Fernando - i completely agree with your preamp suggestion as my good friend has lent me a Gryphon LE preamp for a whole year. with the Gryphon LE, i've heard a more vibrant, vivid, and effortless sound from my system. it didn't change the signature of my system, but rather improved it many ways, and more importantly, music was more enjoyable with it. but i wouldn't say the preamp elevated my system to another level. given the very high cost of my dream preamps - Jadis JP80 and JPS2 - i believe the biggest bang for the buck improvement for me is to get better speakers.

on the subwoofer - i think best placement would be dependent on the end goal. seamless integration of the sub is more important to me than getting the lowest possible frequency response. therefore i choose to place it closer to my monitors. as fantastic as the Velodyne room correction software is, i wanted to use the equalizer minimally with signal purity in mind. i am thrilled with the results. if the sub shake my windows a bit more they might just crack!

one thing i haven't tried is elevating the sub by 20 inches per an audio dealer's suggestion, which may help with integration. just need to find a sturdy stand that is good looking as well...

thanks for sharing!

szutinglee January 04, 2010 18:34

thanks all for the nice comments!

over the years, i've considered and auditioned Acapella Fidelio II, Sonus Faber Auditor, Harbeth Super HL5, B&W CM1, ProAc Response 1SC (heard Response 3.8), Avantgarde Duo, Tannoy Westminster (heard Yorkminster)...all setup with different electronics. however unscientific my auditions were, i’ve come to favor Acapella the most for their stunning clarity, speed, and liveliness.

while slowly saving up for the Acapella Violon, my Signature 805 continue to sing beautifully for my family and still represent a fantastic balance in value, performance, and physical beauty.

as for amps, on my list were McIntosh MC275 (never heard), McIntosh MC2102, Canary CA-330 (heard Reference One), Jeff Rowland Model 201 (heard Model 302 and Concerto), 47 Laboratory Gaincard (never heard)…but the moment i heard and saw Jadis gear (JP80) in person, i knew my search has ended. i treasure my JA30 more than any other audio gear i own and i don’t think that will ever change.

cheers!
scott

szutinglee December 28, 2009 16:57

many thanks for your kind words Mdhoover! my son is now 2.7 years old and my daughter is 7 months old. my son and i sometimes fight over whether we should listen to music or watch tv. one more reason to put the tv elsewhere : ) so far my daughter loves the shapes and colors of my equipment, as well as our music ^o^

i wouldn't say the taxi drivers in Taiwan are more crazy than the ones here in NYC, but the scooter/motorcycle drivers in Taiwan are really something else. i grew up riding on my mom's scooter. but when i hopped on the back of my cousin's scooter after years of not riding one, i was this close to wetting my pants...

happy holidays!
scott

szutinglee December 13, 2005 14:51

hi Amperidian, thank you for your compliments and power cord suggestion. do you think upgrading the power cord between the cd player and power conditioner is a good place to start?

szutinglee October 22, 2005 05:16

oops picture insert didn't work. here is a link to my pre and post sub integration bass response charts: http://www.htguide.com/forum/showthread.php4?t=14463

szutinglee July 10, 2005 03:01

hi Gunbei, the dd-12 is truly amazing in performance and ease of integration. the on-screen user interface makes setup fun, educational, and easy. here is the before sub integration response chart:


i hate to admit it, but bass is one guilty pleasure i have grown to enjoy. bass from the dd-12 is very natural, articulate, and does not distract me from the midrange and treble. yo yo ma's cello sounds full, agile, and complete. the sub has no problem keeping up with my monitors.

if you like, i can direct you to where i purchased mine new for 40% off retail : )

hi Ipy, very interesting link. sounds like my kind of label. i will check out their best collection albums.

thanks guys and happy listening!
scottie

szutinglee July 10, 2005 02:59

thanks Kalan and Sirlee! in my system, the amps are very sweet, transparent, full of soul, surprisingly powerful, and have excellent control and speed. the built quality feels like they can last at least half a century : ) i love them dearly.

