Hi-Fi Nerds?

[STFU]

My favourite brand for bookshelf speakers is Dynaudio. They need quite a bit of current though so are not really suitable for tubes.

Agree with DDML re crap systems. I don't enjoy it as much as appreciate the experience for the perceived quality increase of my home system.

[gimmegimme]

Oh my god.. How many times have you gone someplace and noticed that the music sounds like it's echoing and then realize the person has turned on the "LOUD" feature on their system?

Or like you said, running music through a "concert hall" feature on an amp.

Why do companies even include things like "concert hall" or "jazz club"??? Why would anyone want to use that???

Also, forgot to list my speakers:

http://www.system-audio.com/_en-GB/products/compact%20speakers/SA505/introduction

these are great - real wood and totally assembled in denmark. No hate against B&Ws, but the 'wood' used for most of them is laminate and they're also now assembled in china.

IMO, the system audios are some of the best bookshelf speakers for the money, and (like many things danish) look fucking stunning . Very slept on brand.

Those are dope. How much do they run? They look expensive. I read that most speakers don't even use veneer anymore...they use a "foil"...essentially a laminate like they use at Ikea.

[n9no]

GIMME: I think the going rate for the pair is about $600 (although you could prolly find them for a hair cheaper with some diligence)

[gimmegimme]

GIMME: I think the going rate for the pair is about $600 (although you could prolly find them for a hair cheaper with some diligence)

I looked up their distrubtor here in Canada, and they have them at $800 on the pricelist. Eek! A bit out of my budget at the moment.

I know its important to be patient whilst building a hi-fi system (if you're po' like me), but as soon as I get something new, all I can think of is how great it is BUT how much better it would be when I finally replace ______ with ________. I'm neurotic.

[timburm]

Self Edge's sound system is run off a Rotel amp and four B&W speakers.

People come into the store all the time and ask "why do you guys have a pro audio system in here?"

Because i can't stand to listen to music on a shitty system regardless of where i am.. My other two stores are also outfitted with B&W and either Integra or Rotel amps..

Anybody else cringe when they hear a substandard system?

yep,

think the same way about it...

my system is also rotel & B&W with nordost as interlinks and speaker cable...

But am going to upgrade sometime this year to the 800 series probably... that or either Sonus Faber

[poopie boy]

nordost interconnects? that must have burned a whole in your wallet man..

sonus faber are probably my favorite... which models are you looking at?

also, i really gotta say, the vienna acoustics hayden grand is probably the best bookshelf speaker for the money that i've ever heard..

gimmiegimmie, if you want great gear at a discounted price, audiogon.com is a good place to start..

[choice_genes]

I know its important to be patient whilst building a hi-fi system (if you're po' like me), but as soon as I get something new, all I can think of is how great it is BUT how much better it would be when I finally replace ______ with ________. I'm neurotic.

hah, before you know it, you'll have been through 2 turntables, 3 cartridges, 2 poweramps, 4 preamps, 4 sets of speaker wire (copper, silver, platinum, then copper again) and 3 different power management systems.

:eek:

the path to the 'perfect system' (a destination that will never truly be reached, of course) is a dangerously expensive one.

On the 'crappy systems' note, I never really figured out why manufacturers bothered to make those $700 valve preamps for ipods. !!?! I guess consumers really are stupid.

Also - 500th post. W00t.

[timburm]

nordost interconnects? that must have burned a whole in your wallet man..

sonus faber are probably my favorite... which models are you looking at?

also, i really gotta say, the vienna acoustics hayden grand is probably the best bookshelf speaker for the money that i've ever heard..

gimmiegimmie, if you want great gear at a discounted price, audiogon.com is a good place to start..

would love to get the sonus faber grand piano, but that is a little bit out of reach, maybe concertino domus... but then again, listening in the store always changes my mind. So who knows what it'll be???

with my first pair of speakers, wanted some 300 USD ones, went home with 1600 USD ones, and 2,5k worth of amp, cd player and cable... hehe

[gimmegimme]

Apparently NAD discontinued their standard "grey" colour scheme. They're only available in Black & "Titanium" now. Good thing is, most stores with old stock are discounting.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

yeah, all my NAD components are grey. i took advantage of the only philly dealer that recently gave up his NAD account and got some gear for cheap, but now i'm out of options in my city.

[gimmegimme]

yeah, all my NAD components are grey. i took advantage of the only philly dealer that recently gave up his NAD account and got some gear for cheap, but now i'm out of options in my city.

I'm annoyed...I really liked the grey. It would have matched my grey turntable nicely. I'm glad I can say that here...if you say anything about the "appearance" of your hi-fi equipment on an a/v forum, they bite your fucking head off.

[denimdestroyedmylife]

last night, i was staring at my technics sl1200 stacked on top of my NAD components and i have to say, there is a certain visual impact of having such an iconic turntable stacked on top of rather faceless gray boxes, even if it is a bit incongruous.

