Mapman, I replaced a Denon DVD-3800 that was made around 2003 or maybe a little more recently. It is a very serious looking unit, but nowhere near the audio quality of the new Apollo. There is not even one area where the Denon was comparable. The Denon's strengths were sound staging, PRAT and smooth/non-fatiguing sound. The largest improvements of the Apollo are bass, way more depth, transparency and resolution. I have not heard any of the more recent Denons so I cannot comment on them. This upgrade in sound quality was so dramatic that I am becoming a believer of putting as much player in a system as one can. I hope this helps.

dhel July 28, 2008 18:58

Nice to hear from you again Bruce30. Your idea to put absorbers on the ceiling is a good one and I have been thinking about how to do it inexpensively and in an aesthetically pleasing manner since moving into the room. If you had any ideas they would be appreciated. Also, I need to do some more research, but is it better to use absorption or diffusion? I have heard pretty much this same system with dual 2wq subs and a Supratek Chenin preamp and while it did many things better the bass was never where I loved it. Maybe, this is just a trade off of tubes. There is no doubt that every other area was a major improvement. When I go looking for a new preamp I will be checking out both types of preamps.

dhel July 28, 2008 18:38

System edited: While I am updating things I guess I will mention that I added a Mitsubishi 4900 projector to my system. This is my first projector and it is great; except for the dust blobs. The first one appeared at around 40 hours and now I have another and I am only around double that in hours. I will be sending it in soon to be cleaned. For the screen I am using a recipe I found on the internet with 1x4 wood and Black out cloth that I bought at Joanne's Fabrics. For a total investment of $60 I have a nice functional fixed frame screen. I was also able to pick up a Toshiba A3 and A30 HD DVD player on clearance to feed the projector. In case anyone is wondering the A30 is in a different league when upscaling standard DVDs compared to the A3. Sorry about all the video talk... David

dhel July 08, 2008 17:51

I just picked up a Rega Apollo and have been very happy with the purchase. I originally just set it on top of my Denon and It sounded much better then the Denon, but I was not prepared for how much better it sounded after I removed the Denon and put the Apollo on my rack with BDR cones under it. It was like a different player. I played around with the cones, point up and point down, and again noticed a huge difference, but I felt that it did not sound right. Therefore, I tried a after market power cord I bought for my amp and it changed the sound drastically, but not consistently for the better. I left it like that for a day and then went back to do some more experimenting. After much trial and error I ended up with the stock power cord and the player sitting on its stock feet. This was about the last thing I tried and by no small amount was it the best. Now I have all the warmth I need with no loss of resolution and clarity. Previously everything I have had lost those attributes when the BDR cones were removed. Anyways, this just might be the best purchase I have made to upgrade my system. The A21 was a big step also, but it was hard to compare because the A23 I had could hardly run the 3A sigs. at all.

dhel July 08, 2008 17:37

Audiobroke, you were right! It is amazing how much better it is and I am really enjoying it. The Parasound house sound is really consistent from the A23 up to the JC1, but there are definite improvements from one step to the next.

dhel July 03, 2008 02:44

System edited: Thanks Bruce30 and Pdreher for you comments. Bruce your comments got me thinking I should post the pictures of my old room to remind me and show others the difference. It is pretty amazing in this new house and I am very grateful for all I have been blessed with.

dhel December 11, 2007 18:32

System edited: I have mentioned that I had a new room (and house) on the way. Here it is.

dhel December 08, 2007 23:05

Audiobroke thanks for the response, I also saw your response on one of my old posts. I am definitely looking for some more refinement and control especially when musical passages become complex. My only concern is that the A21 will be able to drive my speakers to an appropriate level (80-95 db) in such a large room (25'x30')and remain clean with a stable soundstage. I may end up buying an A21 and another A23 and comparing them as I can use the (2) A23s for the center and surround speakers when I set up a home theater.
On another topic, I sold my current house and the new one will be finished around the end of July so I will be living in a fifth wheel for the next couple of months. My stereo will be going into storage and I will have to make due with the stock stereo or maybe I will break down and get an inexpensive headphone amp. Hopefully, I will cope okay and enjoy things that much more in my new place.

dhel May 10, 2007 18:08

Thanks for the comments, I recently started looking for some new speakers since I am having a new house built that will have a 25' x 30' dedicated room. I listen to many from 2000-9000 and was not overly impressed overall. All of them seemed to have at least one major weakness and it is so hard to compare from place to place. Because of this I might not change until I can afford speakers like the vandersteen quatros which have been my favorites, but still have some weaknesses. Well, I might consider 3a sigs.
Through all this listening, I came to the decision that the Boston's I have are competitive with other "hifi" brands and I would recommend them. They are a little cool in the midrange, but highly detailed. Also, they can be a little bright with the wrong equipment. Despite these drawbacks they image extremely well, are fast, clean, and have no noticeable coloration like almost all of the speakers I listened too.

