Hi. I have spent enough money on hi fi to go around the world but I am still not entirely happy.
Present system Musical Fidelity A3.2 Pre Amp, 2 x A3.2 Power Amps, A3.2 CD Player, Chord Chameleion Silver Plus Interconnects, Monitor Audio GR60's with Chord Odessey 4 Bi Wire Cables.
How can I improve the sound (especally at the top end?
The current article by Richard Black on this website may provide an answer. My setup, which like yours is anything but rubbish, was still failing to inspire at the ultimate level until I auditioned (a friend's sample) and purchased a mains conditioner. I bought the Russ Andrews "Purifier" which is probably not the most esoteric item of this genre nor the most expensive, but it has done the job to my complete satisfaction. It has the advantage of being connected in parallel to the audio circuits so does not affect mains impedance. Every aspect of stereo performance of my system was instantly improved, and we are not talking about the subtle improvements occasioned by cable or mains cord upgrades. This was night and day. I did this after other friends had suggested yet further component upgrades which I could no longer afford.
But try before you buy. Your mains and your system are differenct from mine. The particular conditioner I have was damned with faint praise a couple of years ago in Hi-Fi News and may well have failed to impress the reviewer in his system and on his mains supply. All I can say is that it worked for me and if I do succumb aga in to the upgrade urge in the future it will involve upgrading the conditioner. I believe my amp, cdp, and turntable are now performing at the level intended and are in no need of further attention.
On a similar note it might be worth experimenting with an external DAC (digital to audio converter). Chord's DAC-64 is highly regarded, though you won't get much change from £2K. Others to look at include models by Audio Synthesis, Perpetual Technologies and others. Essentially, a DAC will upsample the signal from the CD player which can reduce timing errors and improve clarity and dynamics. Some, such as the Chord, have additional filters and buffers to further improve the sound. As with most high end hi-fi components, discovering the right synergy for your system will be largely a matter of trial and error - just because a particular DAC is recommended doesn't mean that it will work best with your particular system. It could be a rewarding area to explore however.
Im currently trying a £200 Chord clearway mains conditioner...result.............?????? no difference whatsoever! Could be my mains are ok...........maybe yours are, but you wont know till you try one.
Idea to clear/sweeten treble:- Maplin's pure silver co-axial cable with good (gold-plated) phonos & some solder. (DON'T believe that silver solder = MUST.) www.maplin.co.uk Code Item Price XS56L 1/4m cable £4.99 CC23A 1m cable £14.99 JU06G Red band plug £1.49 JU07H White band plug £1.49
My HiFi:- Pink Triangle: Cordinal, Hopeless DVD, Voyd: The Voyd (+ Helius Orion II t/arm, AN silver wiring & Denon DL-304), Custom Sowter MC transformers, Home-made valve phono stage, Home made line pre-amp (only 6W switch + Alps Vol. Pot.), Crimson Electric A-530 monoblocks, AudioNote AN-J spks. on 60cm Foundation FREDs. MIT ZAP-1 spk cable & plenty of the above cable for i/connects. ALL OLD, but snd= GREAT!!!
Reply to Duncan re the Russ mains conditioner: being connected in parallel to the audio circuits so does not affect mains impedance, Right it will not affect mains impedance, equally it will not affect anything, all that item is, is a 30p transient suppressor in a fancy case. Also note that the mains is not even in the audio circuits.
Now any well designed piece of equipment would already contain such a device, if for no other reason than to protect itself, electronic design is not just about creating the ultimate sonic experience but also about reliability, mains transient suppression is one of the first 'tools of the trade', there are many others and in general they all remove mains born interference very well.
Does your computer show less errors when connected via a 'mains conditioner' I guess not, though much depends on your original supply and this does vary throughout the country.
Your mains impedance may vary enormously with how far you are from a substation etc. but normally will not affect any audio equipment, if said equipment is properly designed. Virtually all items except the power amp will use switched mode power supplies and therefore will work from 110 Volts or more so that only leaves the power amp and if that is running so close to the limit that mains impedance even comes into the equation then I suggest you find a better amp!
I have designed audio power amps in the past and the mains impedance does not even enter into it, it is up to me to design the power supply such that it will not have any effect, that may involve highly expensive capacitors and lots of them, but given good design then the mains has little part to play apart from the raw power to work it.
Id have a play with different ic's and speaker cable. I found that going from the Chord Odyssey up to Chord signature (albeit a prototype made by them) yeilded a big step up in terms of and overall improvement in sound, especially at the top end.
