It has now been almost a year and I have had some time to spend getting things dialed in. Over the last year I have changed much of my equipment and have gotten a new room so there is a lot of variable to sort out, but with a lot of work (fun) so far I have got the system sounding very good. I still cannot get over how different this room is than my previous room of around 10'X 11'. It is 25' X 30' with vaulted ceilings and a stairwell behind a short wall along the back of the room. This room is on the third floor of my house and all the walls are exterior 2X6 insulated construction. I had 3 dedicated 20 amp 10 awg homerun lines put in when the house was wired along with some heavy carpet pad and carpet.
Every equipment change I have made has been a significant upgrade and really moves this room towards its potential. The more I listen to the Vandersteen 3A Signatures the more I love them. The treble is just so true to sound and the bass continues to elate me as that was the area I had concerns about before purchasing the speakers.
A lot of good things has been said about this player and and I agree.
Parasound Halo P3
This is a great entry-level pre. It matches extremely well with the A23 as would be expected. P.S. Using the XLR connections made a significant difference between the preamp and amp to the sound stage and bass control.
Parasound A 21
250 watts per channel This amp is a large improvement over my previous A23.
Vandersteen 3a Sig
A nice large speaker for a large room.
Anti-Cable Interconnect
Replaced Audioquest Cheetah.
Audioquest Jaguar
Great mid priced cables with DBS. I have continued to enjoy these cables over the last couple of months. They are very clean and detailed and allow for an amazing sound stage. The one area that I am not thrilled is they could be more transparent. This became very clear when I tried the Cheetahs, but at the cost difference I will stay where I am until I make other upgrades.
Anti-cable Speaker cables
They are wonderful.
Black Diamond Racing Cones MKIII
Six vibration dampening/coupling cones. There really is a difference between the different # cones. A tweak that really works wonders in my room. Surprisingly I much prefer the Apollo on its factory feet, not the BDR cones.
GIK Acoustic Panels
Seven 2'X4' acoustic panels. Three used as bass traps, two more at the first reflection point and two more behind the speakers. Best upgrade for the money invested.
You know David, it might - but it has a similar effect to what Mr. Cardas recommends for diffusing bass in room - which is to cut up the ceiling @ the rear of the listening room & throw a fabric frame to cover up the hole, only it's- aesthetically speaking- a LOT easier on the eyes...try it. Also, to further help with diffusion you might borrow (or purchase a "tri-fold screen" - you know what I'm talking about- those screens that people usually use in a bedroom to hide behind while dressing/undressing if there is someone else in the room. If you open the door next to you & position one of these next to you (in the other corner opposite the door) Voila!...the midrange is diffused. If you want to experiment - try one made of fabric, one of paper & and one of wood...these really work! You can go to decorating and dept. stores, and bring 'em home, try 'em out then if it isn't perfect...return it, easy!...no risk!
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
Hey David, Been a while, happy holidays! I'm writing because I've had a thought about how to possibly improve your set-up...like to hear it, here it goes...;) Have you tried rotating the axis of your speaker-speaker-ears triangle a tiny bit - like an inch(with the bedroom door open, of course) towards the door? This CAN make for a drastic improvement regarding diffusion in your "squarish" room...try it.
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.
Hey Dhel, I can tell you right now you'll be fiddling around with your speaker placement till the day you die-or till you're too weak to lift your latest pair of Wilson Benesch Rocket Hyper Doodle Mephisto 707 mk.5.2's with the Hyper/Hypo Metaphysical Digital Frequency Spreaders (lightly coated with peanut butter for better damping via a generic Chinese made "Lightly Coating Peanut Butter Digital Frequency Spreading Applicator type 6." I'm a dork-but I know your laughing -inside at least;) I've been reading the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books lately...I know, its no excuse. As for cabling...you're on your own. I like Nordost Solarwind-they sound as if c.d. player and pre-amp are hard-wired together. A decision like choosing a cdp is best left to people who know more about it than we do...they aren't the first cdp's we've had to buy and more than likely won't be the last. -Bruce
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.
Hey David, I'm glad to see you've achieved some good integration with your room (learned to use the force;)...sometimes I just shake my head after hearing some of the ridiculously effortless sound comin' out of my budget system. Do you ever get the feeling that proper system set-up is something most manufacturers/dealers keep to themselves to make people feel dissatisfied with their gear so they can sell you a more expensive (and better integrated) piece of gear? Maybe I'm just a touch paranoid? Appreciation/kudos must be given to Mr. Cardas and any manufacturer who share anything useful with the rest of us-especially regarding placing speakers. --Bruce BTW, have you ever considered the Rega Planet CDP?...a "STEAL" @ $895.Checkit.
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
Hey David, Very clean set-up! I got sucked in to hi-fi about 10 years ago...isn't it oddly satifying when you achieve really good set up? You seem to be off to a great start...excellent gear. Recently, I've learned a good deal regarding speaker placement--are you happy with the staging you've achieved with your speaker placement? Would you be interested in "hearing" more? --Lemme know--Bruce
Hi David,boy for just starting out you have a fine system there.You did'nt make the same mistake as some newbies and try to mix component brands,that can muck up the sound real quick.I hered great things about Parasound equipment.Congratulations on a fine job !.......DK
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.
Nice choices, I am a Parasound owner also, though mine is father back in my dual use system, I always wanted to know how the new stuff sounds....lucky man!
