Bought them last week? It can take weeks before all that new equipment burns in! Its not going to reach its potential until it does. Just adding one piece of new equipment into a broken in system will take it down a notch. When everything is new? Its going to take a while before everything settles in. Most likely, things will be veiled until it happens.
Please Critique my Setup and Recommend Upgrade(s)
As a lifelong musician and former recording / pro audio engineer, this is my first foray into the world of HiFi and I could really use some advice and direction. Last week I bought the following setup for a dedicated listening room that is essentially a 13x13 square room on three sides with the area behind me extending back another 25 or so feet. There is a partial backwall about four feet wide but it is mostly open air behind me. Ceilings are 9' and I have GIK bass traps in all corners, early reflection points on the side walls, and panels overhead between speakers and listening position. Speakers are about 2 1/2 feet from back wall, 6 ft. apart, slightly toed in on cheap stands weighted down by cinder blocks.
1. 2017 VPI Scout Prime turntable with Ortofon Bronze
2. 2017 Rega Brio Integrated 50wpc Amp and Phono Stage
3. ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 Speakers
So far this setup certainly sounds good, but it isn't blowing me away either. At lower volumes the soundstage feels a little small and two-dimensional. At louder volumes the sound seems to fill the room more, thereby enhancing the soundstage and making the music feel more natural as opposed to coming from directly in front of me. The stereo imaging is okay, but I expected a little more stereo separation. Also, perhaps the speakers are still breaking in, but the ELACs don't seem to do the best job of presenting the music in a cohesive manner. It sounds like the frequency bands are a little disjointed.
Should I stick with the ELACs but consider a higher end integrated amp that can feed them a little more power like a Parasound Halo? Or should I nix the ELACs and invest in some more efficient and higher end loudspeakers,e.g. Devore, ATC, ProAc, etc...? Would I still get an audible improvement with these nicer and more efficient speakers if I stick with the Rega Brio, or do these high end speakers warrant a truly high end amp? I ask because I likely can't upgrade both speakers and amp at the same time.
I also considered the KEF LS50, but it seems like they are similar to the ELACs in that they are rather inefficient and need a powerful amp.
1. 2017 VPI Scout Prime turntable with Ortofon Bronze
2. 2017 Rega Brio Integrated 50wpc Amp and Phono Stage
3. ELAC Uni-Fi UB5 Speakers
So far this setup certainly sounds good, but it isn't blowing me away either. At lower volumes the soundstage feels a little small and two-dimensional. At louder volumes the sound seems to fill the room more, thereby enhancing the soundstage and making the music feel more natural as opposed to coming from directly in front of me. The stereo imaging is okay, but I expected a little more stereo separation. Also, perhaps the speakers are still breaking in, but the ELACs don't seem to do the best job of presenting the music in a cohesive manner. It sounds like the frequency bands are a little disjointed.
Should I stick with the ELACs but consider a higher end integrated amp that can feed them a little more power like a Parasound Halo? Or should I nix the ELACs and invest in some more efficient and higher end loudspeakers,e.g. Devore, ATC, ProAc, etc...? Would I still get an audible improvement with these nicer and more efficient speakers if I stick with the Rega Brio, or do these high end speakers warrant a truly high end amp? I ask because I likely can't upgrade both speakers and amp at the same time.
I also considered the KEF LS50, but it seems like they are similar to the ELACs in that they are rather inefficient and need a powerful amp.
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- 73 posts total
Another +1 for Tekton Designs Double Impacts. Do some research, read some reviews, and get a pair in for a month or two. I'm pretty sure they will take things in the right direction. http://www.tektondesign.com/test.html |
Where are you sitting? What I am getting at is they are most likely too close try 8 feet apart, should improve your soundstage. Your speakers need a better amp to push them perhaps a very nice tube amp. I know they can get expensive, but there are some that are very nice in the $2500-$5000 range. Bottome line better amp. good luck and always buy quality!!! |
People will recommend what they have heard. You. Red to expose yourself to as many speakers as possible. Look at those that are over your budget. Chances are you can find them used for less. Personally I think the Vandersteen ones and twos are a great sound and there are lots out there used. I have B & Ws which lacked bass added a used Vandersteen self powered woofer the 2WQ, which freed the amp from handling the bass Entire system sounded so much better. You might be able to keep the amp and the Elacs with a self powered subwoofer. Also consider your cables |
We've upgraded many Debuts and Uni-Fis to ELAC's beautiful BS 403 bookshelf. It's $1000 in gloss black/white, and sounds considerably better than either one of the less expensive lines. If you can audition that particular one, that's what I'd recommend. I'd also remove all the treatment from the room. Get a baseline performance level that you're satisfied with just by playing with positioning of the speakers, then add the panels/traps if/when needed. cheers, alex |
- 73 posts total