system upgrade for a beginner...move to active setup?

[admin_exported]

Hi,
This is my first post here… I’ve been a huge music fan for years but only recently decided to take my HiFi seriously. I’d like to upgrade my system but am unsure of what route to take.
For years I ran a cheap Marantz PM4200 with a pair of Acoustic Energy Aegis Evo One speakers. I plugged my PC straight in there with a cheap cable (yuck). After moving to a larger house, I decided to buy some better kit (mostly secondhand).
I’m now running an Airport express into a Beresford TC-7510 DAC, then a Darkvoice Audio 336 SE tube pre-amp, finally going into a Linn LK100 power amp. I have a mixture of low end Russ Andrews and QED cables.
Because I don’t have much knowledge or previous experience, I’m unsure of where to go next. Basically I’ve changed too many variables too quickly…I know I’ve heard a huge difference in sound, but now I’m a little stuck.
Common sense would dictate upgrading the speakers I guess, But If my speaker (and maybe cable) budget is about £500, I decided I might be better selling the lot and just about scraping together the cash for some AVI ADM9.1s.
I like the idea of the active speaker route, and I like the idea of the complete package…(other things to note are I'm also leaning towards a smaller room/desktop (ish) system and I think the Linn is overkill)
My questions are therefore:
1). Should I stay with my separates and upgrade further with a £500 ish budget?2) Go more streamlined and active with ADM9.1s?3) Go with a different DAC and powered speaker combo because the ADM9.1s are overkill (I.e the jump in quality is too great too soon) …Maybe an audio engine A5 would do the job?

So to recap, it’s a £500 ish budget that could maybe stretch to £1100 if I sold the lot and started afresh.
Thanks for reading the longwinded first post!! I’m very much a beginner at all this!

 

[the record spot]

First things first, don't sell the lot. The Linn LK100 is a more than capable power amp, I don't know much about the Darkvoice pre- as a brand, but you've presumably liked what you heard. I'd certainly go along with the speaker upgrade, as your other kit will handle (I assume) an upgrade or two yet.

You don't mention the kind of sound you like (as distinct from music); do you crave transparency and "honesty" from your recordings, i.e. you want to hear the music as close to the original intent as you can get, so the system may show up the warts and all in a recording, or do you favour a little more character in a system that's going to be a bit more forgiving. Do you want good deep bass, or are you happy with a lighter touch but where the bass is tracked well without being overbearing?

And so on!

£500 budget will get you some very good speakers (floorstanders or standmounts) and moreso if you go down the good secondhand route - £80 will get you a pair of Mission 752s for instance. If space is an issue, try and seek out a dealer who might have a pair of Audiosmile Kensai's which are apparently excellent speakers for the money (£650 a couple of years back, so an ex-dem pair might be in the offing) also Quadral Pico or AVI Neutron V.

If you want a cheaper but livelier sound, Acoustic Energy AE22 Passives were £400 and have a very forthright presentation apparently. Based on a studio monitor design, you could try out their Active version, which clocks in at £800.

Decisions, decisions, but hope that helps you out somewhat and I'm sure some others will be along with their suggestions in due course.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,

Thanks for the quick reply. I'm glad you mentioned the transparency/warmth issue. I'm liking a more forgiving warmer sound. I listen to a lot of acoustic indie...some folk and world music too. Mostly, it's a world apart from anything dance/d&b related. I must admit, I have been slightly seduced by the valve pre amp idea...I worry the adm9.1s are going to be too revealing (although most of my music is lossless or high bitrate) ...I realise they are a great setup, but maybe a bit much this early in my hobby...If I'm honest, the idea of going active was more based on being able to get matched components in one box, without needing as much experience!

I'll certainly have a read up on what you posted... It's good just to hear I might not have to rethink the whole setup.

Oh, one more thing...It might be just me, but I'm finding my current speakers need to be a mile away from the rear wall to sound their best in the room I'm listening in...This isn't too practical space wise... I'm finding the bottom end to be a little on the boomy side...I don't need enormous amounts of bass...just something fairly well controlled but warm sounding?!

Hope that made sense lol...thanks again....

 

[Anonymous]

May sound a bit obvious for which I apologise but can I strongly suggest that you go listen to an active set up esp the AVI's before you go much further.

There are (as some will labour) some great technical and economic advantages of an active set up which means that they can sound very good and offer tremendous vfm.

Here's the but though - you may not like the character of the sound which tends towards the highly detailed and transparent, sometimes overly analytical (my ears) - and you mentioned a desire to retain warmth. Also on the AVI's specifically they aren't big boxes so are not going to reproduce music at full range and will be lighter in terms of weight and low end shove.

On the plus side they are active on a budget, but just don't expect them to compete with the sort of no compromise performance that ATC actives deliver (obviously massive difference in £ here but point holds true, you get what you pay for..)

I'll say it again - go audition for yourself.

 

[bay24]

Hi,
I have not heard any of the components in your system but I heard the 9.1s yesterday and if you like a warm sound then I would say they may not be for you. They are very detialed and revealing and it does not realy matter if the file is lossless if the origenal production of the music was not great. They made a few of the songs I listened to sound quite bad. Saying that the music that sounded amazing on them was acoustic (indie and folk)and classical in terms of the detail they present and very realistic vocals (it was like van morrison was in the room).

To me it seems that they would suit part of your needs but not others, to me they sounded best with the music you seem to listen to and the bottom end is deffinately not boomy but on the other hand if you like the sound warm you will not get that with them.

A compromise could be the AVI Neutron v's already mentioned as they like being quite close to a back wall, they are contolled and have a clean sound but not as 'clinical' as the 9.1s. They are also well within your budget.
Hope this helps.

In the end it is always best to have a listen yourself. I was expecting to be blown away by the 9.1s and in some ways I was but I was also stuck with the thought that they may reveal things in some of my music collection that I do not realy want to hear.