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

Started by Bonehelm, May 24, 2007, 08:52:55 AM

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Valentino

I like ASR. I've learned what makes a phono amp good there. Hint: It's not the price or the number of settings for MC cartridges.
Erin is even better. Excellent review of the KEF LS60 for instance.
We audiophiles don't really like music, but we sure love the sound it makes;
Audio-Technica | Bokrand | Thorens | Cambridge Audio | Logitech | Yamaha | Topping | MiniDSP | Hypex | ICEpower | Mundorf | SEAS | Beyma

AnotherSpin

Quote from: Valentino on February 28, 2024, 10:14:01 PMI like ASR. I've learned what makes a phono amp good there. Hint: It's not the price or the number of settings for MC cartridges.
Erin is even better. Excellent review of the KEF LS60 for instance.

Your ears.

Valentino

I'm an electronics engineer. There are certain parameters I want to be to specification before I put any equipment into  the playback chain. Pure subjectivity is not my thing.
We audiophiles don't really like music, but we sure love the sound it makes;
Audio-Technica | Bokrand | Thorens | Cambridge Audio | Logitech | Yamaha | Topping | MiniDSP | Hypex | ICEpower | Mundorf | SEAS | Beyma

DavidW

And that would be a good point to stop... remember there is a debate thread.  So if people are unhappy with Valentino expressing their personal outlook, please quote it to take it to the other thread (and not here).

Daverz

Quote from: Valentino on February 28, 2024, 10:14:01 PMI like ASR. I've learned what makes a phono amp good there. Hint: It's not the price or the number of settings for MC cartridges.

One thing I never thought of before is how the phono pre-amp's headroom effects how prominent ticks and pops will sound, so that measurement is really useful.

QuoteErin is even better. Excellent review of the KEF LS60 for instance.

Erin really does a good job of relating what he hears and what he measures.  For example, how dispersion relates to soundstage width.


Spotted Horses

Quote from: Daverz on February 29, 2024, 10:23:37 AMOne thing I never thought of before is how the phono pre-amp's headroom effects how prominent ticks and pops will sound, so that measurement is really useful.

Correct. With a poor pre-amp pops will sound like pathetic firecrackers. A good pre-amp will make it sound like a concussion grenade has been detonated in the hall.

Daverz

Quote from: Spotted Horses on February 29, 2024, 11:29:17 AMCorrect. With a poor pre-amp pops will sound like pathetic firecrackers. A good pre-amp will make it sound like a concussion grenade has been detonated in the hall.

Reminds me of the Telarc 1812 Overture LP where you could see the huge groove modulatons for the cannon shots and know that your cartridge was never going to make it through that thing.

Spotted Horses

Quote from: Daverz on February 29, 2024, 12:55:20 PMReminds me of the Telarc 1812 Overture LP where you could see the huge groove modulatons for the cannon shots and know that your cartridge was never going to make it through that thing.

My brother had that LP. Never played through. Followed in the footsteps of the Mercury/Dorati recording using a bronze cannon (and commentary by Deems Taylor, as I recall).

Atriod

#2868
Quote from: Bachtoven on February 27, 2024, 07:22:44 AMI prefer "musical/realistic." To me, that ASR site is one massive April Fool's joke...

The website was very different when it formed to about 2017. The primary focus was on acoustics, room treatment, DSP, and speaker measurement/placement. There were many industry experts that have since left, I only recognize two of them these days and one doesn't post much. Then the electronics measurements were added and it turned into trashing anything that didn't have a noise floor of -xxx db (though I still find them helpful, if I were to get a new set of passive speakers Benchmark amps would now be at the top of my list along with Spectral, Spectral based purely off what I have heard from them in twenty years).

Speaking for myself I find a balance of both measurements and listening to be invaluable, I spent around $12k in room treatments a few years ago and it would have been like playing pin the tail on the donkey blindfolded if I wasn't regularly going to REW to verify what I was hearing. The treatments made just as big an impact as changing speakers. My dad is not an audiophile and only listens to Indian pop music and he was able to hear what getting rid of a prominent room mode sounded like.

Quote from: Daverz on February 29, 2024, 10:23:37 AMErin really does a good job of relating what he hears and what he measures.  For example, how dispersion relates to soundstage width.

Erin is significantly better at relaying information. Really looking forward to his Blade 2 Meta review though KEF pretty much publish nearly everything relevant to it already though their PDF images are small). I am curious about his subjective thoughts as he is able to distinguish 1 db changes ala someone that was able to get fairly high in the Harman training tool.

