Considering some of the systems posted here, I guess I had to label this under budget minded although it was pretty pricey to me and my wife and even more pricey to my non audiophile friends.
We are quite happy with the sound of this setup and have tried a few upgraded items such as cables and tube swaps in the CD. As far as cabling is concerned we really liked having the Nordost Heimdall replacing our current Cardas cables, however we didnt' find a big improvement when auditioning the matching interconnect.
Unfortunately as much as we love our Proac's, we have been considering possible speaker upgrades due to the fact that we want to be able to move the speakers back closer to the wall and possibly a bit further apart. This has led to a bit of a dilemma as we enjoy the 3.8's. Time will tell how we move on from them.
The TT sounds fantastic and other than completing it with the SDS power supply I can't see continuing to upgrade it. The Celebration cart works very well with the linear arm (thanks Raul) and I am really not sure that linear arms can be beat in terms of tracking ability (IMO) There is a definate "rightness" to the sound that I cant' seem to get out of pivoted arms. Again, I'm always open to suggestions but I must say, I've heard a LOT. If money wern't an object, a Kuzma Airline would be sitting in place of the ET2. Current plans are to upgrade the tonearm wiring and air pump.
On to the Bel Canto's. These were purchased prior to the sale of our Audio Research D250mk2 tube monster. Whether they are better are not is debateable as the ARC did some things very well as does the Bel Canto's. What the Bel Canto Refs DONT do is cost a fortune to retube (as there are none), heat your listening room to unbearable levels, and drive your electical bills through the roof. What they DO is create an engaging warm sound with a highly detailed bass and treble. The top end in not screechy or "digital" in any way, if anything it is SLIGHTLY softer than the ARC and much more friendly with all recordings.
The PRE 3 is simply a switchbox and volume control that gets outta the way and works very well with the REF 1000's.
There are a lot of electronics out there that I've listened to and at this time only one really stands out as a product that sets the bar and that would be the ASR Emitter. Until I can afford one of those bad boys, my Bel Canto will have to do.
Currently my digital source is the Jolida JD-100 which has been retubed with EI cryo. The sound upgrade was astounding and probably the most value rich upgrade in my system. We have considered the upgraded player from Parts Connexion but really we are leaning towards the computer server/usb dac chain. I have heard some really excellent digital gear such as EMM labs, Ayre and Audio Aero. The DO surpass the Jolida but the cost at this time are a bit prohibitive.
As you can see our power cords are nothing special and honestly I dont' see a lot to gain from the esoteric type. I've had the Acoustic Zen Krakatoa on the amps and, well...no difference, at least to these ears. The upgrade from the crappy 18gua factory cords to 12 and 10 gua. homade was fairly substantial, so I can appreciate sonic differences in power cables, I (we) just cant justify the cost. Our upgrade path in this dept will be running dedicated lines to the equipment.
I'm open to suggestions from other audiophiles in regards to possible upgrades or speaker placements for our system.
What a nice looking system. I can tell you have picked each component with care. I'll bet it sounds great too! I've heard that the Bel Canto stuff sounds very nice. How do you like your Celebration cartridge? I've always liked the sound of Sumiko cartridges.
I used to keep my tube amp in the fireplace...it had the same effect as having a fire! 32 tubes. Thanks for the kind comments. Interesting on the Tube pre comments, but I really like the neutrality of the Bel Canto. However in this hobby I never know whats next. My wife wants those red Nordost speaker cables we tried and if I've got a green light there I should take it a run....
Really nice system. I have a buddy who is utilizing his fireplace much like you have, it reminds me of his system. And I'm sure it sounds great too. Enjoy!
Nice system. I had a similar experience with the Bel Canto REF1000/Pre3 combo. Those are REALLY nice amps. I found that a fairly inexpensive tube pre (a Odyssey Candela with CBS/Hytron tubes) worked really well with the REF1000's. It made be put the PRE3 back in the box and I am 100% digital. I would imagine it would be amazing with vinyl.
Nice system. I had the same issue regarding speaker placement. However, in my case, I needed the speakers to be within inches of the wall. I had been using Linn Keilidh speakers; like much British equipment, several of the Linn speakers are designed for near wall placement. I listened to Gallo Reference 3.1, Focal 1027be, Lipinski 707, and Audio Note ANE. Audio Note speakers are designed to be put tightly in corners or up against the wall - although some people do pull them out a bit. They might work nicely for you. Ultimately, I chose to buy Zu Definition 1.5 - in part because the dollar is so weak but also because Sean said that they could be placed within 1" of the back wall. That is how I have them positioned, and they sound great. Zu is about to release version 2.0; there should be a number of used 1.5s for sale.
Thanks Chadnliz, yes my wife is very much into the music thing (more software than hardware) and appreciates good sound. Your comments on the Quatro are of suprise as I have been snooping around the web on these lately. I think they would intergrate with my room well. I've also heard Dyanudio Special 25's which I think are excellent. Cheers!
Really nice system, and it appears you and your wife are both into audio and that is very cool! I have always wanted to try the ET arm but no cash here either, look me up if you get your Kuzma. I am a big fan and really push these lately but I hope you listen to a pair of Vandersteen Quatro, it would fit well in your room and its bass tuning makes it fit in any room, not a ton of cash either. My dad bought the wood Quatro and it is a $3000 upgrade but they sound fantastic and look beautiful. There are many great options for speakers and good luck in your search, it is always fun to be able to upgrade and audition new gear.
