Thank You Jafant! Room sounds best when I throw couch cushions on the sidewalls to absorb some of the first order sound reflections. Ive really got to just order a few acoustic geometry panels and hang them.
Funny story, When I initially auditioned the Thiels they were being fed a Cary tube 303 CD player if I recall. I haven't yet heard a BAT VK-D5 though.... happy hunting I know they do show up used from time to time. Happy fall to you as well : )
Thanks Milpai It has been almost 20 years with these Thiel's and I've never auditioned a subwoofer. They closed up shop before I had enough time to buy a Thiel smartsub. On the other hand a REL is very impressive to say the least / By the way I did have a big flatscreen in the corner behind a speaker so it wasn't as easy to put up a decent full room picture then. By moving it away the sound quality improved instantly.
New 12 inch subwoofer integrated with high level Neutrik speakon connection. With 800w and hi-end driver features it's an absolute bargain with the sound quality and cabinet craftsmanship.
Thank you Jafant ! Similar to you I've been experimenting with various different digital sources over the years. started out with a California Audio Labs 5 disc changer which I really wish I kept, RCD-1072 Rotel disc spinner and now with Panasonic DP-UB9000 that has balanced outputs on the back. Over all though the Ayre CX-7e still sounds the best.
yes Jeff that's true, Before the clearaudio table with moving magnet cart I used a sota sapphire and SME 309 and moving coil. It sure was beautiful but lesser for what I prefer listening to with the Thiel cabinets.
Currently playing Beirut (the rip tide) Daft Punk (discovery) Boredoms (wow 2)
New tube preamp really opening up all the finer and more intricate details of each recording. Gone completely is any of the speaker hiss that was previously present with VK-3ix, Loving the mono switch for records and cd's with that available
Hello everyone its been a while... I was wondering if anybody has tried to get finer volume adjustment from preamp when it seems too loud at the 1st step. With what I own on BAT it's the number 1, And seems like I could step it down some on the XLR lines? Not sure but looking for some helpful advice where the sound quality won't suffer
Yes Tom and it still sounds amazing. Nothing lacking with my 8 yr old CS2.4 towers. I discovered a great combination of electronic and speaker. Hope they stay as high quality and heavy build in the future. How is your system coming along?
Just changed the room up since breaking in the MCS1's WOW what a fantastic little "Heavy" well built speaker. I recently found these at 1/2 off retail cost on amazon so keep your eyes peeled folks if your in the market. Now back to the special model that began my real audio bliss experience in 2005, It's the CS2.4 and I've now placed them on the side wall in basically what is an 8x8x8 triangle to the listening position. I am using radio shack wire bare wire and cannot believe that they have been here but not plugged in constantly playing music. Top to bottom a floor stander this properly executed in design will be all you ever need for all types of music. Things came together with the careful selection of source components of course : )
System edited: I've gone purchase happy yet again when I saw the MCS1's on sale. before that i had to get a pair of the SCS4's for the movie/tv area. This is also where my starter electronics are that I seem to think rock just fine with a smaller speaker. Ideas for something to place MCS1's on would be greatly appreciated.
Then you'd probably laugh if I told you it was mostly purchased since 2005. All are well tested pieces and mother approved with decent price tags. In fact in the mid nineties I was gawking at Thiel ads in sterophile magazines as a high school student.
Fortunately my current work has enabled me to assemble such a great system. Listening to music for me is only second best only to eating and family.
finally got the cd player sitting on heavyfeet and plugged in balanced. Sounds terrific! Turned on the record player for the first time in what seems like a year and really missed the richness that it can bring to listening.
just placed back into the system some cardas quadlink speaker cables to see how they would sound since I've had the big BAT in the mix and am enjoying the fuller midrange that the crescendo didnt seem to supply. It's only been a few days and i'm considering more of the same for interconnects but may get one of the so called models with a more leading edge as the designer claims. Somewhere I read that the golden reference XLR cable mates well with the Ayre cd player so it may be an option.
Verneal, this cd player is truly refined and i'm speaking from having it connected just 5 days via the single ended outputs and without brass "heavyfeet" underneath which i'm a big fan of using. If I can only settle on a balanced pair of cables I'll really be cookin. Nice system you have put together!
System edited: New Ayre cd player plugged in to replace the Rotel RCD-1072 and already notice better all around sound. Most notably a better soundstage and ease to the presentation. Will update with more thoughts after further listening and integrating with new BAT VK-3ix preamp via balanced connections which is soon to arrive. Happy listening everyone!
Currently listening to music much more with new amp and at louder volume. Whole musical spectrum improved over previous amp. This amp has the ability to play music to incredible realism. Well balanced sound.
