hi just got arcam a19 and a marantz 6005 cd and wharfdale 155.the sound that im getting is not great.sounds wooly and vocals sound dull.i have the new qed speaker wire.did i make a bad choice or can someone help me please
ARCAM A19 AND MARANTZ 6005
- Thread starter seemorebtts
- Start date
no i had speakers for about a year which i love and wanted a new hi fi so picked the arcam marantz
BigH
Well-known member
matthewpiano
Well-known member
You've purchased an excellent CD player and amp which should work well together, but they deserve better quality speakers than budget Wharfedale floorstanders I'm afraid. I think it would be worth considering alternatives and if you need to stick to a reasonable budget and definitely want floorstanders then something like Monitor Audio BX5s should be on your audition list as these tend to be at their best when used with Arcam amplification. They are better built than the Wharfedales and have a much tighter sound than most budget floorstanders because of this.
Before you go down that route, do experiment with positioning of the speakers with regard to distance from rear and side walls and the toe-in or angle of your speakers. A few small adjustments might just save the situation, you never know until you try.
Before you go down that route, do experiment with positioning of the speakers with regard to distance from rear and side walls and the toe-in or angle of your speakers. A few small adjustments might just save the situation, you never know until you try.
That is strange.
Double check all connections and that the speakers have not been wired out of phase, or any bi-wire links are in place (if applicable).
Double check all connections and that the speakers have not been wired out of phase, or any bi-wire links are in place (if applicable).
manicm
Well-known member
You've got a smooth sounding amp paired with an apparently smooth sounding CD player as well. That may well be the problem.The A19 will benefit from a brighter sounding source, or a speaker like the LS50.
yes this is what im thinking but im on a budget so what cd player do you think will domanicm said:
seemorebtts said:
Leave it running for 48 hours and re-assess.....before doing anything else.
It's possible that you have put too many smoother pieces of kit together...but it may just need to warm up and run for a while.....either way, I would have expected a significant improvement over what it replaced.
FWIW. The A19 has a much livelier sound than its predecessor and WHF gave the 155s a very reasonable review (incl. crisp treble / transparent mid range).
matthewpiano
Well-known member
Quite simply I don't think there is a better CD player to be had for under £500 than the one you have. Others will be as good (Denon DCD720AE, Onkyo C7030, Yamaha CD-S301 etc.) but you aren't going to make any significant difference.
Spend some time adjusting the set-up first and then if things don't work out, I really think it is the speakers you need to look at. If you want to sort it on a budget and are prepared to go to stand mounted speakers, I would suggest auditioning a pair of Dali Zensor 1s and some Zensor 3s with the kit you've got to see how different it sounds. Also worth trying would be Q Acoustics Concept 20s and the Dynaudio DM2/6 if you can stretch to them.
Spend some time adjusting the set-up first and then if things don't work out, I really think it is the speakers you need to look at. If you want to sort it on a budget and are prepared to go to stand mounted speakers, I would suggest auditioning a pair of Dali Zensor 1s and some Zensor 3s with the kit you've got to see how different it sounds. Also worth trying would be Q Acoustics Concept 20s and the Dynaudio DM2/6 if you can stretch to them.
rainsoothe
Well-known member
manicm said:
If running your system in for a couple of days doesn't solve your issue, then I'm affraid this is the cause. This or you just don't like warm sounding stuff. But indeed, the Arcam is smooth and warm (although it CAN rock and have energy with the right source and system matching), while the Marantz is even more smooth and relaxed. I have the A19 driving Focal Aria 906 - and while smooth, they're pretty detailed speakers. All this is balanced by the Naim Dac V1 source, which is a great detailed and rhythmic (yay Naim) DAC. Audioquest Type 4 speaker cable (it's very balanced, doesn't emphasise anything, perhaps the bass is a little less defined), Atlas Equator MKII interconnect. To me, it sounds awesome.
On cables: a couple of weeks ago I bought a pair of QED XT40 speaker cables, and didn't really enjoy them in my system. They were detailed for sure, but the bass was too strong for my liking (although it was better defined and instruments had more texture in the low end). I ran the system non-stop for 5 days and loved some of what it did, but was missing the not-so-in-your-face Audioquest (which gave better soundstage as well imo). After 2 more days of auditioning, I thought that pluging the Audioquest back in will make me realise that actually the QED is much better, and it was only an illusion that I liked the Audioquest better. False. I never removed the Audioquest again, packed the QED and sent it back. But I would aggree, I don't think the cable is the main issue here. As stated by others, let your system run in some more.
As for possible fixes, I would suggest Micromega MyDac + cheap bluray player with digital out, or, simpler and better looking, Cambridge Audio 351C - which has a more detailed presentation. That, PLUS a speaker switch to Kef LS50, B&W 685 s2, Focal Aria 906 or maybe even the Dali Zensor 3. The Monitor Audios suggested might also be good, though I personally don't like MA - they might go well with the Arcam though. Oh, and budget for speaker stands.
Oh, and another thing: experiment with speaker positioning - make sure they're not too close to back and sidewalls, and see if toe-ing them in makes things better etc. It might be something as simple as that.
same for me too had audioquest and change for qed but kept qed.im now getting rid of my arcam a19 which is for sale on ebay now(a quick pug) and going for the rega bio r.which i hope will suite my system better
matthewpiano
Well-known member
I doubt the Brio-R is going to be the answer. It is a very good amp but not better than the A19.
I would spend more time exploring your options if I were in your position. Ask the shop whether they would be prepared to set up some auditions for your with alternative speakers, preferably even in your home. Go back to them, tell them how you want the sound to change and ask them to make some suggestions for auditioning rather than picking your next step on the basis of reviews. Just as with the CD player, I don't think you will improve on the amp, but the speakers leave plenty of scope for improvement and speakers make the biggest difference to the sound signature of a system.
I'll stop bleating on now, but I really hope you take some time to consider your options.
I would spend more time exploring your options if I were in your position. Ask the shop whether they would be prepared to set up some auditions for your with alternative speakers, preferably even in your home. Go back to them, tell them how you want the sound to change and ask them to make some suggestions for auditioning rather than picking your next step on the basis of reviews. Just as with the CD player, I don't think you will improve on the amp, but the speakers leave plenty of scope for improvement and speakers make the biggest difference to the sound signature of a system.
I'll stop bleating on now, but I really hope you take some time to consider your options.
Blackdawn
Well-known member
Try moving the speakers out into the room more and away from the side walls. There are some good deals on other speakers - such as Tannoys DC6T SE, or as suggested MA BX5. If you buy standmounts you'll need to factor in decent stands and filler.
Blackdawn
Well-known member
matthewpiano
Well-known member
They are going back. Poor quality control on the finish, and a sound lacking refinement or focus. I was daft to think they'd ever come close to the Dynaudio or Rega speakers I own.Blackdawn said:
Blackdawn
Well-known member
matthewpiano said:
Thats a shame. Worth a try though. They certainly looked as though they could be winners.
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram