Yarvis...CHANGE...the S3e's came in and do they ever sound fantastic for bookshelves...I was absolutely blown away! I rigged them up as mains for the last few days and spent some time with them...just missing a little lower midrange/upper bass, but if you ever see these used and need an office system jump all over it. Secondly, with the advent of the new surrounds and the C5e on the way (next week I'm told) I jumped ahead of the VAC and bought the surround receiver I had my eye on. An Arcam AVR200 came up in my back yard and man does it sound GOOD. I had no idea how outdated my Audiolab is until this receiver blew the doors off it...definitely made the right choice with the speakers...the Arcam proves it!

Chadnliz...no idea what model the Mirage is (10+ years old) can't wait to replace it though!

chadlesko July 20, 2005 05:30

How does the Mirage sound, is it the Omni model?

chadnliz July 12, 2005 06:35

I have thought about going the Denon route since video watching is much less critical than 2 channel...however, I am now sitting here wondering if I will lose too much quality if I do not go all the way. The fact is that I've now spent too much money on the speaker's (C5e and S3e specifically). It would be a shame if the whole system wasn't up to snuff...we'll see how carried away I get. For now I am focusing on the integrated, which funds are quickly becoming available for...still leaning towards the VAC Avatar integrated. I'm currently using a 10+ year old Yamaha processor that also amplifies a Mirage center and PSB surrounds...the sound is not what I want.
I believe the SS was an early 90's...not the police edition to my knowledge...but quite fast none the less! Hope all is well.

chadlesko July 12, 2005 05:16

Chadnliz:
Thanks, to me it sounds great!

yarvis July 04, 2005 13:35

Aball:
Sorry buddy, I'm in Staten Island, NY it's going to be a bit on the tough side for you to listen to! lol. Thanks for the comps as well. Seriously, I have thought of moving the rig around to see if the sound will change any, but the way my wife has the room decorated, this is the best way for me to have it set up. I think I will start playing with some room acoustic treatments though just to see if the sound improves a bit or not. What you guys don't see in the pics is the 3 BIG pieces of furniture right next to the rig. There is also a rug on the floor in front of it. I am always thinking there could be some sonic improvments, just need to do these next round of improvments with little or no money.
My son just loves anything to do with Aston Martins. (I think he gets it from me and my love for James Bond flicks.) He's always bugging me to go into a dealer we have nearby in NJ to take one out for a test drive, I tell him no way, one of those things cost close to or over 100k, I'm not taking a chance there. lol.

yarvis July 04, 2005 13:30

Chad:
First of all what year SS did you drive? I owned the last year 1996 SS which was just a police special Caprice Classic. I loved that car, just wish I would have bought it new and in 1996 when I had the chance and the opportunity.
I bought her used with low miles but the previous owner just let it sit there and literally rot away. I sold the car just over a year later for the SAME I paid for it! (Can't say that about ANY American car period!) A long run speaker cable? I cannot reccomend Signal Cable enough. Frank the owner is very fair and you get your cables terminated for your application in a timely manner.
I have been VERY happy with both of my purchases with him. My 2 friends at work have also had the same type of experiences and we all agree, Signal Cable is a good place to do business with. I am looking at the Denon pieces for when and or if my pieces fail here at home. I was with my buddy yesterday and he ended buying a leftover 3803 from Denon yesterday. It originally sold for $1000, he walked out with it for $500! I would also look at their DVD players, I understand that they are very good and very easy on the price.

yarvis July 04, 2005 13:19

Nice gear! Bet it sounds awesome!

chadnliz July 04, 2005 05:53

Car and hifi nuts - i have to say something. I have been a car nut too since i was knee high. All my grad student money has gone to my stereo lately so I am still driving my 33 year old BMW Bavaria 3.0 but it is such a nice car, even by mondern standards, that I am happy enough. I also have a 1926 Ford Model T roadster which runs great although it needs body work. I used to drive a 1983 Maserati Quattroporte and then a 1972 Porsche 911T. I named my two cats Aston and Martin for the love of that marque! One day I will have a 1989 V8 Vantage.

I have been very interested in the Spendor S8e although I have never heard them. I guess I just like everything I have read and the Spendors I have heard in the past delivered my style of sound.

One of my audio buddies setup his new stereo in a corner and I had him move it to the wall because I felt his soundstage was screwed up by the corner. He had what seemed like a midrange suckout (but actually I think it was too much reinforcement outside of the speakers). Anyway, he moved it to the wall and the soundstage is greatly improved. It sounded good before but with familiar music, I could tell it wasn't right.

