Maybe a Different Title Will Help - Spend My Money...

[Alec]

I was'nt going to do this yet as I will be getting a BDP soon, and I'm unlikely to get new stereo stuff for a couple of months, but I'm getting itchy feet, so may aswell start kicking ideas about before arranging demos.

My current kit is in my sig. Now, its great with things like Automatic... by R.E.M., various Tracy Chapman, Elliott Smith type tracks, but the more exciteable the music gets, the more aparent it becomes that things are a bit too polite. To take it to extremes (and I'm not that big a fan of this stuff but do really enjoy it on occasion), I just do'nt get the "grrr" I want with bands like Sepultura, Slipknot, and even think something might be missing with the like of Bad Religion and Green Day, and possibly even the odd livelier R.E.M. song.

There was, if I recall, a perfect entence spelling out the problem in a review of the MA BR2s, but I think I'm right in saying that review was removed from the site a few months back, as the speakers got re-reviewd for a group test, and a fresh review was written and uploaded...Was looking forward to quoting it but nevermind. How dare WHFS&V? be so efficient.

I want an amp and speakers, and the budget is a maximum of 1k. I emphasise maximum because, having lots of things I want to do, and having heard those Dalis* in Bristol, I rekon the kinda thing i want may be available well within that limit. I do only want to buy brand new from a real shop tho, as I denied myself the experience last time (getting my first ever "hi fi" setup) and wish i had'nt.

Two things I should mention that may sound a little contradictory to what I've said above:

1) I do'nt mind blowing the budget on one component and getting the other in a year or so if anyone really feels that may benefit me (tho I may take some persuading. Hey, I'm trying to seem open minded here! And i figure, as i have a tight budget, doing it that way makes it even more crucial that i get it right, as i wont be able to upgrade things of that level too often...).

2) I know they are over budget, but rest assured I have pre-empted suggestions of the AVI ADM 9.1s, and do intend to hear them.

* JD suggested to someone the other day that they get the Dalis with a certain Primare amp (surprise!). This struck me as a good idea, as I'd love an amp thats nice and silvery ol' school (or, in this case, a bit more nu skool) looking, plus, if it could cope with future speaker upgrades, that would help a great deal.

OK, I've waffled for an age and given you quite a bit to go on i think, so I'll stop here. All and any thoughts gratefully recieved.

 

[Alec]

Ah yes. Just one more stipulation that i wanted to put in another post lest it get missed.

Many will dissaprove, but im unlikely to consider B&W. Their thing for yellow, you see, and i do like to take the speaker covers off.

 

[Anonymous]

I used the 320Bee with Pro-ac Tablette Reference Signatures for a few years. Sounded great!

You should give them a listen (and then save abit more for the amp)

or maybe the studio's at that price too.

 

[Alec]

fast eddie:I used the 320Bee with Pro-ac Tablette Reference Signatures for a few years. Sounded great! You should give them a listen (and then save abit more for the amp) or maybe the studio's at that price too.

Thanks for the suggestion. Do you mean the 110s? Are the others floor-standers?

EDIT just googled "the others" and they are not. sorry.

EDIT Spoke to someone recently tho who is a fan of the Ikons over the Lektors.

EDIT - know someone who owns the B&W (yes i know) DM303s. They were pretty good with vocals and far as i remember from the few minutes ive spent with them. So possibly they're heading in the right direction.

 

[John Duncan]

Hey Al. I do think the Lektors 1 or 2 sound as if they'll be worth listening to with an i21, a combo that would be pretty much in budget, but I can't say I've heard them yet (maybe I'll get to now....

). They also give you the opportunity to spend more on an amp than you otherwise would, which is definitely the way I'd go - once you've got a bit of quality muscle in the middle of your system, even cheap speakers will benefit, and you can move up from there.

And whilst you know my views on Primare, there's no doubt that you pay a premium for the privilege of having that knob, and there are other amps I'd listen to as well - particularly Marantz, Creek and Roksan - dunno the new K2 but the last one was lively and is heavily discounted, as will be the last-gen Marantz amps - PM7001KI could be a good choice for you.

 

[Alec]

Thanks very much John.

You think the Primare would be exciting then, as the review here says its rather polite? Any specific other models i should look at? I must admit my first instinct was to spend more on speakers, but i can live with the idea of a good amp, as long as it'll last through another set of speakers or 3.

Visually, i like the look of the Denons, too, but they dont seem too popular. Just throwing that out there.

