Buy a good pair of headphones along with a box to connect them to your amp if you don't have a jack. They can approximate the sound of MUCH more expensive speakers and are a great tool for evaluating your system. Pick up some Stax electrostatics used or Sennheiser 600 or 650. I have both of these, while they are not my main source of listening I would not want to be without them.
Would love some thoughts on how to upgrade my gear
Hi all,
I have been a lurker here for a while to try to learn about this hobby. I only started to really get into it this summer. I had only listened mainly to computer speakers and car audio until then. I mainly listen to rock music, sometimes some acoustic stuff, but mainly rock. I exclusively listen to vinyl so that is where I want to focus all my energy and dollars.
As of right now I have a system consisting of Klipsch Forte II speakers (upgraded xovers from DeanG and Crites titanium tweeters), Rega P1(w/Denon Dl160 cart), and Fisher 400 (rebuilt by Craig Otsby).
I feel like this gives me a pretty nice sound as is but I have a real curiosity for what I am possibly missing. I have never really heard any high end gear so I don't know how mine stacks up. I also want to make sure that I don't get anything so analytical where the only thing that sounds good are audiophile recordings.
I first decided that I really need to upgrade my TT. I was thinking I would go with a P5, but am not sure if it is worth the extra money compared to a P3-24. Or if I should go in a different direction entirely. The one reason I wanted to stick with Rega is that my dealer will give me 80% back on my P1 as well as installing my cart since I don't know how to do that. I was thinking I would like to stick with my Denon cart for now.
So then I realized that I probably couldn't get all the performance of the P5 without upgrade my phono stage. So I then began to look at the Bottlehead kits. I have never soldered before but figured it might be fun to try to put their Seduction kit together. I wasnt't sure if this would be very good or if it wouldn't have enough gain for the Denon. Also, I didn't know if the seduction would really be a step up from my Fishers phono stage. I was getting really jazzed about trying out Bottlehead gear until I talked to my dealer. He said that SET isn't really the greatest for as it can be slow and has difficulty presenting rock music correctly.
I then was told all about Naim gear and he had me pretty convinced that it would really sound great. It was very intriguing as it sounds like some of that vintage gear can sound great and not be super expensive. Although I'm not sure how good it would sound with my Forte IIs.
So all in all, I guess I am kind of confused about what I should do. One minute I think I have my mind made up until I learn about something else. Or about some flaw of some gear I am considering.
I was just hoping to hear some opinions from those that are much more knowledgeable than I am. I'm sorry if this was a little long, I was just trying to give as much detail to work with as possible.
Thanks so much!
-Clipper
I have been a lurker here for a while to try to learn about this hobby. I only started to really get into it this summer. I had only listened mainly to computer speakers and car audio until then. I mainly listen to rock music, sometimes some acoustic stuff, but mainly rock. I exclusively listen to vinyl so that is where I want to focus all my energy and dollars.
As of right now I have a system consisting of Klipsch Forte II speakers (upgraded xovers from DeanG and Crites titanium tweeters), Rega P1(w/Denon Dl160 cart), and Fisher 400 (rebuilt by Craig Otsby).
I feel like this gives me a pretty nice sound as is but I have a real curiosity for what I am possibly missing. I have never really heard any high end gear so I don't know how mine stacks up. I also want to make sure that I don't get anything so analytical where the only thing that sounds good are audiophile recordings.
I first decided that I really need to upgrade my TT. I was thinking I would go with a P5, but am not sure if it is worth the extra money compared to a P3-24. Or if I should go in a different direction entirely. The one reason I wanted to stick with Rega is that my dealer will give me 80% back on my P1 as well as installing my cart since I don't know how to do that. I was thinking I would like to stick with my Denon cart for now.
So then I realized that I probably couldn't get all the performance of the P5 without upgrade my phono stage. So I then began to look at the Bottlehead kits. I have never soldered before but figured it might be fun to try to put their Seduction kit together. I wasnt't sure if this would be very good or if it wouldn't have enough gain for the Denon. Also, I didn't know if the seduction would really be a step up from my Fishers phono stage. I was getting really jazzed about trying out Bottlehead gear until I talked to my dealer. He said that SET isn't really the greatest for as it can be slow and has difficulty presenting rock music correctly.
I then was told all about Naim gear and he had me pretty convinced that it would really sound great. It was very intriguing as it sounds like some of that vintage gear can sound great and not be super expensive. Although I'm not sure how good it would sound with my Forte IIs.
So all in all, I guess I am kind of confused about what I should do. One minute I think I have my mind made up until I learn about something else. Or about some flaw of some gear I am considering.
I was just hoping to hear some opinions from those that are much more knowledgeable than I am. I'm sorry if this was a little long, I was just trying to give as much detail to work with as possible.
Thanks so much!
-Clipper
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- 17 posts total
- 17 posts total