need a 3bst to biamp the Vandies with the B60 running the highs and the 3bst running the lows. Better front end also although the SACD portion is better than the Philips 963SA I'm using now...the redbook playback is mmmmmm...not so great.
it's a 2 ch HT...that's why I have the DVD player.
I really only want to put about another 1500-2000 into it and then start increasing my dvd & cd collection. After all, I only recently was listening to Infinity Entra Ones through an old NAD 7225pe. I hear that musical subs are bad for HT & vice versa so I am looking for that good middle of the road sub. I think I got lucky purchasing the CDM1nt's but I shouldn't have let the dealer talk me into the Velodyne so quickly. It seemed to be ok with the NAD & the CDM's but with the Bryston now I feel the urge to bring the Sub up to snuff & then after that get a new DVD player. It seems like the Sony 9000 is the winner here. My only problem is that in this 2k budget I also want to get speaker stands, speaker wire & a good sub IC. Thanks again everybody.
The sub is a weak link. I would think removing it would improve the sound even without getting another one. The REL Q subs are very musical, but the ST series III subs are even better, if your goal is great music. The Cable Company can order you a great custom XLO cable to go with a REL sub if you go that route. I have a Q100E in my HT system and a Storm III in my audio system. Great!! The Panasonic DVD player ties for last place with the sub. What is your budget??
I would definately go for the new DVD player. The Sony 9000es is available new for $829 and used for around $700. The Build is impressive and for an extra $249 or so you can have Stan Warren work his magic and you will have something truly spectacular with SACD to boot. It's amazing the effect the front end can have on bass definition and depth.
Hey...thanks for the input. I gave up my nad cd player over a decade ago when my Betamax was officially declared a dinosaur. I decided to go with a laser disc player and used that as a cd player too. I use my gear for 60% music & 40% HT. I chose to go 2 channel HT as I still think that good 2 channel HT beats 5 channel cheeze (I can't afford a good 5 channel system) To answer the other questions, yup...I do have the B&W's bi-wired...i did this originally with my NAD 7225pe receiver & they sounded worse but with the B60 it sounds better. I have the sub running from the pre outs on the B60 and have the Xover set at 80hz. I have read many posts about musical bass from subwoofers vs boomy bass which is what I feel I might have...call me crazy, but without even hearing a better sub, I can hear something missing. I think I will try a better cable though before changing subs. the sub is basically wedged between the wall and the TV pointing left (boy...I sure wish we could post pictures) the speakers are about 3-4 feet fom the rear wall & a little over 2 from the sides. They are slightly forward of the TV so there is nothing betwen them...this seemed to make the soundstage wider. Originally, in my apartment, they were on the floor. I just bought a house (have you seen the movie 'The Money Pit'?) and now have absolutely no money for a couple months so pathetically enough, they are on those office depot black plastic milkcrate things stacked 2 high (about 24") with a folded towel under each speaker. It made a big difference but I know...I need speaker stands too. I already stretch pretty far for this passion as I'm one of the poor folks on this site...who knows...if they sold IC's one at a time I may even go that route...just kidding. Other than that. hmmmm...the floor is carpeted and there are large windows everywhere (they dont seem to be a real problem) I will have hardwood floors sooner or later so I will probably have to experiment with acoustic room treatments at that time. Anyhow...all I can say is WOW...you guys are great. Thanks for taking the time to help out a newbie. Ellery
Ellery, I'm a bit confused. Are you setting up an HT system? Why the DVD if it is a 2-channel audio system? If it is 2-channel, I suggest looking into a good one-box CD player or perhaps a good DAC and use the DVD as a transport only. A good source will make a huge improvement. Joel
sounds like a great starter system! i have components that are different, but in about the same price category. first question, though... what specifically do you feel is lacking in terms of bass? mushy? boomy? not enough extension? second question... do you have the b&w's biwired? regardless, i would definitely look into new speaker cables. without getting into all the details about where/how you have your speakers crossed over with the sub, biwiring the b&w's with shotgun runs of a better quality cable will definitely improve the bass output of the speakers (cleaner, tighter, not necessarily deeper). you might find that you can then set the crossover on the sub at a lower frequency, which might improve the overall bass presentation. the sub ic's will also help. again, however, it depends on what kind of improvement you are looking for. some good quality cables you might want to look into... dh labs t-14's and q-10's, kimber 4tc/8tc, older audioquest stuff (can be found for very good prices), or a set of john risch designed belden cables (check out www.boldercables.com). if you want to invest in some cables that will last you for MANY upgrades, you might want to look into harmonic technology's offerings, or call rick shultz at virtual dynamics (www.virtualdynamics.ca). third question... what kinds of stands (if any at all) are the b&w's on? this can have a huge impact on bass, as well as the rest of the sound. get those speakers on some good quality, fillable stands (nothing exorbitant... something in the $100-$150 range. try looking at atlantis or lovan). fourth... have you played around with subwoofer placement? is it in a corner, how close to the wall, etc, etc, etc... fifth... you might want to try an after market power cord for the bryston. i have a virtual dynamics power three on my anthem integrated 2, and it made an incredible improvement (including bass). call rick, and he will tell you all about it! as far as the front end, i think you should be okay for awhile with the DVD player. for $700, you might want to consider moving up to the sony 9000es instead of the pioneer elite. not only is the sony a very high quality progressive scan dvd player, it also is a fantastic cd player than also plays sacd's. going for around $750 used, and it's a steal at that price. hope this helps. happy listening!