A different ic could do the same, although I like, and indeed use Chameleons in my system (pre to power, I think you can better them, and not necessarilly at a higher price either.
Despite recently having Black Rhodium Oratorios at £600, and Chord Anthems at £330, I am now using NVA Sound Cords at £9.99 for 0.7m (special offer price on e bay) and they are astonishing!
Hi All ,i,m still using the same cables that were installed into my system over 9 years ago,and they are Furakawa interconnects and the same for speaker cables [which are buried under the floor in copper tubes]though i must say that the connections between my new c.d. player and pre amp could do with upgrading though i,ve been told that they are not "run in yet"[sorry John] and neither is the player, a Sugden CD21SE,so i,ll wait for awhile,but i wouldnt pay £600 for a cable, i dont think there,s that much to hear between a £15 job and one costing £600,but thats my opinion,and £600 would buy a lot of C.D,s and reel tapes...........Dave
That last part of your post is very true Dave, as more than one person has said to me...."Better, or different?"
Plus, in my case I didnt pay £600 for the BR, I bought it 2nd hand at a far more acceptable price, mind you, even that would have some people gasping for breath for one metre of cable!
Plus, in my case I didnt pay £600 for the BR, I bought it 2nd hand at a far more acceptable price, mind you, even that would have some people gasping for breath for one metre of cable!
Icehockeyboy...tell me...if you spend more than a few quid on a cable, what do you believe you are actually paying for?
To put it another way, what are you really getting when you buy a cable that costs more than you might have expected given the cost of materials, manufacturing, shipping, reasonable profit margins etc. etc?
Pluto, Ive never actually sat down to consider what im paying for, if it improved the sound of what I had already, that was the criteria, having said that, I dont believe I would pay that sort of money again for an ic. Especially as I had an ic that cost me £2 and the staff at a well known franchise hifi shop thought it superior to a £525 Chord Signature, and indeed my current fave, the NVA Sound Cord.
And John, I certainly dont just look at a cheaper price tag and think it has to be inferior because it is cheaper.
As for "run in/burn in" I dont think ive ever had a new piece of kit, be it cable or box, that has become better after this "run in/burn in " period, a lot of people over at hifiwigwam bought the Beresford dac, and a nnumber of them said how it sounded poor compared to after a length of time in use, I didnt find that with mine, nor anything else in my set up, but, there are those who will swear that it is a real thing.
I agree completely, however there are those who would swear that 'black is white' etc. It's pleasing to know that you have such unlimited funds to spend without a thought for cost. I do enjoy spending myself but I do feel compelled to look for value.
Like yourself I have never heard this mysterious 'bun in' phenomenon, but equally so I have never heard allot of the hype talked about in Hi Fi circles.
You sound a bit disillusioned my friend......how about something more fundamental than conditioners, cables etc......Have you considered a Turntable instead of your CD player....? (LPs are easy to come by)
Acoustic Signature Challenger might be a good starting point...looks like a Tank (and probably nearly as heavy) Just don't drop the platter on your foot !!
John, you are reading me wrong with regards to "spending wthout a thought!" I am probably the most careful bloke you will ever meet with my money!!
What I love doing is getting kit at the right price, and I also like " sponsoring " new purchases by selling the old lit it will replace, that way I dont feel guilty when the wife moans about it!
Ive bought new in the past, but now believe buying used is a far better way to get up the ladder quicker at less cost, and that way, when its time to sell on, you dont take such a "big hit".
Quite right, the moment an item leaves the shop it has probably halved in price and from then on it only gets better. Unfortunately there are those who will swear anything, right or wrong, black or white.
Many told me that what I am doing in life is totally wrong, I am trying at the wrong time etc. but others will say 'what immaculate timing' I don't know, in fact the older I get the less I know, why only last month I went to the 'cable test meeting' and heard a difference so anything is possible, maybe my art could be a winner, who knows, unfortunately these are not mine they are works I purchased from E-Bay, mine were too large to upload so I will recreate them at a lower resolution and try again later, but nice pictures all the same.
This is my second, now at a resolotion that this site will handle, to me art is only shapes and colours that work together, any ideas more than welcome!
Probably comes from a similar mindset as Hi Fi or wine tasting.
Tweek your room ! Sit in listening chair, put 2 mirrors on the floor, one left one right, placed so you can see your tweeters reflected dead centre in the mirrors. Now, directly above the mirrors on the ceiling make a mark left and right. Then put two pieces of sound dampening material left and right on the ceiling (about 50cm square) Also, on the floor where the mirrors were, put some thick carpets. This will take out the glare and sweeten the treble and add detail .
(LPs are easy to come by)
