Warm Setup

[n4d5]

Hi

Can someone recommend me a setup that sounds Warm and smooth? Budget is about £2K. Music genre is: instrumental, rock, R&B.

Thanks

n4d5

 

[pete321]

It would be the opposite in sound to my preferences, but I would imagine valve amplification might be the way to go and then the other components could be neutral in tone.

 

[Anonymous]

Arcam Solo mini with Spendor SA1

 

[pete321]

Whilst older Arcam equipment is definately on the smooth side, could you class more recent components tonally smooth and warm? My only more recent experience was an AVR600 and wouldn't describe that as a warm sounding piece of equipment.

 

[n4d5]

Hi

Thank you for your opinions, I do not want to go into Tube amplification as it can prove expenseive in the long run as you have to change the tubes when they deteriate.

What about Sugden amplification?

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Thank you for your opinions, I do not want to go into Tube amplification as it can prove expenseive in the long run as you have to change the tubes when they deteriate. What about Sugden amplification?

Sugden's Class-A amplifiers would be 'warm' sounding, as with any Class-A amp. Arcams newest series, FMJ A18/A28 are on the warm side aswell with a nice finesse about them. Partnering them with something like Monitor Audio's RX6/8's would be great and leave you a few quid for a CD player.

You could pick up the Arcam FMJ A18, Monitor Audio RX6's and an Arcam FMJ CD17 (all brand new) for £2000. Those would make a teriffic match-up and I'm sure would suit your goals brilliantly. If you got the Arcams as ex-dem you could even go up to the RX8's for an extra £200.

 

[Anonymous]

i certainly didn't find my old rx6's smooth, nice speakers but quite fatiguing imo. my dynaudios are much smoother..

 

[Anonymous]

i certainly didn't find my old rx6's smooth, nice speakers but quite fatiguing imo. my dynaudios are much smoother..

Really? I haven't compared directly in the same room to the DM's, only with B&W 684's and 683's, which I found to be very fatiguing in comparison to the Monitor Audios. The setup in the room was an Arcam CD17 on a Roksan Kandy and an Arcam FMJ A18. On both amps I prefered the RX6's by a long shot. Were the ones you heard run in?

I've heard the DM's in seperate circumstances, I remember them being smooth but I don't think I'd call the RX6's 'rough' by comparison.

 

[plastic penguin]

Hi Can someone recommend me a setup that sounds Warm and smooth? Budget is about £2K. Music genre is: instrumental, rock, R&B. Thanks n4d5

Audio Analogue Crescendo is on the warm side. Although not warm, PMC DB1is have a solidity that Spendors don't. And look at any Arcam CDP - the exception being CD192 - which, again have a big-boned sound to them. Or maybe look at Audio Ananlogue CDP.

 

[Anonymous]

i certainly didn't find my old rx6's smooth, nice speakers but quite fatiguing imo. my dynaudios are much smoother..

Really? I haven't compared directly in the same room to the DM's, only with B&W 684's and 683's, which I found to be very fatiguing in comparison to the Monitor Audios. The setup in the room was an Arcam CD17 on a Roksan Kandy and an Arcam FMJ A18. On both amps I prefered the RX6's by a long shot. Were the ones you heard run in?

I've heard the DM's in seperate circumstances, I remember them being smooth but I don't think I'd call the RX6's 'rough' by comparison.

i had my rx6's for 6 months, during that time i had several amps but settled on a marantz pm7000, cdp was a cd6003.

the highs were sometimes a bit harsh, though my room is very reflective which may not have helped, and i couldn't listen to them for more than an hour or so, i found them quite fatiguing.

the dm 2/7s i've had paired with a yamaha as-500 (for about 6 weeks), and currently a pm7001, only source lately is spotify (rarely itunes), though i did have my cdp connected for a while before i sold it.

no harshness at all, i much prefer them to the rx6s, i can listen to them all day long without fatigue. lovely smooth but detailed sound.

 

[plastic penguin]

i certainly didn't find my old rx6's smooth, nice speakers but quite fatiguing imo. my dynaudios are much smoother..

