Topic: Rate/Help Improve My System

[cheshirecat]

The guy says he's happy with his speakers, so why change them?

just tossing out random thoughts.  opinions are like apples, remember?
oh..., wait, was that oranges? 
something like that.

haha, i'm just bitter that i got rid of my vintage speakers for something i liked at the time but am no longer thrilled with... I'm just trying to avoid upgrading before I move to a place with more space.

+T atcha

[Nick's Picks]

while vintage is cool and all...
its just my personal tastes.  the speakers "move".....and over time..., that starts to kill em.
plus, electronics have gotten better...even if the design is relatively the same.

that is not to say that there are exceptional vintages deals out there.  I'm just a technology nut.
my current speakers are a solid 12 years old, if not more.
http://67.19.167.226/~tdacquis/forum/showthread.php?t=3970
a little dated...I dont run that Integrated any more.  Odyssey Stratos mono blocks now.
  still hunting for a preamp,...i'm using the digital volume control of my Oppo 971, which is connected directly to the amps.  I certainly dont have the gain that a preamp will offer w/this setup, but damn..it sounds stupid good for its simplicity.
Before these, my previous speakers were 10 years old.  I dont think I've ever run anything brand new...well, I guess there were some B&Ws 10 years ago...

I love used gear.
+T to all !!!!

[Mr.Fantasy]

Sorry if I haven't responded to all of these very informative posts....

.....I have just been reading so much and it seems like everytime I get ready to make a response I get distracted by some other Nugget of information.....

.....but +T's to all for sure.....

[Church-Audio]

Sorry if I haven't responded to all of these very informative posts....

.....I have just been reading so much and it seems like everytime I get ready to make a response I get distracted by some other Nugget of information.....

.....but +T's to all for sure.....

'Nugget of information" I like that..

[Nick's Picks]

I feel a nugget coming on now...

[Lil Kim Jong-Il]

9 in the morning on saturday is cartoon time .

I still have the infinity RS6b speakers I bought in 1986.  They can't compete head to head against the VSAs in the big system but they are still very strong.  There was a pigpen demo tape floating around about 12 years ago when I was running DA20>CJ SC26>GFA-555>RS6b and I heard that demo tape image like he was sitting on a stool in front of my couch.  The MV50>RS6b was stunning for the price.

If you love those speakers, I would agree that upgrading source and power is maybe the first thing to do.  Any systems perfomance is constrained by the weakest component.  So upgrade the frontend and if you can't hear the improvement you expect, then try updating the speakers.  I went through several component upgrades with the RS6bs before the percieved improvements started to diminish.  I went through a couple of amps, a couple of DACs and even wire upgrades and the improvements were still noticable with the vintage infinities.  Then I swapped in Thiels and the improvement was astounding.  The speaker upgrade allowed an another couple of active component upgrades to yield obvious improvements before I got the VSAs. 

[growltiger]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned acoustic treatment -- depending on the room you have your stuff in, adding some bass traps could be a better investment than any piece of gear.

[carlbeck]

Well you know I'm not set on throwing money away, and would rather spend it on recording equipment....


....what does "reference quality" entail?

"reference quality" is not a market any of us play in quite frankly but we do have our own "references" I have heard the JBL's a lot growing up, my father had a pair & I bought him a replacement pair a few years back since I killed his when I was a kid. They are "good" speakers but do not compare to others as far as inner detail, imaging & spatial cues are concerned. Yep they sound good but they are just not as refined as others, others can mean newer or not but basically "better" to coin a term.  Your ears are your judge but until you hear other/better components it is hard to judge. Nick & I have spent a ton of stereo gear & we have bought sold a ton, we swap between each other & listen to a lot, some of it has been a waste of money while some of it has not. What it has done & what makes it worth every penny is that we have learned along the way, we both have totally different systems & taste in systems. Each individual decides what works best for them, whether dictated by economics, room considerations or wife acceptance factors. Nick's advice is good advice, spend more on your home rig than your recording rig. You will be surprised at what your NOT hearing, it is also the best thing I have ever done. He & I always tell everyone the same thing & it isn't being elitist or trying to be assholes it is because both of us realized after a ton of trial & error how good a stereo can REALLY sound. I wish someone told me to upgrade my playback before I sold my CMC64's, 248, 148, V3, Mini-Me, 480's, mod SBM-1, etc. etc. I know for myself I am not even close to being done with my playback rig, my rig has been "downsized" due to some life changes & while this rig is half the value of my previous playback rig it is more musically satisfying, it is all about learning & trying new gear. Hear would be my "reference rig" if economics allowed, I can promise you it would recreate a live event as close as possible:

speakers: http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrfull&1191029187

cables: http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?cablspkr&1191598891
plus an additional 3k for interconnects & IC's

amps: http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?ampstran&1190687707

pre-amp: http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?preatube&1190749787

source: http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1192758910

This is ONLY about 60k USED, a sensible rig in reference terms, if money was no concern it would something like this:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vaslt&1046786872&read&3&4&

I don't even want to GUESS what he has into that system!

[Stagger]

If money grew on trees and I owned a orchard:

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?vaslt&1145687662&read&3&4&