Thoughts on my current system..

SatelliteMan

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Hello all, I'm in the process of upgrading my system. I began with the speakers, monitor Audio silver 1 and BK monolith plus, which I'm very happy with. They're currently hooked up to an old NAD c320 and Marantz cd5004. These two I'm sure are not allowing the speakers to shine like they are able to. I'm looking for detail and transparency. I listen to a lot of rock and metal, and the overall sound is rather restrained and not very open. Anyone out there have any ideas on how to dramatically enhance this setup?
 

slice

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SatelliteMan said:
Hello all, I'm in the process of upgrading my system. I began with the speakers, monitor Audio silver 1 and BK monolith plus, which I'm very happy with. They're currently hooked up to an old NAD c320 and Marantz cd5004. These two I'm sure are not allowing the speakers to shine like they are able to. I'm looking for detail and transparency. I listen to a lot of rock and metal, and the overall sound is rather restrained and not very open. Anyone out there have any ideas on how to dramatically enhance this setup?

I have a budget set up which used to include a 5000 series (maybe 5003) cd player partnered with pm6002 amp. I also found it restrained/uninspiring. I now have a yamaha s300, still with thepm6002, and I much prefer the combination. The sound seems much more assertive, which is better,say, in orchestral crescendos. That being said, this is still budget stuff, and if you are upgrading you might well wish to spend more on something better.
 

SatelliteMan

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Thank-you both of you for your responses. I anticipate spending at least £500 to gain something worthwhile. And yes, the Marantz is a strange machine. It's a solid enough sound, but it has a hardness to it. Treble sounds a bit clumsy and splashy, and to me, well-rendered cymbals are the yardstick of a good set up. I think the player also has a compressed character it. On first listen, it sounded punchy and clear, but now it's quite wearing.
 

slice

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£500 isn't a lot to upgrade amp and cd player. One option would be to buy a £500 amp such as cambridge CXA60 or Marantz pm7005, which both have digital inputs, and use the current marantz as transport. However, I cannot recommend this based on personal experience....just an idea.
 

Paulq

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SatelliteMan said:
Thank-you both of you for your responses. I anticipate spending at least £500 to gain something worthwhile. And yes, the Marantz is a strange machine. It's a solid enough sound, but it has a hardness to it. Treble sounds a bit clumsy and splashy, and to me, well-rendered cymbals are the yardstick of a good set up. I think the player also has a compressed character it. On first listen, it sounded punchy and clear, but now it's quite wearing.

Until recently I had the NA6005 and PM6005 paired with the MA Silver 1's (which I think, pound for pound, are the best speakers going in that bracket right now) and it was a great system. So much so that even though I have bought a Naim setup I kept the speakers.

I am not sure if you still want a CDP or not but I'd certainly have a look at the PM6005 within your budget - it's a great partner for the Silver 1's.

Good luck with whatever you choose and let us know.
 

CnoEvil

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I would look at the Rega Brio R as a minimum and a Creek Evo 50A (or possibly an Arcam A19), if you have a very stretchy budget.

Only a demo will decide where your money should go.
 

SatelliteMan

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The thought of of a higher quality amp with a DAC which can improve cd performance, is a great proposition. The Quad Vena did catch my eye, not least because it looks so unique. I've heard that it's a good match with Silvers. Between these and the BK sub, I think I can cover the frequency extremes with plenty of authority. As I've gotten older, I'm paying much more attention to vocals. A great reference cd for me, is Sarah McLachlan's afterglow. For me, it's a spectacular production. Has anyone heard this? Bass is incredibly deep and natural, and vocals are spacious. Admittedly, compression plays a big part in the sound of this disc, but it's all very seductive with music of this style. Give it a listen, guys!
 

paulkebab

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I had a pair of MA Silver's which sounded great on audition but not great when I got them home. At the time I had a CA amp and CD player which should've sounded good but didn't, and no amount of tweaking and fiddling improved things. Swapped out the CDP for an Arcam CD73 which sounded better but it was never gonna work out. One MA downfiring sub later and things were getting interesting but the Silvers still didn't float my boat especially for rock music. Sold them on (for a small profit!) and went to floorstanders, never looked back.

PS I love Sarah McLachlan!
 

CnoEvil

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SatelliteMan said:
The thought of of a higher quality amp with a DAC which can improve cd performance, is a great proposition.
Depending on budget, Peachtree is worth a mention....and the Creek has the option of a plug-in DAC module.
 

Thompsonuxb

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A Rotel ra-1520....

Between £350 to £450 2nd hand or less.

It'll do rock well and gives the type of sound you desire.

Don't judge it on its power rating. If in doubt read up on it.
 

Leeps

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Paulq said:
Until recently I had the NA6005 and PM6005 paired with the MA Silver 1's (which I think, pound for pound, are the best speakers going in that bracket right now) and it was a great system. So much so that even though I have bought a Naim setup I kept the speakers.

