My 1 month journey back into Hi-Fi so far.....

[admin_exported]

My 1 month journey back into Hi-Fi so far:

:exmark: I need to get a much better quality sound than this from my laptop!

:type: Research online ...

This is easy, can afford something, bring on the music, job done.

:cheers: I'll have a pint to celebrate what I'm going to buy tomorrow.

:read: Hang on, what did he say?!

:type: What did she say?!!

:type: Better check this out................

:read: Hmmm, there's a fair bit of choice.

:rant: Quite a lot of opinion too.

:hs: A lot of helpful people on these forums.

:help: Hmm, there's a fair bit of choice!!!!

:wall: Can't there be a Hi-Fi store which has stock of SOMETHING I want to audition somewhere near here!

:type: Stuff this, I'll buy it online, can't be bothered to wait for them to get stock.

:quest: Where's my order?

3 bluudy weeks and still not here, why aren't they responding to my emails or picking up the phone?

:mail: Got a feeling I know what's in that envelope from that solicitor sounding firm....

:doh: Thought that online price was a bit too good to be true.

:shame: Should have been patient.

:wave: Well, I can pretty much kiss goodbye to that money then.

ray: Visa payment protection? C'mon Visa you can do it! You'll look out for me.

:beer: Short :beer: Short :beer: :beer: Wine ....well, there's more to life than money, forget about it. Hic. Ouch.

:type: Research online...................................................................

:quest: What the hell is an Onkyo TX-8050???

:boohoo: apparently it's fine for instrumental.

:cheer: The Record Spot and matthewpiano seem to think it's not too bad.

oke: It can't be 4am can it?!

:quest: How long's this Onkyo thread?!?

:argh: What the hell ISN'T the Onkyo TX-8050???????????

Seriously, to all on these forums, thanks for being there to tempt me to spend my credit card limit, not sure what the hell I was thinking the last 10 years allowing my music to be locked up in laptopcatraz. All I've got to do now is figure out how to get it out!"

 

[GMK]

Brilliant :rofl:

And yes, after reading that thread, I'm tempted to buy an 8050 too

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers Gibs, tongue in cheek obviously but from the heart. I've got a bad case of the bug but it's all part of the enjoyment (I think)!

See you're missing a limb at the moment (amp) so would be good to know what you decide on when you take the plunge please, just to add to my confusion/pain/joy.

 

[GMK]

It's driving me potty, but in a good way. Just when I think I'm closer to making a decision I read something else that moves me in another direction

In a nutshell, my cd player sounds fantastic (but the spinning mechanism is noisy and needs replacing), but then I worry that buying a Marantz CD6004 could be a step down in quality. My Ruark's sound thin and awful despite countless rave reviews everywhere for them (after 2 years I've found advice suggesting to remove the sand loading which could finally help), so even if those two parts are sorted I still need an amp, so could plump for a Marantz PM6004, or the Onkyo 8050, or even buy a Marantz MCR603 to downsize and use with the Ruarks OR buy some more floorstanders

Better still I need this for 2 weeks time to showcase for the first time some Radiohead and Pink Floyd, Prodigy and Nick Drake to someone who has never heard real hi fidelity. So no pressure :rofl:

 

[Anonymous]

so even if those two parts are sorted I still need an amp, so could plump for a Marantz PM6004, or the Onkyo 8050, or even buy a Marantz MCR603 to downsize and use with the Ruarks OR buy some more floorstanders

Still, sounds like you're only a few turns of a screwdriver, 50 decisions, a thousand clicks of a mouse and a few hundred quid away from Hi-Fi heaven

 

[SteveR750]

:bounce: who put clingfilm on the toilet seat?

Nice thread btw Commiserations to your wallet.

 

[GMK]

I love the enthusiasm

The best I've heard my music was through my CD63 KI, Audiolab 8000S amp, Mission 752 Freedom floorstanders (and everything else in the house unplugged). And I just know it can be better.......

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks SteveR

I think it was The Record Spot with the cling film, not me, honest..... :cheers:

 

[Anonymous]

Gibs, don't know if attached link any good for a read?

http://www.audioreview.com/cat/speakers/floorstanding-speakers/ruark/talisman-ii/prd_120538_1594crx.aspx#review0

One of the owner reviews said The Ruarks strength is a clean and lively mid/upper range with good presentation of detail. Voices in particular have a slightly foward but quite natural presentation. The bass end needs careful setup for best performance, I found different degrees of loading the bottom cavity with dry sand was needed and made big changes. Positioning seemed less critical and i ran them quite close-about 15cm from the wall. After fiddling for a while I got the balance between over-loading (too heavy and characterless) and under doing (too thin). This is worth remembering when you and dem the speakers-few dealers are likely to spend hours playing around and most will have them un-loaded as they get pretty heavy otherwise! When the balance is right the bass is pretty good, not earth quaking but dynamic enough.

