no Naim and we have to make do as best we can with Accuphase :cool:
I think the shahinians can be had in the UK BTW...

[JPW]

Originally posted by Lonson

*A PSAudio Power Plant PS300 power generator
Here's an idea from a friend of mine who knows about these things: Don't use the mains filter on your audio - try it on the TV / PC / Refrigerator - basically anything that is on the same circuit as your stereo that could be putting crap *back into* the mains.
It's free and easy to try.

[peter rh]

JPW / jomina / joel - come on then tell us about your new speakers ;)

[JPW]

Originally posted by peter rh
JPW / jomina / joel - come on then tell us about your new speakers ;)
ooh all right, since you've insisted Peter...
The speakers in question are Harbeth Compact 7s - a deliciously ironic name, because at 520mm x 273 x 315mm compact is exactly what they aint.
I was using the rather smaller Spendor 3/1Ps, which I really liked. However, the rear port made placement a serious problem in our concrete room, and there was something disjointed about the bass even at the best of times.
The Harbeths have a vent - simply a hole on the front of the cabinet - which gives me much greater flexibility in terms of positioning.
The C7s bring scale, timbre and uncanny (and I mean scarily uncanny) reality in the mid-band. This is no surprise, since this is what BBC monitors are famous for.
These speakers also do quality bass - neither bloated and out of time, nor unnaturally lean and "fast", just natural and in time (within theirs' and the room's limits).
I don't have much hearing beyond about 14khz, but within that range the treble is clean and even witout any obvious hotness (from the metal dome tweets), and the drivers are well integrated.
Add all this to the uncanny midrange and small combos come alive and gel in a way I have rarely heard from recorded music.
Instruments and voices breathe easily and naturally. THis can come as a real shock.
So, the perfect speaker then? Well, they could be for me. Other people have different objectives and different ways of listening.
I've had Kraftwerk's new album, a CD of solo Ud, some Mahler, a couple of albums of Roots Reggae, some Chanson and a very good album of Yemeni music on today and the Harbeths, in their relaxed and even handed way, dealt easily and without fuss with all of that.
However, if you are looking for HT-style gut punching kick look elsewhere, if you are looking to impress people with the size of your 3D soundstage look elsewhere, if you like etched 3D "hifi" detail look elsewhere (although they do disappear and they are very detailed), and if you want people to admire your beautiful new furniture / work of art most definitely look elsewhere.
If you want to really listen, to look deep into the music and the recording, you should give these a very serious listen.

[peter rh]

joel - thought you were heading for the Harbeth's. It's like
having a whole new collection of cds when you make a decent
upgrade - hope you got a good deal as well!
Is Claude about to tell us if he has new speakers yet?

[JPW]

Absolutely. SPendors and Harbeths are both "BBC monitors", so it is a "sound" I am familiar with and prefer. The Harbs are a serious step up, though.
I got a very good deal indeed. Harbeth changed distributor, so the old distributor was selling off stock at a serious discount. I got the last pair :D
Sadly my power amp has died. I am thinking of going digital. Any suggestions?

[peter rh]

joel - well most of the UK manufacters had a licence to produce
the Ls3/5 monitors but things have moved on a little in the last
25 years or so.I do know what you mean about sound quality with Harbs. Good to hear to got a decent deal - it's amazing
what is available when you try!
I'm a Naim amp man,so I'm not even up to date with the rest of
the UK market let alone Japenese exotica! I suppose money has
to enter the equation somewhere - why thoughts on digital?
Do you have something particular in mind?

[JPW]

Hi Peter,
Yes, I would agree that things have moved on since the LS3/5 - although not always in the right direction :D
I like the lack of heat, compact size and low electricity bills that digital offers. It seem to work, too. Although the couple of times I have listened to a system with digital amps I fell asleep. I am convinced it was the Martin Logan speakers that were responsible for that, though.
Anyway, a few amps to be had on Audiogon from Bel Canto and PS Audio for $1K or less and from Spectron for a little more. That's a good price for me, and I can probably sell them on later without taking a big hit.
This would be an intermediate solution for the next couple of years.
The deals are out there. All you have to do is do a little looking and ask a few questions...

[sideshowbob]

Sadly my power amp has died. I am thinking of going digital. Any suggestions?

Now, let me think. Egad, I've got it! How about quality monitors with monoblocks inside them? Something like, ooh, ATC actives maybe.

Stop me if you've heard this before. :D

-- Ian

[JPW]

Originally posted by sideshowbob
Stop me if you've heard this before. :D
So stop already :D
Not that that's going to stop you Ian...
Those speakers actually belong to this lot, right? :laugh:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/doctorwho/alien/images/cybermen_factfile.jpg

[sideshowbob]

Yep, that's me with my 'phones on.

I bet a Sugden A21P would sound bloody good with those Harbeths. Not too expensive s/h in the UK, no idea if there's any to be had in Japan. How much power do you need/want?

BTW, I sent you a batch of CDs about a million years ago, so they should be arriving any day, I would think.

-- Ian

[JPW]

Originally posted by sideshowbob
Yep, that's me with my 'phones on.

I bet a Sugden A21P would sound bloody good with those Harbeths. Not too expensive s/h in the UK, no idea if there's any to be had in Japan. How much power do you need/want?

BTW, I sent you a batch of CDs about a million years ago, so they should be arriving any day, I would think.

-- Ian
Aaaaah, they arrived and were brilliant. I especially enjoyed the Ayler & the Iraqi Maqqam I didn't send you an email? Alzheimers - I'm quite sure.
Your CDs will be on their way soon (there are quite a lot of them now...). In mitigation m'lud, you should also be getting a something just a little "special" in the post next week sometime. Look out for the Belgian postmark.
I am a bad man.:embarass: :embarass: :embarass: :embarass: :embarass: :embarass: :eek2:

Funnily enough, the people who sold me the Harbeths also import Sugden. They do have the A21 for reasonable money considering. Not come across any second hand or mega deals so far, though.

[sideshowbob]

I am a bad man.:embarass: :embarass: :embarass: :embarass: :embarass: :embarass: :eek2:


You are forgiven, my son. Glad they arrived.

-- Ian

[barry]

i'm vary happy with my setup

rotel 1090 200 watt 2ch amp
rotel 1070 pre amp
arcam fmj cd23 disc player
rega p3 turntable with a super elys cartridges
dynaudio audience 72
audio quest t4 speaker cable
jps labs 1m superconductor fx interconnects ( i think the best
interconnects on the market)

[Upstateaudio]

I am upgrading the speakers in my set up eventually.

Rega P3 table modded (Deepgroove subplatter, origin live modded RB250 tonearm)
Dynavector10x4MK11 cartridge
Classe DR6 preamp
Classe CA150 amp
Classe CDP1.5 turntable
LAT international cabling
Paradigm Studio v2 speakers

I will be going to Totem Rainmakers (monitor) or Totem Hawks (floorstanding).

I have a small listening room.

[jonesy]

Digital - Musical Fidelity NuVista CD
Analogue - VPI Scout / RB300 / Benz Micro

conrad johnson Premier 14 pre/
Sonic Frontiers Power Two amp
Wilson Watt Puppy VI spks.
Transparent & Van den Hul cables/interconnects

[xricci]

This is one of the threads that was gutted in the crash of 2003. Thanks for firing it back up, Barry.

Here’s my system. It’s a fine set up for the $:

* JM lab Cobalt 820 (Special Edition) Speakers
* Classe CA101 Amp
* Classe CP-35 Pre-Amp
* NAD C542 CD Player

[bmellorosa]

Hi, guys

I'm new here (first time).
My set up is:

BW 601S3
McIntosh MA6100
Sony DVP NS900
Gradiente Esotech turntable
Monster Cable Interconects & Straigth Wire Spk Cables

That's it, modest country, modest equipment. ;) Wish some day have a Goldmund setup. :D

Byron

[Claude]

I'm currently upgrading my hifi set, some parts are old and not on par with the rest.

Digital source:
- Sony SACD/CD player SCD-XA770QS
- Sony CD player CDP-X777ES (this 11 year old player is built like a tank and will probably last forever. I need 2 CD players)
- Sony DVD player DVP-NS405 (used mainly for MP3-CDs)
- PC with Terratec 6fire 96/24 soundcard

Analog source:
- Thorens TD160 MkII (just auctioned, needs a new cartridge)
- Sony TCK-808ES cassette deck (used for a big archive of radio concert recordings that I'm slowly digitizing)
- Kenwood tuner

Amplifier:
- Electrocompaniet ECI-3
- Rotel RC995 preamp, for phono input only

Speakers:
- Dynaudio Contour 1.3
soon to be upgraded with Dynaudio Special 25, B&W 805 Signature or KEF Reference 203. I'm still testing them.

Kimber speaker cables and interconnects

I've completed a total upgrade of my hifi setup in 2004. Most of the equipment has been bought second hand.

Digital sources:
- Sony SCD-XA777ES SACD/CD player. The best CD sound I have ever heard.
- Sony CDP-X777ES CD player. I kept the old player for A/B-testing, and because it is more reliable with CD-Rs.
- Philips DVD963SA DVD player. Very good sound. Most of my DVDs are concert films.

