I actually have gotten a few more signal cable power cords in my system now, including the digital power cable for my DAC. I do however take offence to the idea that I would even think about drinking light beer! That would be a waste of time and money...I prefer nice heavy beer with a good body, perhaps this makes the bass bloated and slow (kind of like my stomach and my running ability)! Anyhow, as for the speaker cables, I have just recently upgraded to the MIT 750's with the network boxes. Great upgrade that really tightened things up...It makes me wonder what another grand in cables could get out of this system.
As for your system, it looks amazing! That screen is HUGE! Anyhow, where do you live? It looks urban.
HOW COME NO-ONE SAYS ANYTHING WHEN THEY VISIT??? There has been more than 300 visits since my last post...Anyhow, lots of new things on the way...New MIT Digital Reference cable, Boulder modified squeezebox, new power cables, power supply for the squeezebox....I have lots of new toys to play with and will be adding them one at a time noting the changes as I go along.
As for the stock SB I got, impresive sound! It sounds pretty good running into my DAC...not quite as good as my Denon, but close. I am hoping that the Boulder modded unit surpasses my current transport...if so I think I will be a computer audio guy from now on.
System edited: Well, I finally installed my new power cable after allowing it three weeks to burn in on my Kegerator...all I can say is that I had always thought that a power cable would not make any difference...well come to find out it does. I put this cable on my preamp, and all I can say is, ok this DOES make a difference. My soundstage showed a bit more depth. Also I heard the "tone" depth a little bit. The trebles seemed to calm and become more relaxed and the bass seemed to tighten and localize a bit more. All of this results in a better image than I was receiving before. I did some a/b comparisons to verify my thoughts, and I now find the experience to be just that much more enjoyable. One of the best $50 I have spent yet...now to upgrade the rest of my power cables as well! Additionally, I just purchased a Slim Devices Squeezebox 3 from a guy here on the GoN. Can't wait to try this simple medium for sound transmission. I will be sure to let y'all know what I think... BRING ON THE UPGRADES! Ben
I heard from a long time dealer of the Classe gear that the old stuff is the best stuff, in most cases outperforming even the new super expensive stuff, so that at least makes me happy about this equipment...FOR NOW! :-)... I keep wondering if I would like a Krell Preamp...or perhaps as I said before a BAT, if I could find something in my price range...I have seen many systems here on the GoN as you describe...$20K in electronics for only $5K in speakers. To me that means that a lot of the sound happens upstage, which we all know is true.
I see where you are coming from with the Pre being the most important part of the setup...It is where the first boost to the signal takes place, so it would be natural that it would be VERY important in the scheme of the system. The classe thirty is my first two channel pre...before this I have always had a multi-channel setup, but I have decided that the two channel route will more than suffice for me until if have six figures to spend on the baddest surround setup ever known to man! Besides nothing really compares with a well recorded piece of music played on a superb two-channel setup.
I will keep an eye out for some great deals on preamps, but I do need a few other cables upgraded in my system before I go all out on a new preamp...namely my Digital Audio Cable, lead from my Pre to my amp, and finally something other than the Home Depot specials running across my floor! Anyhow, I should get back to enjoying some new music, just got three CDs in the mail today!
I do like the laid-back sound of my equipment...I find it to add lots of depth to the soundstage...I see in your equipment that you are using a Acoustic Research preamp. What do you think of its presentation. I have thought at great legnth about going to a tube preamp...at the top of my list is BAT, since I can keep the balanced thing going this way.
System edited: Well, there has been a huge amount of work done to my system lately...where to start. I got a new amp, Classe Model fifteen...Huge improvement in the soundstage and clarity of insturments...also the bass became much more punchy, but somehow more clear as well. Awesome improvement over my old Parasound 1500a. Also upgraded my DAC to a Classe DAC-1...once again, more detail, bigger soundstage, more depth. Then I added the MIT Shotgun S2 XRL interconnects...WOW. My system sounds better than ever, but should I stop...maybe for the day! Ben
Maybe...mine are much easier to drive than a lot of other speakers I have had in my system...that is for sure. I find in my room...15'x13' with a 12' sloping to an 18' ceiling that I get great bass response with my 926...even with 175 watts driving them....I am sure that if I had more amps, or monoblocks it could even be better. I got rid of my sub because it just detracted from the music. I do, however, listen at lower volumes...70-80db. The only time I really pump them is on orchestral music, but then you don't really have huge amounts of low frequencies...orchestral peaks around 100db. I guess what I am saying is that I don't really notice all of the same things that Jp1208 notices with his 936's.
YES! The JM Labs have a more laid back sound IMO, while the B&W's have a very forward sound. The imaging properties of the B&W's are much more precise, but the brightness of the speakers leave the speakers sounding much less musical to my ears than the JM Labs. I also found the bass response of the B&W's to be pretty flaccid in comparison to the JM Labs.
I feel like the JM Labs sound is much more refined and gives a better sense of the inner detail of the music. With the JM Labs I was able to hear the "layering" of the instruments, while the B&W's were so forward in their presentation that the instrumental soundstage came from "in front" of the speakers rather than being brought in by the "depth" of the soundstage of the JM Labs.
I compared these speakers using a variety of different music, mostly because I wanted to hear the differences between these new B&W's and my JM labs, because I had owned B&W's before purchasing the JM Labs in the first place. I found that the differences were most noticeable with Classical Music...particularly orchestras. The instruments actually sounded like the instruments sound with the JM Labs, while the B&W's fatigued my ears, and made me listen too closely to really hear the detail that my JM Labs do seemingly effortlessly. My girlfriend said it best when I asked her to compare the differences in these speakers...she said..."these are speakers for music" when speaking about the JM Labs.
System edited: Changed my category to getting started as I am turning over a new leaf of dedication to the two channel setup. I have some new stuff on the way and should be awesome to get it in my system. Also thinking of adding analog at some point in the near"ish" future. All I know right now is that I am really in for a new journey! Ben
I don't know, I go through phases....thinking that my girlfriend always sits in the sweet spot when she is home (she pays most of the bills oddly enough) don't like the lack of center when I am sitting off center...Maybe then again I just need to assert myself as the MAN of the house!
No, I have added the Classe to my system, but the web page that does the systems wouldn't let me put it on for some odd reason...I suppose that I will try again sometime soon.
Timrhu, I will be finishing my Masters degree in May, which makes me really happy. As for my listening tastes...anything goes. I listen to a lot of classic rock, and a good deal of orchestral music...I would have to say that I really enjoy the grand romantic symphonies when it comes to classical music.
I did make an update recently. I got rid of the Musical Fidelity DAC and added the Classe DAC-1.
System edited: Well, it seems that I have managed to upgrade my system once again! My new JM Labs are my pride an joy...I just can't listen to them too much! My move was also a sucess, and my new room is much better for my system. The fact that it is almost twice as deep as my last room also helps. Well, that is all I have for now! Thanks for any comments!
System edited: Just added new MIT interconnects from my DAC to my pre and pre to my amplifier. Excellent improvement. I am looking forward to next month becasue I am moving to a bigger place where I will have a much larger room for the system! Be sure to check back.
System edited: I have been going through my system a lot lately trying new things, please if you have any ideas that would be great, otherwise, it is really a nice place to be for now. Thanks