Thanks vernneal, I actually have imagined a Thiel sub in my system someday but only when I make the decision to go full surround sound. The 8" woofer within the CS2.4 goes more than low enough for me. (and my upstairs neighbors)
System edited: Well, It's been some time now in search of some decent juice to power the speakers. Only two hours into having the amp turned on I can feel an ease to the presentation compared to the KAV-150. One thing technically that i've noticed is that i now have more range for volume control which I like. There's no doubt that i should have got this back in the cooler months,Wow does it radiate some heat. Will comment more on the sound after a couple hundred hours or so and playing some more favorites.
Temporarily I have the phono stage living on top of cd player. Soon to change when I replace the Krell amp with something monster like. Will include pic! Finally purchase TT lid from Sota and got LP storage from BOLTZ, Man are they nice and solid to keep records in.
Thanks Cmalak That's just what I need to do. Turntables are just so sensitive to floor disturbances a wall shelf would do better. One thing I didnt take into consideration was a heavy rack stand on a suspended floor which apparantly isnt ideal from what I've read. Not that I'm dis satisfied with playback it's just that I've heard of people standing next to their TT and stomping the floor with their foot and the cartridge remains still. Is this a myth?
Now looking for advice. My dilemma is that I've run outta space for an area to place my cd player. While normally it would be fine to just buy a shelf and place it on I cannot really take anymore area from around my tube gear for the fear of it overheating. Is it dumb to put the amp on top of the CD? Would the heavyfeet that I use drain vibration from both component's properlly? (I could insantly hear better sound when I had the cd player on a shelf of it's own w/footers) Any other solution or idea is more than welcome. While it would prolly look best on a wall shelf directly above my rack I'm trying other ways.
Thanks for posting Cmalak! It's funny the combo of VTL & Thiel sold me on both when I auditioned. The music is really alive I guess is the best way to explain it. The more I listen at louder levels especially I can tell the amplifier strains but no big deal with me living in an apartment with neighbors close by. To answer your question regarding TT, I wasnt able to audition and didnt know what to expect other than what I read mostly online. By the time I invested in the best table, phono stage, and arm that I could afford (all my savings by the way) the dynavector seemed like the best all around bang for the buck deal. Truth be told I havent even adjusted speed control except by ear, The Sota is real easy to setup and has a great design philosophy. That's some serious tubes you have going into your spks by the way. Nice goin!
System edited: Just plugged in the rotel cd for the first time in over two months and boy does cd sound thin and congealed compared to the wax. Cannot wait to get some short crescendo rca's for the phono stage to preamp.
Thanks guys! The table is very solid and easy to setup, It's custom hand made and that's easy to tell upon a close eye inspection. The phono preamp had a sort of messy soldering job done on the circuit board inside which was a little sad considering. With those what some consider petty issues aside, Where it counts the sound of both new components are great. Favorite new records are McCoy Tyner's "Sahara" & Faith No More "Angel Dust".
No wonder vinyl sales are doing well, There's just an organic realness to listening to music while playing back records. There's no doubt in my mind that it brings you closer to hearing the real thing live. Any comments or suggestions to this totally sold analog newbie please chime in.
Chris So far Madeleine peyroux "careless love" and Little Feat's first albumn are favs
The TL2.5 that I have does have a simple remote. Vol. control & mute which is just enough for my use.
It didnt take very long for me to realize the great sound of the CS2.4 spks and can only say that focusing on components is the idea now. I have contemplated getting the VTL's bigger bro the TL5.5 and then starting a second system w/the one I currently have. That's how awesome I think it is.
One thing to beware of is that it isnt very difficult to warp maple shelves. Unfortunately due to me not paying very strict attention to the setup instructions & how everything needs to be level and the order in which things should be approached I dont have completely flat component rack shelfs.
Unfortunately as you see in the amp pic I'm in the position to where the system needs the footers on all pieces 3-way configuration so that the components dont rock ever so slightly and i'm sure affect the sound for the worse.
I apologize for never answering your question. When asking thiel what cables would be best they told me to go straight to the top of the straightwire line. When I saw a price here that I could afford of the somewhat very short crescendo spkr wire available I jumped. Seems like it really allows all of the detail and resolution to shine through very cleanly. I came from entry level cardas and will someday place them back when I get the itch just to hear how they can complement my stereo system. A recent interconnect replacement in the system has somewhat taken me back to the past but not too much thankfully. Again sorry for an almost yr later response
Other than needing to move it and the gear far away from the speakers it's a solid stand to keep things on. Do I notice a difference in the sound no not really. Also almost everything is an extra when I went to purchase. I think what attracted to me wanting to purchase after the looks of it was the price around 700. After listening to how the prices in precious metals has gone up I think it ended up costing about a thousand dollars to buy. One should also note that it's very easy to warp the shelves when building and then have your components not sit on all four feet. Some might say that it's just as easy not to do this so I dont know.
