Need help with my last moves

[Cycleman]

Hello to all. I am new here but i have this hobby the last 2 years. My system have

1)b&w 685 s2speakers. 2)ifi micro with iusb nano. 3.0. 3)nad 326bee amp 4)kimber 4pr speakers csble 5)vovox cable amp 6)gemini ifi cable. 7)interconnect ifi

Well that else can i do with little money to take better sound? I make my room as better as i can. I take the speakers away from the walls, I change the furnitures, i cover mirros, tv and other big squares.

I do nt know if it worth to buy better sound cable(i am thinking to buy something like 200—300euro). Also i don't know if i will hear difference changing interconnect (i had read good thing about qed reference audio 40 and jumpers. Also i was looking about ipurifier2... Whats yours opinion? My last though is to change dac with a better one.

Ps1:many people give money to expensive racks. I dont have so much money so i read about cuted balls or a specific base for quakes. The sound it will be better;

Ps2:i have i cable with 4 tails. Ok... I put in my amp 2 in black and 2 in red... But back in the speakers have hf hl. The 2 tails are more hard than the others. Which will i prefer to put in hf?

Thanks a lot and sorry about my english.

 

[Muddywaterstones]

[quote=Cycleman

Ps2:i have i cable with 4 tails. Ok... I put in my amp 2 in black and 2 in red... But back in the speakers have hf hl. The 2 tails are more hard than the others. Which will i prefer to put in hf?

If I understand correctly, you have speaker cable for bi-cabling. I had the same on an old pair of B&W DM602 speakers.

Rather than seperate all 4 ends of cable at the speaker, what I did was keep the cables together into the low frequency ports. Thus, 2 red wires together at the amp stays as two red wires together at the speaker. Repeat for the black wire.

Two (or more) options for the high frequencies. First is install one of those brass plate things from binding post to binding post. Second (and what I did) is throw away the brass plate, cut 5cm off the speaker cable, attach spade plugs (or spade/banana plugs using slightly longer length of wire) and bingo! The job is done. Don't know if that sounds clear but it's easier done than said!

You don't need to be able to solder. There are plugs readily available which you can fit using a screwdriver. For me that added more power and punch to the presentation of the music at the time.

As for the rest, I would be wary of throwing too much money at cables and purifiers etc. Lots of people don't like those B&W speakers. I haven't actually heard them. Maybe the amp isn't a good match for them (again I haven't heard this amp though in theory it should be up to the job). Usually the answer lies here. I would suggest visiting a dealer and see if there is something you prefer that gets you closer to what you are looking for, then sell on the stuff you don't like. The difference in price might be no more than your budget for cables.

 

[Cycleman]

thanks for quick reply. i understand everything you say.So i change my mind ....You think my next move to change amp?! I heard many people prefer rotel and arcam than nad.which is your opinion about it?

 

[pravstar]

Speaker position is of paramount importance, the gains you can make are astounding by changing even 1/2 cm believe it or not.

I second the speaker cable jumper idea. I terminated chord oddesey 4, 2-4 biwire and it saved me a lot of money, cost less than 40 euros for cable and nakimichi banana, use copper for terminations and not brass. It's also very easy to do an I am rubbish at diy.

The nad amp, lots of better amps out there and as the nucleus of the system you can get better. Look on ebay, you may find better brands than you have suggested and by buying and selling it will give you a larger budget here

 

[Muddywaterstones]

thanks for quick reply. i understand everything you say.So i change my mind ....You think my next move to change amp?! I heard many people prefer rotel and arcam than nad.which is your opinion about it?

I wouldn't be in a rush. As a word of warning, I have found the cheaper Rotel amps with B&W to be bass light, horribly bright and tiring after an hour or so. Have a listen around first and see what you like. Listen to your amp with other speakers. Listen to your speakers with other amps. Easiest way is to find a dealer who stocks the same gear, so you don't have to dismantle it and lug it around. Might save half the hassle.

Another question would be the source. I presume there is a laptop or iDevice attached to the Ifi micro nano machine. Is that then attached to a DAC or is it wired straight to the amp? I'm not sure how it works but I didn't think it was a standalone DAC.

 

[Cycleman]

my connection is from laptop-usb cable kimber-ifi iusb nano 3.0-ifi gemini cable-ifi micro dsd-rca-amp

So you found rotel bright and with little bass.So do i. Because i like music i want to be better and better....also i have in my about to buy rack cause i read is not good to put the amp anywhere...is that correct?is it wirth a pay?i want to take me maximum.Always changing the position of the speakers to find the best.

 

[Muddywaterstones]

I know nothing about the source quality so can't give an opinion. My question would be what sort of quality files are you playing? Lossless FLAC? Basic Spotify? Could you borrow a CD player to see if it makes any difference?

