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

[DavidW]

I'm fed up with my Audiolab CD transport, not for the SQ but for the remote and the CD loading mechanism. I am replacing it with a Rotel CDP. I plan on feeding it directly to the pre-amp because I think it will have a better DAC than my standalone.



It is a cd11 m11.

So, using the player's DAC, at first, it was obviously different. There was lots of detail and clarity like a veil had been removed... however, as I kept listening, I couldn't help but think it was just bright. I'm tempted to switch back to my DAC, but I will give it a week or two before I decide to switch from the analog to the digital connection. Give my ears a chance to adjust.

Everything else about the player is great. And it really feels like a nice product.

[drogulus]

    Sitting in its original box under a bed is my Reavon UBR-X110 universal disc player. I opened the box when I got it, admired its admirability, and put it back in the box. I bought it because I thought my Chinoppo broke. Turns out it was power starved being on the same outlet as my power strip with all my other AV stuff. I moved it to the other wall outlet and bongo! It works perfectly.

    There's an important lesson here. If you have a problem with your AV system, spend a thousand dollars on a new component and then you'll be able to fix it.

[Kalevala]

Sitting in its original box under a bed is my Reavon UBR-X110 universal disc player. I opened the box when I got it, admired its admirability, and put it back in the box. I bought it because I thought my Chinoppo broke. Turns out it was power starved being on the same outlet as my power strip with all my other AV stuff. I moved it to the other wall outlet and bongo! It works perfectly.

    There's an important lesson here. If you have a problem with your AV system, spend a thousand dollars on a new component and then you'll be able to fix it.

So, what was it not doing?  Haven't had this issue before.

K

[drogulus]

So, what was it not doing?  Haven't had this issue before.

K

    It wasn't loading the drives on my hub. In my brief experience with the Reavon before I reboxed it the same thing happened, which led me to conclude the problem wasn't a broken device but something connected, either the hub or the power. It was the power.

[DavidW]

So, about the CDP... it clicked today. It is just slightly bright of neutral. But, and I say with confidence, Denafrips! It is not as bright as that super high-res delta-sigma dac of the Rotel CDP. But it is so NATURAL sounding. I think that I would not even have noticed that the Rotel leaned bright had I not been using an R2R as my daily driver.

But... yeah I'm going to digital out to my Denafrips dac. But I appreciate it now. And I think that was the problem with my knee-jerk reaction that NAD all in one. I needed to adjust to the sound of a delta-sigma dac again, and I just didn't give myself the time to do that.

[DavidW]

And I could not avoid temptation, so I ordered the Kef R11 towers. I used financing. But yeah. I hope that I love them, and I think and hope they will also be my end game.

[Harry]

And I could not avoid temptation, so I ordered the Kef R11 towers. I used financing. But yeah. I hope that I love them, and I think and hope they will also be my end game.

That's a big speaker, and for what it is worth, I think in the right configuration this speaker will deliver power, souplesse, nuance and a detailed image, but they cost ya.

[Valentino]

Lovely speakers!

[DavidW]

You wouldn't believe it, but I have to send the Rotel back... it's skipping!! On new CDs!

[Kalevala]

You wouldn't believe it, but I have to send the Rotel back... it's skipping!! On new CDs!

  Oh, dear!  And that's a big pain in the a$%!  Are they sending you a call tag?

K

[Harry]

You wouldn't believe it, but I have to send the Rotel back... it's skipping!! On new CDs!

Well that's unusual for the build quality of Rotel equipment. The laser must be out of synch.

[DavidW]

Are they sending you a call tag?

I don't know what that means.

[drogulus]

    When my ripping drive dies I'll get another one from the MakeMKV site. So far the drive has been reliable and hasn't hiccuped once.

[Kalevala]

I don't know what that means.

I don't know what that means.

It's when the company that you ordered from, well you contact them and let them know that your equipment was defective and (now a days) they'll send you an email with a label that you print out (has a barcode on it and the company's return address, etc.) and you attach it to your package and then contact the shipping company and you can either bring the package to a shipping drop off site or arrange a pick up of it.  It saves you the cost of your shipping it back to them.

K

[DavidW]

It's when the company that you ordered from, well you contact them and let them know that your equipment was defective and (now a days) they'll send you an email with a label that you print out (has a barcode on it and the company's return address, etc.) and you attach it to your package and then contact the shipping company and you can either bring the package to a shipping drop off site or arrange a pick up of it.  It saves you the cost of your shipping it back to them.

K

Oh I just call that a return.

[Kalevala]

Oh I just call that a return.

Well, getting a call tag means that it's not on your dime, vs. a return....in my brain anyway. 

Best,

K

[DavidW]

Well that unusual for the build quality of Rotel equipment. The laser must be out of synch.

Yeah it could be from shipping or a manufacturing defect. Eh, these things happen.

[DavidW]

It took me most of the evening to set up those speakers (Kef R11). The driver just wanted to dump a 200 lb pallet in my driveway. I convinced him to help me take it up the step into my house. Turns out the speakers themselves are 80 lbs each. I was stressed out about setting them up myself. But while it was time-consuming, it wasn't that bad.

I tested the first speaker against the old Paradigms. The Kefs were immediately warmer and less bright. After I set up the second speaker, I then listened to a recording I know very well: the Chailly M9.



At first, the differences were subtle, but as the music kept playing, the speakers kind of broke in. Details, tonality, soundstage and depth proved to all be superior. And then, in the middle, there was a moment that really set it apart. I realized that the passage was always congested on the Paradigms but clear on the Kefs. An instrument plays with great treble extension while the lower registers of the orchestra slam hard. Now, both could be heard clearly when I never realized before that they should.

So they work and are a significant upgrade from the previous speakers. I am relieved. Returning them would be a PITA, and now my Premiers can be used to extend my den's system to surround.

[Kalevala]

It took me most of the evening to set up those speakers (Kef R11). The driver just wanted to dump a 200 lb pallet in my driveway. I convinced him to help me take it up the step into my house. Turns out the speakers themselves are 80 lbs each. I was stressed out about setting them up myself. But while it was time-consuming, it wasn't that bad.

I tested the first speaker against the old Paradigms. The Kefs were immediately warmer and less bright. After I set up the second speaker, I then listened to a recording I know very well: the Chailly M9.



At first, the differences were subtle, but as the music kept playing, the speakers kind of broke in. Details, tonality, soundstage and depth proved to all be superior. And then, in the middle, there was a moment that really set it apart. I realized that the passage was always congested on the Paradigms but clear on the Kefs. An instrument plays with great treble extension while the lower registers of the orchestra slam hard. Now, both could be heard clearly when I never realized before that they should.

So they work and are a significant upgrade from the previous speakers. I am relieved. Returning them would be a PITA, and now my Premiers can be used to extend my den's system to surround.

So what were you playing the CDs on since your Rotel wasn't working?

K

[Irons]

So what were you playing the CDs on since your Rotel wasn't working?

K

Not asking me but I make sure all parts of my system are duplicated. Just in case.