Anyway as i said, any and all suggestions welcome, especially if theyre well in budget

EDIT - Sorry John, you actually gave more info on specific models there than i thought you had on first read. takes me a while to wake up...

 

[John Duncan]

I think it can be yes, works for me when I need to crank it up (not often, admittedly). Reading original post again though, bet you'd like the Creek Evo as well...

 

[Alec]

Yeah the Creek might be a goer, cheers.

EDIT - that Marantz looks nice too.

 

[Alec]

Really in a quandary now, as i seem to be going weill over budget. So, at least as an excercise, if anyone has any ideas that fir the good looking and exciting brief but are nearer my current kit in price range, id love to hear them.

Also, just to contradict myself again, do people think PMC and NAD play nicely...?

 

[Alec]

I guess im thinking aloud really but anyway, ill see if anyone has any thoughts.

In the interests of trying to gain some focus, i listened today (and will be doing so for several more days) to a friend's B&W dm 303s (about 7 years in use if that matters EDIT - anyone know what these cost when they first appeared?) with my NAD amp. I thought they were tight and punchy, a bit more exciting with "heavier/harder" music, detailed, good with vocals...and yet i still prefer mine overall, as they jsut sound "fuller". There seemed to be something missing with the B&Ws, which also seemed a bit scratchy in places. Whetehr that was in the recordings or teh speakers im not 100% sure, i just know i havent noticed it before with my own setup.

So...can i get a happy medium at a higher budget level? Is whatever is making my speakers a bit tame also making them fuller (and i like the latter), which could be a bad thing.

Is my initial impression of both the Dali Lektors and the PMC standmounts correct, in that they give more warmth without losing too much excitement and detail?

I'll be experimenting with said friends cambridge amp soon too, which i think ill have for a few days so ill try all the combinations.

It could be i spose, that im doing the wrong thing in using his kit to help steer me. i am doing this because he offered, plus i imagined the B&Ws to be punchier and tighter (and they are), and i thought this was the direction i want to move in. I still suspect this, and that at a higher budget level the money might help to buy less compromises. That was well written wasnt it?

 

[matthewpiano]

I think you are right in your thoughts that moving up from the DM303s might give you less compromise but be careful. You might just be taking a while to get used to a different sound. I've just sold my BR2s. Having tried quite a few different speakers, I realised that they seem to add excess meat to the sound and, particularly in the midrange, it can become too cloying. They don't really give vocals etc. the proper sense of space and, to me, thats a considerable failing.

Have you tried MS Avant 902is with your NAD amp? I think the Dali Lektor 2 could be a great option as well from what I have read. Hope you get this sorted.

 

[Alec]

Thanks Mathew!

I'll try and audition those speakers you reccommend (and if you have any more...). Also, to get some more ideas flowing, i think i might go to my local dealer and demo some stuff soon. Theyre not that well stocked and id be surprised if i got what i wanted there, but its worth a go as an initial foray.

If anyone alse has any thoughts on my confused ramblings...

 

[Alec]

Anyone think its possible to draw a little more excitement from the BR2s with a different amp...?

 

[Alec]

Yeah, i know you're not interested, but here goes...

So I have my MAs back in place now, and I'm happier with them than the B&Ws. The search continues, but in a slightly happier, more relaxed way. I mean, i could live with slightly tighter base, and ive just turned the treble on the NAD alll the way up, and i think i like the extra detail that gives, but i still like the fullness of the BR2s, and I know now that im probably liooking for quite a subtle change (i mean, there are far more brands out there than B&W and MA, eh?...

By the by, guy in my local hifi emporium rekons many people do'nt really hear much difference with amp changes...

 

[JoelSim]

The ProAcs Signatures are a good speaker for getting you foot tapping, very enjoyable and musical. You could get some for £750 I reckon, then a new amp in the summer.

ÿ

 

[Alec]

JoelSim:

The ProAcs Signatures are a good speaker for getting you foot tapping, very enjoyable and musical. You could get some for £750 I reckon, then a new amp in the summer.

Thankyou.

Exciting without getting irritating, capable of playing fullsome acoustic tracks...?

 

[Gerrardasnails]

al7478:Anyone think its possible to draw a little more excitement from the BR2s with a different amp...?

Creek Evo and RS6s would take some beating imo. Superfi have the Evo at the moment for £390.