I am not sure if you still want a CDP or not but I'd certainly have a look at the PM6005 within your budget - it's a great partner for the Silver 1's.

Your experience with the Silver 1's is interesting. How do you find they match tonally to your Naim system compared with the Marantz? I think the Silver's tweeters are marvellous (had similar ones in Radius and Apex), but I've heard the bass on the Silvers can be a bit overblown. Has that been your experience? My own taste loves vocals and midrange, but I've got a real dislike for bass that swamps out everything else, so I was interested in your impression.

(apologies to the OP; I don't want to derail your thread- I hope you might find this useful too.)
 

rainsoothe

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Leeps said:
Paulq said:
Until recently I had the NA6005 and PM6005 paired with the MA Silver 1's (which I think, pound for pound, are the best speakers going in that bracket right now) and it was a great system. So much so that even though I have bought a Naim setup I kept the speakers.

I am not sure if you still want a CDP or not but I'd certainly have a look at the PM6005 within your budget - it's a great partner for the Silver 1's.

Your experience with the Silver 1's is interesting.  How do you find they match tonally to your Naim system compared with the Marantz?  I think the Silver's tweeters are marvellous (had similar ones in Radius and Apex), but I've heard the bass on the Silvers can be a bit overblown.  Has that been your experience?  My own taste loves vocals and midrange, but I've got a real dislike for bass that swamps out everything else, so I was interested in your impression.

?

(apologies to the OP; I don't want to derail your thread- I hope you might find this useful too.)

Naim bass is very tight, so it should be a godsend for people who own speakers with sluggish bass. Also, afaik, the MA silver range is pretty smooth sounding, so it should partner the rhythmic Naim very nicely.
 

SatelliteMan

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Thanks everyone for your recommendations. I shall write them all down, and give them all serious consideration, regardless of price. I'd also like to give my thoughts on the Silver 1. My experience is far less informed than you seasoned listeners, since I can only compare them to the knackered Mission 701 pair which they replaced. The jump in resolution was huge, of course, serving mainly to reveal the crudity of a cheap cd player and old amp combo. The tweeters are indeed very open and direct. My music now sounds slightly scratchy and shrill. I see this as a positive thing, since it tells me that there is so much to gain in a higher quality signal. The missions clearly benefit from their huge, front-ported enclosures, so the bass from the much smaller Silvers was actually less pronounced, but obviously more extended. Good stuff. Also, vocals project in a much more breathy, defined space. The cost of this clarity, is that I can hear the ragged edges of of everything-I suspect this can be attributed to the sub-par DAC of the cd5004. Out of interest, I hooked up a1991 Philips cd624 which I had kicking around. This old relic sounded predictably crude, yet it's way with vocals through the Silvers, easily trumped the cd5004. It made me realise that I may need smoother, more refined electronics in order to get great vocals out of the Silvers.
 

SatelliteMan

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I'd also like to add, that I've spotted a used Arcam cd17 for £200. Is this a good price for such a machine, and could it give a more natural and detailed presentation than my cd5004?
 

matthewpiano

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The CD17 will prove a superior machine in every way. It's better built than the Marantz and it has a great grasp of detail, subtlety, and atmosphere that entry-level machines don't normally achieve. £200 is a fair price if it is in tip-top condition with original packaging. I've seen much older Arcams sell for close to that.
 

Paulq

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Leeps said:
Paulq said:
Until recently I had the NA6005 and PM6005 paired with the MA Silver 1's (which I think, pound for pound, are the best speakers going in that bracket right now) and it was a great system. So much so that even though I have bought a Naim setup I kept the speakers.

I am not sure if you still want a CDP or not but I'd certainly have a look at the PM6005 within your budget - it's a great partner for the Silver 1's.

Your experience with the Silver 1's is interesting. How do you find they match tonally to your Naim system compared with the Marantz? I think the Silver's tweeters are marvellous (had similar ones in Radius and Apex), but I've heard the bass on the Silvers can be a bit overblown. Has that been your experience? My own taste loves vocals and midrange, but I've got a real dislike for bass that swamps out everything else, so I was interested in your impression.

(apologies to the OP; I don't want to derail your thread- I hope you might find this useful too.)

To be honest I was dead set on pairing the Naim with the Focal Aria 906's that I had read and heard lots about. I hated them and found them to be clinically cold and uninvolving. Before leaving the demo I asked the shop to pair the Naim up with the Silver 1's and it came alive. Bass is plentiful and well controlled but, as another poster mentioned, the tweeters are quite sublime. To me the UQ2/NAP 100 is a great match for the Silver 1's.

I actually bought them by accident as, in the Summer, I was dead set on buying a new set of B&W's; being a historical B&W fan. However something was 'missing' from CM8's/685's/683's that I listened to. Again, just before I left it was suggested I listen to the MA's and, purely to extend the demo more than anything, I agreed. I found them to be utterly compelling and absolutely astonishing VFM at that price point.

All very subjective of course but I love them and won't be selling them. I may however get hold of some Silver 8's next year.
 

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