Were you happy with the sound from this system before? Have you just gotten tired of it or has something dramatically changed? What is the room like? Tiled or wooden floors? Carpets? Until you identify why you are unhappy with the sound there is no reason to splash more cash.

A dedicated rack is nice (as much for aesthetics as sound) but far from essential. So long as the equipment is placed on something relatively flat and vibrations are kept to a minimum, there should be no problems. I use an old, wooden IKEA worktable that the missus has deemed surplus to requirements.

Speaker stands are more important. How have you positioned yours?

 

[nopiano]

Anybody can help me to choose amp?!

i am between nad c275bee and arcam fmj a29 or a39

The NAD is a power amp. The Arcam models are integrated amps. They are therefore not comparable, and the a39 would be a good choice. Can you not listen to them?

 

[Cycleman]

Anybody can help me to choose amp?!

i am between nad c375bee and arcam fmj a29 or a39

 

[Cycleman]

For start i will like to thanx a lot all of you about your answer ...especialy to Muddywaterstones.

Well i am listening flac files.i fell something is missing. At first i was wrong buying cables.The speaker i had improve the high frequencies(harmonic tech wave) and rca had bass (van den hull the name) so i change it and my sound is now better (kimber sound cable)(rca cable ifi).

After this one friend give his cd player (philips cdr760). When i used i say wow....that happend here.i say maybe my dac is not so bass friendly.and after i was looking for dac but everybody told me that is not the dac...how know?!

i never was happy with my sound.My room is 17 square meter(4,5mx3,7m). i have wood only up to my head(celing is the right world i think),the floor is tiled.i put my speaker to the big wall. i have both of them 0,90 from the big wall and 1,10m from the sides.the distance between the speaker is 2,3m.carpet only in a place that is the triangle.Also i am waiting the b&w stands but is in the right height.

My basic question about all of this...How is it possible? The cdplayer plays better than my dac?i give so much money for nothing.

Sorry about my fault...i was wrong.i was meaning nad c375bee and not c275.My fault.Is difficult to hear both of them cause i am not living in a city that has this opportunity

Everything else about all the rest also it will be nice.

 

[Muddywaterstones]

Thank you Cycleman but please bear in mind I am no expert, not even remotely so. I just like music.

If the CD player was considerably better than the DAC, then the DAC isn't doing what you want it to do. As I said before, I don't know how good or bad the IFI DAC is when working correctly. Maybe that is its limit. Maybe there is something wrong.

As there seem a few links between the laptop, the DAC and the amp in your system, have you got it set-up correctly? Loose connections? Crossed wires?

Did you actually like the sound with the CD player or was it just different?

In theory NAD have good bass to drive the B&W to a decent level. Moving up a level in their range (or another manufacturers range) should get even more out of the speakers but they can only amplify what they are being fed from the DAC. Before doing anything, I would advise doing some more detective work just to be sure.

 

[rainsoothe]

Arcam A39 or A29 + Focal Aria 906 (or Wharfedale Jade 3 if you go for the A39 and you don't mind their size). Thank me later ))

 

[Cycleman]

i check 100 times the setup and everything in my system.i am 90% sure that is correct.so with the same cables i test the cd player. Sounds different and better. Is more warm more harmonic.Maybe is not doing something well...but that is that desteroys my sound?!

i feel that with the dac i loose some low frequencies.

 

[Cycleman]

thas i wrong?! can anybody help me?!

I want to choose another dac to test my system.which you suggest?!.1000euro max.. i don't want amp for headphones or other exits. Just usb cable and 2 rca.i want to pay only for the music quality and not for other thing that i will not use at all.

I read many good things about mytek 192 stereo. i know is old and have many things that i will not use....but is still in the stores....so i think is a very good dac....but what else worth to choose?!

 

[Cycleman]

someone guys.....i am comfused

 

[bluedroog]

Get some proper stands with heavy mass for you speakers.

Other than that if your room is ok I'd just relax and enjoy the music. Don't go looking to throw £200-300 here and there, that's a dealers dream! emptying your wallet for foo and sideways steps.

You could perhaps try out room EQ with something like the MiniDSP, there are free trials you can try.

I'd say enjoy your ssystem and upgrade when you can afford to make one that really counts.

 

[BigH]

I would say buy better speakers, spending that on a Dac is not the best way to budget, can you return the DAC? Amp. could be improved also.

 

[Al ears]

Anybody can help me to choose amp?!

i am between nad c275bee and arcam fmj a29 or a39

The NAD is a power amp. The Arcam models are integrated amps. They are therefore not comparable, and the a39 would be a good choice. Can you not listen to them?

Good point. No one can tell the OP how they are going to sound he has to audition for himself.