 

[Alec]

Gerrardasnails:al7478:Anyone think its possible to draw a little more excitement from the BR2s with a different amp...? Creek Evo and RS6s would take some beating imo. Superfi have the Evo at the moment for £390.

Thankyou sir! All this will go on me list.

EDIT - Ah. I'm ruling out floorstanders, albeit with a heavy heart. Being a wheelchair user theyll be a bit more difficult to move around than standmounts. Thanks tho, and the amp suggestion is duly noted.

 

[Gerrardasnails]

al7478:
Gerrardasnails:al7478:Anyone think its possible to draw a little more excitement from the BR2s with a different amp...? Creek Evo and RS6s would take some beating imo. Superfi have the Evo at the moment for £390.

Thankyou sir! All this will go on me list.

I don't know how much the RS6s are these days but I had this pairing when I first got my RS6s and I would still have the Evo if it wasn't for the fact that you can't separate the pre and power to link it to an AV receiver. Actually I have another thought, my current amp can be had at the silly price of £399 at Richer Sounds (if there are any left).

 

[Alec]

Gerrardasnails:al7478:

Gerrardasnails:al7478:Anyone think its possible to draw a little more excitement from the BR2s with a different amp...? Creek Evo and RS6s would take some beating imo. Superfi have the Evo at the moment for £390.

Thankyou sir! All this will go on me list.

I don't know how much the RS6s are these days but I had this pairing when I first got my RS6s and I would still have the Evo if it wasn't for the fact that you can't separate the pre and power to link it to an AV receiver. Actually I have another thought, my current amp can be had at the silly price of £399 at Richer Sounds (if there are any left).

That is a bargain innit?!

I shall hold off now tho as i want to book a demo session at my local shop next week. They have a small range in, but at least i shall have some moe experience and ideas after that.

Thanks again.

 

[Alec]

Had an interesting couple days and thought id bombard you with some thoughts lol!

Wnet auitioning with my nearest dealer yesterday. they arent up to much in terms of range of stock but they make a logical starting point.

First off - i dont have monitor audio BR2s, it turns out. i have MA Bronze B2s. Not amused at my own stupidity there. luckily, they sound similar enough, as they used them to audition some amps.

Amps auditioned were the Arcam 18 (they had the 28 but being as it was 800£ i decided not to bother. wish i had now jsut for sake of hearing it but hey ho). And i heard the rotel RA 06 too. I thought the rotel had slightly fuller base and more definition in the treble, but i mean slightly.

As for speakers, i heard the kef IQ7s (briefly) and they didnt really leave an impression at all to be honest. Also heard the MA BR5s, which sounded like the MA BR2s but "bigger" with more base too.

Then, and finally, i heard the B&W 686s. I prefered these over the rest, it pains me to say. I suspect things are caked in too much base for me at the moment to be honest, so maybe im just looking for clearer presentation. the dealer said i should hear teh 685s which he has lent to someone just now but i shall contact him again to hear them.

They didnt have much higher end speakers in theres so ill have to audition those elsewhere, but it was a start, and i think im leaning to giving the lions' share of the budget over to the spekers now.

 

[the record spot]

Not read all of this so not sure of your budget al, but can you try out Leema Xeros? £650, so maybe off the radar for you, but apparently a stunning standmount and would represent a step-up from the £200-400 standmounts I think.

 

[Alec]

Thanks for that. They look good ill see where i can hear them.

I'm being a bit confusing on budget, sorry about that. The budget is up to £1000 including an amp (but weighted in favour of speakers, ive recently decided), but I welcome suggestions that will bring me in under budget, tho i appreciate thats difficult as i have only just started to define what sound im after better.

 

[Anonymous]

I think you should be looking at the Creek Evo also, so that's 3 votes for the Creek now. Also not being funny but why would you need to move floorstanders around? it's just that floorstanders or at least decent floorstanders will deliver much more power and presence, ideal for slipknot and such, not that I listen to much of their stuff but there are a few really good songs of theirs i guess

 

[Alec]

hi fi newbie:I think you should be looking at the Creek Evo also, so that's 3 votes for the Creek now. Also not being funny but why would you need to move floorstanders around? it's just that floorstanders or at least decent floorstanders will deliver much more power and presence, ideal for slipknot and such, not that I listen to much of their stuff but there are a few really songs of theirs i guess

Thanks for the reccommendation. My room is currently set up so that there are power points behind each, which i sometimes need access to, so thats why i need them to be easily move-able. I am, however, thinking of changing the room around, and that may solve the problem.