My Hifi and Home Cinema Set Up

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Anonymous

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Lovely setup you have there El, I am also from Malaysia and I love your new LED tv.

Off topic, you working in KL? I missed the last KLAV show and seemed that you got yourself a good deal for that cdp.
 

El Hefe

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Just realised that the pictures didnt come out on the site.

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El Hefe

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winyip:

Lovely setup you have there El, I am also from Malaysia and I love your new LED tv.

Off topic, you working in KL? I missed the last KLAV show and seemed that you got yourself a good deal for that cdp.

Thanks Winyip,

Was working in KL. But moved to Miri in Aug 08. Hence, the picture that I have just posted is a different living compared to the on on the first page of this thread.

So far, I have been going to the KLAV show every year since 2005. And each year, I managed to get a good bargain. Last year, I bought a whole Tivoli AUdio system for the bedroom and a very good price.

Are u based in KL?
 
A

Anonymous

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Hi El Hefe,

I am not based in KL, instead in Seremban and attached to a company here. Miri huh, from what I read through fella local hifi enthusiats the houses in Miri / Kuching have bigger rooms. Can tell from your picture though
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I always hope I have bigger space to enjoy my home theater...
 

idc

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Hi El Hefe, can't believe I missed this thread. The MF kit in particular looks fantastic, I so wish they kept that range going at at the more accessible prices than they have now. How hot do they get as I remember us talking about the heat when you we deciding on the X-CAN?
 

El Hefe

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idc:Hi El Hefe, can't believe I missed this thread. The MF kit in particular looks fantastic, I so wish they kept that range going at at the more accessible prices than they have now. How hot do they get as I remember us talking about the heat when you we deciding on the X-CAN?

idc,

My kit is quite an old kit compared to the others on this thread. My MF, Yamaha AV and MD player, although at their time, were 5 star kit, it has already approached 10 years now since I purchased them. So not as exciting as some other people's kit. Nevertheless, I am very happy with my system and have no plans to change them. My upgrades nowadays are based around the MF amps, hence only changed my CDP and speakers last year. And of course, leaped into BluRay, hence purchased the LED TV. Have yet to change my Yamaha because I still have not set up my dream dedicated AV room. Thats my project this year.

The X-CAN is OK. Not hot at all. Just warm. As you can see from my rack, it has a lot of 'head room' for ventilation eventhough I placed it on the Rega. Was planning to put it on top of the rack but it looks a little bit odd being on its own hehehe.
 

El Hefe

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I have been quiet for the past few months. Actually since April, I was in the process of moving back from Miri (East Malaysia in Borneo Island) to Kuala Lumpur. So I have been busy re-setting up my hifi. I now have a dedicated room for music and jamming session. Hence, this room is where I set up my music hifi and my drums and guitar. My AV set up, I have left it in the family room downstairs.

And of course, its time of the year again today where the Kuala Lumpur International AV show is held. Hence, upgraded the following:

1. Alessandro-Grado Headphone. RRP here was about 570 quid. Got it for 480 quid. Bought this because I am so ****** off with the Dr. Dre Solo purchase. You can read about my complaint in Headphones thread. Basically upgraded from Bose Over the Ear which is now used for my drums set.

2. PPK Govibe Mini headphone amp for office use.

3. QED Silver XT biamp speaker cable. Upgrading (?) from Ixos 604.

4. QED Signature Interconnect. Upgraded this from QED Audionote 2. The Audionote 2 is now used between XA1 and XCANV3.

5. QED Reference Optical cable. Upgraded from freebie cable.

6. VDH HDMI Flat. Upgraded (?) from Monster Cable.

7. QED Reference Subwoofer cable. Upgraded from Cambridge Audio.

8. Various BD movies at about 10 quid each.

Oh also a few months back, I purchased a 2nd hand TEAC Tape deck for all my old music. Superb.

Will comment on the upgrade performace after I have run in the cables.

Pictures will come.
 

El Hefe

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TEAC Tape deck

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'The mess'

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Yamaha DTXPlorer. The beige coloured headgear is actually a Head Massager :)

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The purchase

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The set up

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The Alessandro=Grado package with extension cable and Govie mini headphone amp

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The Alessandro-Grado close up
 

El Hefe

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ronald,

thanks for your kind words. i got even luckier today. went again to the av show on its last day and upgraded my CDP and headphones amp, got a bargain (i think its a bargain). purchased the MF X-Ray V3 to replace my rega apollo and the MF X-CAN V3 to replace the V2. got both brand new for 1000 quid. the RRP here in Malaysia is 1300 quid. will put up pics.
 

El Hefe

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After running the system for a week now, here are my comments:

Proses upgrading:

1. First I changed the speaker cable from Ixos to QED Silver Anniversary. Run in for 2 hours. My system now sounds a bit too heavy on bass.

2. Second, I changed the interconnects from QED Audionote to Signature Series. Run in for another 2 hours. The bassy sound is gone and the tone is more balanced. Warmth is at a different level. And the music feels airy.

3. As for the Alessandro headphones, run it for 4 hours through the headphone amp MF X-CAN V2. Very spacious sound compared to Bose.