So maybe don't empty it all out! There's always contradicting opinion out there isn't there.

Not meaning to make too light of it. Wish I could help more.

If all else fails and you can afford it the 2011 What HiFi award winners in the price range of £800 (Tannoy DC6T floor standers) are going for £600 in places like Richer and SS&V at the mo but hope yours work out because seems they should be good speakers.

 

[GMK]

Not meaning to make too light of it

BOOM BOOM



:rofl:

Seriously though, thanks

 

[Anonymous]

Next step to musical freedom, convince my girlfriend who I live with that it would be a good idea to recover my separates system from storage. I work on the principal that although it's old (Marantz PM44SE and CD63 with KEF floorstanders) I can get a baseline for what that sounds like and buy new from there.

Small steps but important ones..........

 

[Timbot]

Which KEF floorstanders?

 

[Anonymous]

Wasn't sure, just knew they were OLD ones!

Just looked them up on KEF website - C40s from 1985

Fond memories of them all the same

Suspect I may need to raid my wallet to please my ears, ever heard of them? I guess not but like I said, step 1 to getting back on track and my music back..... Next step, enjoying upgrading it all with new stuff.

Pics below (and no that isn't what my living room looks like)!

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[Anonymous]

Best post ever! :cheers:

 

[Anonymous]

Cheers, given my ancient separates system and experience so far I think the only way is up (but I wont be playing that particular song!)

 

[GMK]

Does it really all need upgrading if it works?

 

[Anonymous]

No, you're right. If I've learnt anything from these forums (I've learnt a lot but long way to go) it's that music is very personal (taste in the music itself) and the sound of your system.

Will plug it all back in at the weekend, stick some CDs on (DAC to follow if any good) and see what it's like. I may be about to experience Lo-Fi.

Question is, when it comes to speakers - can old be gold?

 

[matthewpiano]

Those KEFs should still sound good. I own a pair of C30s from the same range and they are really enjoyable speakers, although I wouldn't use them in my main system after hearing how good the Quads sound with the Onkyo.

 

[Timbot]

I've heard of the C40s. Can't say I've ever heard them in use though!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks, stupid question but they're that old that although they're floorstanders they don't sit on spikes. Should I place them straight onto the carpet or am I likely to get better sound quality on speaker stands? Value your opinion.

 

[GMK]

My CD63KI is the best cd player I've heard (allegedly it's had over £1000 of modifications done but I wouldn't have a clue how to tell this) and aside from the slight noise when a disc spins she's going nowhere. I'd love a real enthusiast to test it one day. I'm on the verge now of getting an Onkyo 8050, so as Matthew's in this thread (and apologies if it's hijacking somewhat), but how is the sound staging with this amp? I want a big detailed musical picture to lose myself into, but with a real spread of sound and instruments. Is this a forte with the 8050? (I want Radiohead's Paranoid Android to sound as epic as it should)

 

[Anonymous]

No worries, meant to be an open forum, and interested in the response myself.

The :cheer: the 8050's been receiving has made me decide this will certainly be on my list of amps to try if I move on from the Marantz

 

[Anonymous]

Actually, reflecting on how I started this thread, I should have said apology not accepted, you should by rights be banished to the Onkyo thread which is plenty long enough on its own without this one becoming another one! :shame: :rofl:

 

[Timbot]

Thanks, stupid question but they're that old that although they're floorstanders they don't sit on spikes. Should I place them straight onto the carpet or am I likely to get better sound quality on speaker stands? Value your opinion.

I know a lot of people put their subs on a granite block (or a granite chopping board from your local supermarket / kitchen shop). Don't know if this would work with floor standers but don't see why not. I think putting tall floor standers on stands sounds like a recipe for disaster! Or you could try putting 4 overly-long screws through a bit of wood and make your own "low rider" stands to fit the speakers? Again I don't know if that would be better or worse!

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that Timbot, will have a think and if the speakers are worth it I'll trial some options and assess from there. Have been looking these up, they're described as floorstanders and I recall them being about 80cm tall - the KEF website says:

C40 (1985-88)

The C40 was generous in both volume and drive unit. Bass was plentiful and extended, and the design was balanced to operate clear of room boundaries on open stands. The two new 200mm bass/midrange units used polypropylene cones. Operating as a 2½-way system, the lower driver was used only at the lowest frequencies, augmenting and extending bass output, substantially improving power handling capacity, and assisting bass damping.

Any idea what "and the design was balanced to operate clear of room boundaries on open stands." actually means? Is this indicating that they should in fact be placed on stands despite their size?

Good grief, this is making me feel old (1985 to 88!)

Ever listened to the Tannoy Revolution DC6Ts and are floorstanders best for lower level listening in your view? (the room is approximately 32 foot (length) by 14 foot (width) and the would be facing out widthways into the room.

Thanks