HIFI Advices please read

I'll not post anything anymore in the Tech talk section to avoid sterile polemics with jealous and/or ignorant people who think that they can make music out of a computer or that CD is superior to vinyl or that 24 bits technology solve all digital's musical issues, etc...


So people who want to learn, who want to get real advice about Hifi, portable hifi, any question related to optimization, power cables, filters, any accessory, please PM and i'll be happy to freely share my knowledge. Any ironic message will be simply ignored.

BTW, two members from PA heard my hifi gear. Philippe heard my home system two times and was amazed, as well as Alucard who listened to my portable system (described here) last time we met for lunch in a restaurant in Paris and he was very impressed and told me that "he'd never think that one can get such sound from a portable set up". Then soon after he bought a Senn HP following my advices.

Period.







Edited by oliverstoned - February 23 2011 at 08:57

Hello,

Actually i'm not in Paris,

rather deep into the country, in a remote location...

oliverstoned wrote: I'll not post anything anymore in the Tech talk section to avoid sterile polemics with jealous and/or ignorant people who think that they can make music out of a computer or that CD is superior to vinyl or that 24 bits technology solve all digital's musical issues, etc...

Phew, lucky I didn't qualify for any of those.

Nice little system. I have never owned a tube amp, not sure I want to...but I am in the begining stages of looking for a new audio system. I am 47...so I have had my share of audio systems, and now I find myself just simply looking for a high end amp, pre-amp and speakers. My current receiver, Onkyo RC270 with THX and all that video stuff, just has too much stuff I don't use. I simply find myself listening to more of my vinyl in the past year and thought..."hey that's all I need right now!!"

oliverstoned wrote: Not an easy request...i'd change the Bose but i feel that you're not ready to hear that. Most preamplifiers are very costy! Why do you need a preamp? I'd recommend a Nad CD player paired with a Nad integrated amp and a pair of bookshelf Mission on good stands and a full QED cable line. The cheaper musical system i can think about. Edit: This is not the only option, there are alot of musical cheap CD players (mostly from England) that work such as Rega, Naim, Creek...

Dean wrote: oliverstoned wrote: I'll not post anything anymore in the Tech talk section to avoid sterile polemics with jealous and/or ignorant people who think that they can make music out of a computer or that CD is superior to vinyl or that 24 bits technology solve all digital's musical issues, etc... Phew, lucky I didn't qualify for any of those.

Edited by Mr ProgFreak - February 28 2011 at 12:36

when i say "cheap", it depends on the model.

If you want solid state amplification, something dynamic, muscular, reliable and still musical, deafinetly a Rotel setup

preamp choice

http://www.rotel.com/NA/products/index.htm?cat=29

power amp choice

http://www.rotel.com/NA/products/index.htm?cat=30

Yes, you'll need a sub as well for such a big room;
at least a 38cm (15 inches) diameter to obtain real extreme low.

Recommended brand: Sunfire

http://www.sunfire.com/products.asp



Edited by oliverstoned - March 01 2011 at 09:46

^ Which attitude is that - the one of trying to bully dissenters into keeping out of the threads?

Paravion wrote: oliverstoned wrote: I like this attitude.I'm not really into hi-fi as such, maybe because of money issues - and I always prefer to buy vinyl more than equipment.  I LOVE old reel-to-reel machines though. I recently bought myself such a piece for almost no money complete with original accessories - from 1964, and it works perfectly!   Anyway - I might be interested in an affordable integrated tube amplifier (max. 2000$) - can you recommend any?

A good tapedeck or reel-to-reel is a wonderful source, like a big tuner or of course, a good vinyl deck.

As you're located in europa, the answer to your question is easy:
Prima Luna. The good news is that it's less than 2000€!
It let you a good amount of money for optimization (cables, cancelling vibration devices, etc...) and/or maybe a cheap musical CD player (a second hand Nad, Rega or Naim is between 150 and 500€).

Not only Prima luna is affordable, well designed, highly musical and neutral but it also features a unique and very convenient auto-bias
system which automatically set your tubes (otherwise it has to be done manually each time you replace a tube).


Here's a model suited to your needs:
http://www.primaluna.nl/products_subpage1a2.htm

If you use it alone, without solid state power amplification for low end (bi amplification), you have to pair it with speakers with a minimum of 90db of sensitivity. This amp is "only" 40W, but 40W tubes easily equals 70 to 80 solid state Watts.


I precise that i'm myself the happy owner of a Prima Luna Prologue Four
(stereo power amp that i use with a passive Rotel Michi preamp, the whole help by a Sub Magna Omega 380). I warmly recommend this brand,
along with "Jolida" (extremely musical). You can also consider "Cayin" in the same league but it's a little more expensive and slightly less neutral but still very musical.

Edited by oliverstoned - March 02 2011 at 09:34

If you have plenty of money, sell back the Bose and go for an ambitious system with bi amplification (tubes in the highs, solid state in the low + sub (so, almost tri-amp)). Almost nobody will advice that, but believe me or not, this is the royal way, because tubes are incredible in the mid/highs and highs but slightly round in the extreme low.