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Post by John on Dec 19, 2020 18:50:35 GMT
What systems changes did you make this year and what if anything did you learn in terms of HiFi
I know it has been a traumatic year for mostof us. But thought something light for people to share experiences with
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Post by John on Dec 19, 2020 21:00:53 GMT
2020 in HIFI terms has been a busy year
My first lesson was learning just how much noise can occur on a electrical board from stray electrical noises. Dealing with this helps with a more natural sound. I went through a few different boxes settling on the RTZ as what worked best for me.
My first ecperiment was changing my Loudspeakers drivers and moving to a line array design. This has been an absolute blessing for me. Having 5 drivers shifting the mid and bass per speaker and 2 15 inch bass drivers per speakers shifts a lot of air but it also has the nimbleness I enjoy. A great cost effective result.
The biggest suprise came right at the end My friend sent me a Bluetooth reciever what it does with YouTube is sensational. Not quite their with Spotify or Tidal for me. But I am getting a bigger tablet so I can watch and listen to music videos, I really would encourage others to do this as opens up another means of getting music. I also bought the limetree.The app GUI I prefer to Volumio. I think Volumio is Functionsl but needs a better GUI
Overall my sound is more flowing. I know what instruments sound like and I am a lot closer to getting a natural sound I enjoy.
Gone is all the reclocking makes a difference to the ATB but the Limetree performs better without everything so that is a nice win for me.
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Post by MartinT on Dec 19, 2020 22:02:44 GMT
2020 has been a year of small but significant changes, adding up to a lot in sound quality terms.
There have been no major component changes.
- Improvements to grounding with the SGS-1s dedicated to the Mutec and BR Eflos boxes used elsewhere
- Some mods performed on my LKS DAC
- Bought an EtherREGEN ethernet reclocker
- Added a Chinese BG7TBL master clock
- Replaced the Asus Tinker Board S with a Sonore ultraRendu
Also - I sold my records!
I couldn't be happier with the system sound now. I plan to make only small changes next year.
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Post by jandl100 on Dec 19, 2020 22:31:21 GMT
Speakers unchanged, but up on Hudson wobbly footers as suggested by Adrian.
All the electronics (DAC, amps) changed multiple times. The medication doesn't seem to help.
I just may have 2 long term power amp keepers... Primaluna Prologue 5 and Acoustic Reality REF-1001 ICE monoblocks. Hugely entertained by both of those.
I seem to have settled long term on cables... Epiphany Atratus3 and RFC Mercury interconnects, W&M LS-06 speaker cables, Belden 19364 mains cables and Ixos 105 digital coax.
Main fundamental change has been the move from laptop/USB to phone/Bluetooth 5 as streaming source.
Yes, I know it's a downgrade technically but it sounds like an upgrade musically!
Similarly going from HiRez Qobuz to Spotify Premium as my primary streaming service.
An apparent contradiction, reducing rez increases musicality.
Ah well, I just go with the flow!
Maybe 2021 will see me heading off in a different direction again.
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Post by ant on Dec 19, 2020 22:31:34 GMT
This year i have done a few things.
Nothing particularly exciting, but noteworthy in terms of things being better.
I bought an airprodigy linear tracking arm then built a lenco for it to go on while it was being built. That deck was a bit too big when i set everything up again, so i built another one that was abit smaller.
The arm is a complete sea change from a pivoted arm, and was well worth it.
I got my cole lcr phono stage fixed. i acquired it as a gift from a friend,it was on its last legs which i knew, but it was too good to pass up. The mains transformer had to be replaced but a custom replacement from toroidy was very good value.
I got myself an audio technica at33sa and a vm760slc to go on the new linear arm and the jvc my wife uses respectively, and managed to get hold of an ancient arcam delta 170.3 cd transport. I wanted another for years since the first one i had packed up years ago.
I got a topping e30 dac to go with it.
And a pass b1 pre which i heard and had to have
I also got hold of a moth rcm which id been wanting for years
To do these things i sold off a lot of my collection of things and stuff, which was abit of a wrench. But my wife told me to get shut of it all and buy some of the things i really wanted.