Really? I haven't compared directly in the same room to the DM's, only with B&W 684's and 683's, which I found to be very fatiguing in comparison to the Monitor Audios. The setup in the room was an Arcam CD17 on a Roksan Kandy and an Arcam FMJ A18. On both amps I prefered the RX6's by a long shot. Were the ones you heard run in?

I've heard the DM's in seperate circumstances, I remember them being smooth but I don't think I'd call the RX6's 'rough' by comparison.

i had my rx6's for 6 months, during that time i had several amps but settled on a marantz pm7000, cdp was a cd6003.

the highs were sometimes a bit harsh, though my room is very reflective which may not have helped, and i couldn't listen to them for more than an hour or so, i found them quite fatiguing.

the dm 2/7s i've had paired with a yamaha as-500 (for about 6 weeks), and currently a pm7001, only source lately is spotify (rarely itunes), though i did have my cdp connected for a while before i sold it.

no harshness at all, i much prefer them to the rx6s, i can listen to them all day long without fatigue. lovely smooth but detailed sound.

Tell them why the RX6s sounded a bit brittle, Max.

 

[Anonymous]

i certainly didn't find my old rx6's smooth, nice speakers but quite fatiguing imo. my dynaudios are much smoother..

Really? I haven't compared directly in the same room to the DM's, only with B&W 684's and 683's, which I found to be very fatiguing in comparison to the Monitor Audios. The setup in the room was an Arcam CD17 on a Roksan Kandy and an Arcam FMJ A18. On both amps I prefered the RX6's by a long shot. Were the ones you heard run in?

I've heard the DM's in seperate circumstances, I remember them being smooth but I don't think I'd call the RX6's 'rough' by comparison.

i had my rx6's for 6 months, during that time i had several amps but settled on a marantz pm7000, cdp was a cd6003.

the highs were sometimes a bit harsh, though my room is very reflective which may not have helped, and i couldn't listen to them for more than an hour or so, i found them quite fatiguing.

the dm 2/7s i've had paired with a yamaha as-500 (for about 6 weeks), and currently a pm7001, only source lately is spotify (rarely itunes), though i did have my cdp connected for a while before i sold it.

no harshness at all, i much prefer them to the rx6s, i can listen to them all day long without fatigue. lovely smooth but detailed sound.

Tell them why the RX6s sounded a bit brittle, Max.

do read what i've written again, pp.

 

[plastic penguin]

Fair play max, an oversight on my part.

Keeping with the warm/acoustic theme, yesterday I took down our curtains for washing and I couldn't believe the difference it made.

After they came down - even with soft furnishings, wallpaper etc. - there was a distinct echo to the room, and have to confess the system sounded stonking. My room is over-lush but never realised that curtains could be such an influence on the sonics.

 

[Anonymous]

What about Musical Fidelity as an alternative? Quite warm sounding.

I enjoyed my A3.5 amplifier and previously, an X-A200R.

 

[plastic penguin]

What about Musical Fidelity as an alternative? Quite warm sounding.

I enjoyed my A3.5 amplifier and previously, an X-A200R.

I had the MF A300 on home trial and it sounded very muddy.

 

[Anonymous]

i think MA's use of a metal tweeter may be the reason that people have found them fatiguing in some acoustic envoirements.

the new gx range (with their ribbon tweeters) have been described as smoother than their predecessors.

 

[6th.replicant]

Arcam Solo Mini with Spendor A5 (saves £s due to no need for stands) and 100% copper cable.

Or, if you can find a 2nd-hand pair, Totem Forest speakers

 

[Anonymous]

What about Musical Fidelity as an alternative? Quite warm sounding.

Really depends on the part. The Class-A stuff is warm, think the old black stuff alongside the new AMS35 and such. The A3 series was very slightly warm, as was the X-series. The A5 series was very neutral, I would hesitate to call the M3 or M6 anything other than neutral either. The A308's were warm but i'd also add a tad bright. The A300 wasvery similar to the A3 only it had a bit more control.

I'd hesitate with MF kit since the only 'warm' MF kit you can get that isnt more than 20 or so years old, is very costly. Oh, and MF stuff is quite hard to partner, CD Player wise anyway.