Great system though! I would love to hear it. Where are you? I am in Blacksburg VA.

aball July 02, 2005 14:36

Yarvis

Changes on the horizon!!! DHL played kickball with my sub which has afforded me a replacement check...I decided to perform surgery on the sub, which will be void of resale value but operational none the less. So, I did what all audiophiles would do...I bought more stuff! I am setting up a combination system as you know...so, I bought the C5e center channel and a pair of S3e's for surrounds. I opted for the S3e's instead of the Sr5 (Spendor's surround specific speaker) due to the fact that it will give me a nice pair of bookshelf speakers if I ever break the system up. Everything should arrive by mid July. I'm still thinking about the VAC and I'm now researching a processor and DVD to provide 5.1 surround. Let me know if you have any thoughts...also, any cheaper speaker cable suggestions for the long run to the rears would be helpful.

By the by, the Impala SS is fantastic...I got to drive one from PA to MD once and loved it.

chadlesko July 01, 2005 23:35

Chad:
I would venture to say that I am a car guy, I get tired of them real fast and either sell or trade them in quickly. (usually within 2 years) I have since started to lease because that way I can get a new car every 3 years as opposed to financing a car for 5. I just leased an BMW X3, great little truck and really not that more expensive to say a Honda Pilot.
I had a 1996 Impala SS that I sometimes kick myself for selling. (it went to my brother, so not so bad) Now that was a TRUE 4 door sports car! As far as my set-up goes, I set it up in the corner for mostly room limitation reasons. I have yet to truly see if moving the setup would improve sound or not.

yarvis June 17, 2005 22:13

Yarvis

Thanks for the second opinion on VAC...there's an Avatar for sale right now and it's killing me not to go grab it!?! I have an '86 911 that met with a deer this winter. So, I decided to wait till Spring/Summer and combine the insurance money with my own to re-spray the car...it was getting quite dull. I've been into cars for quite some time and bought a lift last year to work on them. Are you an avid car guy? I'd love to venture into the Astin Martin relm (older of course...can't afford new)...until then I'll stick with British speakers! By the way, I stumbled across the "Cardas Formula for Speaker Location." If you go to their web site look under Insites. You have a nice corner location though...the formula is for rectangular rooms with setups parallel to the back wall. Is the corner setup due to superior sound or room limitations? I've heard it can improve imaging.

chadlesko June 16, 2005 05:42

BTW Timrhu, your rig is just as nice. I love the clean look, I bet it sounds wonderful as well!

yarvis June 12, 2005 17:09

Timrhu:
Many thanks on the comments about my rig. I think it sounds great to my ears. To answer your questions my rig is in my living room. What you can't see in the pics is all the furniture, oriental rug and stuff in there along with the equipment. The room is not that large, I'm guessing here that it is about 14 wide by 14-16 long. It's a "sunken" living room with a small step down, so the ceiling is a bit higher than most, again I am guessing about 10 feet from the floor, maybe a bit more.
When I am in there listening the grilles come off as I can definitely hear the speakers veiled a bit. When I am not in the living room and the kids are roaming about, then the grilles stay put!

yarvis June 12, 2005 17:07

Hey nice looking, and I'll bet nice sounding, system. A couple of quick questions if you please. What are your rooms dimensions? And do you listen with the grills on or off? Thanks.

timrhu June 12, 2005 04:02

Chadlesko:
VAC makes very good products. A coworker friend of mine had some VAC products and according to him, he was very happy. (That is until he upgraded to de havilland products.) I had to buy a new truck myself. What did you buy or are fixing?

yarvis June 06, 2005 21:56

Yet another option...I think this one might stick...VAC Avatar (2 or 3 versions). It is the only Tube integrated I've found with HT and Subwoofer outs. I'll keep you posted...it looks like the end of July for all funds to be raised!

