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New to Audiogon. selling my whole system

EVERYTHING. I've never done this before. It's time to start fresh. I'll soon be posting everything as I learn to use this site. I have everything from Proac Supertowers to studio 100's to studio 1 mk2 to Quick silver monos and full function pre with all MIT wire to Stax Lamda's to two Onyx integrateds etc...

Not sure how much I'll fetch for everything, but I've been listening to everything from 15k speakers to the newest integrateds. I have found a few dealers who have been ultra helpful and very nice. Many years ago I met Richard Vandersteen at Stereo Unlimited in SD and fell in love with the 'new' 2's. After a 4 year stint driving the USS Kitty Hawk, I moved back to CT and set out to finally get my new system. I sold off my moscode amp, CJ pre and Polk 10's (Sandy Gross' design) and found a Vandy dealer in RI> I became close friends with the owner and we are still in touch even though he's been closed for years. I walked in with my wife prepared to walk out with Vandy's and a new amp. Instead I walked out with the Supertowers, Quick mono's and his personal pre amp.

I have loved this system for many years and have had new drivers put in and it sounded even better. Problem is, my new wife needs a remote so I had to buy an NAD integrated. I still love the speakers, but I was told to check out the new D series of Proacs. I was led to Audio Connection and John (he posts here). I went in to audition the Pro Ac's and they were nice, but I wasn't blown away as what I have is still pretty darn good. Then John told me to listen to the Vandy's along with the Ayer 7x integrated and a cheap Music Hall DAC.

Keep in mind, I had recently heard the Focal BE line, Paradigm Signatures, B&W (never have liked them), Dynaudio, PSB T I think it was, Wilson, Dali and the list goes on. Nearly all the contenders (I"ve left some out). I have head the NAD Master series and the new NAD 390 digital. I heard the Krell, etc....

I never expected to have one system blow me away, but it did. I was in SHOCK and still am as it's the reverse of the last time. I really wanted to hear the Hegel integrateds as they have a nice DAC built in, but they aren't out yet. That said, the Ayre would be hard to beat. I like John's approach in that he puts systems together and we have similar ears. He carries the lines I have and have had other than the MIT I have been using (770 MH CVT and shotgun etc..) I also didn't think the Audioquest would impress me, but again, I was dead wrong.

I read reviews, but nothing beats listening. NOTHING. I think the Vandy Treo's , ayre 7x integrated, Music Hall DAC and Audioquest with those DBS deals are the way I'm going to go as soon as I'm able to share some great stuff with folks.

I look forward to reading more threads in the forum as it seems like a nice community.

I wonder how many have been in my boat (starting fresh for the first time after all these years)? Any stories to share?
ctsooner
bo1972's avatar
bo1972
2,789 posts
 
NAD is in the world of highend not good enough. It is that simple. The same about there new digital amps. I sold Tact in the past. This is the same technique which is used in there new digital amps. It is incomplete. Because some class A amps are superior in sound realism. The other point is that there individual focus of instruments and voices is not sharp enough as the best can do. There stage is also not very deep and wide like the best. It is easy to top this level.
sabai
2,027 posts
 
Bo1972,

I beg to differ. I have the NAD M51 DAC. It is a great DAC. It is that simple.
bo1972's avatar
bo1972
2,789 posts
 
You are talking about a DAC, this is something different than an amp. For that kind of money NAD made a very good dac. But in general NAD is not a brand in the world of highend. I sold NAD for over 8 years of time. In 2007 I decided to buy it for the shop I run at that moment. In the past I liked NAD a lot. But it was a big misstake of myself. They had many stuff with problems. The company with who I do business still sells NAD. They have still may issues. In many a b comparisons people choose more often for brands like Arcam, Cambridge or Primare.
dover
2,247 posts
 
Having owned the Proac EBS many years ago, these are still very good speakers by any standard and will cost a significant sum to get something better. I would still prefer them to the newer generation D series, much smoother and more musical. They use the famous ATC midrange dome and the equivalent today would be something like the ATC100.
My recommendation would be to keep the Proacs and build a new system around them - digital front end, amp, cabling, rack etc. Get the Proac cabinets refinished if necessary, this is not an expensive exercise. The Ayre is very musical as is their CD system.
tubegroover
2,320 posts
 
Hi Ctsooner

I too recently switched speakers after having them for many years. They are good speakers but were extremely picky about what they matched with. This experience has let me to certain realizations I didn't have during ownership. For all they did right and for all the efforts I expended in making it right from cables to amps to pre-amps, source components I could never capture the "it" factor which sustains engagement long term and found myself gravitating more towards favorite recordings, sound over music, a bad omen. Furthermore, when I purchased the speakers used, on this site, I never had the opportunity to listen to them first hand. Again, good speakers but how long do you try before conceding they just aren't your cup of tea?

So are you saying that you like the Proacs but you like the Vandies better? Or have you considered that the Proacs might be improved by changing out some or all of your upstream components which you are going to do regardless? This can get tricky unless you are willing to start over because you don't like or are uncomfortable with the speakers which you indicated you love. You are fortunate in that you have a great dealer that can help you sort all this out as he also sells Proac but might you still love the Proacs if you could find gear better suited to them? Would he be willing to let you listen with other gear in your space? I'm not suggesting this is the answer but is just another consideration in the equation. Maybe the Vandys are just better to you and your mind is made up, they are certainly wonderful speakers, I owned the 2cs for many years, one of only two speakers I have owned that I loved, the other my current speaker that stepped into my system, synergistic magic! How lucky fortunate is that? But I knew before hand that the amp was staying and the new speakers would have to be electrically compatible, were they ever. Just more food for thought. Sometimes what appears to be a "nobrainer" is often a mirage. But if you have a wad of cash to throw and don't mind spending the dough, do it, but FIRST you should hear in your space to be sure. Your situation is the opposite of mine, I had the system but the speakers were the issue. It seems you have a speaker you love but the system may not be ideally matched to it.

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