Ok, so i have been slowly putting together a system on a serious budget, pretty much i have been buying gear for bargain prices in a quest to get some decent musical sound for 2 channel redbook playback.
I do not have any sentimental attachment to any of this equipment and would sell or trade any of it in a heartbeat for an upgrade of any sort.
That being said, i am really on a quest for the next improvement in sound, problem is i have no idea what that next step is, a better DAC, like a PS Audio or Bel Canto, better speakers, a more powerful 2 channel amp, maybe scratch the B&K and start with a 2 channel preamp, i really dont know! Please any and all suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Love what you've done here. The rack and stands look outstanding! I would never have picked white, but now that I see it, love it. KEFs a good choice for vintage speakers as long as the surrounds have no dry rot (which is common). Very nice system both aesthetically and equipment choices on a very thin dime. Nice job!
Mike...in terms of where to start the upgrade process, I would advise starting with a speaker whos sonice really appeal to you, and then build amplification and source(s) around it. The speaker/room interface and secondly speaker/amp match will have the most profound impact on changing the sonics in your room. You can then tweak choice of preamp and sources as well as ancillaries (cabling, etc...) around your primary choice of speaker and optimal amp to drive them. Do you have local hifi dealers you can visit to audition a number of different speakers and speaker/amp combos?
Yes i did glue and clamp two 3/4" pieces together then i re-cut them so that they were very very even on all edges so that they appear to be one solid piece.
So did you glue two pieces of 3/4 inch thick MDF to get the 1 1/2 inches? I ask because I built a similar rack for my daughter when she went off to Purdue Univ. The DIY rack is pretty common but the speaker stands are really nice looking. Haven't seen anyone else try that. Check my system page for a look at my DIY rack. I used slate in place of wood, very heavy and passes the knuckle rap test.
Yes i did build the rack and speaker stands myself. Each shelf is made of 1.5" thick MDF and they were painted white much to the dismay of my fiance.
The supports are made of 5/8" solid steel threaded rod. The rods were ground into points on the ends so that they pierce the carpet and go directly to the subfloor, it is super sturdy!
When i say that it is heavy, it is very much an understatement.
The equipment rack turned out so well that i decided to make the matching stands for the speakers.
Everything turned out better than i expected in terms of aesthetics. And yeah i think im going to get a better / external DAC next, i am really looking to capture the airy-ness that my last setup had and sadly this one lacks :(
No suggestions from me. Although I do own the PS Audio DLIII dac and feel it is exceptional for the money so if you look for a dac you should consider it. I have to ask if your system rack and speaker stands are DIY? They look great.
