I've had a PS Audio A500, Class D Audio SDS-250C, Wyred 4 Sound ST-500, and the Crown XLS2000. I obviously like the idea of class D, and they've all been very good amps, but I end up feeling like there's something missing (texture at lower volumes?), and it's hard not to go back to the HK when I enjoy it just as much and it cost me $100 on eBay. It does a fine job with the Arcs, too.
Haven't checked in here in awhile .... I'm loving the current setup, especially the Shahinians. Unlike many changes I've made, which impress and first and then start sounding the same, the Arcs just get better and better.
Still getting used to them, but the sound great. The directionality of the sound is very different. They make me realize that, even with speakers that throw a big soundstage, the sound still seems to be coming from the speakers. The Arcs seem to locate instruments in space.
The Touch is great. I've run it with a Benchmark DAC1, and with the DAC it sounds different than the cd player, but really just as good. Bare it's still excellent--far better than the Duet it replaced--and it's not really a compromise since I mostly listen to CDs.
I've thought about putting something up behind the speakers but, honestly, the room is so open that treatment would be tough. One reason I like the Snells so much is that they really work in the room.
I lucked out and found custom Audio Note J stands which fit my Snell J/IIs perfectly!
System edited: A few small changes and one big one. Getting the speakers up on proper stands was a much bigger improvement than I imagined it would be.
I didn't do a careful comparison of the Duet/Benchmark vs. Touch--just had one then the other in my system. So take my impressions for what they're worth.
That said, I think the bare Touch is very, very good. I'm confident that it's much better than the bare Duet (which is kind of mechanical and has some glare), and I'd say that it's very close to the Duet/Benchmark. I doubt I'd be able to distinguish the Touch from the Duet/Benchmark in an A/B test. I use streaming mostly for background listening; for that purpose, the bare Touch is plenty good enough for me.
My goal is to keep the system as it is for 2012. To this end, I've gone back to the Benchmark less than a month after swapping it out. I figure that two digital front ends should keep me happy!
Don't get me wrong about the Benchmark; I could easily imagine going back to it. In many ways, I thought it was simply better than the CD5x, and when I preferred the CD5x, in all honesty I'd have to say that it was different (and familiar) rather than better. It will be interesting to see if the Snells stick around for you.
I was sold on the Benchmark, but you're right, it isn't a surprise that I let it go. I just kept finding discs, mostly poorly-recorded ones, that sounded better on the CD5x. Interesting about your Snells. Do you have room for another pair of keepers?
I've simplified my system a bit (got rid of the TeddyCap and Benchmark DAC and added a Creek headphone amp). At the risk or having my audiophile license revoked ;), I have to say that I'm happy with the changes.
Before the Benchmark, I tried the Rega DAC. It was good, but I still preferred the CD5X. So, when I bought the Benchmark, I wasn't really looking to replace the CD5X. But I find that I'm listening to it (via Squeezebox and using my DVD player as a transport) more than the cd player. It's cleaner and more extended on top. Sometimes I think it wipes the floor with the CD5X; sometimes it's not so much better as just different. One of the things I like best about the CD5X is how organic it sounds, and how good it can make lousy recordings sound. I'm liking the Benchmark in part because it has a different, more transparent, warts-and-all presentation.
I love my J/IIs. You're in for a treat when you get those Js up and running!
I had the same experience with the Dynaudio X12s I had for awhile. Great speakers. I imagine that the 1.3SEs, with your amp, are even better. But I find that I gravitate toward speakers that make the most of marginal recordings and play music without drawing attention to themselves. Snells do it for me. The K/IIs are great -- well worth a try! (Mine are packed away in a closet.) Word is that the original Ks are even better.
I did go from K/IIs to J/IIs. They're probably as big as my space can handle (23x13x10 vs. 18x11x9). The J/IIs go lower, of course, but the biggest difference is that they're more relaxed than the K/IIs, especially on the top end. They're better at low volume and make marginal recordings sound better, too. All in all, more of what I liked about the K/IIs -- punchy, musical bass and room-filling sound. I wish I had the room to set them up right, but I'm really happy with them.
System edited: Just added the Rega DAC. Superb streaming Apple lossless files and Pandora via the Squeezebox. Also giving the CD5X a run for its money using a DVD player as a transport.
System edited: Pulled my old tape deck out of a closet. Easy addition of 200 albums to my collection, and the kids love it. Doesn't sound great, but not half bad.
Absolutely. So far, so good. The boys were rocking out to Radiohead's The Bends tonight before bed; a couple of nights ago it was The Strokes. They're excited for the new releases. My seven-year-old turned me on to both bands, and his three-year-old brother is on board, too. It helps to have kids with good taste in music!
I moved the speakers forward a bit on the console (just 5.5 inches, from 2.5 inches from the back wall to 8), and, wow, what an improvement. Better all around, but greater clarity and better bass integration in particular. As significant an improvement as a component upgrade ...
Thanks, Mapman. (Btw, your system is great.) I think it's easy to get fooled into thinking that a compromised setup is good enough. The Dynaudios were a big improvement on the Quad 11Ls they replaced, but, for me, the Snells are a huge improvement on the Dyns. I did get the Dyns out into the room on stands briefly before I sold them, and they were so much better. But I'm really in love with the Snells (it helps too, that they were cheap!).
It is interesting, and I was torn because the Dyns are very fine speakers. I really think that it's about the room (and maybe the electronics). I'm curious enough about how the Dyns would sound with more space that I'm going to drag out some old stands before I let them go. But the Snells work so well and sound so right that more than anything else I'm just really pleased.
System edited: I'm trying out a pair of Snell K/IIs (my Dynaudio Excite X12s are in the closet). My sense is that the Dyns are better speakers, but the Snells beat them in my room. Positioning is the issue. I could never quite get the Dyns right. A foot from the wall and on a 20 inch tall console instead of proper stands, either the bass was overpowering or, with the ports blocked, they lost some clarity in the midrange. The Snells can go right up against the wall and in the corner and work really well in my live room. They're a bit rough on top compared to the Dyns, but the big surprise is the quality of the bass (or really mid-bass, since they don't go very low). I'd convinced myself that the Nait was powerful enough for the Dyns, but I can play the Snells louder (much louder in fact) without feeling that it's too loud, which suggests that I was wrong .... I think they're keepers.
System edited: Replaced CD5i with CD5x and ... wow. Loved the CD5i, but this is better in every respect. Naim sound (fast, rhythmic, and incisive) plus hi-fi (more air and bigger, better defined soundstage).
Soundgasm, the quality and fit of the Mshelving unit is excellent. It's easy to assemble and pretty sturdy. Not ideal for audio equipment if you're looking for an acoustically dead stand, but it works well for me and looks nice if you like the modern industrial design thing. The company was great to deal with.
Thanks, Linnie. I really like the Naim setup; very good value for money on the low end. There's something about the black boxes (Linn, too). I listen to a lot of rock (right now, Bowie and Beck are in heavy rotation), but some jazz, too. Bill Evans is a favorite.
Linnie, it's actually a 32-inch Sharp (and not as nice as yours!). You have a great looking system; the cabinet is beautiful. I've never heard an all-Linn system, but I'd like to.
How did you know what my tv was thinking, Gregg? I laughed out loud when I read that. I just ordered some Herbie's Thin Fat Dots to go under the speakers. I'd been using Fat Dots, but my two year old was very interested in what was under the speakers. I was thinking about using mouse pads, but the Fat Dots really worked and the Thin Dots look like they should do the trick.
