I am enjoying my analog system, but what can I do to improve?


I currently have Technics 1200G turntable with Dynavector 17XD cartridge playing through Kitsune LCR 1 MK5 phono pre and Allnic L7000 preamp. My amps are Pass X350.5 and Benchmark AHB2 driving Sound Lab ESL speakers. My system sounds great, but I am wondering how I can take my system to another level. What do you think?

128x128chungjh

@chungjh 

I saw in another thread that you think thee speakers are not well matched to your room and I tend to agree. Electrostatics like space in front and behind. Acoustic Fields (do a search for them) do a free measurement of capacity vs driver size. I have a small room and had Yamaha NS1000M's in them. They are superb speakers but i had to move them out. The big bass drivers overpowered the room. In addition to this the mid and tweeter were giving too many first reflections thereby causing serious image instability. I then decided to get smaller speakers that had ribbon tweeters Roksan Darius S1. My rationale - which was proved to be true was that they are more directional thee dynamic drivers and tweeters which radiate. I fiddled around with placement and followed classic placement - i also invested in REW freeware with a measuring Mic. What was an audio epiphany and quite revelatory was chancing upon an article about nearfield placement by Leeo Massi on the website NSMT Loudspeakers. He actually puts the speakers in the middle of thee room - don't dismiss it until you try it. I tried to track Leo MAssi down and found out he was deceased.

I find the near-field set up gives me grand scale, insight and resolution as the room just disappears away to an extent i've never had before.

Out of interest what is your cabling? I am not a cable fan having tried and been disappointed with a few until I tried out Vertere and Townshend cables.

@lohanimal, I agree that near field listening is the way to go. It is fine for jazz, but I miss the large stage imaging of the orchestra when I listen to classical music. How do you get "grand scale" when you sit so close to the speakers. I am using Audio Sensibility cables, which are very good.

@chungjh 

i had expected nearfield would make the soundstage and imaging smaller. In my set up I found it to be the opposite. I noticed the room disappeared and the image stretched backwards. Try out the NSMT website article. I must say that my ribbon tweeters help a lot due to their directional nature which prevents first reflections. I’m not sure where u are based but is there any way you can audition some ribbon tweeter speakers my experience may be speaker specific but it’s worth experimenting.