is it possible to get a richer warmer sounding system from changing cd player/dac ?
- Thread starter damonster
- Start date
thanks for the reply cno ,Do you mean by this that the amp would be the major factor in a system ?CnoEvil said:
damonster said:
All things being equal, the speakers (and their interaction with the room) would normally be seen as having the biggest effect......but things aren't always clear cut.
The amp can make a very substantial difference, especially if you are going between Classes and Types of amp. Eg Cyrus vs Pathos, or Bryston vs Unison Research. The amp / speaker synergy is what counts.
In a revealing system, the source will have a bigger impact than you might imagine.
Ok thanks ! I love my pulse and db1is , i find that the audiolab although good at what it does is a mismatch with the pulse .i find it a bit clinical .heard the db1is on arcam gear and sounded rich and warm .wondered if changing to arcam cdp would give me that sound.
I know this isn't what you asked but I recently listened to the Wharfedal Denton speakers and was amazed at how warm-sounding they are. As Cno said, perhaps a tube or class A amp could do the trick.
plastic penguin
Well-known member
damonster said:
As I've mentioned before you need to find the right balance. IMO your system (amp and CDP) is lopsided. Having owned Arcams they (IMHO) aren't warm, but do add a degree of solidity to the overall sound. Likewise Naim CDP I'm also very pleased with. These are the makes you should be looking at to balance out the sound (depending on your budget):
Arcam CD17 or CD37. Or Arcam A38 amp
Naim CD5i or the newer si or XS amp.
Rega Apollo-R or Saturn-R should give you tonal parity. No idea about Rega amps.
Marantz Pearl lite CDP/amp, although this may veer too much on the warm side given your current kit.
Exposure 3010S2, although not heard, the 2010S was fabulous.
is it possible to get a richer warmer sounding system from changing cd player/dac ?
- Of course it is. No need to go overboard either, IMO. Just give Arcam irDac a try. It might sort your problems.
ATB
- Of course it is. No need to go overboard either, IMO. Just give Arcam irDac a try. It might sort your problems.
ATB
Have you considered tone controls?
In further news, Audiolab in sounds a 'bit clinical' shock......!
In further news, Audiolab in sounds a 'bit clinical' shock......!
plastic penguin
Well-known member
davedotco said:
Ohh... letting the side down Mr. Co. You should know that tone controls totally EDITED up the sound quality.
BTW, what do you do for a living? Are you still working within the industry? No particular reason for asking, apart from being nosey.
A while back in a box reducing plan I thought I would use the DAC in my fairly high-end sony str-da5500es av receiver from my streamer (ALAC from computer / sony music unlimited) for music listening. Bad move, whilst OK for films it was far too bright with music via the Acoustic energy fronts. Found that Teac UD-H01 DAC has wamed the sound up nicely.
plastic penguin said:davedotco said:
Ohh... letting the side down Mr. Co. You should know that tone controls totally EDITED up the sound quality.
BTW, what do you do for a living? Are you still working within the industry? No particular reason for asking, apart from being nosey.
Morning PP.
Gave up retail about the turn of the century. Spent a good few years doing marketing work for all kinds of maunufacturers, including product launches and a lot of press work. Trotting down to Teddington on a regular basis to take some new toys to an impossibly young Khetan Bharadia and his colleagues.
Otherwise, I am primarily a landlord and part time servant to Mrs DDC who is a GP.
plastic penguin
Well-known member
davedotco said:plastic penguin said:davedotco said:
Ohh... letting the side down Mr. Co. You should know that tone controls totally EDITED up the sound quality.
BTW, what do you do for a living? Are you still working within the industry? No particular reason for asking, apart from being nosey.
Morning PP.
Gave up retail about the turn of the century. Spent a good few years doing marketing work for all kinds of maunufacturers, including product launches and a lot of press work. Trotting down to Teddington on a regular basis to take some new toys to an impossibly young Khetan Bharadia and his colleagues.
Otherwise, I am primarily a landlord and part time servant to Mrs DDC who is a GP.
