cool...now i think we have a bit more focused area to work on...i agree that one area to look into is upgrading the source, because presence is about decoding low level info buried in those 0s and 1s and the better the source, the more of that low level info in the signal will come through...the second place is amplification. Tubes generally are better transmitters of spatial info than SS. I know you have the Jolida 102B integrated tube amp but if you look at the Enjoy the Music review of that unit it gets average marks on soundstaging and imaging (good value for the money but not reference grade performance basically). So the question is what kind of budget are you playing with and do you have any local options (within 2-3 hrs driving) to audition equipment? If not, buing used with feedback from Agon, will be the way to experiment with minimal hit to the wallet.
Where should I concentrate my upgrade dollars next
I'll dive right in & pick your brains. In your opinion, what should I concentrate on upgrading next in this small setup? It's in a cottage with a view and I'd like to keep the view central and gear clean.
I'm running:
SlimDevices Squeezebox 3
Rotel RCD-1070 cd player
Channel Islands Audio VDA2 with upgraded outboard VAC1 Power Supply
Jolida 102B tube amp
Omega 3 Grande full range speakers.
Cables:
From SB3 to DAC = Zu OxyFuel Digital Coax
From Rotel to DAC = Zu OxyFuel
From DAC to Amp = Zu Wylde RCA
From Amp to Speakers = Straight Wire Waveguide 3
I have a Monster HTS 5100 other power conditioner tuned for digital and analog depending on the plug.
Plus a B.I.C. turntable and Parasound phonostage pre, but I'm not interested in upgrading this portion.
+90% of my listening is via the SB3 / CI DAC streamed in ALAC from a PowerMac server. The musical tastes run all across the board: Vivaldi with a sunset or snowstorm and Haydn while cooking. Stills with a beer. Ska on ski weekends... etc.
The soundstage is definitely present and the setup impressed party guests this past weekend. Simple clean looks and it's okay enough to pick out individual instruments and vocals and pinpoint there location on stage, but it's just not doing it for me anymore.
It's not a high power system, but that's not what I'm going for anyway.
Any input is appreciated.
I'm running:
SlimDevices Squeezebox 3
Rotel RCD-1070 cd player
Channel Islands Audio VDA2 with upgraded outboard VAC1 Power Supply
Jolida 102B tube amp
Omega 3 Grande full range speakers.
Cables:
From SB3 to DAC = Zu OxyFuel Digital Coax
From Rotel to DAC = Zu OxyFuel
From DAC to Amp = Zu Wylde RCA
From Amp to Speakers = Straight Wire Waveguide 3
I have a Monster HTS 5100 other power conditioner tuned for digital and analog depending on the plug.
Plus a B.I.C. turntable and Parasound phonostage pre, but I'm not interested in upgrading this portion.
+90% of my listening is via the SB3 / CI DAC streamed in ALAC from a PowerMac server. The musical tastes run all across the board: Vivaldi with a sunset or snowstorm and Haydn while cooking. Stills with a beer. Ska on ski weekends... etc.
The soundstage is definitely present and the setup impressed party guests this past weekend. Simple clean looks and it's okay enough to pick out individual instruments and vocals and pinpoint there location on stage, but it's just not doing it for me anymore.
It's not a high power system, but that's not what I'm going for anyway.
Any input is appreciated.
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- 19 posts total
Kphinney...i just went to Omega's website and didn't realize how sensitive your speakers are. These are a match made in heaven for low powered SET amps. So that is one option to explore. Also, Stereophile's coverage of the Festival Son & Image (FSI) for 2007/8 shows that Omega was showcasing there speakers with Red Wine amplification. And Stereomojo gave them a best of show award at the 2007 FSI with that setup (here's the link...just scroll down 2/3 to the bottom: http://www.stereomojo.com/FSIreport2007.htm). If you check out Red Wine's web site, they have a pre-amp with DAC (I believe it's called the Isabelina) that has received very good reviews. Pare that up with their 30 wpc stereo power amp and you may have a winning combo on your hands...just a thought...enjoy |
Have you seriously worked optimal speaker placement? makes a huge difference in SQ between done wrong and right. I spent a week doing it (but I'm on the extreme side of the anal bell curve), from Master Set then tweaking based on my particular room, using a laser level for toe in and rake angle. Huge improvement in all areas. All it costs is time. |
Tholt - the listening room was built with 2 channel audio in mind, from the acoustic ceiling paint and a few angled absorbent ports, to the no-standing-wave angles. The speakers and fat leather chair are set using the Cardas Golden Ratio or Fibonacci numbers from their excellently informative website. The room and treatment is the single biggest improvement I feel anyone could make to any system. Cmalak - I've toyed with the idea of Red Wine products and appreciate your pointing the articles out. I'll have to move them up in my list and make it a point to find a demo/demo location. They (Red Wine) seem very boutique-ish. One of those companies that everyone knows of, and have a friend of a friend who heard them once.... but no one ever seems to own them. As a Squeezebox owner their forums rave about the Red Wine mods. I think I will focus on the DAC and the Isabella may be the way to go. The amp/speaker combo has what I want. Perhaps a new streaming transport with a nice built in DAC will be a route also: Squeezebox is now owned by Logitech. While the sound is super with the DAC, I feel I should try other transports that aren't made by a mouse and webcam company. |
- 19 posts total