This was on Saturday evening. So I let the system to run in till Sunday morning. On Sunday morning the sound is more luscious than ever. But curiosity on what else can be improved got over me. So on Sunday evening, went to the AV show again and bought the CD player MF X-ray V3 and Headphone amp X-CAN V3.

Was contemplating between X-ray and the new M3 CD player. The price different is about 200 quid. Finally decided on the X-Ray because I wanted the X-CANV3 as well.

Hooked up the X-Ray and X-Can and run in for 2 hours. Aaaaaahhhhh what a bliss. With MF CD player as the source, sound is more detailed. Let it run in till Monday morning and throughout the day as well since I am in the office. After a week, I am very satisfied with quality of sound coming out of the system. Can a change in amplifier make more difference? Shall wait for next year's exhibition.
 

El Hefe

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Sent my XA50 monoblock for repairs. Speakers are now just run by the XA1. Immediate made the set up to be on the bright side. Treble was dominating the sound. Hence, purchased the X10 V3 and XPSU V3 yesterday. After 24 hours of running in, the sound has improved but have yet to achieve the sound when I bi-amped the speakers with XA-50s. The tube buffer does give a warmer sound and the system has gained bass authority as well.

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El Hefe

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Got back my X-A50. No major fault. Just soldering went loose. Cost me only 35 quid.

Set the system back up to biamp the EPOS.

Now back to hifi bliss.

Also, resurrected my old set up of Marantz PM57, CD6000 and Mission M31.

So my final and current set up as of 15th Sep 2010:

Main System

1. Main amplifier - Musical Fidelity X-A1 driving the tweeters, X-A50 mono blocks driving the woofers

2. Headphone amplifier - Musical Fidelity X-CANV3 + X-PSUV3

3. CD Player - Musical Fidelity X-RayV3 + X-10V3 Tube buffer + X-PSUV3 + X-DAC

4. Minidisc player - SONY MDSJA20ES + Musical Fidelity X-DAC

5. Tape deck - TEAC V6030S

6. Speakers - biamped EPOS M12.2 on ATS stands

7. iPod dock - iPod Touch 32GB

8. Airport Express - Wireless connection to 1 TB external hard disk

9. DAC - Musical Fidelity X-DAC

Interconnects

1. CD player to X-10V3 - Van Den Hull Hybrid

2. CD player to X-DAC - Cambridge Audio Coaxial

3. X-10V3 to X-A1 - QED Signature Series

4. Minidisc player to X-DAC - QED Reference series optical

5. Minidisc player to X-A1 - QED Audio 2 Series

6. TEAC Tape Deck to X-A1 - Cambridge Audio Pearl

7. X-A1 to X-A50s - Arrow

8. X-DAC to X-A1 - Cambridge Audio Pacific

9. iPod dock to X-A1 - QED J2P

10. Airport Express to X-DAC - Target Optical Cable

11. X-CANV3 to X-A1 - QED Audio 2

Speaker cables

1. X-A1 and X-A50s to EPOS - QED Silver XT biamp wires

Power Cables

1. X-A1, X-A50s and X-RayV3 - QED Qonduit

Headphones

1. Grado Alessandro

2. Monster Cable Dr. Dre Solo noise cancellation

Accessories

1. Remote control - Philips Pronto

2. Belkin 8 way surge protector

Dining Room System

1. Amplifier - Marantz PM-57

2. CD player - Marantz CD6000

3. Speakers - Mission M31 on Target UK stands

4. iPod dock - 30 GB iPod video 4th Gen

5. Interconnects - freebies

6. Speaker cable - Gale

Bedroom system

1. Tivoli Audio Model Two tuner/amp

2. Tivoli Audio CD player

3. Tivoli Audio Subwoofer

4. Headphone amplifier - Musical Fidelity X-CANV2

5. Headphone - Sennheiser PX100

6. iPod dock - 32GB iPhone 3GS

Office system

1. BOSE Companion 2 Series II speakers

2. Headphone amplifier - PPK Govibe Mini amp

3. Sources - iPhone and 80GB external hard disk

4. Amplifier - BOSE over the ear

AV System

1. TV - Samsung UA55B7000 LED with DNLA from 1 TB external hard disk for movie streaming

2. Blu Ray player - SONY BDP-S1E

3. DVD player - SONY DVPNS708HP

4. AV Receiver - Yamaha RX-V795aRDS,

5. HDD/DVD Recorder - Philips DVDR7300H 250 GB

6. Centre speaker - Infinity Primus Center

7. Rear speakers - Wharfedale WH2

8. Subwoofer - SW15 Sub

9. Front Speakers - Mission M34i

10. ASTRO Decoder

Interconnects

1. Blu ray to TV - Van Den Hull Flat HDMI

2. Blu ray to AV receiver - Cambridge Audio Coaxial

3. DVD to TV - Monster Cable HDMI

4. DVD to AV receiver - Freebie optical cable

5. AV receiver to Subwoofer - QED Reference series

Speaker cables

1. Front and read - Gale

2. Centre - Audioquest

Accessories

1. Remote - Logitech Harmony 1000i

2. Belkin 8 way surge protector

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