If you haven't heard the story of "One Red Paperclip," please look it up. It explains my journey perfectly.
I started with some Polk Monitor 7's that I bought at goodwill for $5. I sold those for $100, and put $30 of it toward some bose cubes that I found on Craigslist (sonic downgrade, financial upgrade.) I sold those for $100, which I put toward some used NHT 2.5's that I picked up used for $170. As of July 2007 I have traded the NHT's for the Thiel CS 2 2's. Which brings me to my first taste of high-end audio.
Right now I'm getting a really musical, visceral, powerful sound. I listen to a wide range of music, so it's important to have a system with versatility with an emphasis on accurate vocals.
I've lucked into some great pieces but I know I have a lot to improve on, so help me out!
These are by far the best speakers I have ever owned, and they are very nearly the best speakers I have ever heard. They throw images like nobody's business, and are extremely well crafted. They are engineered to be listened to with the grills on.
McIntosh MC-2100
I lucked into this one on Craigslist. I'm still new to high-quality audio components, and to be honest I didn't believe that amps made that large of a difference until I hooked this into my system.
Technics SL-1200 mkII
before this I had a Linn Basik. The pacing is just so much more accurate on a good direct drive, and the Technics SL-1200 mkII is a very good direct drive.
Dynavector DV-10X5
This is an amazing cartridge for the money. It has this impeccable ability to throw any surface noise to the background and bring it's musical presentation to the front.
Arcam DV88 Plus
This is the first DVD player I've owned that I can use a stand-alone CD player as well as a DVD player. It gives the music weight without adding that hard digital edge.
Onkyo DTR 6.4
Home theater receiver when watching DVDs and playing video games, preamp when listening to 2-channel sources (CD, Vinyl, Digital.)
Microsoft Xbox
I modified an original Xbox to act as a streaming media server.
Velodyne CT-120
It does a good job of laying the foundation for my music. Deep and rich.
TruthCable Premium
These are absolutely the best cables you can get for less than $1,000. True and open sound, amazing build quality.
N H T VT-1C
I'm still using this as the center channel even though I've traded the NHT fronts for the Thiels. It does the job for now, but I'm taking recommendations for a better match.
Trichord Dino
I needed a little more flexibility in gain as I was considering a low-output MC cartridge. I ended up with a high-output MC cartridge, and this phono stage can handle it beautifully.
Room Setup
This is how the room looks right now. It definitely needs some treatments, but there are enough soft things (upholstered couch and chairs, bookshelves, etc) to keep the sound tame.
Valab NOS DAC
This DAC is non-oversampling. I'm not a techie, so I'm not really firm on what that means, but I know this component upgraded my home theater PC into an audiophile grade device.
And my response, 6 months later! I absolutely love my SL-1200 MKII, and I'm definitely looking forward to doing some KAB mods. Most likely the minimal-time-investment ones first.
I'm actually looking to replace the Thiels with some Totem Arros as soon as I can find some used near me at a reasonable price. Surprisingly, I have had a hard time finding a buyer for the Thiels. They really sound incredible, but I need something with a smaller footprint since I'll be moving to a smaller space soon.
System edited: I added the Valab NOS DAC to make music out of the optical signal coming from my home theater PC. I can't overstate how much of a difference this made. The bass is so much deeper now, and by "deeper" I mean that I am actually getting lower frequencies out of my speakers as opposed to just an improved sound. The midrange sounds about the same, but the highs are much more crystalline and moved forward in the soundstage. Dollar for dollar, this has improved my system more than any other tweak.
There are A/V out cables for the original Xbox that allow you to use component cables and optical audio. The cable is pretty cheap used these days, and is easy to find on ebay.
As far as the hack on the Xbox, it's a little more challenging depending on your familiarity with computers. Here is a link to detailed instructions on how to mod your old xbox:
System edited: Still shopping for preamps. I'm a little worried that if I compromise on the preamp, it will only degrade the sound of the system. Since my receiver is able to act as a passive preamp it isn't adding or subtracting anything from the sound.
System edited: I did a soft mod on an original Xbox so that it can serve up content streamed from my computer. I use the optical output from the Xbox into my Integra, which has a very capable DAC. When playing FLAC encoded audio it sounds great, and the user interface is better than any other media server on the market. Best $50 I've ever spent.
Yes, I definitely need a real preamp. The Integra is actually doing a really good job for the time being though, because it has a Pure Audio mode that basically turns the receiver into a passive volume attenuator. Most receivers will take a signal, convert it to a digital signal just in case you want to manage bass or treble, and then convert it back into analog to your speakers. This receiver's Passive Audio mode totally bypasses that process, leaving the sound intact.
Until I can afford a good preamp, it'll have to do!
Mjcmt - I should move the amp off of the subwoofer, but I'm in cramped quarters! Girlfriend Acceptance Factor also mandates that I need as small of a footprint as possible. Oh when the day arrives that I have my own listening space...
System edited: Took the Harman/Kardon out of the mix as it was adding some "tizz" to the top-end. Onkyo Integra 6.4 is now my preamp for 2-channel listening. This thing does it all, and has a "pure audio" mode which prevents the preamp section from doing anything to the sound (for example: converting Analogue to Digital back to Analogue.)
mtkhl - Yes, I would say my life has changed since making my first strides toward the high end of audio. To me, it seems very much like wine appreciation: although the differences between medium-grade and high-end can seem subtle when you first begin, certain people have a predisposition to a higher-quality product, and as you gain more experience you get better at recognizing the characteristics that define "high end" to you.