Analog sources:
- Thorens TD126MkIII with custom made plinth. I will receive it in the next weeks. A SME 3009 III arm will be mounted. I'll try to get a Shure V15 cartridge
- Kenwood L-1000T FM tuner. A solid high end tuner from the early 90's, very high tech but with smooth sound. My final analog tuner

Amplifiers
- Electrocompaniet EC4.7 preamp + AW120 power amp. Bought them used for half the original price. Very powerful and neutral.
- Audiovalve RKV II tube headphone amplifier, for the AKGs
- Musical Fidelty X-Can, for the Sennheisers
- Musical Fidelity X-LPs phono stage

Speakers and headphones
- Dynaudio Contour s3.4 speakers. After long testing and thinking, I finally opted for larger standing speakers instead of standmounted smaller ones. The bass response is very convincing, the overall sound neutral and non-fatiguing. I had to buy them new
- AKG K1000 headphones. I use them exclusively for listening of orchestral works. I currently cannot listen to those loud enough with the speakers, because I live in an appartment. The sound of the AKGs is addictiveley transparent and realistic, but it need a very good amplifier (Class A or tubes)
- Sennheiser HD580 headphones. I use them with the PC only, to monitor and edit recordings

Cables
For the main cable connections (CD --> amp, amp --> speakers), I switched from Kimber to Wireworld Oasis 3, which are a bit less bright sounding.

[xricci]

dang claude! can i come over to your house to play the next time i'm in luxembourg? :)

[bmellorosa]

Second! :hail

[willie]

I'm not using anything new but it all works great and I love the way it all sounds together, which I guess is the bottom line.

Luxman L210 amp
Dual 1019 turntable
Phillips CD 650 cd player
Castle Acoustics Richmond II speakers

[Javry]

Esoteric DV50s universal player

Theta Casablanca II processor; extreme dacs across

2 Krell Theater Amp Standards; 5 250 watt channels each

Hyperion 938 main speakers

Klipsch surrounds

Polk Audio Center Channel

2 SVS B-4 subwoofers

2 Crown K-2 amps for subs

DVDO Iscan HD+ Video processor

Sim2 300 plus projector

mostly audioquest lapis and diamond interconnect throughout.

The system is set up mostly for movies. I'm planning on adding back in some stuff to beef up the audio.
Javry

[Mark of Cenla]

I used to have a more serious setup until three weeks ago. I had a Hafler preamp and power amp and Boston Acoustics T1000 tower speakers. The Bostons were their top of the line when I got them. I got that setup in the mid 80s and used it with various sources over the years. I became bored with it after almost twenty years, even though it sounded great, so I gave the speakers and amplification to my friend.

Now I have the following:

JVC RX-318 receiver
Polk RTi4 speakers
Panasonic DMR E55 (plays/records DVD video, plays CDs and DVD Audio)

This system sounds great to me, and I am rather picky. I have another system in my bedroom with my TEAC CD recorder, JVC cassette deck, Sherwood CD player, 80s Sony receiver, and small RCA speakers I got at Radio Shack. This system sounds good enough for me to hear and enjoy all the music. To each his/her own. Peace.

[Upstateaudio]

I am upgrading the speakers in my set up eventually.

Rega P3 table modded (Deepgroove subplatter, origin live modded RB250 tonearm)
Dynavector10x4MK11 cartridge
Classe DR6 preamp
Classe CA150 amp
Classe CDP1.5 turntable
LAT international cabling
Paradigm Studio v2 speakers

I will be going to Totem Rainmakers (monitor) or Totem Hawks (floorstanding).

I have a small listening room.

I upgraded to Totem Hawks. I love the sound. :(

[Swinger]

Cambridge Azur 640 A,C (cd-player+amp)

Dynaudio 42 speakers

Nice setup in a my small listening environment.

[IBSmiester]

I've been into audiophilia for the last 3 years, so I'm really just starting out. The amp, and speakers were both part of my late grandfather's system, but the rest is mine. I might be upgrading to some Magneplanar's in the next year. I always have the upgrade bug.

Amp: NAD 3155 Integrated
CD Player: Sony SCD-CE595 SACD/CD Changer
Tuner: Onkyo T-22
Turntable: Denon DP-45F
Cartridge: Denon DL-110 MC
Speakers: Klipsch Kg2

[Bhobb]

My system is basically unremarkable, but I do want to sing the praises of my cassette deck. It's a Yamaha TC800GL, the wedge-shaped one designed by Mario Bellini. I bought it 30 years ago and it's performed faultlessly ever since. Sounds great, and easily the most beautiful piece of audio equipment ever designed. Strangely, I've never seen it mentioned in any Bellini retrospectives.

[GregM]

Lots of good rigs posted earlier.

VAC Avatar SE amp running chinese dragon EL34
Sony SCD-1 SA/CD player
VPI Scout with Aurum beta S cartridge
B&W Nautilus 802 L/R speakers
B&W Nautilus 805 rear speakers
B&W Nautilus HTM-1 center speaker
Audio Refinement Multi 3
Audio Refinement Pre-2 DSP preamp
Alphacore MI2 biwire speaker cables
Electra Glide Ultra Khan II cords on the amp and SACD player
PS Audio cords on the rest

...and the Playstation2

[Taliboo]

I have gone the diy path, which includes an active pre amp using a 6992 valve and a power amp which uses 4 6550 valves, the thing ways a ton and produces only 40 watts which are in class A, it is choke regulated and is filled with things such as oil filled capacitors, tantalum resistors. The speakers are handbuilt using solid ash, with carbonfibre mids and the tweeter is foil gas-filled piezo, I also lined the speaker with fibreglass and put the crossover into a seperate box. I have just finished some nice speaker cables using copper foil placed into a unbleached cotton sleeve.
The Cd player is by Roksan, which will soon have a new diy DAC.

The sound, nothing like a hi-fi system, very different there is a massive window and space for all the different frequencies to express themselves, where in most hi-fi's the original recording is lost as the sound is forced to share a narrow opening so instead of the notes finding there own path they tend to compress and share with a similar frequency, I have used a large bank of power suppy caps which are the same as used in audionote amps, the power suppy is very important, when things get complex one does not want to be left without any reserve supply.

I have just recently added a subwooffer, Linn, which has been set just to give a bit more weight to the sound, but really kicks in when needed, which one feels rather then hears, this can at times creates stunning realism which is missed in most systems, a peak of a 1000 watts into a single drive unit, don't bother using a cheap sub it will cause more problems.

My diy system is drawing me into all kinds of different music, my music taste is one of experimenting.

That's it....

[ridgeback]

Rotel RCD 1070 CD player
Rotel RA 1070 Integrated Amp
B&W DM 602 S3 speakers

PS - nice sig IBSmiester :D

[caseyo]

My system is basically unremarkable, but I do want to sing the praises of my cassette deck. It's a Yamaha TC800GL, the wedge-shaped one designed by Mario Bellini. I bought it 30 years ago and it's performed faultlessly ever since. Sounds great, and easily the most beautiful piece of audio equipment ever designed. Strangely, I've never seen it mentioned in any Bellini retrospectives. I also am an original owner of the TC800GL. Unfortunately it started having problems with one of the channels and some tape slippage. During the 80's I was able to pick up two spares for parts and have never gotten around to working on it. I thought I could hand it over to some local JVC techs back then but they kept it for three months without doing a thing. At any rate, I have many original cassettes I recorded from vinyl in the 70's and they still sound great today. Pretty much used TDK tapes and they have held up for three decades. Amazing. This tape deck, when coupled with a good tube preamp (luxman CL-34 or mc C-21) and Thorens TD-160 super produced some outstanding recordings. I have compared my old tapes to new ones made with later model Yamahas and Nakamichis and they still have the best tonal and musical qualities. Glad to know yours is doing fine.

[Blacryder]

Still undecided...just use this (http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/al/alba-ccd215.jpg) with that (http://www.maplin.co.uk/images/Full/35310i0.jpg) at the moment...gives excellent sound though...

My dream system will be the Bose CD Wave Radio (http://www.casamanolo.com/new_images/pil_wrcd_g.jpg)..

B

[andyp]

Save your money Blacryder - have just spent a couple of nights in a hotel with this as the sound system - distinctly underwhelming for the money. Very smooth bland sound - no snap life or pzazzz ... (whatever that may be !)

The hotel was great ....

[Blacryder]

Save your money Blacryder - have just spent a couple of nights in a hotel with this as the sound system - distinctly underwhelming for the money. Very smooth bland sound - no snap life or pzazzz ... (whatever that may be !)

Oh I see, sounded good from what I read;...I just switched to a Bush micro system which dips & strums in sweet detail.. but just using the main unit as it's speakers are less powerful..sounds a nice hotel though..

B

[andyp]

The sound was ok for a neat little unit, but at around £400 new it just struck me as incredibly bad value for money for what in effect is a very posh CD/clock radio. Bose's marketing lead me to think I'd be hearing something significantly better.

For about half the money you could get a Denon DM31, a very smart little "lifestyle" system, with better sound and greater flexibility of upgrade in terms of speaker choice.

