Your suggestions on improving SQ

[admin_exported]

Hello everyone,

I would kindly as for your suggestions, as i am new to HI-FI and I've got a feeling that my speakers and receiver can do better with stereo 🙂 As i audited Yamaha rx-a 810 receiver in the shop and the sound was richer and better soundstage. As well as when I audited my speakers at seller's place they were doing very well. So it must be something in my current setup.

My specs:

Speakers: B&W 685

AV receiver: Yamaha rx-a2010

Source: PC soundcard Asus Essence One ST RCA

RCA cables http://www.techlink.uk.com/products/wires_cables/wirescr/wirescr_video/wirescr_rca_phono_plug_to_rca_phono_plug

Speaker wires: Classic White W250 2,5mm [/b]http://www.norstone-design.com/en/model/78_Classic-White.html

Software: J.River 16 ASIO

Music format: FLAC, wma

As you can see I am kind of low budget but still able to spend couple of hundreds on cabels, wires or dac (in case of dac budget can strech over time).

What should I be concentrating on?

Thank you in advance!

BR,
Simon

 

[richardw42]

Yamaha Receivers have pretty good dacs. Can you connect to the amp with an optical cable.?

A fiver will do it, don't go mad with cables yet.

 

[ellisdj]

Hello mate

couple cheap upgrades - firstly the opamps on your sound card / dac can be upgraded - the LME49720 is recommended for the asus essence stx so I am sure it will work great in the essence one - you will need a lot fo them lucky they are very cheap

This is a much better option than using the dac in the Yamaha - the Asus soundcards / Dacs use fantastic high quality burr brown dacs, itsa the opamps they use are cheap ones. Upgrading them will make a very big difference - there is loads onbline about it

The LME49720 was 2 years in its design - solely designed for high quality audio - where most other opamps arre intended for other uses then used for sound applicaitons

check out frugalphile who sells them presoldered from America on Ebay - I have bought a couple off him and they were perfect and arrived within a week - I have no affiliation to him

Second upgrade - get JPlay upgrade for J River - its 90 euros but takes Jriver to a completely new level - its a very good player / source, I mean very good - total expenditure £150 max and that will take your system up a big level and your knowledge as well 😉 You can download a demo before you purchase jplay to test it as well before you buy

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you for such a fast answer!

This is a very interesting suggestion for me. As i had read somewhere that s/pdif cables are very limited in data transfer speed. I tried to find this article but found pretty much opposing information 🙂 But i will definitely try it. But what would be better: i am going to buy HDMI graphics card for PC anyway to connect it to the reciever, so shall i use s/pdif with my current sound card or having HDMI connection with graphics card?

Thank you very much for you time!

BR,
Simon

 

[Anonymous]

Thank you ellisdj for your suggestions as well,

This is becoming interesting, ill do my research 🙂

BR,
Simon