Atriod

If I were to buy a disc spinner right now it would be the Spectral SDR-4000SL, though I have only heard it in unfamiliar systems Spectral systems more often than not sounded very good to me. I believe the founder what he (and Keith Johnson) have to say about CD.

I can't bring myself to buy it since it's 15 years old and the rumor mill has been going around (though this has been for some time) that they will have a new CD player.


Valentino

We audiophiles don't really like music, but we sure love the sound it makes;
Audio-Technica | Bokrand | Thorens | Cambridge Audio | Logitech | Yamaha | Topping | MiniDSP | Hypex | ICEpower | Mundorf | SEAS | Beyma

vandermolen

I've had no access to my Hi-Fi system for the past few days as we have had wooden flooring put down and the old carpets pulled up downstairs. Today I have access once again to my stereo system  :)
What interested me is the difference in the sound quality as, without the carpets, there is a more immediate and cavernous sound - which I prefer. I was not expecting it to make such a difference.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Harry

#2872
Quote from: vandermolen on March 19, 2024, 02:26:22 AMI've had no access to my Hi-Fi system for the past few days as we have had wooden flooring put down and the old carpets pulled up downstairs. Today I have access once again to my stereo system  :)
What interested me is the difference in the sound quality as, without the carpets, there is a more immediate and cavernous sound - which I prefer. I was not expecting it to make such a difference.

Yes, if you change the room in such a way, the acoustics will change immediately. That's why I do not have wooden flooring in my listening room! Though if the sound turns cavernous you should use a different way of getting a balanced acoustical room, for that would be for me unacceptable.
Quote from Manuel, born in Spain, currently working at Fawlty Towers.

" I am from Barcelona, I know nothing.............."

DavidW

Quote from: vandermolen on March 19, 2024, 02:26:22 AMI've had no access to my Hi-Fi system for the past few days as we have had wooden flooring put down and the old carpets pulled up downstairs. Today I have access once again to my stereo system  :)
What interested me is the difference in the sound quality as, without the carpets, there is a more immediate and cavernous sound - which I prefer. I was not expecting it to make such a difference.

I suffered that harsh echoey sound in my house before I got area rugs.  You're just hearing hard reflections off the floor.  It causes a loss in imaging and soundstage and makes the sound harsh because those early reflected waves are interfering with the original signal.

AnotherSpin

Quote from: DavidW on March 19, 2024, 06:09:37 AMI suffered that harsh echoey sound in my house before I got area rugs.  You're just hearing hard reflections off the floor.  It causes a loss in imaging and soundstage and makes the sound harsh because those early reflected waves are interfering with the original signal.

On the other hand, carpets can muffle sound. Good sound reproduction system would include acoustic room treatment, vibration control, et al. 

Harry

#2875
Quote from: AnotherSpin on March 19, 2024, 06:37:54 AMOn the other hand, carpets can muffle sound. Good sound reproduction system would include acoustic room treatment, vibration control, et al. 

Can yes, but if then are thin enough it will work in a positive way. That's how I did it in my listening room.  The sound is not muffled, but beautifully balanced.
Quote from Manuel, born in Spain, currently working at Fawlty Towers.

" I am from Barcelona, I know nothing.............."

vandermolen

Quote from: DavidW on March 19, 2024, 06:09:37 AMI suffered that harsh echoey sound in my house before I got area rugs.  You're just hearing hard reflections off the floor.  It causes a loss in imaging and soundstage and makes the sound harsh because those early reflected waves are interfering with the original signal.
Thanks - we are planning to get some large rugs for both rooms.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

vandermolen

I'm enjoying the sound at the moment - thanks for the interesting comments.
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).

Pohjolas Daughter

Quote from: vandermolen on March 19, 2024, 07:09:39 AMI'm enjoying the sound at the moment - thanks for the interesting comments.
Whatever makes you (and your wife) happy is what is right.   :)

PD

Harry

Quote from: Pohjolas Daughter on March 19, 2024, 07:39:28 AMWhatever makes you (and your wife) happy is what is right:)

PD

That could prove a very difficult thing to achieve ;D  ;D  ;D  ;D  ::)
Quote from Manuel, born in Spain, currently working at Fawlty Towers.

" I am from Barcelona, I know nothing.............."