[gimmegimme]

last night, i was staring at my technics sl1200 stacked on top of my NAD components and i have to say, there is a certain visual impact of having such an iconic turntable stacked on top of rather faceless gray boxes, even if it is a bit incongruous.

I don't care what anyone says...looks are important too. Otherwise why would speaker companies bother with offering several options of wood? Anyway, a lot of audiophiles won't have any of it...

[DaBestSpoona]

A friend of mine plays music through his home theatre receiver on the "surround" setting rather than 2-channel stereo...it makes me want to smash my head against the wall.

yeah I have a coworker who talks constantly about the dsps on yamaha receivers

[tofu]

Oh my god.. How many times have you gone someplace and noticed that the music sounds like it's echoing and then realize the person has turned on the "LOUD" feature on their system?

Or like you said, running music through a "concert hall" feature on an amp.

i'm pretty sure the LOUD feature is just a form of dynamic compression. i don't see why that would cause any echo...

[tofu]

Just to further contribute to this dope thread - my setup is as follows:

AMP - MCINTOSH mc250 (or mc30s for special listening sessions)

SPEAKERS - modified Klipsch LaScalas --

midrange horn - altec 511b

squawker - altec 902-8b

woofer - university cw15w

extreme slope crossover as per al klappenberger's specs

TABLE - MusicHall MMF5

MAIN SOURCE - PC toslink output -> benchmark dac1

[/url]

TUNER - N/A

SUB - built around the adire audio 15" turmult driver with some inexpensive plate amp from partsexpress

fixt for me

[gimmegimme]

Alright, I admit I'm fairly new with this, so be gentle.

My question is about amp's & preamp's, specifically the latest mini-amps. The mfg. of my turntable makes these models (I've seen similar from other companies):

If you hook up a component, like a turntable, to a pre-amp that does not have tone-control or an equalizer, would you just have to live with whatever amount of treble/bass are provided by the source? Without hearing it first hand, how would you know what it was going to sound like?

[gimmegimme]

I have the following satellite/sub combo:

Gallo Nucleus & TR-1 sub:

Satellites:

120Hz to 18KHz

100 watts

8 ohms

89 dB

Sub:

22Hz to 180Hz

100 watts

8 ohms 89 dB

I know its fairly subjective, but I'm curious about what people think about sub/sat. combos for music. I'd love to get a great pair of speakers, but space is a concern for me, and I already own these and use them with my HT setup.

Opinions?

[readytoignite]

Anybody else cringe when they hear a substandard system?

i'm sure you know this but not everything is mastered to be heard on an audiophile soundsystem, especially dance 12"es, hip-hop and commercial pop. on the flip side it's great to hear something you figured would sound like crap totally kill it on your fancy rig (i had this experience with a flesh eaters record)

the best ikea units for LP storage are the bondes - extremely sturdy and very vertical. granted they have that ikea look (although they are finished) but do allow for the options of doors to cover up; personally i don't find exposed LP spines aesthetically compelling, at least when you have 6000 of them.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/57300310

surprised you haven't had a crack at building them yourself, can't be any harder than reassembling turntables by hand

my system:

sota moonbeam with grado platinum

musical fidelity a3.2 integrated

musical fidelity x-ray v3

paradigm reference studio 20 v3

the only thing it's missing is a brno flat bar chair in the sweet spot (this is not a joke btw)

[poopie boy]

I have the following satellite/sub combo:

Gallo Nucleus & TR-1 sub:

Satellites:

120Hz to 18KHz

100 watts

8 ohms

89 dB

Sub:

22Hz to 180Hz

100 watts

8 ohms 89 dB

I know its fairly subjective, but I'm curious about what people think about sub/sat. combos for music. I'd love to get a great pair of speakers, but space is a concern for me, and I already own these and use them with my HT setup.

Opinions?

Gimmie, I've never heard those speakers before so I can't comment on them.. but I do know that satellites and a sub can sound very very good, its just that subwoofer placement becomes very critical because your subwoofer is handling a lot of the mid-bass and deep bass duties, taking toll for all the ineffencies found in most satellite speakers. The subwoofer's output at those low frequencies will affect the way all the other frequencies from the satellite speakers are heard..

If space is a concern, again, I'd recommend selling these off and buying a pair of Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grand speakers. They are only 6.5" wide so they have a very tiny footprint, and they put out pound for pound the absolute best sound for the money (imho). These are imho one of the best speaker for the size for the money.

Here is a link to some info on them:

http://sumikoaudio.net/va/prod_mozart.htm

and here is a review of them from a reputable company:

http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/197vienna/index.html

here is a link to a pair that just sold on ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/VIENNA-ACOUSTICS-MOZART-GRAND-CHERRY-SPEAKER-CABINETS_W0QQitemZ130192426257QQihZ003QQcategoryZ23794QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

With these speakers, you don't need a subwoofer at all, but if you wanted to get one later on, I'd throw in a REL acoustic sub-bass system. These subwoofers do not provide the typical thumping, room rattling "bass" you are used to, thats why REL does not refer to them as subwoofers but "acoustic sub-bass" systems.. It is implied when you buy a REL that the speakers you are setting it up with are already full-range speakers that reach down to the 30-20hz level, which is why I'd pair one with a Mozart. The REL systems do not use a typical RCA Subwoofer Interconnect, instead they use a Neutrik Speakon plug pin (looks kind of like a fat mic input) that passes the entire frequency response from the amp to the REL unit, so that it can perfectly match and sing along with your speakers. These are amazing for music and movies.. and are usually only 10x10x10. These things are TINY.

