Rules:
1. Name and System version # and DATE Hi, my name is Steven, and I'm an addict... Version 1.000 3/12/07
Thread resurrection!
System now available in version 1.100 6/21/07
2. 2-ch Setup (List your entire 2ch setup, from wires to speakers!) All fed with an ADCOM ACE-515 fancy power strip
Pioneer CDJ-700S CD player. DJ-style player with big motors, variable speeds... and indifferent sound quality.
ADCOM GTP-350 preamp/tuner (switching out with a B&K Pro 5 but the Adcom is in right now)
NAD 2100 amplifier
Preamp interconnects are Monster Interconnect 500, CD interconnects are good, but old enough I've no idea what brand/model. Speakers wired with fat Monster Cable and banana plugs.
Gorgeous Sequels.
Replaced NAD 2100 60Wpc with Carver TFM-42 at 375 alleged Wpc.
3. Overall Satisfaction Rating (Rate it from 0/10 to 10/10... I rate it 7¼/10 for my personal happiness with it, as I know it'll soon be much better. Out of all the systems I've heard, though, it's easily in the top ten, probably top 5. Though the money in my system wouldn't buy the wires in the best two or three systems I've heard!
Uhm... I'd have to go with a 9, now. Maybe 8½ if I'm picky. This is now at least the third best privately-owned noise production clump I've laid ear to. I say 8½ is possible, only because I'm about to order new panels and I want to leave room. =]
4. Comments (Make sure to comment about your system's sound The imaging isn't as precise at I've heard from electrostatics in the past, but I'm still messing with placement and room acoustics. The sound stage is as open as I could ask for. The bass, however, isn't perfect. There's a bit of boominess in the midbass that I think is around the crossover point, and it's not helped by the speakers standing on very old hardwood floors that aren't as solid an anchor as I'd like. This is also up for reevaluation when I get a real CD player.
The imaging is probably about 80% of the best that I've heard from flat-panel ESLs. I'm not sure that curved panels are ever going to give that "the saxophone is
right there" level of imaging that flat panels give, but you do get that image on the left
iand right sides of the chair you're in. =] The boominess that I complained of earlier seems to be gone, but there's still some... probably four to five octaves lower! There is also a *lot* more bass and the boominess appears now to be at the port frequency of the woofers.
5. Upgrades planned (List upgrades that are planned for the near future... speaks for itself.)
Obviously the CD player, and the amp is only 60 Wpc. For some unexplainable reason I've been shopping for an amp more than the CD player, though.
Probably because I'm not sure what direction to go for the CD player, it seems a lot of money to get a CD-only player when there are HD DVD players out there for $130 which leaves a lot more options for future uses... But am I going to be happy with the sound of it over a nice dedicated CD player?!?!?
Will a HDDVD player with digital audio out be worth getting a preamp with digital inputs? HELP!
I was right to go for the amp first! Holy cow, I can't believe it made such a difference. The NAD did so well on my old (efficient) box speakers I never thought it'd be so overtaxed with the Sequels. And overtaxed it was. I still need a CD player and now I'm ordering panels (just because... :-D).
One thing, though... I really don't think the Carver's 375 Watts are as "big" as the NAD's 60 Watts. It's obviously a lot more power, and sounds a lot better, but the Carver's output meters went straight to the last LED when I cranked it up a bit, at sound pressure levels where the NAD was still comfortable, and I've never lit the NAD's "soft clipping" indicators.
Maybe more later, I've only listened to 4 disks so far. But man, am I happy so far! :musicnote:
