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The Next Step - what would you do?

Dear Audiogoners,

i'm sitting here listening to my setup, and realising my last thread has lost relevance.

http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?cspkr&1260210396&read&keyw&zzthiel=cs0=5

i have a choice to make now, after about 15 years of slow, consistent upgrading. i need to take my system to the next level. i'm sure we've all been there at one point or another. so my current system is:

Pass Labs Aleph 5
Pass Labs D1
CEC CD2100 [running Supra AES/EBU]
Thiel CS 0.5
MIT MH-750 speaker leads
budget XLR leads otherwise

so i see the choices as follows:
1. get an amp with more current, and bigger thiel speakers
2. move to bigger, more sensitive speakers [spendor SP100, big proacs]
3. get a new girlfriend

all perfectly viable choices, but i'm sure both 1. or 2. would be less expensive. i've run the gamut of musical styles, but as i get older, and my hifi becomes more resolving, i find myself drawn to recordings of un-amplified instruments, such as old jazz recordings. still, i like a little thump now and then, any system should be reasonably flexible.

So, Audiogoners, what would YOU do, and why??

all the best!
David
skickaskinka
Ag insider logo xs@2x
knownothing
1,579 posts
 
I would go with the different speakers. It is not just a matter of efficiency or power. It is a matter of what sounds like "music". The ProAc's and Spender's sound more musical to me than Thiels, and I believe would mate with the Pass electronics quite well.

Better interconnects wouldn't hurt either...
skickaskinka OP
21 posts
 
Knownothing, this is a point that i have heard many times before. i need to audition some proacs or spendors here in berlin.

or better[and more expensive] yet just buy the cs1.6 and an equivalent pair of proac/spendor, audition them in my place over a few weeks, then keep the pair i like best. i could A/B/C/D them against my old CS0.5, would be a fun test. CS1.6/response D15[or 2.5 or 140]/spendor S8/S9 [all second hand, of course]. opinions?

i'm shopping for interconnects right now, should have a nicer pair soon.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
knownothing
1,579 posts
 
Your A/B/C/D-in-your-home idea is terrific and the best (only?) way to really evaluate gear IMHO.

With all I said above, the Thiel CS1.6's are hard to knock, very accurate but a little bass shy. Often however, honesty in music reproduction can get in the way of enjoyment and involvement, and a hump here or a dip there in the grequency response actually sounds more "musical" in many rooms and to many ears. The difference between theory and practice I guess...

I would prioritize your search this way:

Spendor S8
ProAc Studio 140
ProAc Response 2.5 (Bass King, tonal champs, but will never disappear in the room)
ProAc Response D15

I don't know anything about the Spendor S9.

The Thiels would either fall at the top or the bottom of this group, depending on your personal tastes. Given that you feel your current pair of Thiels are underpowered, probably towards the bottom with your existing set up. Just one person's opinion.
sound_doc
2 posts
 
Your electronics are fine. I would up grade to an easier to drive speaker with a first order x-over and then use "Master Set" to position the speakers. You might even consider doing the set on your Thiels. I have set many Thiels and every time the owner was amazed that he had never really "heard" them before... Rod...
skickaskinka OP
21 posts
 
okay, on the way i have the Thiel CS1.6, and Sonics Amerigo, both second hand demo pairs, from hifi shops. the thiels i paid a premium for, and the sonics i got a deal on so they were almost the same price. =)

i haven't found the appropriate Spendors yet, and Proacs have the binding posts so high that i'd need to buy new speaker cables, as mine are 'just' long enough for speakers with connection at the bottom. i know this is a small point! still, i have to draw the line somewhere. for now i'll just A/B/C these against my existing CS0.5, and keep the pair i like best.

also, i'm upgrading my interconnects to PS Audio Xstream statement XLR, but they haven't arrived yet. [also waiting for a C.E.C TL5100 belt drive transport] so, i'll be sure to let you know how the comparison goes. thanks for all the great advice.

am i giving anyone else a case of upgrade-itis?

D
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