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.
You really should look for a vintage Mac preamp on ebay of the same vintage as your amp. They are a good match.
Incidentally your receiver in passive mode is still detracting from internal wiring, volume attenuator, rca jacks, and not so short signal path...plus interconnects. Even the best passive amps affect the sound as impedance changes. Yours may not be pure passive either.
Dusty, It is amazing how your system has improved, for cheap, in the last number of months.
I was noticing that your Mac 2100 is sitting on the subwoofer. The vibration of the sub really will cause issues with the sound produced with the amp. You would do better to get a butcher block cutting board from Lowes, and use it as an amp stand set on the floor. You can get 4 spiked feet from Madisound for cheap to install on the cutting board. This will really help the amp's focus, detail, and bass tightness.
Incidentally, older Mac preamps are cheap on ebay if you can live w/o a remote. You can have vintage Mac all the way. Next is the older Mac tuner and cdps.
OK, so what program are you using to do your new floor plan...very nice indeed. Are you going to add an elevation next?
I like your Thiels. Are these older models?
If you only are using 2 channel, the Adcom preamps are excellent. My first high end system after being away from audio for 25 years was the Adcom 500 pre and 545II power. I kept it longer than any other amps I've had. Very unfussy to integrate into a system with a very nice sound too.
Thanks for your advice. It worked like a charm, I even added color to approximate my furniture, but it looks a little cartoonish.
I hope everyone follows your example and adds a floor plan to put it all into perspective. It is important to see the room limitations we all face in trying to get good sound.
Where did you get the software to do the furniture layout drawings? Is it free software? I'd like to add that to my virtual system too. I is a nice touch. It puts everything into perspective. Very nice indeed.
