How do I improve my sound system ?

[Berkel]

Thanks again for all suggestions.

Andy you're correct in that we listened through my previous B& W speakers.

Unfortunately the Denon doesn't have a pre out, but I would like to hear your Soraya amps again, if you don't mind a trip out to my place.  I do have the aural memory that they sounded a bit " clinical ", but it may be a false impression, and as you say, a good valve pre may suit nicely.

Cheers,

Dennis

[andyr]

3 minutes ago, Berkel said:

Thanks again for all suggestions.

Andy you're correct in that we listened through my previous B & W speakers.

Unfortunately the Denon doesn't have a pre out, but I would like to hear your Soraya amps again, if you don't mind a trip out to my place.  I do have the aural memory that they sounded a bit " clinical ", but it may be a false impression, and as you say, a good valve pre may suit nicely.

Cheers,

Dennis

 

Aah, OK - then I will bring along my stereo pot, as well, Dennis.  

 

Next week, sometime?  I'll PM you.

 

But if you find the Sorayas "a bit clinical" then, yes - a tube preamp should work well.

 

Andy

 

[Berkel]

Thanks Andy ..... look forward to it.

 

Dennis

[Grant Slack]

1 hour ago, Berkel said:

Unfortunately the Denon doesn't have a pre out,

Hi Dennis, 

 

so your Denon PMA-1500R isn’t like this one?

 

cheers

Grant

[Berkel]

Well, in the immortal words of Ted Bullpit : " Pickle me grandmother " ! You're correct. It DOES have pre -out. Never noticed it before.

 

Thank you.

Dennis

[Juzbear]

I think you need to work out whether you are looking for music that you like the sound of vs music that sounds strictly accurate. If you really like the sound of radio, but your CD isn't doing, it, adjust the things you can adjust to see whether you can get there with the variables you have available to you, ie. tone controls  (the next level is using DSP devices). Particularly if you often listen at lower volumes, you may find it gives some "life" to your music. It is possible (maybe even likely) that your amp is not as good it might be, but given you said that you have a small room, the room is also likely to be limiting what you can achieve. It is possible to change either or both of these, but they may not fix the stated issue of your radio sounding better than your CDs! 

 

Justin

[Berkel]

Thanks Justin,

A relevant comment. With radio, I listen to it as background most of the time. A few days ago I was impressed with the performance and sound quality of Beethoven's 9th, on ABC Classic and I increased the volume. A terrific performance. So I dug out my old, but highly regarded performance on Chessky CD.  I think it was the performance and age of recording, but it was disappointing. It had been quite some years since I'd played it.

When I play CDs or LPs, I sit down and " listen " as if I were at a concert, and expect the sound to be far better than the radio, which it is most of the time. However something's still NQR, hence my quest for improvements. I was spoiled about 30 years ago, when I gradually built up a nice system. I was working then and had saved up, as well as the fact that high quality 2nd hand equipment in those days was more plentiful and cheaper than now, AND the retailers were happy to loan out equipment to " regulars ". That's all gone now.

 

Thanks for your contribution.

Dennis

[Tweaky]

I just think you are in a "Second Youth" frame of mind, and actually all you need is a friend to swap/loan speakers of comparative SQ with, for say a couple of weeks.

 

You might just need a change, and when putting your current speakers back after the swap/loan , might end up with a different diagnostic on what you actually need/want to change.

[Berkel]

Hi Tweaky ; that's a possibility.

" Second Youth " ..... ? I can't even remember my 1st !  LOL.

[Tweaky]

16 hours ago, Berkel said:

Hi Tweaky ; that's a possibility.

" Second Youth " ..... ? I can't even remember my 1st !  LOL.

 

A LOT of the regular posters at this forum aren't far behind you in the age dep't......I'm 62

Since it seems your main fare is classical music, have you ever heard a pair of Harbeth SLH5''s ?

They have had a few updates over the years SHL5+, SHL5+XD, mainly with the change of crossover and porting, but have always kept the traits they are renown for, that being sublime at reproducing the voice and the tone of instruments.

 

I've been a happy owner of a pair for close to 20 years, and like many other owners have decided to never replace them [Which is why, apart from this forum, you will rarely see them up for sale secondhand....there is/was? a pair up for sale in the forum classifieds with stands ATM], they are a very special speaker, and one I think you should investigate.

If you sold your B&W's they would cover the majority, if not all of the cost of the change to a used pair of Harbeth's [model dependent]

 

They are larger sized BBC Monitor type speaker, based on the Spendor BC1, go down to 40hz,  their best operational volume level is around the 85db level, but as with only the best speakers, can retain all their music making beauty at low volumes.