The hotel was very nice btw ....

[Blacryder]

The sound was ok for a neat little unit, but at around £400 new it just struck me as incredibly bad value for money for what in effect is a very posh CD/clock radio. Bose's marketing lead me to think I'd be hearing something significantly better.

For about half the money you could get a Denon DM31, a very smart little "lifestyle" system, with better sound and greater flexibility of upgrade in terms of speaker choice.

The hotel was very nice btw ....

Yes, too expensive if it's not as they say, I guess,..the Denon looks good especially with the upgrade option, thanks..I will check it out sometime.

B

[Old Pa]

Sources:
Rega Planar 25 w/ Micro Benz Glider
Alesis Masterlink
Meridian G08
Arcam FMJ CD21T
Ahh! Njoe Tjoeb Super 4000 oversampled

Amps:
Bryston B25MC into Bryston B14ST (balanced lines)
HeadRoom Maxed Out Home (Reference), Stepped Attenuator
AudioValve RKV Mk. II

Speakers and Headphones:
B&W Nautilus 800
Sennheiser HD650/Zu Mobius
Sennheiser HD600/Cardas

[jaz_zak]

I'm thinking of upgrading to a pair of Bose 901s and a sub woofer.

Presently running a pair of Klipsch Kg2s [front] & Klipsch in-wall speakers [rear]

Marantz SR8400 Receiver

Pioneer Elite DV45A DVD player

Older Sony VCR (with only coax in and outs).

I had been running a Magnavox CD Player and a Proton Integrated Amp D540.

This is the first week that I've had the Marantz receiver and it's been a difficult experience getting it set up. I'm looking forward to having theater sound in my living room.

[Dennis_M]

I'm thinking of upgrading to a pair of Bose 901s and a sub woofer.

Presently running a pair of Klipsch Kg2s [front] & Klipsch in-wall speakers [rear]......

I would think long and hard before replacing your Klipsch with Bose. Bose is notorious for producing speakers that 'sound good' to the masses, but do not reproduce music accurately. It is my impression that very few people who call themselves 'audiophiles' have Bose speakers.

[jaz_zak]

Just thinking out loud... before I bought the Kg2's I listened to quite a few. I'd never buy speakers without listening to them. Polk and Klipsch were my top pics before.

The Bose 901s peaked my interest due to the idea of direct and reflected sound. I haven't had time to get a listen.

Thanks,

Zak

[Avatar74]

Here's my setup (http://images.cinemalogue.com/htpics/).

Sony STR-DA1000ES receiver
KEF Q5 front towers
KEF Q9c center channel
KEF Q-Compact for left and right surround
KEF PSW-2150 250 watt 10" subwoofer for LFE channel

Basically, I went for the ES receiver with the least bells and whistles, and speakers that have discernibly decent sound reproduction without being horrendously expensive.

If you're unsure of what to get, have a friend go along with you to a store and do some blind listening tests without the aid of a salesperson. If you cannot tell the difference between A & B, then move down a step in price and compare other systems within the same price range, and against a slightly higher price range... keep doing this until you find an easily discernible difference in quality.

Much of the qualitative analyses written in so-called audiophile magazines, etc. are a bunch of baloney. Mags like Stereophile uncannily refuse to do blind tests... a good resource on rooting out the baloney/myths from the legitimate arguments in sound reproduction is audioholics.com (http://audioholics.com).

Regarding some people's observations about Bose... there's nothing wrong with Bose if what you want is efficient sound. Their R&D focuses on producing efficient sound... "big" sound from a little package. This they do exceedingly well. What they don't do well is accurate reproduction.

The original poster mentioned Paradigm... they're decent, though I would compare them with KEF's before choosing. You might save some money. I got a break on the Q5's because they are being discontinued and replaced with a newer, decidedly more expensive series. Blind test between the KEF's and the Paradigms and see if you can actually, easily discern the difference more than 75 percent of the time.

Also keep in mind that there's no real way to assess "accurate" reproduction unless you were the sound engineer on the recording session (which is why I often use my own recordings to judge systems)... If you don't know how that recording is INTENDED to sound, you can never objectively analyse the accuracy of the reproduction.

The best use of your money is by finding the point of diminishing marginal return beyond which additional expenditure will not yield you an easily discernible improvement in sound quality. Aesthetics are valid... e.g. picking a metal casing over a plastic one, silver vs. black, shaken vs. stirred, C-cup vs. D-cup... whatever... but the point is, that's an entirely arbitrary issue. How much more you're willing to spend for the marginal bells and whistles should be solely determined by what you are willing to pay and not "sold" on you by an external entity.

[madscort]

ive got luxman l210 amp brill!!!!!!!!! up for sale if anyones intereted make an offer


01234 349593

ranj/mick

[mtodde]

Over the last two years I've been fortunate enough to make a number of upgrades to my system. Here's my current 2 channel set-up:

TT: VPI Scout
Arm: JMW9
Cartridge: Shelter 501 Mk II
CD/SACD: Marantz SA-8260
Pre-amp: Odyssey Tempest Extreme w/ Symphonic Line phonostage
Amp: Odyssey Stratos Extreme
Speakers: Paradigm Reference Signature 4 (Rosenut)
Interconnects: Zu Gede
Speaker Cables: Zu Wax
Speaker Stands: Solid Steel 24"
Rack: Salamander Synergy (Walnut)
Power Conditioner: Monster HTS5000 Mk II
Headphones: Grado SR-80

[mtodde]

I would think long and hard before replacing your Klipsch with Bose. Bose is notorious for producing speakers that 'sound good' to the masses, but do not reproduce music accurately. It is my impression that very few people who call themselves 'audiophiles' have Bose speakers.

Friends don't let friends buy Bose.

[thomas123]

http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/showpost.php?p=211725&postcount=6

Kind regards

Thomas

[Mark of Cenla]

Well, I am an audiophile again. I now have big speakers (Boston Acoustics [modified] T1000's), a preamp (Hafler DH100) and a power amp (AudioSource Amp One/A) in my living room. My sources are a JVC television, DISH network receiver, and a Panasonic DMR-E55 DVD recorder, which playes DVDs, DVD-Audio, and CDs. That is a great system to me, as good as I will ever need or want. Peace.

[selim]

Well, I am an audiophile again. I now have big speakers (Boston Acoustics [modified] T1000's), a preamp (Hafler DH100) and a power amp (AudioSource Amp One/A) in my living room. My sources are a JVC television, DISH network receiver, and a Panasonic DMR-E55 DVD recorder, which playes DVDs, DVD-Audio, and CDs. That is a great system to me, as good as I will ever need or want. Peace.
I once owned Boston speakers (T-830) until I realized they were NOT magnetically shielded. Making it impossible to place them too close to a TV. They got replaced by a pair of Paradigm Reference Studio/60v.3's. These speakers work wonders with vocals and their bass is just deep enough for a medium size apartment. The amp is by Parasound (HCA-150) and so is the pre-amp (P/LD 1100). The sources are a Marantz 5 disc CD/DVD changer, an Alesis MasterLink (ML-9600) digital recorder that records to hard drive. And digital cable. This rig is simple stereo. But I have a Carver C-9 halographic generator hooked into the signal path. So there is no need for surround sound. The Carver does a very convincing job of placing instruments all around you in a natural way. It works well for video sources too including DVD's. Since the only kind of music I listen to is jazz, this system is perfect. You could say it's a jazz system. I also have everything hooked up with Tara Labs cables. I almost forgot to mention the power conditioner, a MonsterCenter HTS 1000. Important if you want clean power!

[selim]

Hello all, thanks for showing interest in my thread! I am just wondering if any of you out there think you have a pretty respectable sound setup at home that you would like to brag about. Or, if not, then maybe a setup you would love to have someday. My dream setup right now is a pair of Paradigm Studio/100s for my fronts, a Paradigm Servo-15 subwoofer, a Paradigm Studio/CC for my center, a pair of Paradigm Studio/ADP surrounds, and Rotel equipment. Right now, I have a pair of Infinity IL40s for my fronts, an Infinity BU-120 subwoofer, an Infinity IL36c for my center, no surrounds, and a Kenwood 500-Watt AV receiver and CD player. I use my Xbox for my DVD player. I know, it isn't musch to holler about, but I feel that it is a decent enough rig to get me through college. Besides, I can always go home and really enjoy my dad's awesome setup whenever I feel like it! He's got a pair of older Paradigm Studio/100s, the Paradigm Servo-15 subwoofer, the Paradigm Studio/CC center, a pair of Stufio/ADP surrounds, and Sony ES equipment. He wants to upgrade to some component equipment sometime soon but he doesn't know what kind of equipment he wants to get. I look forward to hearing what kind of rigs you all have!
Aren't the Paradigms awsome? I own the studio 60v.3's and these babies are heavy. So I know the 100's must be a bitch to move. I've heard em but couldn't afford em. But I'm glad I got Paradigm!

[selim]

If your on a budget and are looking for an affordable but great sounding floorstanding speaker check out the Athena AS-F1 for around 400 bucks a pair. Best Buy carries the whole line. They sound great for music and movies. Consider these if you're thinking of purchasing the Infinity Primus 360's. Better sound, less money!

