Speaker Upgrade vs Speaker Cable, Stands and Mains Conditioner.

[sibelius7]

Hi all,

This is my first post here so go easy on me

My current setup is NAD C320BEE int amp, Denon RCD M33 micro system (used as CD transport and radio), Beresford TC-7510 DAC, Wharfedale Diamond 9.1.

As you can probably tell by the setup, this is hifi on a shoe-string kinda stuff and i'm really trying to work out what would be the next best upgrade for me. So, my question is, which one of these options would make the most sense?

A) Losing the Wharfedales for something like the MA BR2 Bronze

B)Upgrading the speaker cables (QED's of some sort), stands (soundstyle Z2) and possibly getting a mains conditioner.

My current speaker cables are some generic profigold things and my speaker stands cost £15 from Maplins. I know peripherals are important, but can they make as much of a difference as a simple speaker upgrade? If you have a completely differnet alternative that you think would be better, please let me know!

 

[idc]

Component upgrades will provide better results than ancilliaries. I would look at upgrading the speakers before you start to upgrade cables, stands etc. As for which speaker, I am not sure, are you able to access a good dealer and audition some?

 

[Anonymous]

If I were you I'd slap a pair of 685s on the end of it, but I would say that, cos that's what I did!

They'll work great with your amp, and you could fill your stands to make em rock solid if you can't afford new stands too..

 

[biggus_1961]

Pmaninit:
If I were you I'd slap a pair of 685s on the end of it, but I would say that, cos that's what I did!

They'll work great with your amp, and you could fill your stands to make em rock solid if you can't afford new stands too..

Ditto to this

 

[matthewpiano]

I'm guessing you listen to classical music (because of your forum name), so I'll suggest the Quad 11Ls. They image much better than the 685s and are more even across the frequency range. They match well with NAD amplification and in this sort of set-up have plenty of attack and drive without ever losing composure or musicality, and without ever straying into harshness.

The BR2s, for classical music, are a step back from the Wharfedales you already have IMO. They can sound a bit thick in the midrange which I found a problem with voices in operatic and choral music, and the 2nd violins and violas can sound a bit homogenous. Excellent speakers, but I think the 9.1s are better for classical music.

Another speaker that would be well worth auditioning is the Mordaunt-Short Mezzo 2, or possibly the Ushers (I forget the model number).

While you are looking, an upgrade of speaker cable to Chord Company's Carnival Silverscreen or Rumour 2 will help to get the best out of your amp/speaker combination.

Of course, I could have got this totally wrong and you might be a metal fan...

 

[sibelius7]

Lol, Metallica does have a special place in my heart. I think i'm about 50% classical (mainly symphonic, really can't stand opera i'm afriad) and 50% other. Last album to buy was actually Tonic's Lemon Parade. Best £3 i ever spent!

 

[matthewpiano]

sibelius7:Lol, Metallica does have a special place in my heart. I think i'm about 50% classical (mainly symphonic, really can't stand opera i'm afriad) and 50% other. Last album to buy was actually Tonic's Lemon Parade. Best £3 i ever spent!

Excellent - variety is the spice of life!! I'm the same - I like all sorts of music although classical music is regaining its prime position in my listening these days. Its taken a long time and lots of stress to find a system that can reproduce it properly.

 

[idc]

There is a very general rule of thumb that you spend 10% of your budget on cables etc, so obviously you are going to be better off starting off with the 90% on the kit. Cables etc are important, but important to improving a sound you are already happy with. If you have a sound you are not happy with a new cable is unlikely to change that.

 

[Sizzers]

I don't find too much wrong with the Diamonds myself so I would be tempted to look at the stands. When I bought my little set up, at the time I couldn't afford stands as well so used a friends cheapo cast offs. The bass could get on the boomy side at times and things could sound generally pretty muddled too, nothing like when I auditioned it. So, I took the plunge and spent £70 on the Soundstyle Z2ii speaker stands and WOW, what a difference! Everything just became so tight and much more focused it really was like having a brand new system. Some people may think £70 for stands on a sub £300 system is overkill, but for me it was every penny well spent. I'm not saying don't look at upgrading your speakers, but the right stands DO make a difference.

 

[matthewpiano]

I'd missed that fact that you aren't using stands at present. This should certainly be your first move.

Adding stands is one of the biggest upgrades you can make. The Diamonds are excellent speakers and, although you will improve on them with something more refined like the Quads or the Ushers, buying some decent stands will help you make the most of what ypou already have. Stands will also get the best out of any speaker upgrade you make. I use Atacama Nexus 6s, which worked very well with my Diamond 9.1s and are perfect for the Quads I'm using now.

 

[link]

are the quads an upgrade from 9.1s? are they all-rounder compared to 685s?

thanks.

 

[sibelius7]

Well, i do have stands but they were £15 from maplins and tend to want to fall over if you breathe on them. They were more a purchase to get the speakers at the right height rather than for rock solid performance.

Certainly what i'm finding at the moment is there is a really distracting mid-bass 'boom', where-as deepbass is quite lacking (although to be expected with small speakers). The treble is superb so it's a real shame that i'm picking up these faults with the bass as i'm listening.

I can fill the speaker stands but i decided there probably wasn't any point as the design is inherently unstable (the base is triangular with a fair bit of the weight coming down on the narrowest part of the base). Great work there Maplins!?!?!

 

[idc]

sibelius7:

I can fill the speaker stands but i decided there probably wasn't any point as the design is inherently unstable (the base is triangular with a fair bit of the weight coming down on the narrowest part of the base). Great work there Maplins!?!?!

Try filling them any way (half full to keep the weight at the base) and use blue tac to secure speaker to stand and see what difference that makes. Another common and cheap uprade are granit chopping boards to act as a plynth for the stand to go on.