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What is my weakest link?

My gear: All Ayre CX7e, K5Xe and V5Xe. Speakers are Maggie 1.6 and Cables are VD master series balanced ICs, AQ bedrock biwire, Cardas golden PCs. Front end is plugged into a 10-12 year old powerwedge 112 and it actually has it's stock powercord still. The speaker cables and powerwedge are carry overs from an old system.

The master's are new, replaced Cardas golden presence and really brought things to a whole new level.

I'm trying to figure out what to replace next. I eventually want to upgrade speaker cables, power cords and power conditioner but I don't know which would give me the biggest improvement in sound.

AQ bedrocks ----> VD Master series or Revelation biwire
powerwedge 112 ----> RSA Haley or Ayre LX5e
Golden PCs ----> not 100% sure yet but most likely more VD stuff.

what are your thoughts?
adhaney
digsmithd
913 posts
 
Get rid of the power wedge and the bedrocks,s.forget the speaker suggesters...trust me youll see a big difference.I owned both those items,bedrocks are lifeless,powerwedge limiting,imho
shadorne's avatar
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shadorne
7,477 posts
 
which would give me the biggest improvement in sound.

I'm with Gregm...your speakers are fantastic but when it comes to upgrades you can get more value from a speaker upgrade than the same money spent on cables.

I would add room acoustics to your upgrade list too.

If you want to ignore widsom and stick to spending ever more $1000's on wires/cords then by all means go ahead but this is not, IMHO, "the biggest improvement in sound".
9rw's avatar
9rw
318 posts
 
Of course Shadorne and Gregm are right. Magneplanars are among the worst measuring speakers on the planet and they boast limited dynamics. They're also very difficult to place. It just takes some Maggie fans taken in by the "wall of sound" a long time to realize this. Been there, done that.
adhaney OP
50 posts
 
*sigh*

I want to upgrade speaker cables, power cords and power conditioner but I don't know which would give me the biggest improvement in sound.

AQ bedrocks ----> VD Master series or Revelation biwire
powerwedge 112 ----> RSA Haley or Ayre LX5e
Golden PCs ----> not 100% sure yet but most likely more VD stuff.

how hard is it to stay on track with that? There were three choices.. and speakers wasn't one of them.

Thank you to those who actually paid attention to what I was asking and answered on topic.
adhaney OP
50 posts
 
9rw

I'm not sure what you mean by 'wall of sound'? I don't get this wall of sound you speak of with my system. What I do have is fairly accurate imaging with good soundstage width and depth and sense of players in a dimensional space. The front of the soundstage is back from the speakers and extends seemingly out past the back wall with drummers/background singers etc towards the back and lead/guitar up front or however people were placed.. and if two people are sitting together at a piano bench you can usually tell who's sitting closest. The maggies just disappear and you hardly know they are there. It could be a little bit more 3-dimensional but it's definitely not a 'wall of sound'

A pair of Watt/puppy 8s I demo'd gave more the impression of a larger than life 'wall of sound'...and didn't sound anywhere near as cohesive or image as well as my maggies.
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