[iShawn]

I was looking online and it appears that I could get an 800W Sony system with a 5-disc Sony SACD player for around $400. This doesn't look bad. I want to get into the SACD and 5.1 sound without investing too much into it (And I don't have the kind of money for a Marantz system or anything).

I just have a few questions. A see a lot of Dual-Discs that either feature DVD or DVD-Audio content. If I were to get a SACD player could it play the normal tracks as any CD player and also play the enhanced audio (Be it 5.1 or Super-Audio - by the way - what is the difference?) or would something else be needed? Is 5.1 Audio not DVD-Audio? Do SACD players generally take care of playing all of this?

I'd love to get into the audiophile category and if I can start around $400 for a complete 5.1 speaker system w/ amp and SACD player; I'm going to go for it!

[selim]

I was looking online and it appears that I could get an 800W Sony system with a 5-disc Sony SACD player for around $400. This doesn't look bad. I want to get into the SACD and 5.1 sound without investing too much into it (And I don't have the kind of money for a Marantz system or anything).

I just have a few questions. A see a lot of Dual-Discs that either feature DVD or DVD-Audio content. If I were to get a SACD player could it play the normal tracks as any CD player and also play the enhanced audio (Be it 5.1 or Super-Audio - by the way - what is the difference?) or would something else be needed? Is 5.1 Audio not DVD-Audio? Do SACD players generally take care of playing all of this?

I'd love to get into the audiophile category and if I can start around $400 for a complete 5.1 speaker system w/ amp and SACD player; I'm going to go for it!
An SACD player will play your regular CD's. But DVD-Audio and SACD are not compatable unless you bought a universal player which would set you back at least 1,500 bucks! A player that specifies SACD will not play DVD-Audio discs and vise versa. Don't expect all SACD discs to give you a 5.1 output. You will hear a difference between it and a regular CD. But unless it's a "hybrid" disc, SACD's will only play on SACD players. A "hybrid" disc contains a regular CD version of the same material that can be played on any standard CD or DVD player. Don't expect great sound for 400 bucks. Most of that money goes for the SACD and 5.1 capability. Not the speaker quality. Let your ears be the judge.

[Tenorman]

A 5 to 1 system does not take you into the audiophile realm of the music fan -- cinema perhaps but not audio

Most 5 to 1 SACDs or DVDs are gimmick set ups The rear speakers are only needed for the echo you would get in a music venue (and since most albums are studio recordings this would be very artificial

If you want audiophile, stick to stereo
If you want cinema go for 5.1


I was looking online and it appears that I could get an 800W Sony system with a 5-disc Sony SACD player for around $400. This doesn't look bad. I want to get into the SACD and 5.1 sound without investing too much into it (And I don't have the kind of money for a Marantz system or anything).

I just have a few questions. A see a lot of Dual-Discs that either feature DVD or DVD-Audio content. If I were to get a SACD player could it play the normal tracks as any CD player and also play the enhanced audio (Be it 5.1 or Super-Audio - by the way - what is the difference?) or would something else be needed? Is 5.1 Audio not DVD-Audio? Do SACD players generally take care of playing all of this?

I'd love to get into the audiophile category and if I can start around $400 for a complete 5.1 speaker system w/ amp and SACD player; I'm going to go for it!

[Prezfan]

Right now I have an old Sansui receiver that my uncle bought in Germany many years ago when he was in the army. Still works great to this day. I have an Aiwa CD recorder deck and a Project turntable hooked up to it as well as a pair of Cerwin-Vega speakers. It's not the most elaborate setup, but it gets the job done.

[iShawn]

Okay. So 5.1 is for movies. I understand the use of stereo. So, if I spent a lot more money on a Right/Left system what would you recommend I get (ideally)?

Is DVD-Audio 2 channel? Or is it all 5 channel? I'm still obsessed with the SACD because I thought you could get it in higher sample and bit rates much better than the 16bit 44.1k that CDs are set at. I know this wouldn't make much sense on remastered stuff that was recorded at a lower quality but if people can record 24bit 196k at home this would make me think it'd be an advantage.

[selim]

Okay. So 5.1 is for movies. I understand the use of stereo. So, if I spent a lot more money on a Right/Left system what would you recommend I get (ideally)?

Is DVD-Audio 2 channel? Or is it all 5 channel? I'm still obsessed with the SACD because I thought you could get it in higher sample and bit rates much better than the 16bit 44.1k that CDs are set at. I know this wouldn't make much sense on remastered stuff that was recorded at a lower quality but if people can record 24bit 196k at home this would make me think it'd be an advantage.
Both DVD-A and SACD players have 5.1 and 2channel stereo outputs. There are more titlles available in SACD format than in DVD-A. But the machines are only playback. Some home recorders like the one from Alesis will let you record at higher bit and sample rates. But it's not a SACD.
The Alesis MasterLink ML-9600 will let you record to hard drive anywhere from 44.1 to 96k sample rates and 16, 20, or 24 bit word lenghts. Great for archiving LP's. At 24/96k you can get about one side of an LP. An album at the highest bit rates would take two discs. BTW, you would still need a SACD player if you wanted to hear those types of discs.

[Hot Ptah]

Here is my set up:

Two 40 watt Marantz tube amps (installed in our house by the previous owner in 1962)
McIntosh C-26 Preamp
Thorens TD 124 turntable with Shure cartridge
Nakamichi BX-2 cassette deck
Denon CDR W1500 Cd player/burner
Denon TU 7595 tuner

Speakers (built into house by previous owner):

Eight JBL D130 fifteen inch bass speakers
Two N500 networks
Two JBL 375 high frequency drivers
Two 537/512 horns with acoutical lens
Two JBL 075 supertweeters with lens
Two N7000 networks

[tpt1]

Here is my set up:

Two 40 watt Marantz tube amps (installed in our house by the previous owner in 1962)
McIntosh C-26 Preamp
Thorens TD 124 turntable with Shure cartridge
Nakamichi BX-2 cassette deck
Denon CDR W1500 Cd player/burner
Denon TU 7595 tuner

Speakers (built into house by previous owner):

Eight JBL D130 fifteen inch bass speakers
Two N500 networks
Two JBL 375 high frequency drivers
Two 537/512 horns with acoutical lens
Two JBL 075 supertweeters with lens
Two N7000 networksI can see *why* you bought that house, Hot Ptah!

[Hot Ptah]

I can see *why* you bought that house, Hot Ptah!

It also has an entire bedroom wall modified with floor to ceiling built in LP racks.

My wife wants to move out now, to a nicer house. I am debating whether to hire the owner of a local high end audio shop to take the speakers out of the wall and install them in our new house, wherever it may be. What does anyone think about that--are these speakers worth doing that?

[tpt1]

It also has an entire bedroom wall modified with floor to ceiling built in LP racks.

My wife wants to move out now, to a nicer house. I am debating whether to hire the owner of a local high end audio shop to take the speakers out of the wall and install them in our new house, wherever it may be. What does anyone think about that--are these speakers worth doing that?Let your ears decide. If they sound that good, I say keep 'em! I gave away a pair of speakers that I really loved once when moving - but I really regretted it later.

[jazzbluescat]

I recently got a Bose Wave system with multi-disc changer. It doesn't get super loud, but, the clarity is incredible!

[andyp]

I would say definitely move them HP - there's no predicting how they'll sound in your new place, but at least you'll know how they sound.

If they're great you've saved the price of a new pair of speakers and all the hassle of auditioning/installing etc etc
If they suck, then at least you know they suck and you can find a new pair without them having to live up to the memory of your current setup.

If you don't move them you'll never know how they would have sounded and could end up spending time and money chasing something that never existed.

[Hot Ptah]

I would say definitely move them HP - there's no predicting how they'll sound in your new place, but at least you'll know how they sound.

If they're great you've saved the price of a new pair of speakers and all the hassle of auditioning/installing etc etc
If they suck, then at least you know they suck and you can find a new pair without them having to live up to the memory of your current setup.

If you don't move them you'll never know how they would have sounded and could end up spending time and money chasing something that never existed.

Thanks. I am thinking along the same lines!

[jonesy]

What's making those JBL's sing are the Marantz tubes/Mac pre. Nice combo.

When you say they're built into the house, do you mean they're raw speakers mounted in the walls, or are they in their own cabinets? If they're in the walls, think this over. D130's are big drivers. In-wall mounting is going to demand some serious reinforcing not to mention the obvious need for considerable space behind the wall - more or less a a false wall.

I came across a similar system in Michigan, almost the same vintage - the drivers were mounted in a custom-built 3/4" plywood panel which in effect acted as a speaker baffle and the walls were plaster and lathe. Drywall isn't stiff enough for big JBL's.

Can you give more details on the present installation?

[Lonson]

I've made some changes to the system since I last posted, and moved it out of a small dedicated listening room into the living room dining room. . . . Good move on my part.