I read posts about "my first stereo I bought in the 60's," and it makes me realize how I've barely even gotten my feet wet having been into this for only a year! I think I do have a good start on creating a system that it satisfying to my ears, and I have been lucky to piece it together as quickly as I have. Lucky finds and good people are to thank for that.
As for digital music, I'm going to phase my iPod out of the equation soon. I will be building a music server, because with the price of memory so low these days it only makes sense to start from scratch.
Here is my plan: buy a very cheap computer (512 MB of RAM, 800 MHZ), add a 500GB hard drive ($100), put in a sound card with digital output, and only run iTunes on it. Now that iTunes has Cover Flow and plays FLAC files, the interface will look good on screen and the FLAC should be able to play bit-for-bit as ripped. I'll start out using the low-level RCA output from the sound card to the receiver, and eventually invest in a good DAC so I can use the digital output from the sound card instead.
These are my impressions after a year, and the direction I plan on heading.
My next move is definitely to get a real preamp. I'm trying to buy very wisely, and keep it cost effective. When I run my sources through my Harmon Kardon, it absolutely destroys the sound and actually adds a static distortion to highly modulated passages. I have been plugging my CD player directly into the McIntosh and adjusting the volume there, and that sounds incredible.
I'm looking for something with a remote. Would anyone recommend getting a passive preamp just for adjusting volume? Should I definitely get an active preamp?
Haha, you're totally right, it will probably not be the last amp I buy...that's why I said "for this system!" Hopefully by the time I need a new amp, everything else will be new too, thus, a new system. ;)
The McIntosh was a crazy good find. He was an older gentleman, just wanted to get rid of it because it was extremely heavy, so he sold it for $100. It was one of those "once in a blue moon" situations where I just happened to check Craigslist right when it was posted.
I'm definitely looking for a new pre-amp. Any suggestions?
System edited: Moved room setup to components. If you only have one picture of your system it takes up more of the screen which is good since mine is long.
The floorplan was made with a site called...are you ready for this...FloorPlanner.com! Totally free, highly recommended, all online so you don't have to download anything.
I totally agree. I definitely found out what moving furniture around can do to the audio dynamics of your room. I would love to see how other members place their speakers, how much they toe in, how close the speakers are to their other components, etc.
What I did was get a screen print and paste it into a program where I could crop it and edit it.
To get a screen print of the open window with your layout, hold press "alt+Print Screen". The "Print Screen" button is above your number pad on the right of your keyboard.
This will copy the screen into the clipboard of your computer, so that when you open up a graphics program (Photoshop, MS Paint, etc) you can right click and paste the image into the file (or just push "ctrl+v" to paste it).
You could also search the web for screen capture software to get an image of the layout.
I've been thinking about separates for a while, but I have to be able to incorporate the speakers into the home theater as well. Does anyone know what kind of amp would be appropriate for a system of my size and expenditure-level?
I definitely think that everyone should add their room setups to their systems, preferably with their room treatments noted. I used this web application:
https://www.raymourflanigan.com/room_planner/
It's free, you don't have to download anything on to your computer, and you can save separate room designs with a login name if you do their free registration. They're just a furniture company that is trying to show you how their furniture can be placed in your home, but it's a lot more fun to use it for this!
You can see in the new room picture that the floor rug is in the same place relative to the speakers that it was in the old setup. I think the problem is turning out to be the walls and still exposed parts of the hardwood.
System edited: I traded my NHT 2.5's along with the NHT AbsoluteZero set for a pair of Thiel 2.2's. I'll need to get some more surrounds eventually since this system doubles as a home theater. I would appreciate comments from anyone who has ever heard a Thiel speaker. They are crazy good.
I could take pictures tonight and put them up, but I'll hopefully be picking up some different speakers on Saturday to replace the NHT 2.5's. I found someone willing to take my 2.5's along with some NHT AbsoluteZero's for a pair of Thiel CS 2.2 speakers, which I think is a hell of a deal.
If the plan goes through this weekend then I'll take pictures of the new stuff, and if it doesn't go through then I'll take pictures of the old stuff.
System edited: Totally revamped my analog system. I'm now using a Linn Basik table with a Linn Basik Plus tonearm and Dynavector DV-10x5 cartridge. I have the output passing through a Trichord Dino phono stage. I think I might be having alignment and tracking issues on a few albums, but the majority of my album collection is sounding VERY good. I'm glad to be taking my first steps toward a serious analog setup!
DK, I totally agree with you about the casual listening. When I just want some good tunes around the apartment, this setup is perfect. I like to stick to at least 256 bps so my speakers aren't exposing TOO much data loss. Using the dock connector out from the iPod also helps because the music doesn't have to pass through the volume adjustment circuitry as when you use the headphone jack.
And yeah, let's hear it for NHT! They are definitely a little richer than neutral, but that's exactly what I want: a full rich sound.
Thanks Linnie! I'm glad not all audiophiles turn their noses up at iPods. With 60GB of music at my fingertips, I can always keep my music selection fresh and unexpected.
