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Improvement in Musicality for home theater system

As a first time poster I was hoping to get some feedback on improving the musical delivery, basically more refined sound from my hodgepodge of an old and new system. I have a smaller 16 by 12 room with heavy leather furniture and wood/ area rug, 1904 vintage. Due to the space and budget limitations, I purchased the Revel M126Be’s and had to ditch my 25 year old Proceed AVP for an Antham AVM 70 and had Audio Breakthroughs in Manhassett, NY come out and set it up. They hooked in a 20 year old Velodyne servo driven sub woofer. Now to my question: will replacing a 20 year old plus Adcom 5 channel amp with an Antham or Pass labs be a significant change? For source I mainly use a Blue Sound streamer. 

hondaron
auxinput
2,920 posts
 

I would try borrowing better speakers to compare your current speakers against -  using your AVR amp.

The resolution and transparency of the Revel M126Be speakers that he has completely out-performs his current Adcom amp.  Putting a better speaker in the system is NOT going to improve anything or give him better refined sound.  The Adcom amp is the limiting factor here.

ghdprentice
7,038 posts
 

@arro222

 

Typically, one’s foot is a good measure of the musical connection. This is an effect that I noticed in myself and have observed and discussed with many others over many years. Not everyone will necessary be moved the same way. Certainly it depends on the source music as well.… if the music is not compelling it’s reproduction is not. This is my generalization.


Also, some audio folks actually are not in it for the emotional connection / the music itself. I have known a bunch of folks over the years that are in it to experience analytical listening… to marvel at the details and sound space… they are not actually moved by music.

Here is more details on Rhythm, Pace, and Timing:

 

https://www.stereophile.com/content/pace-rhythm-dynamics-page-2

 

 

russ69's avatar
russ69
3,519 posts
 

I’m really glad someone asked about the term, “musical.”The word, in this application, seems almost comical, to say nothing of it being extremely vague.

The opposite of clinical. If that helps.

holmz's avatar
holmz
2,328 posts
 

The resolution and transparency of the Revel M126Be speakers that he has completely out-performs his current Adcom amp.  Putting a better speaker in the system is NOT going to improve anything or give him better refined sound.  The Adcom amp is the limiting factor here.

OK - I am not too familiar with the speaker so I’ll accept that as fact.

In any case it would be ideal to then try a loaner amp. It could be for instance the room and not the amp. How do we know before purchasing a new amp, if the amp is in fact the problem to be fixed?

arro222
142 posts
 

@ghdprentice 

Yeah, I fall into the "unmoved" toward music reproduction. Too much analytical mindset when listening considering my background in selling this stuff for 30 yrs.

What "moves me" is more about note cord structure with me being a sucker for minor sequences. It doesn't make difference to me from where hence the sound comes from.

I hear music constructed with minor intervals and I'm done whether on the car radio or a real nice sound system.

 Schubert often uses the technique of moving from major to minor and back to major to bring a sense of pathos, tension and story telling to his music so I guess it is that I appreciate and affects me more than "musicality".

 

 

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