System edited: I had faint thoughts of changing some components around until recently putting in a well mastered disc and tacking some blankets to the side walls. WOW!
Linnie, I like to listen to anything from George Shearing, Yusef Lateef and Bela Fleck to Anthony Braxton, John Zorn, Coleman Hawkins, Thelonious Monk, as far as Jazz goes along with many others. Bill Frisell plays some good jazz guitar along with Bucky Pizzarelli even. My favorite's to listen to in prog rock is Genesis, Soft Machine, Yes, King Crimson, and lots of others. As always there's tons to discover, I just picked up Emerson Lake and Palmer's live concert double cd and think that it's pretty remarkable but dont really quite know how to mark it as far as enjoyability goes.lol
In a nutshell i'm just another guy who really enjoys the music that has to contstantly remain restrained from buying every new and better gadget produced. Vinyl and tube amps are next it's just that I still remain a little apprehensive about a turntable and all of its setup responsibilities and all its different options for components. Heck considering that I dont even have a phono installed into my preamp and it's also easier for CD(which all my tunes are) I may go for a listen to the VTL monoblocks soon to see what they sound like compared to the Krell i've always had and used
Well it's been almost two months with the straightwire spkr cable and I am convinced it was a much needed upgrade for my system. Truly fantastic sound with good recordings
Next step Vinyl and tube MB-450 SIGNATURE monoblocks
System edited: Would like to know other's opinion regarding my thoughts of getting a turntable for broader and better sounding music collection. By the way, I had a horrible and frustrating time building my equipment rack,(great quality nonetheless) Am mostly lazy when I get home after work, and I have zero records to play.
I have just replaced the Cardas quadlink spkr cable with Straightwire Crescendo. My thoughts so far after only one evening of playing music through them is that the sound isnt as warm and sheltered sounding, The way vocals are revealed is almost ery, I can hear even more detail, Bass is also not as loud and boomy(small room also) as it was with the cardas which is a welcome character. Too much bass doesnt allow me to turn it up and enjoy the rest of the instruments without the neighbors thinking your sledge hammering the walls in.
System edited: Stand has been adjusted and modified so that I can now fit the amplifier onto the shelf without the chassis resting on the brass fittings that hold the shelves into place.
Thanks for the kind comment Timrhu! It has been a work in progress let me tell ya, A few things that I have going IMHO is a dedicated listening room with laid back upstairs neighbors. The equipment rack I bought from Mapleshade and had better look awesome being that I spent nearly a grand on it.Ouch!
System edited: Need to get some cones in order for the amp to sit properly on the 19" wide shelfs. I also need to add an extra set of upright fittings to bottom level so that all shelfs even as well. This takes some patience let me tell ya!
Chadnliz Thanks for the kind words. My system is currently playing music to the level I could'nt have imagined possible and am very happy with it's sound. For instance the Tom Petty "wildflowers" CD was un-listenable before getting the VTL, In that I mean it had almost zero weight to my ears. For now not only am I very happy with my setup with the exception of a better isolation rack, I am also content with my current collection of cd's which I can now experience in a much more enjoyable way. Louder and more lively! The deep end that I'm afraid I've fallen into lately is music music music
System edited: Liked the sound of VTL's 5.5 preamp during an in store demo and went out and bought my first piece of used gear from the site here. The first thing that entered my mind once playing the first cd inserted was, Oh man this is going to become a habit were I dont want it to! In that it drastically changed the overall sound of the system from what the marantz ss AV-550 pre I'd always owned and used since purchasing my first piece of hi-end equipment which is the Krell amp I've had for 7yrs. I guess the best way to describe the additional enjoyment the new preamp brings is that Bass had always just been a thump or tap to my ears whereas it's now felt with weight, texture and authority. Brass and violins have certainly been tamed down a bit and have a seamlessness layered feel from the high pitched noises that the marantz produced. So far and it's only been about 3hrs. of listening I find my self looking for details and clarity that were easier heard on the Marantz. The sound now has a warmth and instruments appear rounded off in detail where I'm struggling to hear everything on the recording. Maybe this is a low in trade for the strong points of tube technology. Perhaps I should play at louder levels? I think that their might be an impedence issue as one of the gentlemen over at VTL said the 5.5 would better match with my Krell amp. I havent changed the tubes or even checked to see if the units biased properlly which could be the reason for what I'm hearing but I doubt it. Just need to get used to this new sound which I feel really does bring me much nearer to a live music performance Chris
