Hi all,
I have some KEF iQ7 speakers, which I have disliked from the day I hooked them up. I ran with Marantz PM7200 and Marantz CD6002, and they sounded really shouty. They also lacked bass and scale, so I had to turn up the volume, which made them sound even more shouty. To add injury to insult, my Gale Gold Monitor bought for £60 sounded much much more enjoyable to listen to, with miles more bass and smoothness, although lacking a bit of detail.
I bought some PMC FB1+ and the difference is quite overwhelming. I don't have tuned listening skills, but the difference is like night and day. The sound is very large and is crystal clear, and seems to hang in the air for an eternity.
I am now thinking of changing the PM7200 for a Primare i30. Do you think the difference will be as pronounced as the speaker swap? I know that auditioning is important, but I would value the opinions here. The Marantz PM7200 sounds very good to me, but the speaker swap has me wondering.
I confess I hate listening to equipment in shops. I try to over-listen and over-analyse, and sometimes can't hear any differences or get "listened out". Also, how they sound in the shop is sometimes different to home. I auditioned the KEFs and didn't feel comfortable with them, and bought the PMC on gut instinct without ever hearing, to be made very happy.
Any views would be taken on board and gratefully received.
I have some KEF iQ7 speakers, which I have disliked from the day I hooked them up. I ran with Marantz PM7200 and Marantz CD6002, and they sounded really shouty. They also lacked bass and scale, so I had to turn up the volume, which made them sound even more shouty. To add injury to insult, my Gale Gold Monitor bought for £60 sounded much much more enjoyable to listen to, with miles more bass and smoothness, although lacking a bit of detail.
I bought some PMC FB1+ and the difference is quite overwhelming. I don't have tuned listening skills, but the difference is like night and day. The sound is very large and is crystal clear, and seems to hang in the air for an eternity.
I am now thinking of changing the PM7200 for a Primare i30. Do you think the difference will be as pronounced as the speaker swap? I know that auditioning is important, but I would value the opinions here. The Marantz PM7200 sounds very good to me, but the speaker swap has me wondering.
I confess I hate listening to equipment in shops. I try to over-listen and over-analyse, and sometimes can't hear any differences or get "listened out". Also, how they sound in the shop is sometimes different to home. I auditioned the KEFs and didn't feel comfortable with them, and bought the PMC on gut instinct without ever hearing, to be made very happy.
Any views would be taken on board and gratefully received.