What audio system do you have, or plan on getting?

[jlaurson]

Everything above seconded. Extra bass from a woofer is nice, under certain conditions, but it really isn't necessary...
A 5.0 set up with five identical speakers is easier and free of pitfalls and often the most musically rewarding solution.
When you already have two reasonably sized speakers, it can even be quite economical.

Not surprising, since I've found that 71 dB is our GMG in-house voice of reason and enlightened moderation, when it comes to audio issues.

[marvinbrown]

  Dear all,

  I figured I'd bump this thread, I just bought this:

 

The Monitor Audio BX5s with Marantz 6004 amp and Marantz 6004 CD player.

  This is an entry level high end audio system and will be my first  "foray" into the world of high end audio. I've this system set up with speakers  3 meters apart, forming an  equilateral triangle, with me sitting at the apex 3 meters from each speaker. I then toed in the speakers, to centre the vocals.   I was in absolute heaven when I played Verdi's Rigoletto! The soundstage effect with the vocals coming from the centre was an experience I had never had before.

Monitor Audio speakers are "bright" speakers so coupling them with the docile Marantz 6004 amp provided a warm and rich textured sound, that is not fatiguing to the ear.  I had previously auditioned this system before at a local audiovisual store and fell in love with it. Price was a bit of an issue as I was quoted £1200 all in but then I saw it online from Roy Jowett for £899 all in delivered!! and jumped at the chance to move one step up the high end audio ladder.



  marvin

 

 
 

 

[Kontrapunctus]

I recently bought a pair of Martin Logan Theos electrostatic speakers--wow! They are incredibly transparent and life-like (that's not my house!):



I'm currently driving them with a Sony STR 6400ES, but I plan to use it as pre/pro and buy a Parasound A51 5-channel amp as soon as my wife "lets" me!

[petrarch]

I recently bought a pair of Martin Logan Theos electrostatic speakers--wow! They are incredibly transparent and life-like (that's not my house!):

I had a pair of Vantages a few years back. It was a nice way to step into high-end and nail the type of sound I prefer. I hear that Parasound works well with ML, but you should couple them with a tube preamp to really hear some magic.

[Todd]

I figured I'd bump this thread, I just bought this:

The Monitor Audio BX5s with Marantz 6004 amp and Marantz 6004 CD player.

Both Monitor and Marantz offer good bank for the buck.  That's an excellent system.

[marvinbrown]

Both Monitor and Marantz offer good bank for the buck.  That's an excellent system.

  Thanks Todd. All my life I have had to contend with "modest" stereo equipment, bookshelf speakers, iPod dock minisytems and the like. To fnally own a system capable of producing sound at a grand soundstage scale is taking the whole musical experience to a completely different and much higher level. I tell you Verdi never sounded this good  0:).

 

  marvin

[DavidRoss]

I just bought an entry level high end audio system [that] will be my first  "foray" into the world of high end audio.

Congratulations, Marvin. I don't think there's any thing I've ever spent a substantial sum on that has provided as much pleasure over so many years as decent hi fi playback gear.  Heck, that may be the only thing that justifies all the extra expense and hassle of owning/maintaining a detached house instead of an apartment or condo! May you enjoy your new sound system for many years to come...but be warned: good hardware only makes some of us lust even more after software to feed it!

[cwarchc]

My system at the moment compromises of the following:
Rotel 855 cdp, very pleasant sounding older cd player with an excellent inbuilt dac
Squeezebox Duet
Revolver turntable
I alternate between a couple of amps. Both oddball UK based supplied
The one I'm using at the moment is a giant killing Temple Audio Bantam ( tripath, sometimes known as a T amp, class D) fantastic sound for the money, less than £100. Very cool running, but only one input channel
My other amp is an ONIX OA21, a rare UK built 80's amp, lovely sounding (I've owned it for the last 25 years, and I'll never get rid of it)
I'm using JBL nearfield monitors, they suit the domestic situation
But spend most of my listening through a Bravo tube headphone amp , driving Beyer headphones

[DavidRoss]

I had a Rotel 855 twenty years ago.  It was the first modestly priced CD playback gear I'd heard that sounded like music instead of screeching.  Even though noticeably muddier than good high end gear, it was pleasantly musical and offered terrific bang for the buck.  Enjoy!

[marvinbrown]

Congratulations, Marvin. I don't think there's any thing I've ever spent a substantial sum on that has provided as much pleasure over so many years as decent hi fi playback gear.  Heck, that may be the only thing that justifies all the extra expense and hassle of owning/maintaining a detached house instead of an apartment or condo! May you enjoy your new sound system for many years to come...but be warned: good hardware only makes some of us lust even more after software to feed it!

  Thanks David  .

  marvin

[cwarchc]

 :)I've also got a Marantz and a Cambridge Audio cdp, however I find that I like the presentation of the Rotel
Yes, it's not high end, but it is 20 years old and only cost pennies
It's all about the music.
I'd rather buy 500 cd's than spend it on a player and only have 50
Everybody to their own

[Kontrapunctus]

I had a pair of Vantages a few years back. It was a nice way to step into high-end and nail the type of sound I prefer. I hear that Parasound works well with ML, but you should couple them with a tube preamp to really hear some magic.

That might be nice, but, I'm not aware of any tube multi-channel pre/pro units!

[Coopmv]

That might be nice, but, I'm not aware of any tube multi-channel pre/pro units!

I have seen a multi-channel tube preamp.  As for tube amp, just get 5 monoblock tube amps ...   

