Debate on a whole front end change


I am currently in a debate with my old man on selling a portion of his front end setup and use the savings to buy a new pair of speakers and also get an improvement in sound at the same time from the benefit of better speakers and better front end.

The benefit of better speakers is no dispute, but he considers my recommended setup as a strong downgrade.

He currently has a Denon "cost-is-no object" top loading CD Player (don't recall the exact model), Theta Gen VIII v2 preamp, Jeff Rowland Model 7 mono amps, ML Descent-I sub x2 and ML CLS speakers conditioned with PS audio PPP x2 and Kimber Select cabling throughout

The sound is intoxicating and the noise floor is pitch black. Any time I get a chance to visit I am always impressed how well his front end makes the CLS shine.

My recommendation is the following setup:

PS Audio PWD = 3000
PS Bridge = 800
Ethernet cable = 100 (for a good one)
2TB NAS hard drive = 200
Ipod remote/play list controller = 200
PnP app for ipod = 9.95

4309.95 Total

Beside the money that could be used to upgrade your speakers "SIGNIFICANTLY" this setup would benefit your setup in several ways:

1) 7,000.00 - 11,000.00 SAVINGS!!!
2) Less AC draw
3) Consolidated CD library via NAS hard drive
4) Playlist creation ability and not need to switch discs EVER

.....now the above mentioned are just conveniences that do not affect sound.

5) Native sampling = RAW 100% uncompressed data with no error correction = the ability to use the DAC 192/32 Khz if so desired. No jitter and less information lost via cd to IC to preamp.

So at this point he disagrees without explanation suffice to say that this is a downgrade. I am not avid audiophile and therefore cannot explain anything scientifically to him and I know just how good his front end products are but feel the change would be for the better.

Would like to know the thoughts of the community.

Regards,

-Joshua
masongsong
Hi Joshua:

Something to consider ... you mentioned your dad's 7 neck surgeries. It sounds like some kind of spine fusion. I have had 13 surgeries and my spine is fused from T8 to S2 (shoulder blades to backside). As important as sound quality is to me, so is the ability to listen outside a speaker's sweet spot. Quite frankly, there is no comfortable listening position for me. It's also good practice to get up and about every 30 minutes or so ... keep moving. Any system component that permits long uninterrupted listening in one position is probably not a good thing for your dad.

Rich
I think it's great that you and your dad share a common passion for good music and gear. I'd suggest that he do things in stages.. I think the thing to change first would be the transport. The Denon is OK but I think the improvement in getting the PS Audio PWT would be the place to start. I have a PWD and I'll bet the Theta is at the very least as good and maybe better. But the PWT will I think trounce the Denon. Start there.
There are 2 issues here - the sound and the convenience. Let's start with sound.

Is the Denon the DP-S1 - a landmark product? If I remember correctly, it is a transport. I believe that the Theta you are referring to is actually a DAC + preamp. The DAC already supports 24/192 inputs. So, I believe you have a transport plus a DAC in the system. Replacing a DAC can make a dramatic change to the sound of a system. The PWD is a fine product, but it may have a significantly different sound. You need to be careful with that.

A NAS based system with a GUI is a very flexible system. But it also means that someone needs to rip the files, which is not a hard task for common CDs (although it can be time consuming), but can be a challege for more off-beat CDs and for many classical CDs. Is that a task your father wants to take on? And, what type of music does he listen to? Is there a good set of high rez files that he would be interested in?

How about going at this slowly by setting up a trial system by just replacing the transport. If he has a laptop he can use that as a front end. If not, a $300 netbook is a decent start. Then he needs a USB to SPDIF converter so you can feed the Theta. Something like the m2tech Hi-face is only $125. Add a software player (I like J River Media Center) and you have a trial front end for not much money. then he can rip some CDs and he is off and running. If you can set up a trial system like that, he could get an idea if that type of front end makes sense for him. This may well not be the final front end, but it is a way to test the process for not much money, especially if he has an existing PC he can use.

Getting a PC type front end set up is relatively easy. But it is more than just hooking things up. You have to be very careful with the sound and with the total ease of use, including ripping.

My advise - take it slow.

@Rich - The sweet spot is actuall been increased since the last time I had the pleasure. He picked up some Sound Traps to increase the range of the room