Quite glad i did.
As it stands, the system now consists of the following
Bte designs type 3 lenco with airprodigy arm and at33sa
Lda ha1 step up
Cole lcr phono stage
Jvc ql-y5f with vm760slc
Benedict audio hothead phono stage (wifes turntable because its fully automatic)
Arcam delta 170.3 transport with topping e30 dac
Nelson pass b1 pre
Nelson pass f5 power
Speakers are some bloody great big sealed box speakers i built with fane 15-300tc 15" full range drivers in them. They are the size of washing machines...
Im also playing with a pair of 12" no-baffle subs which are really nice. They are just there to fill in at the bottom. I wanted a subtle fill, not big pounding bass so i use them in an open baffle that is barely bigger than the driver. The 15 inch driver in the speakers goes low enough but drops of fairly rapidly in a sealed box. I dont like ported bass, but i do like fast and tught sealed box bass. This configuration means i just get the driver output with no cabinet or baffle gain. It just subtly stretches out the bass roll off of the system and add a bit of richness.
Its not much, but the main speakers didnt need much.
Its a pleasing little addition to the capabilities
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Post by julesd68 on Dec 20, 2020 1:24:52 GMT
In terms of hi-fi it has mostly been a write-off for me - with what's gone on this year I haven't had the run of the gaff like I have always been used to, but I'm not complaining as I've seen more of my family as a result.
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Post by MartinT on Dec 20, 2020 9:35:52 GMT
In terms of hi-fi it has mostly been a write-off for me - with what's gone on this year I haven't had the run of the gaff like I have always been used to Surely you can find a little 'me' time, or share some music with the rest of your family? Does it have to be all or nothing? |
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Post by julesd68 on Dec 20, 2020 10:26:07 GMT
In terms of hi-fi it has mostly been a write-off for me - with what's gone on this year I haven't had the run of the gaff like I have always been used to Surely you can find a little 'me' time, or share some music with the rest of your family? Does it have to be all or nothing? Finding time for myself isn't a problem. But we live in a modest flat and my system is in the living room by necessity, which means I can't really inflict it on others, especially at the volumes I enjoy so yes it's an all or nothing situation. It has been listening via smartphone or computer for me. |
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Post by Slinger on Dec 20, 2020 15:25:18 GMT
The majority of my changes were cable-related. I kitted the whole of the second system (I will always be talking about my second system, it's what I experiment on. The main (NVA) system is inviolate) with Blue Jeans Cable Cat 6a ethernet, which covers BT Smart Hub to my (also new this year) CISCO 2960G 8-port gigabit ethernet switch, and from there to both NAS boxes, the streamer, which is currently (again, new this year) an MSI Cubi Mini PC, and the main PC, just for good measure. As far as the audio signal chain goes I replaced the RCA pair between my DAC and my Amp with AudioQuest Red River, which I'd been wanting to try, and were a ridiculously low price on eBay. The obvious happened, and literally two days later I found a pair of AudioQuest Big Sur interconnects which were a tenner dearer and nominally a step up in class. I preferred the Red River in the end, they really are excellent cables. Obviously this all changed once again when I grabbed probably the second-biggest bargain of the lot, a 0.5m pair of AudioQuest Diamond Interconnects. They're keepers. On the digital side I got my Schiit Wyrd (ordered at the very end of last year, but delivered this year. so it counts.) which sits between the streamer and the Oehlbach XXL Master Clock. I also picked up a brace of WireWorld Starlight 7 USB cables to slot between streamer Wyrd, and between the Wyrd and the XXL. The purchase was perfect in two ways, firstly they were sold as "new old stock" by Analogue Seduction, so there was a decent price-reduction, and secondly they were 0.3m and 0.5m respectively. The only improvement I can think of is if they'd both been 0.3m. Top of the shop and best bargain though was the AudioQuest Diamond 75Ω coax lead to bridge my CD player and amp. Another stupidly low price purchase from someone who hadn't taken the time to properly identify what he was selling. I took the time. Odds and sods: A Bluesound Node 100 that