This is my first high end system. I first have to thank this community without which most of this equipment would be out of my range. So thanks!!
EDIT: Hi there. This is the second rendition. Had to send the Focal back to Canada for repairs. The woofer was off-center thus the rattle. I must say though customer service was great, with a quick turn around, no charge for shipping to and from, and no charge for the repair. A++ to Focal for that!!
Isolated the speakers on great maple stands. This definately brought out the best of the Focals. Deeper bass, nice tingly highs. Mids might be lacking a little for this mini-monitors though.
Changed CD players as well. Went from the marantz/bel canto combo to the audio aero prestige. As expected from an upgrade like this I was blown away. The detail, sheer musicality, and functionality of this player are just astounding. Really for the first couple of weeks I had this player I was just floored. And that feeling continues. Ultimately what I am looking for is a system that just makes me want to get up and dance, sing, keep my feet tapping and fingers snapping each time i listen. The prestige does this in spades.
Also upgraded power cords in the shunyata line. 20amp pythons now power the conditioners. I think big improvement in floor noise and my system just seems more extended.
Finally, with the recommendations of many fine audiogon folks, I stepped into vinyl. Man I love it. I love the sound, I love getting back into records and finding recordings that peak my interest. Just great. The Scoutmaster as is well known is a fine entry turn table. The Dynavector matches well. The tube based minimax gives me a nice touch of that tube beauty. Just lovely.
Thanks again for looking. Any comments suggestions appreciated. I am currently working on building a maple isolation platform for the table.
No speaker should rattle, even during break-in. However, it might be an easy fix. If your speaker's binding posts are mounted on a removable plate, you can often unscrew this plate and then check for loose connections (a loose nut, bolt, etc).
It might be interesting to try placing the speakers on stands rather than on the credenza. Despite having some vibration control under the speakers, I have to believe a considerable amount of vibration is still making it into the credenza...and into your electronic components.