chadlesko June 06, 2005 06:10

Chadlesko:
I am using Signal Cable's Ultra shotgun bi wire. I recently switched from the internal bi wire also from Signal cable. I was set to buy some Analysis Plus Oval 9's, but when the bill came to almost $500, I opted to go with Signal Cable. Frank from Signal cable has a pretty good return policy if not satisfied and at less than $150 for a 6 foot run, it really is a no brainer. The cable needs some good break in time though. I usually play about an hour a day after work.
I can't speak for BAT but can speak on behalf of Rogue. (they have EXCELLENT customer service PERIOD!)Both Marks at Rogue are great at returning phone calls or emails and that means alot to me. If I have to give them any negatives it might be at the initial cost of SOME of their products. (I feel they might be just a tad high) If you aren't happy with them later on, then you will be looking at a hard hit in the resale market later on. If you can live with that (I can) then Rogue is a great sounding piece.(at least for me)

yarvis June 01, 2005 23:10

I will write again when I get further down the amp highway...a deer has struck my vehicle resently and I am taking the occasion to restore the car beyond the insurance check. In any event...the S5e's did need a little more umph on the bottom end...I can easily believe that the S8e's have more than enough bass to satisfy. If you ever change your mind, buy the Spendor Sub 3 with confidence. I went out on a limb by mail ordering one since it is impossible to hear or read a decent review. As far as amp's go...I will be buying used. The problem as alway is that hearing an amp is near impossible prior to buying it when one is limited to the used market. Fortunately there are owners out there such as yourself who are willing to share their thoughts. I have given up my hope of finding a tubed integrated that has pre outs for an HT hookup, so I will be looking to do a simple 2 channel. This has opened me up to several possiblities. I think I have it narrowed to Rogue and BAT. The BAT w/ supertubes and phono stage comes on the market from time to time, and if the checkbook will allow I will probably go this direction. If I need to spend a grand less then I will get the Rogue and upgrade later. I'm trying to round out my system, which also needs a new CD player (Arcam CD73T current) and I'd like a new cartridge (Goldring 1006 current...looking at Shelter 501 & Lyra Dorian) for my TT (Rega Planar 3). As you can see the Spendor's are the only component not in flux (they replaced Spica TC-60's). Most of my listening is via TT so I will calm down after I get the Integrated and a new cartridge...hopefully by the end of summer.
What has you experience been with speaker wire with the Spendor's? I'm currently running Audioquest Turquise. My interconnects are Straightwire Encore II. Once the amp is in place I will start to experiment a little more...any thoughts?
Thanks for you help to date.

chadlesko June 01, 2005 09:12

Chadlesko:
Thank you. I still like the amp/pre combo, I am VERY happy with it actually. I was very impressed at the high end store I listened to them at. I recently did some tube rolling and as some people have commented on these pages, it does work with the Rogue. I honestly cannot comment on the new Rogue pieces because I haven't heard them. I can comment on the Magnum 66 because my buddy is using it with an older Parasound 2 channel amp and it sounds very, very good.
As for your S5e's that was the speaker that made me sell my little more than a year old KEF Q7's! I heard them at the Northeast Home Expo show in Manhattan last year. I just couldn't get over how fantastic they sounded and I was sold immediately! I didn't think they needed a sub even though I know that all speakers have limitations on how low they can go. I feel that my S8e's need no sub, but that's just me. I have placed my CD player upgrade on hold, I needed a new truck so priorities changed. Keep us/me informed as to your decision with your new upgrade.

yarvis May 22, 2005 21:08

Yarvis...if you're still reading these comments...great system. How do you like the amp/pre combo? I have Spendor S5e's that are great, and I'm currently shopping for amplification. I've been leaning towards Rogue's integrated Tempest II. Any thoughts? I can't help you with the source though I love my Arcam CD73t, I think you are probably looking north of my budget. One thing I can recommend is the Spendor Sub-3. It took my current setup to the next level...the level that makes it impossible to wipe the smile off one's face. It integrates flawlessly with the S series.

chadlesko May 13, 2005 04:53

Oh, oh. I'm thinking of upgrading again! This times it's the front end. Looking at new higher end CD players to give me that "oooomph", any suggestions? (even though I have set a short list for myself)

yarvis March 12, 2005 20:43

Dlwask:
I have to admit, I'm not sure how to interpret your comments. My speakers didn't cost ME $3k and my cords most certainly didn't cost me $300. (more like $109 for example) I have to repeat that I do consider my rig modest when compared to some of the big budget systems on these pages and other sites.
Personally, I find nothing wrong with those rigs and or their owners. If you have it like that, God bless. This is a hobby where some people are willing to go all out, mid way (my preference) or low end.

yarvis February 20, 2005 23:03

All thing considered, isn't it kind of silly to think that a system like yours is considered modest?

Welcome to Audiogon, home of the $3000 mid priced speaker and $350 entry level power cord.

dlwask February 20, 2005 21:18