Help needed to find missing detail! System in need of something, just not sure what....

[JoelSim]

Sounds good. Ditch the squeezebox and buy more CDs!

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[Anonymous]

I did consider doing that but to be honest I love its convenience, just wish it sounded better. Or is there a similar product out there that does sound better and is not silly money?

The MF DAC v3 is a possibility if I can find one or maybe wait for the new Cambridge Audio DacMagic if it is ever released.

 

[the record spot]

drummerman:

You can chop and change but from what I've read this is not a problem of one component not matching. IMO you've reached a ceiling with everything you have ie. whatever you change, the others will hold the system back to an extend that even if you buy a vastly better part, it wont show what it can do, whether this is a player, amp or speaker.

Reading this makes me think I've reached this point with my system currently. I think I probably need to make the next step up (I've posted similar queries about CD players, all manner of DACs, etc, recently). Unfortunately, 10 month old twins, a limited budget but ambitions to get a better sound aren't a good foundation for making wholesale hi-fi upgrade changes!

I can relate to where the OP is at though. Good luck whatever you decide to do!

 

[Anonymous]

Hi record spot. What is your P3 like with the AT 440MLa? Do you have it running through any phono stage before the Marantz?

 

[the record spot]

Hi, I've always preferred a very detailed and open (you might say "bright") sound. So the P3 and AT is a good mix for this; warm and analogue it's not. The Marantz has a good phono stage in it. Andrew Everard mentioned some time ago that Ken Ishiwata (he of the KI Signature series gear) put in a good phono stage to the 6010 KI amp and it shows.

The AT, incidentally, isn't all brash and no talent; for £90 (or less if you get a deal on it), is a brilliantly detailed cartridge, super tracker and with a clean and really well defined bass. It's very musical and a sound buy. You've probably gathered I'm a bit of a fan, but I'm not being too generous in saying you could spend half as much again and still feel like you've snagged a bargain.

 

[JoelSim]

I have to say I think I will need to spend an awful lot of money to improve my system by 5%. Hmmm...

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[Anonymous]

Looking at your impressive and no doubt expensive set up makes me wonder what percentage of hi-fi purchases people make are ever new. Although all my current system was purchased new I always spend hours trawling dealers and the internet for that elusive ex-demo or second hand bargain. The DAC I need for my Squeezebox will probably be second hand and I am putting together a 2nd system so currently trawling ebay and the forums/dealer sites.

 

[the record spot]

Same here; any CD player upgrade would be a MAJOR expense - the Mimik might have been Linn's entry player, but was still in the £750-£800 bracket back in 1995. It stands up well still and I'm having a good listen to it to see what is so bad that I really need to upgrade it before anything else.

Either way, I source the equipment carefully; someone slagged off the 733i floorstanders a while back, but, given their original cost (£330) 11 years ago, I can't fault them. A top notch performance for the outlay and could probably give the (apparently) less than brilliant current crop of the 79 series a run for its' money.

Perhaps my dissatisfaction is more to do with the current quality of audio on CDs? What makes for a good mastering , etc, etc. Very tricky. My wife thinks I'm mad and is disappointed that the Linn might be going!

 

[Anonymous]

matengawhat:your speeakers in my opinion are to far apart to create a proper soundstage from such small boxes - i have the 12l2s and found they are very particular on positioning a lot more so than most speakers i've owned. and was really rewarding to play around with them - mine now sit at about 2ms apart and about 30 cm from a rear wall

That's not true at all. You can't say the speakers are too far apart unless you know the listening distance.