 

[plastic penguin]

i think MA's use of a metal tweeter may be the reason that people have found them fatiguing in some acoustic envoirements.

the new gx range (with their ribbon tweeters) have been described as smoother than their predecessors.

Don't understand the connection between a metal domed tweeter and fatigue. I've never really experienced it. Even listening to a Cambridge 840 + RS6s sounded well controlled at the top-end.

 

[Anonymous]

i think MA's use of a metal tweeter may be the reason that people have found them fatiguing in some acoustic envoirements.

the new gx range (with their ribbon tweeters) have been described as smoother than their predecessors.

Don't understand the connection between a metal domed tweeter and fatigue. I've never really experienced it. Even listening to a Cambridge 840 + RS6s sounded well controlled at the top-end.

well the only speakers i've ever heard with metal trweeters are MA so can't comment on metal tweeters in general.

as we've discussed before, my room probably didn't do the MA's i had any favours, whereas in a well damped room like yours they sound great.

i have heard many describe the MA silver range as bright and fatiguing, presumably (system synergy apart) they had their hifi in a reflective room like mine?

either way the new gx range are said to be smoother in the highs, and they don't have metal tweeters so..

perhaps my dyns would be a little too warm in a room like yours? i couldn't tell ya

 

[plastic penguin]

Actually, I'm telling a lie: the RSs were very fatiguing when I heard the Nait 5i in my room. Strangely, it wasn't the top-end but the constant thumping of the bass...physically gave me a headache.

 

[6th.replicant]

Tried some MA BR5s, a few years back (cos Arcam allegedly use MA when testing?) IMHO the top-end was waaay too bright and the bass very 'thud, thud' - subtle they weren't.

Assumed the 'problem' was metal tweeters.

Now have speakers with metal tweeters, and they sure ain't bright (nice and detailed, though).

 

[Anonymous]

Tried some MA BR5s, a few years back (cos Arcam allegedly use MA when testing?) IMHO the top-end was waaay too bright and the bass very 'thud, thud' - subtle they weren't.

Assumed the 'problem' was metal tweeters.

Now have speakers with metal tweeters, and they sure ain't bright (nice and detailed, though).

yea i found my br5's too be a little too lively aswell, 6th. and the rx6's (as i've said)

it's good to know that some manufacturers can create a metal tweeter that aint too bright.

 

[plastic penguin]

Tried some MA BR5s, a few years back (cos Arcam allegedly use MA when testing?) IMHO the top-end was waaay too bright and the bass very 'thud, thud' - subtle they weren't.

Assumed the 'problem' was metal tweeters.

Now have speakers with metal tweeters, and they sure ain't bright (nice and detailed, though).

Heard this so many times, yet I've not experienced it personally. Likewise with Gerrard: we had a good confab about the pros and cons of MAs and we both agreed that the only possible reason for MAs perceived 'hard-edge' or brittle sound is because of room acoustics.

Or maybe my hearing is a bit wobbly?

 

[Anonymous]

Tried some MA BR5s, a few years back (cos Arcam allegedly use MA when testing?) IMHO the top-end was waaay too bright and the bass very 'thud, thud' - subtle they weren't.

Assumed the 'problem' was metal tweeters.

Now have speakers with metal tweeters, and they sure ain't bright (nice and detailed, though).

Heard this so many times, yet I've not experienced it personally. Likewise with Gerrard: we had a good confab about the pros and cons of MAs and we both agreed that the only possible reason for MAs perceived 'hard-edge' or brittle sound is because of room acoustics. Or maybe my hearing is a bit wobbly?

It must be sheer bad luck. In the last year alone I've (seriously) listened to... GR20s, GS20s, GR10s, GS10s, RX1s, RX6s, RX8s, BR1s and BR5s. Compared to the likes of the B&W 68x series, I have no idea how the MA's could be classed as bright. Infact the GR20's sounded so smooth and detailed, I bought them!

Some metal tweeters are relentlessly bright, B&W 684 for example. That said, there are just as many bright soft-domed tweeters. I guess people just make stereotypes a little quickly.