I know this is a long post, but I am at a training and bored. I have internet access on my pda.
Dave

dhel February 22, 2007 18:17

The panels in the rear corners are now 4 inches thick compared to the original 2-inch thick panels. They are doubled up R19 insulation. I first tried it with only one layer of R19 and it noticeable helped the bass and lower mid range, but I was not happy with the results. Therefore, I tried doubling up the insulation and the results were more than twice as effective as with the one layer of R19. In response to your questions about sound staging and imaging the results blew me away even though the panels are behind the speakers in the corners. In my room things tended to sound in-your-face and the panels moved the soundstage back behind the speakers. Also, the images are more tightly defined and stable.

dhel March 15, 2006 23:31

I posted new pics of my current setup. Also pictured are my new DIY panels.
David

dhel February 11, 2006 04:19

Highend64, the panels in the picture are actually the first one's I made similar to yours in that they were foam. The new ones are built with R19 insulation and are many many times more effective across the frequency range. I used my existing frames that I built using wood bought at home depot and compressed the insulation with plastic garden fencing that is similar to chicken wire, but easier to work with. I believe this also helps with some positive reflection of upper frequencies to keep the room from sounding to "dead". I have no real way to validate this since I cannot compare it to one compressed another way. I cannot remember where I bough the fabric, but it can be found at any fabric store. If you are thinking about building some with insulation there are many websites with information on how to build them. Also, from my experience in my room the panels that made the largest difference are the ones that straddle the corners behind the speakers (I will include pictures when I have them covered). They tighten the bass considerably which I expected, but I am shocked at how much they open the sound stage.

dhel February 08, 2006 23:28

It has been a while since my last post. Bruce30 I tried listening with the door open and you are right the bass is tighter with better pitch definition with it open. I also moved my CD rack from the sidewall and put it into the back corner to act as a diffuser in the manner you suggested. It seems to make a small, but noticeable difference. The main thing I have done is to build proper insulation filled acoustic panels. The difference is amazing. The largest differences are in tonality, bass clarity and sound staging. The music took a positive move to farther behind the speakers and it is amazing how the sound does not seem to emanate from the speakers. This is wonderful in a small room because they can often sound very in-your-face. At least this has been my experience. I have not tried moving the axis of my system as I forgot about doing so until making this post. I will give it a try. My next project is to change speaker cables. I have tried 4 or 5 and will probably end up purchasing some Alpha Core Goertz MI2's. They work very well with my system and the bass control, pitch definition and sound stage depth is amazing.

dhel February 08, 2006 00:35

Thanks Hiend64, I like your setup as well. I am going to make some DIY acoustic panels in the next couple of weeks with a fellow audiogoner and I will post the results. I see you have some treatments up, but I would guess mostly High Frequency treatments. I am hoping to make some bass panels for behind my speakers in the corner. I have heard some great results in larger rooms and I believe I will obtain an even larger effect in my small room. Hello, Bruce30 thanks for your input again. You reminded me that I need to post new photos that show my setup more accurately. The idea of changing the axis of the setup is something I have never heard before. I will give it a try because of the great improvements I have obtained by refining my setup. I have a question for you though, will the open door create an imbalance in subjective volume or bass response for my ear closest to the door? Hope you guys had a great holiday.
David

dhel December 28, 2005 00:16

System edited: I have recently changed to two sets of Audioquest Jaguar interconnects from entry level Cardas cables and have been very pleased with the results. The soundstage is much better and the music is much cleaner and extended overall.

dhel December 25, 2005 06:48

I feel my room is much better, but I am now wanting for more. I am going to continue to work on the relation of the listening position to the speakers because I believe there is more to gain in the soundstage. In response to the Rega planet I took the opportunity to listen to one and a myriad of other players below $2000 at a local dealer and only found the Jupiter and an Arcam CD92 that were better than my current player. Even those were not a large enough difference to motivate me to shell out the cash. Once I am done with my cabling I will be looking at a source component. I am leaning toward an Arcam FMJ CD33, Ayre cx-7, or a Sim Audio Equinox. Bruce you are right, mad props are definitely deserved for companies that help people get the most of what they have.

dhel August 31, 2005 00:54

Thank you both for your compliments. Bruce, it is ironic that you mention speaker placement and set up. Last week I changed my setup in my audio room according to George Cardas's formulas for a square room. The results were amazing at adding definition to the bass and mid bass. I also followed his advice about using an equilateral triangle between the speakers and listening position. I ended up moving my chair back a couple more inches and wow! This is the first time I ever had "real" depth in the soundstage. To make a long story short right now I am psyched about room setups and how they affect the sound. Any input would be much appreciated.
David

dhel August 23, 2005 19:21

System edited: Finally got some pictures up.

dhel June 25, 2005 01:08

I have been a bum. I will try to get the pictures up soon.

dhel June 23, 2005 23:40

Thanks, I really enjoy the Halo pieces. The have a really smooth sound with a good level of detail. I have not heard the other "classic" Parasound gear so I am not sure how they compare. I consistently have people who have much higher end systems comment that they are really impressed by my system. In particular they like the Parasound gear and the Boston speakers. They are amazed at the scale and drive the A23 can produce.

dhel June 23, 2005 23:39