Hi, I am just starting to upgrade and would appreciate any feedback. I bought the Conrad-Johnson amp and pre-amp last year and am looking to build on those pieces. Recently, I purchased the Spendor S8e speakers and the Simaudio Moon Nova CD player on Audiogon to try them out.
My old speakers were Vandersteen 1Bs, which actually sound quite nice with the C-J gear. However, the system was too laid back and I wanted a little more detailed, clear sound. I mostly listen to classical and jazz (esp. jazz vocals), with some pop/alternative.
I haven't done much research on interconnects. I think my current weak link is in the CD->pre interconnect. Any suggestions or upgrade possibilities from people who have heard similar systems would be most welcome!
practical and decent-looking component cabinet-- has just enough ventilation to keep the fronts closed, though the back needed to be removed behind the amp.
System edited: System edited: added Audience Au24 interconnect between the CD player and the pre-amp. Just received the Spendor S8e speakers today. Hooked them up with the Harmonic Tech Pro 9 Plus bi-wire cables. Even though the cables are not fully broken in, I am very pleased with the sound of the speakers. I had read a lot about soundstaging, and I thought my old Vandersteen 1Bs were OK at it. However, the Spendors are soundstaging champs compared with the Vandys, no contest. Not only left and right, but also depth is more apparent than it had been to me before. Also, the S8e's have amazing bass, despite what the specs state. This is the first speaker I've heard where the bass line in "John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman" is actually *clear*. The specs would have you think that these have no more bass than the Vandy 1Bs. That is completely inaccurate. Like the 1Bs, the S8es are non-fatiguing. Compared with the 1Bs, they are more neutral, though still leaning slightly on the dark side. Again, much more defined bass. Also, the lower mid-range/upper bass seems to be more filled in. Definitely not as bright as the Thiels. To my ear, the Dynaudio Contour 1.3SE is closer to neutral in terms of treble and mid-range coloration. However, compared with Dynaudio floor-standers (the 1.3SE is a monitor), the Spendors win hands-down in terms of lack of mid-range colorations (I find the Dynaudio floor-standers to sound boxy) and ability to resolve the layers in large-scale orchestral music. In short, the Spendors are pretty much what I had hoped for and was looking for in terms of sound quality and soundstaging.
The Simaudio Moon Nova CD player arrived on Friday and sounds wonderful. Very clear, detailed, smooth and full sound. Compared with the Rotel, the entire top end opens up, and harmonics are more filled in. On the Rotel, a piano would sound a little like the hammers had fluff on them. On the Moon Nova, it comes much closer to sounding like a real piano. Plucked guitar strings and cymbals jump out much more clearly.
The sound is punchy and a little forward, so I probably would not recommend it for systems with a forward-sounding amp or pre. With the Conrad-Johnson amp and pre, the sound is pure magic.
Chadlesko: actually, the speakers are in the mail! I hope to receive them by next week. The CD player is arriving tomorrow. I will keep you posted....
Thanks for the Red Dawn rec. I will look into it. What other interconnects and speaker cables did you try out? The Harmonic Tech listed above is actually speaker cable, not interconnect (and the MF2500 is a solid-state amp, not tube).
