TT/Phono/Cartridge. Last! Next Year!
Ideas to improve my system
In short, I’m looking for ideas to improve to my system.
What do I want out of a system?
I would like to have a system that sounds great during both 2ch music and movies (think criterion not marvel).
I live in NYC and my living room does double duty as a listening area + home theatre. I am unlikely to be able to have a separate listening and watching space anytime soon. I primarily listen to music from records, Apple Music and Spotify and watch movies from an Apple TV 4K.
What do I currently use?
A bit of a hodgepodge/mess bought over the past 10+ years
Rega Planar 1 with Ortofon Blue (and a few other minor upgrades)
Musical Fidelity phono pre-amp
Sony DN1080 Receiver
B&W HTM6 S2 Center channel
Klipsch Hersey IV
4 Mirage Omnisat v2 speakers
The system also has a dedicated line
At my desk
Sony IER-M9 powered by a RME ADI-2 DAC with corrections from AutoEQ (I love this setup)
What do I not want?
I tried height speakers and they didn’t give me much.
What do I like?
I want my living room sound to feel exciting, visceral and something special. My desk setup is pretty perfect for me reference wise but I want the living room to be a bit different. I like the Hersey much more than expected and I want to generally build a cohesive system around them. They perform great in my apartment for music. For movies, they are actually great left/right speakers! They make string or brass soundtracks come alive. The B&W center channel isolates dialog pretty well and transitions between the Heresy and B&W rarely bother me or other listeners I’ve had in the space.
What isn’t going to fly
- Going 2 channel. My girlfriend objects and likes the surround speakers (as do I).
- Wall treatments. Not a lot I can do here unfortunately - I have thick rugs and a fair amount of furniture + books on walls.
Options considered
- Add a sub like KEF KC62 (I can’t do 2 tho)
- Match the center channel to the Hersey’s via Klipsch center
- Upgrade the receiver (thinking something like the NAD t 778 or upcoming Yamaha RX-A6A)
- Switch to separates (I’m very fond of the Anthem’s room correction but would need the AVM70 + a 5 channel amp)
Are there other things folks would recommend? If you had 3-5k to spend, where would you put it?
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- 17 posts total
Thanks elliottbnewcombjr2! Yea the AVR sets the non-Hersey speakers +6db. It definitely weird to have that much of a difference, but I’m a little unclear on exactly what issues that causes tho from an audio quality perspective. For correcting the sensitivity mismatch, could I get around that problem somewhat by having a separate power amp for the Hersey? Even if I replaced the center, my surrounds would still have the same problem. Right now they are a slightly bigger of a mismatch at 6.5db Bass wise, things seem fine? I’d would love to try out a sub in the system and really experience the difference tho. It is likely that to knotscott’s point, it may just make the rest of the speakers sound a bit better. |
I’d get an SVS SB1000 Pro sub for $500 and a Yamaha RX-A780 AVR from Accessories4less.com for $600, and for only $1100 you’ll have a great sounding home theater. The AVR has front L/R preouts so I’d spend all the rest to get the best integrated stereo amp you can that will improve your 2-channel experience exponentially and help you get the most out of your nice Hereseys. Best of luck. |
Sensitivity-Efficiency is volume/power. You get a sense of the PROBABLE amount of attenuation (less or more) you will need when you mix and match. Frequency response is quite another thing, I suspect your Klipsch Mains will also ’blend’ both volume and frequency characteristics. You don’t want specific frequencies jumping ’out’ or ’in’ from l/c/r. I would try that change FIRST, then go from there. My separate 2 channel system, ’other end of the room’ https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/9511 I use Two L-Pads in each speaker (vary attenuation of mid horn to woofer; vary attenuation of tweeter to mid horn. Hard enough, then VERY HARD: I have to very carefully match L to R so Casandra Wilson’s Voice doesn’t move L or R of Center, or certain Piano/Violin frequencies shift this way or that, that’s a no no. Takes weeks of decisions playing all sorts of music. Ah, when done, awesome. Don’t forget, this is done IN MY LISTENING SPACE, not some factory average design for imagined unknown spaces. I just made an offer for one of those Klipsch R-34C Center Speakers (used) for myself. It will be too efficient, my DBX Soundfield 100’s are ’only’ 91, so I will likely be cutting the center channel signal output in the AVR. Except, my Mains are near corners, and use special ’crossfire’ angles (like large toe-in), so who knows? Frequency Blend? I can return it, I’ll risk the return shipping cost. Back to the old big CRT days, I’ve been happy with the little Bose VCS-10 which fits anywhere, including behind a CRT inside a wall unit with receding doors way back when. I have more room now that I chopped my big wall unit down, put my Monitor on a Glass Shelf on a 7" Riser I built with some of it’s solid cherry wood, the Klipsch fits, right at seated ear height (no rear ports). back to attenuation: My rear surround speakers are small directional speakers, Paradigm Micro v.3. I still remember the surprise when I first heard them at 6th Ave. Electronics. https://edsgoodstuff.com/edscart/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=7559 laying on their backs, firing up, using the 6" wide space between the back of the sofa and wall behind like a horn, so their efficiency/output is what it is, then attenuated in the AVR. (I stuffed some foam in their tiny rear ports). All these years I just do the volume adjustments in the AVR, done, good enough, no room correction like you do. I reset occasionally, do the basics, I forget all the damn options, just adjust vol then use either Direct; 5.1 or 2 channel. I occasionally find forced 2 channel sounds better, there's a lot of crap mixes out there, and who knows what studios/cable companies are 'thrilling' us with. My Single Sub, 1,000 watt Velodyne, is adjacent to me (see photo), fires facing the front opposite, crossover and volume for my viewing spot. Off for Direct 2 channel or forced 2 channel, the DBX have 12" woofers, plenty except Jurrasic Park, Black Hawk Down. ......................................... I hope you have discovered this movie, Domino, with an awesome kick-arse sound track. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0421054/ |
look at this batch of used Klipsch HT Speakers https://www.ebay.com/itm/203529373861?hash=item2f634bc8a5:g:BkYAAOSwCSBg9JIN |
- 17 posts total