Source: Decware tube output stage modified Sony 685 universal player
Preamp: Decware CSP2
Extra digital preamp: Decware ZBox (this is a tubed "buffer" that I love; really improves digital sound)
Amplifiers: Decware EL34 Monoblocks
Speakers: Decware Radial RL2

[Hot Ptah]

What's making those JBL's sing are the Marantz tubes/Mac pre. Nice combo.

When you say they're built into the house, do you mean they're raw speakers mounted in the walls, or are they in their own cabinets? If they're in the walls, think this over. D130's are big drivers. In-wall mounting is going to demand some serious reinforcing not to mention the obvious need for considerable space behind the wall - more or less a a false wall.

I came across a similar system in Michigan, almost the same vintage - the drivers were mounted in a custom-built 3/4" plywood panel which in effect acted as a speaker baffle and the walls were plaster and lathe. Drywall isn't stiff enough for big JBL's.

Can you give more details on the present installation?

They are mounted into the walls. The backs of the speakers stick out into a 2 car garage. The fronts of the speakers are in the living room wall on the other side, on either side of a fireplace. The speaker grills were painted to exactly match the painted bookcases next to them, so that you can't tell where the bookcases end and the speaker cloths begin.

[Mark of Cenla]

I have made some changes since my last post. Here is the short version. The audio and video from my DVD recorder go into my JVC TV, which has a variable audio out. This goes into a JVC receiver that powers my Polk RTi4 bookshelf speakers. I rigged a subwoofer by going out of the "record out" of the JVC reciever and into my Hafler preamp to my power amp to my Boston Acoustic tower speakers. I disconneted the tweeters and the mid-range speakers in the Bostons and am only using the crossovers and the woofers.

The JVC receiver always stays at the same volume setting because we use the TV to control the volume. The subwoofer volume is controlled by the Hafler preamp. Once I adjusted the realative volumes of the JVC/Polks and the Hafler/Bostons, it sounds wonderful. Everything goes through the TV, but that is the only way the other members of my family can deal with the system. I am really happy how it all turned out. Peace.

[Swingburn]

Does anyone have experience with the newer DVD players? I'm looking to replace an old broken Denon. I like just having one player that plays DVDs and CDs.

I bought a new Denon DVD-557 but am not as impressed with the sound quality compared to older Denons. Can anybody recommend a relatively cheap universal player with exceptional audio?

[StringIsKing]

Strange to hear about your DENON, they're gettin great reviews everywhere at the moment, equally over sound quality.

whatever you get make sue it's only for playback, a lot of corners get cut in audio and visual quality to make recordable DVD players.

[Bill Robinson]

I had a $500.00 Integra DVD player which plays SACD, DTS, and DVD audio. This was my first SACD player, and all this time I thought SACDs were hard to index, sluggish at changing tracks, etc. (Wow, they're really pushing the limits of CD discs; there's so much data that it's sluggish!) Turns out this all changed when I found a Sony multi-disc SACD/DTS/DVD Audio player for $69.00 in a pawn shop! It responds to my every touch, switches tracks instantly, and indexes quickly. It sounds great, and the menu is much easier to read & navigate. It has a coax SPIDIF out, too. I'm so happy, and now I load up that sucker with a regular CD, a multi-channel SACD, a stereo SACD, a Droopy cartoon, and a Dolby Digital DVD movie, and sit back & enjoy! No more scrolling thru menus changing settings and changing discs! I happy! Let this be a lesson to those of you who think "more expensive is better". I'm done with Integra! Long live pawn shops!

[Hot Ptah]

I was shocked when I plugged an iPod into a dock and plugged the dock into the back of my pre-amp. I did this to gain the Shuffle Songs feature for casual family listening--no one argues too much about what music is playing when it is random and something very different could be coming next.

While I don't want this to be true, it sounds very much better through my system than playing CDs through two different Denon CD players ever did.

[NewJazz4Mike]

I had a $500.00 Integra DVD player which plays SACD, DTS, and DVD audio. This was my first SACD player, and all this time I thought SACDs were hard to index, sluggish at changing tracks, etc. (Wow, they're really pushing the limits of CD discs; there's so much data that it's sluggish!) Turns out this all changed when I found a Sony multi-disc SACD/DTS/DVD Audio player for $69.00 in a pawn shop! It responds to my every touch, switches tracks instantly, and indexes quickly. It sounds great, and the menu is much easier to read & navigate. It has a coax SPIDIF out, too. I'm so happy, and now I load up that sucker with a regular CD, a multi-channel SACD, a stereo SACD, a Droopy cartoon, and a Dolby Digital DVD movie, and sit back & enjoy! No more scrolling thru menus changing settings and changing discs! I happy! Let this be a lesson to those of you who think "more expensive is better". I'm done with Integra! Long live pawn shops!

Tell you what... I'll give you $79 right now. You could make yourself a quick $10 profit!

[Bill Robinson]

My Sony SACD player has 5.1 outputs on back, and it plays DVD audio (a.k.a. Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS 5.1), too. It set me back $69.00 (See previous posting). Some SACD discs, like the Kinks reissues, are stereo only (but this gives you a chance to use the surround modes on your amp/receiver). Other SACDs give you the option of stereo or multi-channel. You change this option in the player itself, or like my Sony, it does it automatically once it's basically set up in the menu section. Yes, SACDs are 96khz/24 bit and they sound damn good. I think DVD audio is 48khz. •••The hard thing for me to understand was this: when you are in multi-channel SACD mode, the digital conversion is done IN THE PLAYER itself, and goes out, analog, to the 5.1 analog inputs on your amp. Dolby Digital 5.1 or DTS 5.1 can be listened to in this way, also, OR you can go out SPDIF coax from player into digital input on amp and let the AMP do the conversion and separation. It can get complicated, depending on your amp & receiver. I have a Harmon-Kardon from Circuit City, and I'm happy. The Talking Heads reissues are DVD audio, otherwise known as Dolby Digital 5.1 or Dolby Digital Stereo, your option in the setup menu. The main thing I have to remember is: if it's multi-channel SACD, my amp has to be set on 6/8 channel mode, which is the analog inputs. If set on regular stereo, you miss the other channels of the disc. The new Doors Perception box is 5.1 Dolby digital surround or DTS 5.1 surround. These modes can be converted in-player to analog out, or coax-out and separated by the amp. I kind of like doing the conversion in the player; it's not quite as loud, but it seems better-separated. I like DTS. I just like the way it sounds. I've got the Moody Blues' "Days of Future Passed" in DTS. The Beatles Anthology sounds wonderful in DTS. I noticed on the Doors DTS mix that it has little to no studio reverb; it sounds drier and clearer than the Dolby mix, which sounds more like the original studio reverb. It's weird on the DTS dry mix to hear Morrison's voice so dry, clear and present...it's like he's in the room! So just get your amp and player and learn how to use them; a lot of it is experimenting and trial-and-error. You'll have fun!

[papsrus]

OK .... I'm at the early stages of beginning to look for a sound system. I am converting a room that's about 12X15 feet (an unused back bedroom) into a listening room. My preferences are these:

1. A system that doesn't overpower the size of the room.
2. One that is based on CD and MP3 or digital playback formats.
3. The price range is somewhat flexible, but I'm thinking at this point of investing around $3000 - $3500 in this sound system. I could be talked up (or down), but this is basically the amount of cash I'd like to spend.

There are so many different setups discussed here it kind of leaves my head spinning. So I just thought I'd throw this out there to see what everyone thinks. Is it even possible to get a good quality system in this price range? I don't want to just stumble into Sound Advice and get the standard sales pitch. I figure this thread is a better place to start.

Thanks.

[always learning]

There are a few audiophile forums that will give you expert opinions. The one I recommend is filled with (mostly) sincere hobbyists

http://www.audiocircle.com/

They have a circle called Ther Starting Block. If you post there, try to describe your room including furniture, windows etc as well as musical preferencces.

audiocircle has nice folks who are into audio. Kinda like jazz folks here. Good luck!

Other audiofile forums to peruse:
http://www.audiogon.com/ click on "forums" on top
http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/etv.mpl?forum=general
http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/

[HutchFan]

OK .... I'm at the early stages of beginning to look for a sound system. I am converting a room that's about 12X15 feet (an unused back bedroom) into a listening room. My preferences are these:

1. A system that doesn't overpower the size of the room.
2. One that is based on CD and MP3 or digital playback formats.
3. The price range is somewhat flexible, but I'm thinking at this point of investing around $3000 - $3500 in this sound system. I could be talked up (or down), but this is basically the amount of cash I'd like to spend.

There are so many different setups discussed here it kind of leaves my head spinning. So I just thought I'd throw this out there to see what everyone thinks. Is it even possible to get a good quality system in this price range? I don't want to just stumble into Sound Advice and get the standard sales pitch. I figure this thread is a better place to start.

paps, you certainly get an excellent-sounding system for that sort of money. Definitely.

My first recommendation would be to find several quality local shops that specialize in "high-end" audio. There is absolutely no substitute for listening with your own ears. And a quality shop will be nothing like a big box-style store. They should be willing to let you hear any equipment/compare before buying. Often, they'll let you take home the equipment to try it out in your room before making you commit to the purchase.

