Upgrade Interconnects/Cables or…?

audiophile1,

You have very solid points about steering me away from cables and concentrating instead on treatments and speaker placement. I’m aware of the rules that affect the soundstage, but not that simple in my case. For the most part, I have followed the manufacturer’s guidelines for proper setup of my Horning Hybrid Aristotle speakers. The bottom line is that these speakers want corners and I don’t have them in my room, so open on both sides of the wall. I’m stuck with that. My old house had the corners, but even after experimenting with toe-in, this simply pushed the soundstage forward and shrank its width, so smaller. My room front to back is only 14 feet, and my head is already 3 feet from the back wall. These speakers want the front wall to reflect and the back wall to absorb. I use a large tapestry behind me and curtains for the windows. This is not a dedicated audio space even though it looks it. I have to include my better half in the equation. With the corners missing I gain detail, but cripples the bass, so the sound loses its foundation and shrinks. I have compensated for this successfully by having custom open baffle subs built. These have changed everything and have brought my system to life.

Do you think treating the front wall will give me more of what I seek. I do have a large painting there in the middle that I’m very fond of.

Kenny

I want to fill my room more, so around me…my primary objective is to open my front to back soundstage and possibly improve upon what I’ve already have.

I don’t think it’s possible to achieve what you’re looking for with your speakers placed as they are and counter to how they’re designed to work without corners, and throwing $$$ at cables or equipment probably won’t help much either because you’re just fighting an uphill battle against physics.  If you haven’t already, I’d try pulling the speakers 3 feet out into the room just to see what happens (hey, it’s free right?), and I suspect that alone will give you a lot of what you’re looking for.  If your speakers sound poor being pulled further into the room then my only suggestion is to get new speakers that will work better in your room and can give you more of what you’re looking for or just live with what you have given the room/placement issues.  Sorry, I don’t mean to be negative but neither do I want to see anyone throw potentially big $$$ into new/different equipment that likely can’t fix what looks to be mainly a compromised room/speaker situation.  In any event, best of luck in achieving what you’re looking for.

Beautiful system and space. I’m 71 as well and very happy to have achieved exactly the sound quality I have wanted all these decades. I like the way you blended the audio rack with components. 
 

I would see if you can find an Audio Research Reference 3 phonostage to try. I think it has detail, staging and natural sound you want. 
 

The old Cardas were a bit warm and not as neutral as, for instance Transparent… I’d give those a try… close to the source first.  
 

Enjoy!

kenneythekey,

consider a consultation with a room treatment company-whatever diffusion/damping you can get away with without  ruining  room aesthetic?

A little off topic-I believe ive mentioned in the past admiring your Mac MR 71 case. Is that company still in business? 

My 1967 MR 71 case continues to disintegrate and needs to be retired. 

Kenny…the fact that you don’t have sidewalls and corners is not entirely a downside. You can try treating the front wall but I’m not sure it will accomplish what you’re looking for. You need a more transparent and open sounding amplifier and speakers combination. Your cardas cables aren’t helping but I don’t believe they’re the single culprit.