They don't need a huge amount of amplifier power, as they have a easy load, and IMHO actually sound best with solid state amplification, your current amp would work well.

 A review of the original below, which can equally be said of the current versions......you can do a search of reviews of the various versions and find that in a lot of cases, the reviewers ended up keeping/ buying them.

https://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/harbeth-super-hl5plus-loudspeaker/

https://www.hifipig.com/harbeth-super-shl5-loudspeakers/

 

 

 

 

Edited December 10, 2022 by Tweaky

[Berkel]

Hi Tweaky,

Thanks for info on the Harbeths. I know they have a great reputation, but I've never heard them.

BTW : you mentioned my B & Ws. I sold them a few years ago and now have a pair of Monitor Audio

RX6 silver. Nice, small floor standing speakers of 90 dB efficiency. Nowhere near as refined as the B & Ws but a good all rounder. Now, whether I keep them and change amplification, or vice versa ...... ?

I also use them with a REL T2 sub, as a subtle reinforcement for lowest bass, such as pipe organ pedal notes ( 16 - 32 Hz ).

Cheers,

Dennis

[Tweaky]

On 11/12/2022 at 9:41 AM, Berkel said:

Hi Tweaky,

Thanks for info on the Harbeths. I know they have a great reputation, but I've never heard them.

BTW : you mentioned my B & Ws. I sold them a few years ago and now have a pair of Monitor Audio

RX6 silver. Nice, small floor standing speakers of 90 dB efficiency. Nowhere near as refined as the B & Ws but a good all rounder. Now, whether I keep them and change amplification, or vice versa ...... ?

I also use them with a REL T2 sub, as a subtle reinforcement for lowest bass, such as pipe organ pedal notes ( 16 - 32 Hz ).

Cheers,

Dennis

 

OK, my mistake, I misread your original post, I thought you had the B&W Silver two way bookshelf monitors

I honestly think you would love the Harbeths, but I also think that you would might miss the extra 4db efficiency your Monitor Auidios  have over the Harbeths, it depends how loud you play your music.

 

As I mentioned the SHL5's are one of the few speakers that can sound just as good at low volumes {i don't play my music loud ], as they do at higher volumes, with being a true BBC monitor type speaker have a best operational volume is 85db and below, although they will a lot louder easily.

 

The in house designed and built 8" RADIAL driver is the source of the magic the Harbeths have [plus the super tweeter], they have incredible micro dynamics, acoustic instruments sound so realistic, and are a pure joy with vocals, almost like a Electrostatic speaker in a way

You shouldn't have much of a problem finding a store in Melbourne that has them on demo, which I think you should attempt to do, if only to find out why so many people fall in love with them

Take some of your favorite music with you, especially acoustic instruments and well recorded vocals.

 

Although considering your allocated funds for a upgrade of your system, even if you sold your Monitor Audios, I think you might sadly fall short on the needed funds for a used pair of SHL5's , anywhere between $1000- $3000, [depends how old - which version is for sale, and if they included the needed stands]

But in saying that, I still think they would get you  where you would like to be, rather than a amp upgrade.

 

 

Edited December 12, 2022 by Tweaky

[Berkel]

Thanks.

There's a pair for sale on SNA, including stands, but they're $6500 !

[Tweaky]

23 minutes ago, Berkel said:

Thanks.

There's a pair for sale on SNA, including stands, but they're $6500 !

Yeah, well they say they are in mint condition, and those Skyland stands for the SHL5's would cost you at least $1800 from a shop.

I've seen exactly the same model + stands sold for $4950 in the classifieds Nov 2020, and others have been sold quite a bit cheaper still, as the buyer needed the funds at the time.

Just go listen to some first, and if you like them then worry about getting a pair.

[Keith_W]

Most things played on radio are dynamically compressed - the soft sections are boosted up, and the loudness toned down. This happens especially with classical music. If you are listening in your car, you don't want the driver to turn up the volume so that the soft passages can be heard, only to be blasted when the fortissimo comes. I would be extremely surprised if your CD sounds worse than radio. Often the cure is to simply turn the volume up. 

[Grant Slack]

@Keithw Ever since my 2009 Mazda 6, my cars have had some form of (defeatable) loudness compensation that scales with the car's speed. Whether that is by compression or simply loudness, I have never looked into.

 

cheers

Grant

Edited December 13, 2022 by Grant Slack