System edited: New Ayre cd player plugged in to replace the Rotel RCD-1072 and already notice better all around sound. Most notably a better soundstage and ease to the presentation. Will update with more thoughts after further listening and integrating with new BAT VK-3ix preamp via balanced connections which is soon to arrive. Happy listening everyone!
Currently listening to music much more with new amp and at louder volume. Whole musical spectrum improved over previous amp. This amp has the ability to play music to incredible realism. Well balanced sound.
Thanks vernneal, I actually have imagined a Thiel sub in my system someday but only when I make the decision to go full surround sound. The 8" woofer within the CS2.4 goes more than low enough for me. (and my upstairs neighbors)
System edited: Well, It's been some time now in search of some decent juice to power the speakers. Only two hours into having the amp turned on I can feel an ease to the presentation compared to the KAV-150. One thing technically that i've noticed is that i now have more range for volume control which I like. There's no doubt that i should have got this back in the cooler months,Wow does it radiate some heat. Will comment more on the sound after a couple hundred hours or so and playing some more favorites.
Temporarily I have the phono stage living on top of cd player. Soon to change when I replace the Krell amp with something monster like. Will include pic! Finally purchase TT lid from Sota and got LP storage from BOLTZ, Man are they nice and solid to keep records in.
Thanks Cmalak That's just what I need to do. Turntables are just so sensitive to floor disturbances a wall shelf would do better. One thing I didnt take into consideration was a heavy rack stand on a suspended floor which apparantly isnt ideal from what I've read. Not that I'm dis satisfied with playback it's just that I've heard of people standing next to their TT and stomping the floor with their foot and the cartridge remains still. Is this a myth?
I actually think you have enough space to add another shelf without your line/phono stage tubes over heating. It looks like there is a fair amount of space above the Krell amp and the phono stage that can be adjusted downwards to accomodate an additional shelf. If you are worried about the overheating issue than if you decide to go with a wall-mount shelf, than I would obviously place your tt on that and CD player in place of the tt. Finally, you can always get a small stand/table and place it to the side of the room and just run a long IC into your linestage, although I suspect you will not like that as much from an aesthetic point of view. I personally would not place your krell amp over the CD player. My 2cents worth. Hope it helps.
Now looking for advice. My dilemma is that I've run outta space for an area to place my cd player. While normally it would be fine to just buy a shelf and place it on I cannot really take anymore area from around my tube gear for the fear of it overheating. Is it dumb to put the amp on top of the CD? Would the heavyfeet that I use drain vibration from both component's properlly? (I could insantly hear better sound when I had the cd player on a shelf of it's own w/footers) Any other solution or idea is more than welcome. While it would prolly look best on a wall shelf directly above my rack I'm trying other ways.
Thx Velocityofhue...I like the combo of ARC and Thiel, although, I suspect some would say overkill in terms of the electronics relative to the 2.4s...i actually think it's a very resolving speaker and reveals the electronics upstream from it and it certainly improves with the quality of the electronics driving it...but ofcourse, as is typical of many in this hobby, I am left wondering now how much more i can get out of the electronics with an upgrade in the speakers :-)... i will be patient with this query, especially, given the economic climate but will rather work on setting up a vinyl source in my system first before entertaining upgrades to the rest of the system. Enjoy your system and happy listening. Take care.
Thiel is a speaker that has always impressed me. I like the emphasis on the vinyl. Glad you arrived at a good pairing on the amp, and am left wondering what SS in and tubes on the way out would sound like.
Thanks for posting Cmalak! It's funny the combo of VTL & Thiel sold me on both when I auditioned. The music is really alive I guess is the best way to explain it. The more I listen at louder levels especially I can tell the amplifier strains but no big deal with me living in an apartment with neighbors close by. To answer your question regarding TT, I wasnt able to audition and didnt know what to expect other than what I read mostly online. By the time I invested in the best table, phono stage, and arm that I could afford (all my savings by the way) the dynavector seemed like the best all around bang for the buck deal. Truth be told I havent even adjusted speed control except by ear, The Sota is real easy to setup and has a great design philosophy. That's some serious tubes you have going into your spks by the way. Nice goin!
Velocityofhue. Great system! I have the Thiel 2.4s pared with ARC Ref3, Ref110, and Ref CD7. I started out with Musical Fidelity integrated amp and CD and found the combo a bit fatiguing but when I switched over to ARC (as you did to VTL), the Thiels really came into their own. I currently have Nordost cabling (Heimdall) but your comments on Straightwire Crescendos has piqued my interest. More importantly, I am a newbie to vinyl and am currently researching options. Was wondering what made you chose the SOTA Saphire table? Did you audition it with different arms and carts or the SME 309/Dyna combo was what you initially auditioned? Just curious given the similarities in our systems and progression. Thanks very much and great system. Enjoy :-)
System edited: Just plugged in the rotel cd for the first time in over two months and boy does cd sound thin and congealed compared to the wax. Cannot wait to get some short crescendo rca's for the phono stage to preamp.
Thanks guys! The table is very solid and easy to setup, It's custom hand made and that's easy to tell upon a close eye inspection. The phono preamp had a sort of messy soldering job done on the circuit board inside which was a little sad considering. With those what some consider petty issues aside, Where it counts the sound of both new components are great. Favorite new records are McCoy Tyner's "Sahara" & Faith No More "Angel Dust".
No wonder vinyl sales are doing well, There's just an organic realness to listening to music while playing back records. There's no doubt in my mind that it brings you closer to hearing the real thing live. Any comments or suggestions to this totally sold analog newbie please chime in.
Chris So far Madeleine peyroux "careless love" and Little Feat's first albumn are favs
The TL2.5 that I have does have a simple remote. Vol. control & mute which is just enough for my use.
It didnt take very long for me to realize the great sound of the CS2.4 spks and can only say that focusing on components is the idea now. I have contemplated getting the VTL's bigger bro the TL5.5 and then starting a second system w/the one I currently have. That's how awesome I think it is.
Thanks for the kind words on my system. I've been incredibly happy with my Thiel 2.2's, and I've never had a chance to audition the 2.4's, but I can only imagine how sweet and accurate they are!
I am looking at tube preamps right now. I might treat myself to one as a Christmas present if I find something I like. Does the VTL have a remote?
One thing to beware of is that it isnt very difficult to warp maple shelves. Unfortunately due to me not paying very strict attention to the setup instructions & how everything needs to be level and the order in which things should be approached I dont have completely flat component rack shelfs.
Unfortunately as you see in the amp pic I'm in the position to where the system needs the footers on all pieces 3-way configuration so that the components dont rock ever so slightly and i'm sure affect the sound for the worse.
I apologize for never answering your question. When asking thiel what cables would be best they told me to go straight to the top of the straightwire line. When I saw a price here that I could afford of the somewhat very short crescendo spkr wire available I jumped. Seems like it really allows all of the detail and resolution to shine through very cleanly. I came from entry level cardas and will someday place them back when I get the itch just to hear how they can complement my stereo system. A recent interconnect replacement in the system has somewhat taken me back to the past but not too much thankfully. Again sorry for an almost yr later response
Other than needing to move it and the gear far away from the speakers it's a solid stand to keep things on. Do I notice a difference in the sound no not really. Also almost everything is an extra when I went to purchase. I think what attracted to me wanting to purchase after the looks of it was the price around 700. After listening to how the prices in precious metals has gone up I think it ended up costing about a thousand dollars to buy. One should also note that it's very easy to warp the shelves when building and then have your components not sit on all four feet. Some might say that it's just as easy not to do this so I dont know.