Of course, you might also want to use the internet for research. Look on the internet for comments about the brands carried by the stores. Compare their comments with your own listening experiences. But trust your own ears most of all! :)

[papsrus]

There are a few audiophile forums that will give you expert opinions. The one I recommend is filled with (mostly) sincere hobbyists

http://www.audiocircle.com/

They have a circle called Ther Starting Block. If you post there, try to describe your room including furniture, windows etc as well as musical preferencces.

audiocircle has nice folks who are into audio. Kinda like jazz folks here. Good luck!

Other audiofile forums to peruse:
http://www.audiogon.com/ click on "forums" on top
http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/etv.mpl?forum=general
http://www.canuckaudiomart.com/


Thanks for the links. Checking out audiocircle now!

[papsrus]

paps, you certainly get an excellent-sounding system for that sort of money. Definitely.

My first recommendation would be to find several quality local shops that specialize in "high-end" audio. There is absolutely no substitute for listening with your own ears. And a quality shop will be nothing like a big box-style store. They should be willing to let you hear any equipment/compare before buying. Often, they'll let you take home the equipment to try it out in your room before making you commit to the purchase.

Of course, you might also want to use the internet for research. Look on the internet for comments about the brands carried by the stores. Compare their comments with your own listening experiences. But trust your own ears most of all! :)

Yes. Good suggestions. No substitute for actually listening to the gear. Thanks Hutch!

[Dawgin' the Cats]

Wow, a slow moving thread. Just my speed. :)

Yeah, I have decent stuff, Denon, 2900, also an M-Audio 2496 sound card for hard drive playback, Hybrid pre-amp with tube output stage, tube amps, high-end cabling, very efficient, open back speakers, but I have achieved a whole new degree of clarity and enjoyment from music by attention to my room acoustics.

I have some bass traps in the corners, diffusion panels for primary and secondary reflection points and general, broadband absorption near the listening area.

No matter what system you use it can be improved with some acoustical treatments to the listening areas.

:secret

[justHerb]

nope

[jonesy]

No matter what system you use it can be improved with some acoustical treatments to the listening areas.

:secret


:yeahthat:

...as well as paying attention to proper speaker placement relative to walls/reflective surfaces. The room itself is a 'speaker' - depending on the room construction and the size/power of the system, walls & ceilings may produce sympathetic vibrations, coloring the sound. Acoustic treatment is a fairly complex dynamic; too much is as bad as too little. The trick is to get the right balance relative to the system's performance level. As a rule, most cabinet speakers, either bass reflex or acoustic suspension will sound their best away from reflective surfaces - corners, side/rear walls, spiked if floor standing.

[CoyotePalace]

I have found Musical Fidelity gear to be relatively inexpensive for what you get...aka more bang for the buck. I have A5 equipment with Sonus Faber speakers, a somewhat tuned room, and have no complaints!

[jonesy]

I have found Musical Fidelity gear to be relatively inexpensive for what you get...aka more bang for the buck. I have A5 equipment with Sonus Faber speakers, a somewhat tuned room, and have no complaints!

Nice system, CP - Fidelity has made some excellent gear. Which Sonus Fabers do you have? I'm familiar with the A series - the NuVista cd player is in my current setup which I posted a while back -

Musical Fidelity NuVista CD
VPI Scout table w/ RB300 & Benz Micro
conrad johnson Premier 14 pre/
Sonic Frontiers Power Two amp
Wilson Watt Puppy 6 spks.
Transparent & Van den Hul cables/interconnects

[CoyotePalace]

I use the Concertino Domus speakers. I actually prefer them to the larger floor-standing speakers. The soundstage and transparency is wonderful! Nice system yourself!

[NewJazz4Mike]

I'm a big speaker guy myself. My pair of Legacy Focus has a combined (6) 12" woofers. My preference for recorded music is to be as realistic as possible, and for me that means deep and natural bass. Big, responsive woofers are essential. Forced to choose, I'd sacrifice imaging and soundstage for dynamic range, I guess. Hard to get the speaker placement right in my room anyway the way the room is configured. When I was a bit younger I'd lift my speakers down off their ledge and out away from the wall more often (when my wife went out), and admittedly it made the sweet spot a good deal sweeter. Anyway, now I'm too old to be hefting the Focus speakers up and down too often, and my hearing is getting really bad anyway. These days I'm much more a music lover than an audiophile.

[CoyotePalace]

I'm a big speaker guy myself. My pair of Legacy Focus has a combined (6) 12" woofers. My preference for recorded music is to be as realistic as possible, and for me that means deep and natural bass. Big, responsive woofers are essential. Forced to choose, I'd sacrifice imaging and soundstage for dynamic range, I guess. Hard to get the speaker placement right in my room anyway the way the room is configured. When I was a bit younger I'd lift my speakers down off their ledge and out away from the wall more often (when my wife went out), and admittedly it made the sweet spot a good deal sweeter. Anyway, now I'm too old to be hefting the Focus speakers up and down too often, and my hearing is getting really bad anyway. These days I'm much more a music lover than an audiophile.

I gave up the Cornwalls years ago!!

[jonesy]

I use the Concertino Domus speakers. I actually prefer them to the larger floor-standing speakers. The soundstage and transparency is wonderful! Nice system yourself!

I don't doubt it, bookshelfs can do a great disappearing act. Have always admired Faber. I still have a pair of Spica TC60's from about ten years ago that I won't part with. They're a bit lean on the bottom end but I found the stage fantastic for a somewhat large bookshelf. Musically I'm all over the place except for hard Rock and the Watt 6's have the dynamic range to handle it all really well - especially big band - and Di Francesco's B3 which is what's on now! ~pimp: They're faster with solid state but I'm a sucker for tubes -

[CoyotePalace]

I'm a big speaker guy myself. My pair of Legacy Focus has a combined (6) 12" woofers. My preference for recorded music is to be as realistic as possible, and for me that means deep and natural bass. Big, responsive woofers are essential. Forced to choose, I'd sacrifice imaging and soundstage for dynamic range, I guess. Hard to get the speaker placement right in my room anyway the way the room is configured. When I was a bit younger I'd lift my speakers down off their ledge and out away from the wall more often (when my wife went out), and admittedly it made the sweet spot a good deal sweeter. Anyway, now I'm too old to be hefting the Focus speakers up and down too often, and my hearing is getting really bad anyway. These days I'm much more a music lover than an audiophile.

Mike, those speakers must sound incredible with Mahler, or other dramatic, complex symphonic works!

[NewJazz4Mike]

Mike, those speakers must sound incredible with Mahler, or other dramatic, complex symphonic works!

Yeah, I'd say they do, they can handle anything! Actually though, I bought them for acoustic jazz. They're very realistic in the high and mid frequencies, and even the low frequencies are more tonal than thumpy. I've had mine for almost ten years now, and always loved them. They don't get much love from "audiophiles", maybe because they're sold direct rather than in high end audio shops, but Stereophile gave them a nice review a few years ago:

http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/104legacy/

[CoyotePalace]

Yeah, I'd say they do, they can handle anything! Actually though, I bought them for acoustic jazz. They're very realistic in the high and mid frequencies, and even the low frequencies are more tonal than thumpy. I've had mine for almost ten years now, and always loved them. They don't get much love from "audiophiles", maybe because they're sold direct rather than in high end audio shops, but Stereophile gave them a nice review a few years ago:

http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/104legacy/

I'm not too familiar with your speaker brand, but I have found that the key to great bass is often achieved by bi-amping (if possible) with a powerful amp (I like Krell in this application, but in other applications normally find Krells to be sorta harsh-sounding) and also by tipping the speakers slightly away from the floor in the front. Anyway, I'll keep my ear out for some of them to listen to.

[NewJazz4Mike]

I'm not too familiar with your speaker brand, but I have found that the key to great bass is often achieved by bi-amping (if possible) with a powerful amp (I like Krell in this application, but in other applications normally find Krells to be sorta harsh-sounding) and also by tipping the speakers slightly away from the floor in the front. Anyway, I'll keep my ear out for some of them to listen to.

Yes, I've experimented with that a couple of times, taking the amps away from the surround speakers and seperating the highs and lows on the main speakers for stereo. It was an interesting experiment, but I'm not certain that I heard an appreciable difference. Maybe the conditions left something to be desired - I have pretty heavy duty SS amps, similar to Krell in that they have lots of very fast and efficient power. Mine were also marketed by Legacy, but are actually rebadged Coda Continuum amps. I have a main power amp, 250 wpc that usually powers the main speakers, and I have a 4 channel amp with 120 wpc - one channel each devoted to the surrounds, and two channels bridged for my center channel speaker. So to bi-amp the Focus I split the main amp's two channels for the bass (250 watts each), and bridged the multichannel amp for the highs and mids (240 watts each). These exercises are all in the past for me; my hearing has deteriorated with age, and I can barely hear all the music these days, nevermind the audio nuances.

