2. amps-preamps
  3. 1257558090

Lost - Your combined experience required

Over the past while, off and on, i've been thinking about upgrading my gear, wanting more open, airy and extended sound. I want to lose the slight veil currently existing in my setup that just takes away from the believability of the presentation. I'd like more dimension as well.

I've made threads about possible amp upgrades, speakers, source...all separate threads (over a period of time). But i've never made a thread asking your opinions on what you feel the weak link actually IS, in my case.

Gear:
CD - Rotel RCD 971/ Sony PS1 model 1001 (on its way)
Sugden a48b w/ upgrades including point to point wiring
Rega Ara speakers
Target sand filled metal stands
cheapo monster cable (i also have some ecosse cable, but that makes the system sound very flat, albeit somewhat more extended in the higher frequencies).

Room is small, one bedroom condo living room, open to kitchen. Living room area is approx 14 x 10 or so (maybe a bit longer)

The system is on the better-sounding long wall of the room (not the dividing wall). I have fussed around w/ speaker placement to no end, finding strengths and compromises in a variety of positions, but with no fully satisfying results.

I came to a quick conclusion that my speakers are the weak link here, but now i'm not so sure. After reading about the Ara's and how others describe them, it sounds like I may be wrong.

On a hunch, i started reading up more on that particular sugden model and I've come to realize that it's generally not considered the most transparent in the world. It IS a good amp, mind you - quality performance. But perhaps just a little too antiquated for the sound i'm looking for.

I'm not too concerned about the source at the moment, since I'll soon have two players to swap in and out.

But I'm really lost in terms of whether i should swap speakers or amp (or both!). I'm on a budget and I don't really want to fuss around and risk poor matching etc etc...

With all your combined experience, I'm bound to glean some sort of insight from some of you. Hopefully. Thoughts? Please? ha
loose
barrelchief
294 posts
 
My initial thought was to get some better cables.

Knownothing mentionned The Cable Co., who currently has a promotion with CRL (Cable Research Labs) for 2 sets of their "Bronze" IC's and a set of speaker cables for (I beleive) $895.00, and this is very flexible with cable lengths, RCA/XLR, Single/Bi-Wire, etc.

Based on my experience with CRL/FIM, this is quite the bang-for-the-buck.

I have no affiliation with The Cable Co. or CRL...just sharing this as a great opportunity (in my opinion,) which may be a great match for your desire to upgrade.
tpsonic
1,092 posts
 
I would start with cabling.Look at the Kimber PBJ or even the Mapleshade.You might consuder a cable or multiples,with a return policy.Charge at the begining of the "charge period",take a listen and return before the CC closes.You might also look at the Home Depot 14 gauge extension cord.It makes a very nice "starting" cable,especially at $15/100'.Give them a turn +/- 180 degrees before settling down to listen.
bigkidz
3,390 posts
 
Absolutely upgrade your front end first. What do you think the quality of sound is coming out of your two CDPs on a scale of 1 to 10? Cables won't get you to where you want to go and if you change any one component, the cables you changed to may not work with that change. Once you hear what a better front end can do in your system, then you can judge if that has made a significant improvement. Borrow a CDP or DAC from a local dealer to hear in your system first.
macdadtexas
1,794 posts
 
I love the Klipsch sound, and the Heresey II is a great speaker, but if you are looking to open it up and "air it out" that would not be my choice.

For monitors, and on a budget, I would look at the Paradigm 40 series and some stands, or move up to the 60's for some floor standers. Great value speaker.

I love Maggies, but I don't think your room has the space to let the MMG breathe, and the amps you need for Maggies would eat up your budget quickly.

The I would get the best SS integrated that you can afford:
Bryston, Pass, Cary, McIntosh... There are a bunch, get one with some power.

For cables, I am not a big believer in the value of cables beyond maybe the first level upgrade, but some reasonably priced Kimber (8vs, or 8tc unterminated for speakers), Cardas, or Audioquest could really help.

Good Luck.
lwood
61 posts
 
Buy a a pair of Paul Spietz' Anti-Cables here used, should be cheap by comparison to what some of the previous folks have suggested....if you don't like them, you can sell for the same price and you're out NOTHING...at least that way you've tried something besides the crappy Monster cables, sorry, but they simply are....the Home Depot extension cord is better than they are. That's my two cents, then I'd try and demo a cdp for a weekend, that would be the next step. Good luck
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