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I Feel Overwhelmed....Please Help

Hello, all.

I have recently decided to begin upgrading to stereo components around the entry level audiophile range, and move away from home theater stuff. I need help, as I had no idea until I began recently researching modern amps, preamps, integrateds, etc, just how huge the selection there is available.

Currently, I have the following:

Harman Kardon AVR 235 A/V receiver
Front L&R channels:
50 Watts per channel
@ <0.07% THD, 20Hz–20kHz into 8 ohms

Harman Kardon FL 8385 CD Changer

Klipsch KG 5.5 Floorstanding Speakers
frequency response 34Hz-20kHz±3dB
power handling 100 watts maximum continuous (500 watts peak)
sensitivity 98dB @ 1watt/1meter
nominal impedance 8 ohms
tweeter K-85-K 1" (2.54cm) Polymer dome compression driver
high frequency horn 90°x60° Tractrix® Horn
woofer Two K-1023-K 10" (25.4cm) Injected Carbon Graphite cones
Bass reflex via front-mounted port

Grado Labs SR325 Headphones

I use the receiver strictly for stereo music playback with my HK CD changer, or I play .flac or .mp3 files via input to the receiver from my computer sound cards optical digital output.

I want to keep my Klipsch speakers for now, along with my Grado cans, which I love. OTOH, I have not been particularly happy with the two HK components. Although the sound is not totally bad, it is a tad too bright, and it is fatiguing to listen over long periods of time. My room acoustics are not ideal either, with hardwood floors and drywall throughout. The listening rooms dimensions are 14'x13', with speaker placement along and near the corners of the 13' wall. At present, I cannot afford any of the acoustic treatments I see on the various internet sites.

From what I have seen so far, I think I would favor the warm, rich, clear sound of tube components. My Klipsch speakers are highly efficient at 8 ohms, so I should not need higher power, but I don't want to lose bass response either. I have not had much experience listening to higher end audio, but I really loved the sound of a friends McIntosh receiver (late 70's vintage), and another friends 60's vintage tubed HH Scott receiver, both systems paired with matching speaker pairs of the same brands respectively. Those experiences are why I believe I should really consider tube amps.

Would someone please be so kind as to suggest components that would allow me to play CD, CD-R, and digital music files based upon what I stated above? I suppose I could do without the ability to directly play back the digital files, but a CD player is a must have. Oh yeah, my budget is up to $3000, but I want to get as much as I can for the best possible price under that ceiling. Thanks.
chap_cat
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
Congratulations on your purchases. That should all be a good match for your speakers. If you're going to mod, the CDP is indeed the place to start.

You'll need to replace those Chinese tubes eventually, but you can do it over time. It's going to sound better than your old rig right out of the box.

Welcome to the second step of the audiophile journey.

Dave
steidlguitars
90 posts
 
We're all pretty excited about your new rig -- love it!

As much as I hate to agree with Dcstep (joke! really!), I'm going to and suggest that you direct any remaining energy to hunt for some 12AX7s to replace whatever comes with both the CDP and amp (it takes 12AT7s too, I think). Start with 12AX7s because you can try those out on both pieces (and be pleased, I bet, maybe even stunned).

There are several worth trying, but given your tastes, I'm going to suggest you watch eBay for a pair of Amperex Orange Globes (made in Holland--they have an orange globe painted on them). Nice smooth tube.

Look for a seller with great feedback and who reports test results; they don't have to be NOS (New Old Stock) though that's nice if the price is right. They usually go off at about $25-30 each, so not too bad.

Run the gear with the tubes that come with it for 300-400 hours, so you get a feel for it. Then stuff the old tubes in.

Congrats!
chap_cat OP
28 posts
 
Run the gear with the tubes that come with it for 300-400 hours, so you get a feel for it. Then stuff the old tubes in.

The CDP is coming with a level one mod. The Chinese 12AX7's are being replaced with Svetlanas as just part of the upgrade package. I met a Russian girl once named Svetlana. Love that name for some reason.

Walter Liederman basically gave me similar advice about the tube upgrades with the amp when I made the purchase. Appreciate a second on that.
dcstep
1,518 posts
 
06-20-08: Steidlguitars said:

"As much as I hate to agree with Dcstep (joke! really!),"

Understood.

As I said, some people enjoy playing around with tubes and our Chap-cat seems to be one of those. Hopefully his experience with tubes will be as good as mine (no failures over several years within my system -- knock wood) and he'll only experience the best of the "tube experience."

Dave
blindjim
3,092 posts
 
ONe good thing to have now or soon will be a good source for tubes. I've had great success with aNDY AT Vintage Tubes and THE FOLKS AT AES (Antique Electronic supply in Az.), as well as some private sellers here on the 'gone.

RCA & Telefunken 12AT's will also be worth investigating, as they too are along the same warm smooth sounding tubes as the Orange Amperexs. Both the Orange & Green label Amperex will produce a smoother richer sound than the Russian or Chinese tubes, IMO. That being said I do own some Russian EL 34 tbess, 'CED Winged C'.

ON the isolation and acoustic treatment front this guy here has done a wealth of investigating there and offers much info which is most helpful....

http://www.geocities.com/jonrisch/index.htm

...from this site there are links, instructions, and so on to DIY many if not all of your acoustic treatments. if time is an issue there are those too that provide kits you only need to asemble and place such as...

http://atsacoustics.com/

Loads of other room treatment info & DIY stuff abound on the web and are not hard to find. Quite simple things by way of home furnishings can prove a real benefit too, such as Drapes, Tapestries, Area Rugs, plants (real or fake), etc.

Enjoy.
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