You can see in the pics (the second one updated to show the new Hi-def TV :wohoo: ), that I have a challenge with the room configuration. If I take the speakers down off the brick ledge, the right speaker is out in the mddle of the entry to the room. I'm ok with that, but it bugs my wife. So,especially considering that eah of the Focus has an additional 12" rear firing woofer, the placement's not ideal, but as I said, my hearing's not that precise anymore anyway. Also, with a new blu-ray DVD player, I finally retired the Theta David CD/DVD transport that I was using - the most expensive piece of crap that I ever purchased! My CDs even sound better played through the new DVD player (and DVDs sound amazing!)

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/77/155797901_a63c340dc5.jpg?v=0

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2147/2243966873_5c27f921d3.jpg?v=0

[CoyotePalace]

Very nice, Mike!

[Norman]

Upstairs:
Older Kenwood Reciever
Older Panasonic DVD player
Monitor Silver RS 8's (2)

Downstairs:
Yamaha HTR 5850 Reciever
Panasonic S53 DVD
Infinity IL 10 (2) front
Infinity IL 36C center
Velodyne VX 10
Cambridge Soundworks S305 rear (2)

[TZ250]

Excellent thread, have enjoyed reading about all the different set-ups.

Have a fairly modest 2-channel, stereo only set-up:

Audio Research VSi55 Integrated Tube Amp
Rega Apolllo CD Player
Wilson Benesch ARC Loudspeakers
Nordost Cables
Solus Power Conditioner

Soundstaging is incredible and the better recorded CD's have a holographic sound. Very tight bass and the low frequencies surprise people who hear it for the first time.

[engelbach]

Excellent thread, have enjoyed reading about all the different set-ups.

Have a fairly modest 2-channel, stereo only set-up:

Audio Research VSi55 Integrated Tube Amp
Rega Apolllo CD Player
Wilson Benesch ARC Loudspeakers
Nordost Cables
Solus Power Conditioner

Soundstaging is incredible and the better recorded CD's have a holographic sound. Very tight bass and the low frequencies surprise people who hear it for the first time.

It's good to hear someone talking about soundstaging. Live sounding music in a realistic soundstage is the most important thing to me.

I'm still working with vintage equipment.

Original (1972) AR Turntable (I have about 1,000 LPs)
Original NAD 3020 Amp
NAD 7125 Receiver (it'll replace the 3020 above)
Original big old 3-Way Polk Speakers

I haven't found an affordable CD player that makes CDs sound as good as my LPs, so I rarely play CDs for critical listening, although I have a couple of hundred of them.

The biggest impediment to great sound is lack of space behind the speakers. When I lived in a SoHo loft the sound was like a cathedral. In my present apartment the speakers are against a wall and the sound is much flatter.

I find that power is less important than air, and deep bass less important than a clear and faithful midrange.

[NewJazz4Mike]

I had a funny moment the other day. I had a Verizon installer in to switch everything over to FIOS TV and internet. So he was setting up my TV and looking at my speakers and amps, and he says, " I guess it gets pretty loud in here, huh?" I explained to him that the original goal designing the system was for clarity and realism, but yeah, especially now with my deteriorating hearing, I can crank up when i feel the need to.

[Hot Ptah]

As this thread has been bumped up, in May, 2007, I asked the board if my setup should be moved if we moved our house:


Two 40 watt Marantz tube amps (installed in our house by the previous owner in 1962)
McIntosh C-26 Preamp
Thorens TD 124 turntable with Shure cartridge
Nakamichi BX-2 cassette deck
Denon CDR W1500 Cd player/burner
Denon TU 7595 tuner

Speakers (built into house by previous owner):

Eight JBL D130 fifteen inch bass speakers
Two N500 networks
Two JBL 375 high frequency drivers
Two 537/512 horns with acoutical lens
Two JBL 075 supertweeters with lens
Two N7000 networks

I received a variety of responses. We have moved, and we did move the entire system into the new house. It was not difficult for our stereo consultant (owner of a local Bang & Olufsen store) to take the system out of our old house. We had to have a new cabinet built to hold the system in our new house.

Our real estate broker (one of the most successful in the nation, I later learned) told us to take the system out of our old house before we tried to sell it. He recommended dumping it out on the curb for trash pickup, because "no one wants a big old system like this any more, everyone is just into their IPods. You won't be able to sell the house with this system in it."

[xricci]

mike,

last time i saw photos of your entertainment center was pre-brick. nice work!

[TZ250]

It's good to hear someone talking about soundstaging. Live sounding music in a realistic soundstage is the most important thing to me.

I'm still working with vintage equipment.

Original (1972) AR Turntable (I have about 1,000 LPs)
Original NAD 3020 Amp
NAD 7125 Receiver (it'll replace the 3020 above)
Original big old 3-Way Polk Speakers

I haven't found an affordable CD player that makes CDs sound as good as my LPs, so I rarely play CDs for critical listening, although I have a couple of hundred of them.

The biggest impediment to great sound is lack of space behind the speakers. When I lived in a SoHo loft the sound was like a cathedral. In my present apartment the speakers are against a wall and the sound is much flatter.

I find that power is less important than air, and deep bass less important than a clear and faithful midrange.

Hi Jerry, would also prefer a tighter bass at 40hz as opposed to a more loose bass at 20hz. Marketing folks tend to get people hung up on numbers (like frequency range). Sports cars are a good analogy....it's now how fast you may go, it's how well you go fast.

Speaker placement is so critical. My old apartment in Park Slope was so small that my system couldn't sound as good as it should. My current listening room is 16x26 with 12 foot high ceilings. This allows me to position the speakers 3 feet in from the side walls and 4 feet in front of the back wall. That extra space makes all the difference in the world. When the budget allows, sound conditioning the room will be next.

I love to sit in the sweet spot, close my eyes and pretend I'm in the first row of a small jazz club in the city. Soundstaging allows that for me. All of this happens with a paltry 50w amp.

[NewJazz4Mike]

mike,

last time i saw photos of your entertainment center was pre-brick. nice work!

whose? mine? No... I built that brick wall over 20 years ago. You're talking about the wall of shelves that I was building in another room maybe. I'll have to post a pic of how that turned out... if I ever finish that room, lol

[tpt1]

I live in a very small New York City apartment, so I try to eliminate components as much as possible, keep it lean, but decent quality.

I do most of my listening ( and practicing ) here. Those are powered Mackie HR646 monitors. I listen to them through my computer and audio interface (13" black MacBook and Digidesign Mbox mini) using iTunes or QuickTime. Simple setup, and the Mackie's sound really great. I also use this setup for recording/mixing/editing in Pro Tools. The heaphones sitting on top of the right speaker are Sony MDR-7506, which I use for listening late at night, or when I'm recording.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/tpt1/rig/mackies.jpg?t=1213974677

In the adjacent corner is where I listen to my vinyl records. Those are powered Yamaha MSP3 speakers and a powered Numark PT01 portable turntable. I also have a portable walkman cd player hooked up to the Yamaha speakers if I want to listen to cd's without turning on the computer.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/tpt1/rig/vinyl.jpg?t=1213975133

[harmolodic]

sweet set-up! those mackeys look killer.

what's the black mute on the left and the electronics next to it?

PS Is that Bitches Brew under the Nancy Wilson LP?

[tpt1]

Scott, you have a keen eye. yes, that's BB -- try to keep it handy at all times for emergency purposes. ;-) But, can you tell what's under BB, and the music book under that? Two items you are very familiar with.

The mute is a Dennis Wick practice mute and next to it is a Korg KDM-2 metronome (http://www.korg.com/gear/info.asp?a_prod_no=KDM2&category_id=5). I like this metronome because you can use a wooden clave sound instead of that annoying sound most metronomes make. You can also practice over a clave pattern, and it has some other cool features, like a tuning note.

[harmolodic]

grrr...can't quite make out the black object under the BB set...but the sheet music looks like...based on it's apparent age...Arban's or Clarke's?

Back to the topic, I have no great set-up and numerous OK ones...a decent boom box in my studio, as well as a computer set-up with a pair of decent studio monitors. The car...another boom box...sadly, gone are the days when I had one dedicated system.

I remember once walking in to a high-end stereo store here in DC and they had some kind of Harmon-Kardon system playing Ornette Coleman and Charlie Hayden's Soapsuds, Soapsuds...a beautifully recorded album of just acoustic bas and sax. I was completely blown away by the fidelity and vowed to NEVER start pursuing high-end equipment...I knew it would get dangerous!

[tpt1]

grrr...can't quite make out the black object under the BB set...but the sheet music looks like...based on it's apparent age...Arban's or Clarke's?Sorry, that wasn't fair. It's the Miles Different Kind of Blue DVD and the Charlier book.

Apologies to all for the distraction to this very nice thread.

[brivello]

I just found a pair of Klipsch KG1.5's on craigslist with a harman/kardon receiver and cd player for $100. It's definitely not a really good audio setup, but it's a lot better than the computer speakers I was using.

[TBW]

my wife dragged me to one of those local church yard sales against my will and I ended up leaving with a NAD cd player for $3. It works perfectly. my wife left empty handed.