Ah, so grovelling does pay dividends. :doh:
plastic penguin
Well-known member
damonster said:
Just another thought, Damonster.
This may sound strange, but having a source and/or speakers that are too warm strangles the Leema's natural sonic prowess. It does exactly as it says on the tin: It is punchy, detailed and lean. This is why, IMO, Arcam work so well with the Leema. They have a lovely smooth midrange, yet doesn't sacrifice any of the detail of the Leema.
If I had the money the CD37 was my first choice to partner the Leema. The Naim is no slouch either, and both sound wonderful with PMCs.
Lots of good suggestions here. I suspect my Marantz SA KI Pearl Lite would be worth auditioning, and if you can stretch a little further in terms of funds, Icon Audio's CDX1 with its valve output stage - I haven't heard the latter but have heard of it: could be just the ticket.
As for offboard DACs, the Arcam irDac is a good call. Non oversampling DACs, as Cno suggests, can deliver a richer, warmer sound and Metrum Acoustics' Quad and Octave Mk II would be worth investigating - difficult to audition but I think you can can buy on a 30 day return, money back guarantee basis which would give you the time to fully audition it against your Audiolab's internal DAC with your home system and environment.
As for offboard DACs, the Arcam irDac is a good call. Non oversampling DACs, as Cno suggests, can deliver a richer, warmer sound and Metrum Acoustics' Quad and Octave Mk II would be worth investigating - difficult to audition but I think you can can buy on a 30 day return, money back guarantee basis which would give you the time to fully audition it against your Audiolab's internal DAC with your home system and environment.
Have you tried some repositioning of the speakers? Moving them around a other and playing with the angle of toe-in can have a significant alteration to the sound you hear.
Perhaps even different cables could get you there. Van den Hul or Audioquest maybe? I'm sure others will come up with more recomendations. You shouldn't have too much difficulty geting some wires or Arcam irDac for a home demo.
Thanks for the reply pp , i know you suggested a change of cd a while back ,but i didn't want to hijack someone elses topic.Since i have had my db1is my system is loads better for long term listening sessions. Its not that the cdp grates or puts me on edge,its just that i know what the db1is are capable of in the right setup and mine isn't quite there yet.how do you find your naim compared to your old arcam cdp,just wondering how the house sounds of them compare.if they were similar i could look at something like a unitiqute as front end as i find i use the dac more than cdp these days.Or maybe looking at cheaper arcam cdp and irdac.I don't know if any one could tell me if stand alone dac such as arcam irdac would carry its sonic signature with it.what i mean is that arcam has its own brand sound and audiolab has its own brand sound.If i ran the audiolab through the arcam dac would it be influenced and sound like an arcam cdp.or am i being totally thick.hope not then the simple solution could be ,just get irdac.
thanks for the suggestion .yes tried in a bit out a bit back, forward, toed in ,toed out .get them set up then the missus moves one to hoover then i start all over again.the record spot said:
plastic penguin
Well-known member
damonster said:
Well, the Naim isn't 'night and day' different but the difference is audible. The Naim gives a broader sound than the CD73, and detail retrieval is better. The Leema needs a slightly 'thicker' soundstage, and the Naim provides that, as would the higher end Arcams.
Don't know about the Unitis but I would guess there would be a slight shortfall with a 30-watt Qute. If I was to go all-in-one route I'd look at the Uniti Lite or go with Arcam Solo Neo as a minimum.
Having had the Rega Dac I personally didn't think it was worth the £500 asking price, hence why I plumped for the Naim CDP. Bigger soundstage and cheaper as I part-ex'd it with the Arcam.
plastic penguin said:
How about this.....?
From about £200, shipped from the USA.
http://www.mav-audio.com/
I have agreed in principle to trade in my audiolab 8200cd for an exposure 2010s2.dac .Will have to wait till next Friday (payday) to sign on the dotted line.Not demoed it though so fingers crossed .speaking with the sales guy who sold me my speakers said they should give me the smooth presentation I am after.Anybody heard this dac?Or any one like to call me an idiot more than welcome.
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