Holy crap, I guess it WAS time to upgrade the stereo

originally posted by Scott Kraft:
Naim is the Texier of music reproduction. You love it immediately and appreciate all the more over time.

Over the years, I've gone from an olive CDX, NAC 102, NAP 180 with Dynaudio 1.8mkII speakers to a CDS2, NAC52, NAP300, all the requisite power supplies - and still the same speakers.

I agree that the gear is minimalist. But not heavy duty, just well made, artisanal kit - and not heavy handed like the McIntosh stuff. Naim is raw musical energy. The closest to live performance that I've ever heard. And no spoofed sound effects.

Brad, depending on the age of the equipment and the last time it was serviced, you should consider getting it re-capped. Capacitors dry out over time and lose their capacitance. This makes for sluggish reproduction.

Eden, you should never given up the LP12! At least the Rega P2 doesn't suck all the life out the way most less expensive TTs do. I agree with you on NAD. However, Cambridge Audio is making some impressive stuff at decent prices. As is Creek.
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I was already a believer but that really pumped me up.

It does need recapping, but sounds great as is.
 
originally posted by Marc Hanes:

Have had my Infinity Studio Monitor 150 speakers since 1986 as well, people laugh at the size of them (39h x 19w x 12d) but I would not trade them for anything newer, great flat response.
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It's not nice to laugh at small speakers! Mine are 51h x 12w x 22 d and weighs in at 140 pds apiece.
 
originally posted by Cliff:
5.1?Has no one made the switch? I've had the same B&K pre-amp and amp and Joseph Audio towers for the past 15 yrs or so and love them. The idea of getting gear on that level for movies is just too expensive to contemplate these days.
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I have a 5.1 system set up specifically for TV/movies and good thing as it is completely unlistenable for standard (stereo) music reproduction. Having the speakers in the ceiling might have something to do with that, but for movies and even concert videos the sound is fantastic.

I spoke with with someone who does sound editing for a living and he told me that all sound tracks, other than some ambient dialog, are created in the lab. Fancy decoding is not required and in current broadcast 5.1 soundtrack streams, read highly compressed, a waste of money. In other words your generic Japanese AVR's will be quite serviceable. If you would rather spend some money for better gear then make sure your source material somewhat warrants it which would be Bluray Dolby TrueHD encoded material. The real problem is source material with compressed dynamics, heavy handed equalization and overboosted LF material. Sounds a lot like spoofilation to me.
 
originally posted by JasonA:
originally posted by Cliff:
5.1?Has no one made the switch? I've had the same B&K pre-amp and amp and Joseph Audio towers for the past 15 yrs or so and love them. The idea of getting gear on that level for movies is just too expensive to contemplate these days.
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I have a 5.1 system set up specifically for TV/movies and good thing as it is completely unlistenable for standard (stereo) music reproduction. Having the speakers in the ceiling might have something to do with that, but for movies and even concert videos the sound is fantastic.

I spoke with with someone who does sound editing for a living and he told me that all sound tracks, other than some ambient dialog, are created in the lab. Fancy decoding is not required and in current broadcast 5.1 soundtrack streams, read highly compressed, a waste of money. In other words your generic Japanese AVR's will be quite serviceable. If you would rather spend some money for better gear then make sure your source material somewhat warrants it which would be Bluray Dolby TrueHD encoded material. The real problem is source material with compressed dynamics, heavy handed equalization and overboosted LF material. Sounds a lot like spoofilation to me.
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Many thanks! Exactly what I wanted to hear. I am more than happy to get some cheapo AVR decoder for TV/movies and let the stereo be a stereo. I had thought the sound signal on digital TV and movies had gotten to the point where I should think about caring. I can live with a little spoof for my TV
 
I can live with a little spoof for my TV
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Surroundsound is all spoof and that's why and how it works. Even an inexpensive HTIB system will double or triple the perceived size of your display.
 
originally posted by JasonA:
Stiff upper lipNaim, Creek, Linn... They're all E N G L I S H. They are all going to be projects with personality. Embrace them but be aware of the risks.
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Don't know what you mean about risks with Naim. Yes, the cables are not what we're used to. But I have never had a problem with any of the equipment over the 20 years I've owned them. First or second or even third-hand. Including a little nait 2 that still kicks ass - and cost all of $250. I did get it a $200 recap a few years ago.
 
originally posted by Brad L i l j e q u i s t:
Just think of how Melissa Block would sound on a Naim.
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That is terrifying, though Amy Goodman is the one that really makes me cringe lately. Also Steve Insky. The tone is like "you're going to die, it's your own fault, drink organic coffee." Anyway this household has figured out how to broadcast computer radio feeds through the home stereo. The sound quality is terrible but at least I can get WKCR again. Not the jazz, just the classical . . .
 
originally posted by Scott Kraft:
originally posted by JasonA:
Stiff upper lipNaim, Creek, Linn... They're all E N G L I S H. They are all going to be projects with personality. Embrace them but be aware of the risks.
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Don't know what you mean about risks...
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Falling in love is not a risk? Never heard of anyone swooning over Pioneer, Onkyo, et all.
 
originally posted by Kay Bixler:
Anyway this household has figured out how to broadcast computer radio feeds through the home stereo. The sound quality is terrible but at least I can get WKCR again. Not the jazz, just the classical . . .
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I listen to WKCR to hear "Bird Flight". Doesn't matter what equipment you play that through.
 
Hmmm...wonder why so many wine geeks were/are audio geeks.

In the late 90s, I tried to create a system that was good for both audio and video...Aerial Acoustics 10Ts, SW12, CC3, SR3s, Classe amps, Harmonic Tech cables, Lexicon preamp (not the best for 2 channel, oh well, but good enough), etc...At one point I had this crazy idea to run some XLRs through the sub, cross it over around 28Hz (speakers I think are -6db at 28), and split into the Classe 2-channel amp, using the amp as a switch...then onto the 10Ts and add a minimalist preamp...just for an even more optimal 2-channel path, but I never did implement that. The SW-12 is surprisingly musical and with the 10T, allows for pretty decent range w/quality.

Now my main source is a Slimdevices Squeezebox...digital domain to old Lex..using the Lex DACs. Oh well.

I'm thinking everything above is obsolete, oh well...with Master Audio and TrueHD, it is tempting to upgrade the theater and build a dedicated 2-channel system again w/modern stuff.

Someone above used Joseph Audio speakers...infinite crossovers? I'm a fan...I have 4th order in the 10Ts...always a fans of dynamics....not so much time/phase coherent.

-mark
 
originally posted by Kay Bixler:
originally posted by Brad L i l j e q u i s t:
Just think of how Melissa Block would sound on a Naim.
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That is terrifying, though Amy Goodman is the one that really makes me cringe lately. Also Steve Insky. . . .
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The names or NPR personalities are always good for a cheap chuckle. Karl Kasell, though he may spell it out as Carl Kasell, in my mind this man is the singular representation of the Cold War. Corey Flintoff, Lakshmi Singh, Soterios Johnson and my favorite, Lance Lucky. All I can ever think about is Dirk Diggler when I hear that name. Sylvia Poggioli, really, are these names for real?
 
I've been through the early heavy duty marantz phase, the early-90s NAD phase, although there were always the student loan payments and mortgage payments to keep these phases in check, and now I find myself in the phase of dropping my CD into a portable player plugged into a Harman Kardon portable system designed for iPods. That whole system cost less than one great, aged bottle of G. Conterno Barolo. I'm sure I could learn to enjoy something much more expensive, but it sounds good enough. But I guess I'll have to hide the whole "system" if Eden ever visits.
 
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