Here's a link to REL's stuff: http://sumikoaudio.net/rel/index.htm

Again, these are just my recommendations based on space, sound quality, and dollars spent. Really, once you hear VA Mozart Grands with a REL sub, there's no going back. Seriously, there is nothing like it.

Read up on them and let me know what you think..

[gimmegimme]

Those speakers are $3000...I can't even afford used ones if I sell my current speakers!

the only thing it's missing is a brno flat bar chair in the sweet spot (this is not a joke btw)

Nice chair...but not exactly something to lounge in. Take a look at the MR Chaise if you're into van der rohe.

[poopie boy]

I linked you to a brand new pair that sold on ebay for $1350 for the pair though.. If you sell your current speakers you'll only need to come up with another $1000..

Haha I realize its still a lot, but its such a tremendous value, I wouldn't turn it down if I had the cash... besides, this thread is about Hi-Fi right?

Well, the Paradigm Reference Studio/20 are probably the best speakers under $1000/pair you can get, I'd say go to a local dealer and check those out.. I think they might be right up your alley. Just make sure you put them on stands as they are rear ported so they wouldn't sound that great on a bookshelf up against a wall..

[kiya]

GimmeGimme,

I have a pair of Paradigm floor standing speakers that i'm about to sell in a week.

I'll get you the model number and price, it might be something you can afford.

Dark wood, Paradigm (Bought direct from Paradigm), i'm the original owner, perfect condition, 4 feet tall (including spikes).

[gimmegimme]

poop - they are indeed beautiful speakers (taking your word for it), and I'm noting all suggestions for a later date. At this point, I just dropped over $1000 on the turntable, preamp & speed box, so I'm just looking for advice for later on I guess...maybe I should hold quesitons until I'm ready to purchase . I was sort of just wondering people's opinion on sub/sat setups.

---

kiya - ditto as mentioned above, but I appreciate the offer. I'm sure you'll be able to sell them locally and save the hassle of shipping them to Canada (I wonder how much that would cost??)

---

On another note, does anyone have an opinion on standard vinyl vs. 180 or 200 gram vinyl? I have one 180g and I find the sound quality much better than the other lp's I have, but that could just be the recording itself.

Yet another note, have you read Audio Critic's blog/old zine? Its quite amusing. He's totally against expensive interconnects, biwiring, expensive source equipment, and firmly believes that CD's sound significantly better than vinyl. I'm not disagreeing or agreeing with anything he says, but its a good read.

[readytoignite]

there is way too much emphasis placed on the weight of the vinyl, and way too little on the mastering. i did an a/b comparison of butterfield blues band "east / west" - a us 70s press (flimsy energy crisis weight) vs a canadian original press (std weight) and the crappy pressing blew the other one out of the water.

the byg/actuel lp reissue series from a few years back is a perfect example of dogshit mastering pressed on heavy vinyl so they could market to neophyte would-be-audiophile snobs.

[gimmegimme]

I sort of figured that it was just the recording rather than the weight. I do prefer the heft of the heavier vinyl though...purely for aesthetic reasons.

Reading the audio critic's articles, he says (claims) that the sound produced from your system is first based on the actual recording, then your speaker selection.

[choice_genes]

I read somewhere that 180gr vinyl is supposed to reproduce more solid bass, which makes sense I guess (lower/slower vibrations will carry better/more smoothly through heavier vinyl).

But in my experience, yeah as stated above, the mastering and pressing is much more important. I have a 180gr copy of Curtis by Curtis Mayfield. Played it on a system with a $20,000 turntable and some beautiful old tannoys, and it sounded like shit because it was a crappy master.

[gimmegimme]

I guess you'd have to have both the standard weight & heavy in the same album to compare. Either way, I doubt there's much difference, but I like the feel of the 180g if its available and not too much more expensive.

If anyone from Canada is reading this, Indigo.ca is carrying vinyl in its music section now (search with the word 'vinyl' in the title).

[readytoignite]

well as a consumer, it's a moot point since most likely you're not going to get the options of two different new pressings (unlike the days of those original master recording pressings). the choice would be between a new pressing and a 2nd hand copy and there should/will be a lot more significant factors going into your decision making.

however from a label perspective i would hope that using high quality or heavy vinyl pressings is only one part of a comprehensive attempt to make it possible for listeners who want to hear their records in the best possible reproduction, rather than as a marketing gimmick.

[gimmegimme]

Anyone familiar with these?

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/products/speakers/SRM1/srm1.html