Updates to my system/review

[Dazz]

Hi All

 

Hope you all had a good Christmas.

I have made some new purchases this year to replace some old equipment.

Current System consists of

Marantz Cinema 40 (New)

Panasonic DP-U820 4K blu-ray player

Marantz CD6007 CD player (this one features the AKM DAC)

Moon 330A (Simaudio) Power Amp (New)

SVS SB2000 Pro Subwoofer

SVS Prime Centre speaker

Castle Satellites Surround Speakers

Acoustic Energy AE520 Floor standing speakers (New)

Nordost Heimdall 2 speaker cable (New)

65" LG GX 4K OLED TV

 

My last upgrades were the Moon 330A power amp and speaker cable which i got this month.

I am no purist and more than happy to mess around with the different parameters on both the AV unit and sub to get the sound I want.

My lounge room is 4 x 5m with system on the long side. No room treatment except carpets and curtains. I am limited in where I can place everything.

 

Having played around with my AV settings including running Audyssey (I have the app), I now have the sound that suits my taste. It did take awhile.

Great clarity on the midrange & treble. The bass is fast, tight and punchy, and well controlled. Great sound stage as well. I am really impress with the AE520s (the reviews I  read were spot on with their description of the sound) and the Moon 330A seems to bring out the best in them.

They seem to seamlessly integrate with the sub as well. Whether playing Enya. Metallica, The warning or even K/J-pop (Whiplash by Aespa absolutely rocks), it all sound damn great. 

The only cons I have are minor. There is no multi-channel music mode like in my previous Marantz AVR (6003) so I listen to my music in Stereo. The multichannel stereo mode sounds terrible and Dolby/DTS I am still experimenting with for music.

I also tried eARC but found that I could not get the pure surround modes when watching netflix etc. It also restricted me to 3 surround modes - stereo, multichannel stereo and Dolby surround.

I am currently using a toslink connection instead (gets me all the pseudo surround sound modes) and use the DTS:X Neural mode for my TV. Seems to work a treat with a pretty decent placement of sound.

In terms of movies played through my blu-ray player, the Marantz presents a dynamic soundstage along with precise placement of the different sounds.

 

Overall I am very happy with my current system and this will probably be my last set of upgrades as i will need money for my retirement in the next 5 years!

 

Cheers

Dazz

[Dazz]

For anyone interested, attached are the in room frequency curves from the Audyssey app for the main speakers and centre channel.

[toddm]

Hi Dazz, I'd try turning off Audyssey's mid-range compensation - your mains don't appear to have a natural dip there. The frequency response for your mains looks pretty good in general - how does it sound if you limit the frequency range of the correction on the fronts to 0-250Hz? 

 

Cheers,

Todd

 

[Dazz]

Hi Todd

 

Yes i did turn off that midrange compensation parameter before uploading into my AV unit. I have not tried doing just that range as i tend to run my sub for both music and HT. Crossover at 80 Hz. When i feel the need to experiment more I will try that to see how it sounds. I have set my second speaker preset with just the mains (no sub or other speakers) and these do sound pretty good full range though I like the extra kick that the sealed sub brings. The moon power amp certainly has some hefty bass impact as well.

 

regards

Dazz

[toddm]

Hi Dazz,

 

Cool - nice system you've got there :-). I preferred the way my speakers sound without room correction above that threshold - didn't like what it was doing mid-bass and up.

 

I run my front-stage full-range with each speaker blended with its own REL sub via a high-level connection. Awesome for both music and HT.

 

Cheers,

Todd

 

[Dazz]

Hi Todd

 

If i want to listen to music with both my mains and rears (DTS or Dolby Surround) i actually run the fronts at full range. I actually preferred the built in Audyssey on the Marantz as it sounds "fuller" with more body to music than the app. Would have loved a few more speaker presets on the Marantz for further customisation of the sound. REL subs seem to be known for their musicality. Must sound awesome with 2.

 

Cheers

[Hi-Fi Whipped]

Nice set-up, have you tried the centre speaker on the top of the rack to get the tweeter closer to the mains? Also if its ported like it appears to be, having the energy from the ports in a more open space could help too.

 

May not fit your aesthetic requirements though.

 

[Dazz]

Unfortunately my TV gets in the way as the center speaker would block some of the screen at the bottom. Although you cannot see it, the center speaker is tilted upwards. Still sounds good. Dialog is clear even when listening off axis.