[Xenophanes]

Paradigm Signature S2, v. 1, speakers
Paradigm PW-2500 subwoofer with a Mirage LFX-1 subwoofer crossover

Yamaha CD-C600 CD player. My wife wanted a changer. It sounds fine, and tracks extremely well.
Rega P3 turntable with Shure M97xE cartridge--it's quite a good cartridge.
Warp Knots low filter for phono

Quad 44 preamplifier
Quad 606 amplifier

Sennheiser HD 598 open headphones
Sennheiser HD 280Pro closed headphones

Various interconnects, none expensive
12 AWG Angstrom speaker cable

The Senn HD 598 headphones are a recent accquisition. 

I am awaiting delivery of a HeadRoom Total Bithead headphone amplifier.

Someday I may get an even more capable subwoofer. The PW-2500 goes down to 20 Hz easily, but it's marginal on a 32 foot organ pedal (16 Hz), which is there but down in level.

[Fëanor]

Quote from: rickardg on 2012-03-25, 07:53:38

How difficult is it to set up a surround system for music? I'm about to get a new system and thinking of going surround, but I don't want to get caught up in endless tinkering (it can be fun, but I just don't have the time now).

Also, any suggestions for such a system? I'm preliminarily thinking about something like Denon AVR-1612 with Dali Concept 6 speakers.

Any gotchas I should be aware of?

To add to what others have said ... It isn't difficult to get excellent multichannel sound. You get multi-channel from DVD, DVD-A, SACD, and Blu-ray.  M/C on Blu-ray comes in several formats at various resolutions but they are all at least as good as CD.

My suggestions for equipment and set-up are the following:

   
• Get an SACD-capable Blu-ray player, (since there is so much classical music on SACD). it isn't necessary to go spend a huge amount of money; Sony (I believe) still makes several low cost models that will output an SACD's DSD signal converted to PCM for multi-channel output via HDMI.
• Get a mid-range or better AV receiver with 5.1 or 7.1 capability; it ought to have HDMI input. N.B. (very important) get a receiver that has good built-in DSP equalization and time delay facilities -- e.g. Audyssey MultiEQ will work great. (It is not necessary that the receiver have raw DSD handling, (only some expensive models have this), but your disc player ought to be able to can convert DSD to PCM for output.)
• Get 5 (or 7) best-you-can-afford two-way monitor speakers that are flat to about 65 Hz or lower. It is not necessary or even desirable to get large, floor-standing speakers. It is not necessary or even desirable to get one of those special-purpose center channel speakers, it's actually best that the front L+R and centre speakers be identical.
• Get one best-you-can-afford subwoofer.
• Place all your speakers according to best practice; (see below).
• Connect you SACD-capable player to your AV receiver using HDMI.
• Set up your player for output PCM in case of SACD.
• Set up your receiver's EQ following the instructions very precisely -- this will provide the necessary equalization and time delay which is critical for best sound.
• Listen to multi-channel music.

For speaker placement, this guide is generally good: see HERE. Note the "Ideal Home Theatre Placement" is great for music too provided you have and use a good EQ/time-delay facility (such as Audyssey 2EQ or MultiEQ). The time delay feature means that it isn't critical that all speakers be of equal distant from the listening position -- this is of huge practical significance.

If you have only 5 speakers, (no backs), place the Left & Right surrounds 20 degrees behind the listening position.   Note that it's best that the Left, Right, and centre speakers be identical and mounted as nearly as possible on the same horizontal plane. Hook all speakers up to your receiver using 14 or heavier gauge wire.

Don't spend stupid $$ on speaker cables or interconnects including HDMI.  A lot of retailers try to make significant extra profit selling you over-price, high mark-up wire: don't fall for it.  I recommend Blue Jeans Cable, (website HERE), for professional grade but very reasonably price cables and interconnects.

[Fëanor]

Quote from: Holmes on 2012-05-29, 19:22:55

It does seem expensive though if you haven't had much experience with buying speakers.

For multi-channel, you can't get away from the fact that you need 5 speakers instead of 2, (plus a subwoofer don't already have one). Incidentally, a subwoofer obviates the need for large, floor-standing L&R front speakers, so that potentially can save a little money.

[Kontrapunctus]

I have seen a multi-channel tube preamp.  As for tube amp, just get 5 monoblock tube amps ...   

That would be prohibitively expensive if I factor in the cost of a divorce. 

[johndoe21ro]

I have a pair of Raidho Eben X-Centrics loudspeakers, a Jeff Rowland Concerto amplifier, a Lite DAC-83 digital to analogic converter, an Audiophilleo USB to spdif converter, a modified AQVox USB Linear Power Supply and a MacBook Pro. I use some Audioquest Sky interconnects, Audioquest Volcano loudspeaker cables, 3 Audioquest NRG-5 power cables, a Furutech FT-SWS (R) wall socket, an Aavik A4 rack with Nordost Pulsar Point feet, some Omicrons... The loudspeakers sit on Target Audio stands. I usually listen to Hi-Res files via USB (used firewire with the Weiss DAC2). As software I use Audirvana but plan on passing to PureMusic.







These are some old photos featuring my ex Weiss DAC2... I haven't taken any new photos since then.

[mahler10th]

Crikey.
I feel like a musical pauper looking at that kit.   

[johndoe21ro]

Crikey.
I feel like a musical pauper looking at that kit.   

I'll take it as a compliment. Skip admiring the dust, please.