Jay, those guys at htguide got me thinking of getting a pair of velodyne dd-10 subs...ahhh...it is either the subs or horns that i definitely can't afford...

szutinglee May 22, 2005 03:24

thanks Jungsan! i like sammi too. one day i will buy a best of sammi album and officially put her on my list. i am glad we like the same music. i always thought i have an odd and eclectic taste in music. let me know when you find a new artist that you like, and i will do the same : )

by the way, we also enjoy watching korean tv series ranging from melodramatic ones to those outrageously funny.

my wife is from beijing. she has suzhou, manchurian, and mongolian heritage. we met in high school and have been inseparable ever since.

congrats on your marriage and new system!!

upgrades are now in a very distant future for me. i think i will either go for horns, or the original b&w model nautilus, after i renovate the kitchen, bathroom, and get a steinway model L...i am such a dreamer * o *

best wishes,
scottie

szutinglee April 27, 2005 18:34

i love panasonic plasma tvs. their picture quality betters the competition, while being very reasonably priced (42" plasma edtv pro model is currently $1,500)! the 50" hdtv pro model is also very tempting at $3,500...

before i received the cd player, i was using an old carver receiver as a preamp for dvd integration. i was very impressed with the clarity, presence, and engulfing movie soundtracks. i can easily live with 2 channel for movies. but now i am running directly from cd player to amps. i only get to use the tv speakers for dvd (yuk).

now i just drool over the jadis jps2. everytime i pass by my dealer i go in just to stare at it...

szutinglee April 20, 2005 19:36

thanks much Simplicitymusic and Gunbei for your kind words. the panasonic th-42pa20up 42" plasma edtv is sitting on a bell'o wavs-12 stand.

funny i got into audio when i wanted some speakers to "go with" my tv...i was so innocent then...
scottie

szutinglee April 19, 2005 19:08

just replaced philips ge 5814a and chinese 12ax7 with mullard cv4003 and cv4004 on my jadis ja30 amps. i can't be happier. my goal was to tame the treble a bit. the mullards not only give me that, the female voice is now silky smooth all over the mids and highs.

the mullards also lighten the bass a bit, while revealing more bass details and definition. it feels more punchy and tight, as opposed to pressing and loose. although i prefer a bit more weight, the details not heard before are very welcome.

the entire presentation is more lively and engaging, especially for vocals.

nos rocks!
scottie

szutinglee March 11, 2005 05:32

ever since i received the amplifiers 3 months ago, i have been worried about my audio equipment getting blemished by my baby son for the past 3 months. but as i was posting a picture of my family listening to the system, i realized that if risking equipment damage is part of sharing beautiful music with my family, then i am fine with it. because enjoying the music is more important than me wanting my equipment to be in perfect condition. it was hard for me to mentally accept this risk (since the gear cost so much), but i am glad i have come to peace with it.
happy listening!
scottie

szutinglee February 23, 2005 20:10

Sorry Mike, I used to have a few links which served me well years ago for downloading clips, but they are all non-functioning now...

For purchasing Asian music, www.malmusic.com is a good on-line store.

Good luck!
Scottie

szutinglee February 01, 2005 15:33

Hi Douglas_schroeder,

Hopefully, one day I will have saved enough for a pair of Avantgarde Trios and Basshorns... But I am sure you haven't heard the Signature 805. After hearing many full range systems (Avantgarde Duos, McIntosh tower speakers, B&W Signature 800,...), I can honestly say that I am fairly satisfied with the amount and quality of bass they pump out.

Hi Bemopti123,

I was born in Taipei, capital of Taiwan. We have been living in New York City, our current home, for 17 years. No doubt we LOVE Asian music!

Cheers!
Scottie

szutinglee January 29, 2005 06:45

Hi Mjcmt,

Thanks for your comments and suggestions. I totally agree that the audio gear should be in the center, but for now I am actually trying to protect them from my baby son and soon to be born baby daughter :)

The S805's were a bit bright when I was feeding them with a Sony DVPNS999ES universal player and a Denon 3803 receiver. But I just love the S805's midrange and wide soundstage, so I kept them and went with tubes. Now the vocal highs are very smooth and satisfying. Details I haven't heard before just flow from everywhere, especially from the lower midrange/upper bass.

I am expecting all of the gear to relax a bit more in the next few months, as the speakers and amps are 3 months into breaking-in so far, the cd player is just 2 weeks young.

Cheers!
Scottie

szutinglee January 26, 2005 17:41