[Blackstone]

Logitech Squeezebox-->
dCS Purcell Upsampler (DSD)-->
dCS Delius D/A-->
Pro-Ject Headbox SEII--> Sennheiser HD600
Mark Levinson Amp-->B&W Nautilus 802

Yeah, it sounds good. ~pimp:

[SamIam]

Rega Planar 2 turntable w/ Sumiko blue point special cartridge
Sonic Frontiers SFCD 1 CD player
VTL Ultimate preamp
Aragon 2004 power amp
Sequerra Met 7 MK2 / Met 8 Mk2 / Met 10-8 Speakers

Very happy with the current setup.

-S

[The elephant shrew]

Well, I might as well throw in my few kronors' worth...

This is the modest little audio set-up that's currently entertaining us all in the Elephant Shrew's burrow:


Integrated amplifier:
Accuphase E-210

CD Player:
Bluenote Koala Tube (now known as 'Goldenote Koala Tube' after Blue Note Records forced the Italian audio company Bluenote to change its name)

Loudspeakers:
Tannoy Revolution Signature DC6 T (with Soundcare Superspikes)

Turntable:
Rega P2 with RB230 tone arm

Pickup:
Rega Elys

Phono Pre-amp:
Harmony Design V9

Tuner:
Accuphase T-107

Speaker cable:
Analysis Plus Blue Oval

Interconnects:
Nordic Concept Signal One

Headphones:
AKG HearO 787


The set-up sounds reasonable, I suppose. Naturally, I'd like to sneak in a few more upgrades, but if I spend any more money on audio equipment, Mrs Elephant Shrew will chastise me most grievously. Ridiculously, she seems to feel that buying the weekly groceries and clothes for the children is more important. Can't see it meself....

[MrAcoustat]

Bow Technologies Wazoo XL Integrated 75 watts per channel amplifier

Electrocompaniet EMC-1up Cd player wonderful

Acoustats 1+1s Highly Modified amazing old speakers

Audioquest Python Interconnects

Audioquest Bedrock Speaker Cables

[Pie-eyed blue]

Nice stuff!

My most recent addition is a modified TEAC cd player done by Steve Deckert of Decware High Fidelity Engineering. A tubed output stage including tubed rectification and an adjustable output of up to 5V. . . . Really revealing and can be very mellow and warm (my favorite) or crisp and clear.

[Mark of Cenla]

I have become a convert to full-range drivers because they sound so open and musical. I completely gutted the Boston Acoustic tower speakers that I have refered to several times in this thread. I covered all of the driver holes, except the bottom hole for an 8" speaker. I put Dayton woofers in there. Then I turned the speakers around and cut a hole for an 8" full-range speaker in each one and installed them. So what was the back is now the front. I use one Sherwood receiver to run the woofers in the back and one Sherwood receiver to drive the full-range speakers in the front. I run it all through an equalizer to smooth out the response. I also use the receiver tone controls a little bit to help the highs on the full-ranges and to boost the lows on the back-firing woofers. My sources are the TV or a Panasonic DVD recorder/player.

When we watch movies or DVD concerts, it sounds great: big, open, balanced, detailed, and full. I do not play CDs in there very often, but they sound quite good too.

In another room I added a Sony subwoofer to a Philips mico system, and it sounds amazingly good for a $200 system. Peace and goodwill.

[tlgibbs]

I'm kind of a speaker junkie. At last count I had twenty or so pairs of speakers. My two main systems right now power a pair of Infinity QLS-1's and a pair of Martin Logan Aerius speakers. Currently the QLS has a pair of Adcom GFA-555's vertically bi-amped from a Rotel 970sx preamp. The preamp is a little bass heavy, but sounds good at low and moderate volume. The QLS's are quite interesting, with a line array of 8 emit tweeters + 1 emit on the back, 6 dome midranges, a mid bass coupler and a Watkins dual voice coil 12" woofer which has the most incredible deep octave bass I have ever heard. A well recorded stand up bass can be absolutely stunning through the QLS. It sounds like the bass player is standing right there in front of you!

The Martin Logan's, on the other hand, have an electrostatic panel which reproduce the mid and treble frequencies with stunning accuracy. For vocals they can't be beaten. The panels are truly transparent, with very fast, accurate transients.

[Pie-eyed blue]

I guess I'm going to be a bit of a speaker junkie too soon. Or at least a collector of speakers.

I'm very happy with the Decware Radial RL2s I've used for years, especially since I have been enjoying the Decware 'flagship' amp for less than a month now, the Torii Mark II. . . .

http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=194

http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=192

Decware has come out with two new Radial speaker designs though, and I took advantage of a "two for one" special deal for me and will have both pair soon. The fanciest is a retail store version (all other Decware products are only available through their website) that look beautiful; I should have these in a few weeks. . . .

http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=232

http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=231

And then soon after that I'll have the "regular version" in house:

http://forums.allaboutjazz.com/picture.php?albumid=50&pictureid=233

I'm going to be driving myself a little mad with comparisons, but I think there'll be some fun involved. :)

[thomas123]

http://i26.tinypic.com/2j0h0l2.jpg

Active ATCs

[BobM]

Here's the full list & a link to more info and pictures:

VPI Industries Aries Turntable
Dynavector XX1 Cartridge
Moerch DP6 Tonearm
DIY Seismic Sink Racks Tweak
Hagerman Trumpet Tube preamp
Mark Kelly TT Speed Controller Synchrotron AC-1
Ayre CX7e CD Player
AudioPrism Mantissa PH1 Tube preamp
McCormack DNA-0.5 near Rev-A Amplifier
Just Speakers (DIY) Scanspeak 717 Speaker
REL Acoustics Strata mkIII Subwoofer
Analysis Plus Solid Crystal Oval Interconnects
Belden (DIY) 89259 cross connect Speaker cable
Kaplan Copper Power Cord
JRPC (DIY) Jon Risch design AC filter

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vdone&1064946893&view

[Brett a]

I upgraded from "vintage" (read "old") to new over the last two years or-so. Here's what i have now.

Sources:

Turntable: Rega Planar 2 w/glass platter and Incognito-wired RB250 arm with Expressimo counterweight

Cartridge: Audio Technica AT150Mlx (MM)

Phono stage: Jolida JD9 w/Signal Cable AC cord and Siltech MXT/New York IC's

CD player: Rotel RCD 1070 hooked up with Bogdan Audio interconnects and an Audioquest NRG-2 AC cord.

Integrated amp: Shanling A3000 (Dual mono configuration w/built in tube buffer for 4 inputs)

Speakers: Bower and Wilkins 683 bi-wired up with DH Labs Silver Sonic Q-10

The pictures are not quite up to date. They show my old phono stage (a Cambridge Audio 640p---the Jolida is much bigger)

:welcome:

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/mynewt/Tour/SystemJan09_0005-1-1-1.jpg

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/mynewt/ShanlingandBuddha2-1.jpg?t=1254766602

This turntable is called a "Planar" because that's all it is---a plane. basically a board with parts bolted on it. This one is sitting a custom sandbox plinth that I made out of MDF.
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/mynewt/Tour/Rega0004-1-1.jpg

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/mynewt/Tour/AT150MLx0001-1.jpg

Here are some shots of the room (my living room)

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/mynewt/Tour/couchjack.jpg?t=1254766655

http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/mynewt/Tour/Couchcollection.jpg?t=1254766657


Thanks for looking!

:)

[cultchas]

This turntable is called a "Planar" because that's all it is---a plane. basically a board with parts bolted on it. This one is sitting a custom sandbox plinth that I made out of MDF.
http://i272.photobucket.com/albums/jj161/mynewt/Tour/Rega0004-1-1.jpg


That's one neat looking sandbox you have there! The usual set-ups have exposed undersides leaving a planar look even to non-Rega turntables. The design and finish meshed well with your P2. It looks like Rega P2 anniversary edition. Cool! Post your number, Terry Bateman might give you a call :D

Thanks for posting!

[Brett a]

That's one neat looking sandbox you have there! The usual set-ups have exposed undersides leaving a planar look even to non-Rega turntables. The design and finish meshed well with your P2. It looks like Rega P2 anniversary edition. Cool! Post your number, Terry Bateman might give you a call :D

Thanks for posting!
Thanks for the kind words. here's a picture of the box sans-Planar.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=128875&stc=1&d=1231649012
The holes in the rear wall are for the AC cord and signal cables.

And why stoop there with the attention seeking behavior? here's the Planar sans-sandbox:

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=128873&stc=1&d=1231648826


:)

[NewJazz4Mike]

nice set up, Brett. My hearing doesnt work as well as when I was younger (what does?), so I don't get as much outta high quality sound as I used to - but I still like to look and still have lust for nice gear.

[cultchas]

Thanks for the kind words. here's a picture of the box sans-Planar.
http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=128875&stc=1&d=1231649012
The holes in the rear wall are for the AC cord and signal cables.

And why stoop there with the attention seeking behavior? here's the Planar sans-sandbox:

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=128873&stc=1&d=1231648826


:)

Youre welcome :). P.S. Im not a member of audio karma.

[timothy sieck]

manley labs tube monoblocks


thor audio preamp


audio research cd 3 cd player


thiel audio 3.6 speakers ( can't wait to get the new 3.7 speakers )


magnum dynalab tuner