IHad a demo at my local hi-fi store today, which has really helped to show what I'm looking for in a hi-fi.
I was already looking to upgrade my system (Marantz MCR603 with Mission M71 speakers) when the Marantz died. It was a good set up, but not exciting. The guy in the store had suggested better speakers would show a big improvement, so that's where we started.
We hooked up a Marantz MCR610 to a pair of B&W bookshelf speakers; not sure of the spec but cost around £500. The Marantz was set up with everything neutral, i.e. bass/treble at flat levels. I started off with a Who track, Won't Get Fooled Again, and immediately wanted to turn up the bass. The sound was nice and clear, but lacked the kind of power I really yearned for. Next up was Slayer's Jihad, and again I was unmoved. Finally I tried Pendulum's Blood Sugar, which has a huge bass presence. It just was not happening for me. I tried boosting the bass level, but it still didn't deliver.
I passed my feedback onto the sales guy, and we both felt I really needed something more powerful. So he set up a Yamaha A-S501 amp with Q Accoustics 3050 floorstanders, with a Yamaha CD player. The difference was apparent immediately with the Who track, power, fuller sound and bass I could feel. Thr Rolling Stones' Gimme Shelter showed that more subtle music had good detail and warmth. The Pendulum track made my vision start to blur.
Then to really achieve bass that could be felt, we attached a subwoofer. Wonderful. I felt immersed by sound, hitting my brain and my stomach. I also loved the fine tuning I could achieve. With the amp volume a bit lower and the subwoofer a bit louder, the music had a warmth that I loved. By reducing the trebble slightly on the amp could pull the vocals down and experience the music more.
So, a very good experience, and very helpful in letting me discover what my priorities really are. It also suggests can phase my purchases; start just with the amp at about £260 and hook up to my Missions. Save up for a while, then get some floorstanders, then add a subwoofer later.
I was already looking to upgrade my system (Marantz MCR603 with Mission M71 speakers) when the Marantz died. It was a good set up, but not exciting. The guy in the store had suggested better speakers would show a big improvement, so that's where we started.
We hooked up a Marantz MCR610 to a pair of B&W bookshelf speakers; not sure of the spec but cost around £500. The Marantz was set up with everything neutral, i.e. bass/treble at flat levels. I started off with a Who track, Won't Get Fooled Again, and immediately wanted to turn up the bass. The sound was nice and clear, but lacked the kind of power I really yearned for. Next up was Slayer's Jihad, and again I was unmoved. Finally I tried Pendulum's Blood Sugar, which has a huge bass presence. It just was not happening for me. I tried boosting the bass level, but it still didn't deliver.
I passed my feedback onto the sales guy, and we both felt I really needed something more powerful. So he set up a Yamaha A-S501 amp with Q Accoustics 3050 floorstanders, with a Yamaha CD player. The difference was apparent immediately with the Who track, power, fuller sound and bass I could feel. Thr Rolling Stones' Gimme Shelter showed that more subtle music had good detail and warmth. The Pendulum track made my vision start to blur.
Then to really achieve bass that could be felt, we attached a subwoofer. Wonderful. I felt immersed by sound, hitting my brain and my stomach. I also loved the fine tuning I could achieve. With the amp volume a bit lower and the subwoofer a bit louder, the music had a warmth that I loved. By reducing the trebble slightly on the amp could pull the vocals down and experience the music more.
So, a very good experience, and very helpful in letting me discover what my priorities really are. It also suggests can phase my purchases; start just with the amp at about £260 and hook up to my Missions. Save up for a while, then get some floorstanders, then add a subwoofer later.
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