It’s not that headphones necessarily show what your speakers are lacking it’s that phones take the room entirely out of the equation. Your gear seems fine I would work on your room if you want to improve things.
Seeking ideas about how to improve my system
Hi all. I recently purchased a pair of Hifiman Susvara headphones, and the experience of listening to them is absolutely sublime. I particularly enjoyed the clarity of detail and the very realistic timbre of the instruments. Tone, timing, and spatial representation were wonderful. I listen primarily to jazz, classical, bluegrass, and, though much less than in the past, rock. Favorite musicians include Chris Thile, Edgar Meyer, Brad Mehldau, Mark Knopfler, Mark O’Connor, Joshua Bell, and many cellists.
BUT, I would like my full system to produce that kind of experience too! I’m looking for any and all feedback as to how to tweak or upgrade my system so that I can moved towards this type of experience. I would expect to spend up to $20K, possibly more, over the long run (meaning years), so I am expecting a process and would also like feedback as to what to do first. My room is about 20’ x 20’ x 9’ as a very rough estimate.
my components:
Sonus Faber Sonetto V’s
2 REL Ti7’s
Lyngdorf TDAI 2170
Manley Chinook phono amp
VPI Prime Scout with upgraded platter and tonearm, on a Townshend seismic platform
Ortofon Quintet black mc cart
Modwrighted Marantz SACD player and power source
Chord DAVE DAC/amp/preamp
Aurender N100C network streamer using Qobuz
Audioquest Rocket 88 speaker cables
Shunyata power cables (a mix)with Shunyata power distributor
Shunyata, Nordost blue heaven, and Cardas clear interconnects
My analog end became downright unimpressive after I added the DAVE and the Aurender to my digital end, but the Susvara bests it all (in SQ, I realize it is just a headphone and not a full system).
Looking forward to responses.
BUT, I would like my full system to produce that kind of experience too! I’m looking for any and all feedback as to how to tweak or upgrade my system so that I can moved towards this type of experience. I would expect to spend up to $20K, possibly more, over the long run (meaning years), so I am expecting a process and would also like feedback as to what to do first. My room is about 20’ x 20’ x 9’ as a very rough estimate.
my components:
Sonus Faber Sonetto V’s
2 REL Ti7’s
Lyngdorf TDAI 2170
Manley Chinook phono amp
VPI Prime Scout with upgraded platter and tonearm, on a Townshend seismic platform
Ortofon Quintet black mc cart
Modwrighted Marantz SACD player and power source
Chord DAVE DAC/amp/preamp
Aurender N100C network streamer using Qobuz
Audioquest Rocket 88 speaker cables
Shunyata power cables (a mix)with Shunyata power distributor
Shunyata, Nordost blue heaven, and Cardas clear interconnects
My analog end became downright unimpressive after I added the DAVE and the Aurender to my digital end, but the Susvara bests it all (in SQ, I realize it is just a headphone and not a full system).
Looking forward to responses.
- — akajek
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- 19 posts total
I truly appreciate the constructive responses. I was wondering most myself about the quality of my speakers, as well as my speaker cables. As for room treatment, I completely forgot about the ceiling. Thank you! I will definitely work on adding more dampening, and on speaker placement further into the room. Thanks tablejockey for the link. MC I have learned tons from your many posts, look forward to them, and was hoping you’d have something valuable to say to me. Too bad you had to sling crap at me instead, guess you still have something to prove. I took you seriously about the Townshend podiums. Wish you’d taken me seriously as having an important, to me, question that I apparently could have been clearer about. GHDprentice, so many parallels between my gear and your previous gear and where we started with headphones, thanks for spelling out where that took you in the development of your current system! That was the process I was trying to understand, and was valuable to hear. I’ll look those pieces up. Oldhvymec, I don’t think I got the points you were making, a bit more stream of consciousness than I could sort out, so an clarification is welcome. Will also fiddle with my interconnects. As for better speakers, I’m thinking about higher end SF’s, Harbeths, maybe Focal high end some day. |
Buy this, then remove the plug and attach the wires to your circuit breaker box and your problem on how to improve your audio system will be behind you: https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lisa9cji-perfect-path-technologies-the-gate-ac-conditioners There's a lengthy thread on this device here on A'gon. Frank |
@jeankunin, I know what you are experiencing. At one point I heard a $2K tube system that I found more listenable and accurate that the much higher priced system I had at home. I had long list of different components I kept switching out until I found an integrated with a built-in DAC/streamer having a sound signature I liked and I couldn't be happier. I will end up going back to separates at some point again but at least I know that the sound I am looking for exists and which brands of amplifiers and cables it took to get there. While room treatment should make a good impact on sound, I have found that you can at least tell if you like the overall instrument realism, timbre, etc. straight out the speakers. You can then use the room treatments to fine tune the sound to balance highs, mids, and bass if there are issues. Of course this could be just me. :) |
- 19 posts total