I never saw myself getting into the high-end aspect of audio two years ago until I switched jobs. I made a friend with a gentleman who introduced me to 2-Channel. His system consisted of Legacy Audio Focus 20/20's powered by a McCormack DNA-500 amp with a McCormack RLD-1 Preamp. He used Alpha Core Goertz silver flatwire all around and had homemade power cables. He used room acoustics as well as Monster Line conditioners as well as a voltage stabilizer. I listed for about two hours to this system and I was sold. I needed a speaker set up for myself. The best speakers I had owned up until this point was a set of Klipsch Promedia computer speakers. They were fantastic for cheap computer speakers but the Legacy Audio's changed my life.
My friend still had his previous set of speakers sitting in his closet and offered to sell them to me for dirt-cheap. I bought them without even listening to them. These speakers are the same ones I own today, the m3si's. He recommended a receiver in my price range that he knew was one of the best in its' bracket. Everything in my system is because of direct consultation with his understanding and experience in the field. I'm very happy with my system currently but I find myself eager to hear other speakers and components. I plan on building a second system, which would be comprised of bookshelf speakers. I recently purchased a Jolida 1501 hybrid integrated amp and I cannot wait to mess with that. I've heard Vienna Acoustics Hayden bookshelf speaker and it seems as if it might be a good fit for me. I've also heard the Dynaudio Focus 140 and that was even more amazing but of course the price reflected that difference. I'm not quite ready yet for that system though so I have some time to build some funds.
My long-term goal for my current 2-channel system is simple. Break into the world of separates. I was thinking about a quality tube preamp with a beefy solid-state amp to really maximize the sound from my mirages. If anyone has any insight I would be most appreciative. Thanks for taking the time to check out my system.
Rock-solid CDP with dual 24bit burr-brown dac's that sounds absolutely flawless.
Odyssey Audio Candela
Designed by Alex G and Klaus at Odyssey, this preamp is incredible in so many facets. I currently have La Radiotecnique 1960's NOS 12au7's and the sound is magnificent!
Odyssey Audio Stratos
Stratos Extreme SE from the man, Klaus with wiring and binding post upgrades.
Monster HTS5100mkII
Excellent power conditioner that gets the job done.
Mirage M-3si
These speakers were sold to me by the friend that introduced me to what hi-end audio can do for you. They are amazing in every way and I can see myself keeping these for a very long time.
Audioquest Gibraltar 72dbs
Excellent build quality and the sound just fine.
Audioquest King Cobra
Well-built and great sounding interconnect for a decent price.
Chadnliz, I had been sick for about three weeks with a bad head cold that left me with my right ear plugged. I finally can hear normal again and I tried the blanket and it seems that the imaging was focused and highs were slightly smoother. I will be using this method from now on for serious listening. Thanks again for the advice.
I will try those two ideas Chadnliz. The room is very small so pulling the speakers out is difficult. They also weigh close to around 100lbs each. The blanket over the TV is a done deal and I"ll let you know how it goes.
Welcome to the madness! Did your friend teach you about giving speakers room to breath? Pull them out atleast when you listen and it should be a nice improvement Also try throwing a blanket of TV and listen for changes.
System edited: I know I needed more for my demanding speakers so I made the call to Klaus at Odyssey and ordered one of his famous Stratos amps. I chose to go with the Extreme SE upgrade along with wiring and binding post upgrades from the get go. I am now using the Outlaw Audio RR2150 as my preamp and things are going well as the Stratos breaks in. My next move will be a tubed preamp, which is what I'm researching now.
First things first...neither the Jolida nor the Outlaw is quite up to driving the Mirage speakers. The M3-si had a sensitivity rating of around 83dB and the manufacturer recommends 100 watts MINIMUM to drive them...but to handle dynamic peaks in rock and classical music, you need more like 200-300.
If you listen at low volumes only, you probably won't get into any trouble with clipping (which is what happens when the amp runs out of power; the result can damage your speakers. It is much easier to damage your speakers by underpowering them than by overpowering them).
However, even at low volumes, you may notice a rather flaccid sound.
Second, using $600 amps to drive $3,000+ speakers is kind of like putting $50 bargain bin tires on a Porsche 911. That doesn't mean you need to spend $3,000 on an amp, but probably you're looking at about a $1,500 investment if you want to hear what the speakers are really capable of.
You have some options, and because all amps (and preamps) sound different, you should listen and decide which work best for you, but generally speaking...
(a) You can keep the Outlaw to use as a preamplifier and shop for a high-power amplifier. If you like how the Outlaw sounds, you can easily fix the power deficit by hooking up a pair of their M-Block 200wpc power amps, which will run you about $650 for the pair.
http://www.outlawaudio.com/products/2200.html
The only problem is, if you get restless and still want to upgrade, you now have to sell the Outlaw stuff and take a hit in terms of resale. Which brings me to my next suggestion...
(b) Instead of taking "half steps," keep the Outlaw as a preamp and spend $2-3k or so on a higher-end two-channel power amp. This way, you'll not only get the power you need, but added resolution and refinement. Later, when funds allow, you can upgrade the preamp too which will make a big difference. The advantage here is that you only have to sell one piece isstead of two or three and you'll lose less money.
(c) You can keep the Outlaw or the Jolida, sell the Mirage speakers and start auditioning smaller or more sensitive speakers that make for a more sensible match. Ask your dealer.