was "faulty" which, thanks to some great info from Tim , I was able to breathe life back into. It was one of those "because I can" purchases and now sits there doing nothing. The novelty of being able to control it via Alexa does not make up for the lack of decent sound quality. I also picked up some more Clearlight Audio cones and bases, and more Vibrapods. On the AV front I got yet another AudioQuest Carbon HDMI cable to replace a Cinnamon in the all-AudioQuest cabling, and a Monitor Audio Silver 10i Centre Speaker. I bought a pair of Sennheiser HD 4.40 BT Bluetooth over-ear cans for the PC too. The one(s) that got away: I ordered two heavily discounted 0.3m WireWorld Silver Starlight 7 USB cables, to replace the "ordinary" Starlight 7s, but I'd dithered too long over the outlay, and they were out of stock by the time I placed the order. And that's probably the most I've written about actual "hi fi" gear since I've been here.  |
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Post by MartinT on Dec 20, 2020 16:33:24 GMT
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Post by Slinger on Dec 20, 2020 17:07:12 GMT
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Post by speedysteve on Dec 20, 2020 17:45:44 GMT
Converted to 12" mid bass drivers by extending the horn throats by around 30cm. Horns are now 1.2m long😀
Faster, tighter, more dynamic and musical mid bass!
Learned that 12" is more than 15" in a midbass horn!
Put the 400Hz horns back on the Vitavox S2 upper mid drivers.
Learned that subtle dynamics are nicer than raw dynamics.
Tweaked the x/o points.
Got just the balance to the tapped horn subs I like. Slam Vs hifi trueism.
Leaned that it takes time to get this right.
Bought a swank 3.5mm to toslink optical cable (smells of Cinnamon), that totally propelled CCA (with all other mods to it) to new heights!
Leaned that better optics can make a difference and that the optical input to Najda can sound very good.
Made Qobuz my default listening source.
Learned that in general Qobuz has the most pleasing all round streaming sound.
I think i made all the linear psu upgrades last year but they helped a lot.
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Post by MartinT on Dec 20, 2020 18:16:53 GMT
Thanks for reminding me, Steve.
Qobuz Studio is my default music service since earlier this year.
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Post by roughneck on Dec 22, 2020 19:19:16 GMT
Bought myself a Marantz tt-15 S1 turntable. It's worth spending that bit extra. That's what I learnt.
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Post by MartinT on Dec 22, 2020 21:43:16 GMT
Apart from my system changes, I have learned that noise of all kinds wrecks digital replay. All of these things are critical to get right in order to enhance true resolution and clarity and reduce smearing and loss of fine detail and soundstage:
- Good power supplies. Low output impedance, aided by supercaps, really keeps the noise down as well as enhancing dynamics and micro-detail by responding quickly to demand.
- Good grounding. Use grounding boxes for every digital component (including router) in order to sponge destructive noise from the ground planes.
- Vibration control. Black Ravioli or the equivalent under everything. Granite and weights on top.
- Speaker isolation. Throw those spikes away!
- Good cables. They really do make a difference to digital transmission. Throw cheap printer cables away and spend on good USB and S/PDIF cables.
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Post by Chris on Dec 22, 2020 22:20:26 GMT
Been a fair few changes for me. New listening room which is bigger and fairly inert.
Tried c!ass D and liked it. Bought a few pairs of speakers and have been swapping them about as suits. Kind of settled on the Ditton 33s...nice them.
Added a tv to the system too and another Chromecast.
Still using Tidal HiFi and my next step is a Pioneer fitted in the car. No rush though!
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Post by jandl100 on Dec 23, 2020 7:16:32 GMT
I thought the Ditton 33 would win out, Chris. Very nice indeed.
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Post by ChrisB on Dec 23, 2020 8:35:57 GMT
For the second year in a row, I have not changed a single thing in my system, except for what's playing on it.
Happy at that, too.
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Post by jandl100 on Dec 23, 2020 9:01:19 GMT
I haven't changed anything at all, either. Today. So far. (It's only 9am) |
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Post by Chris on Dec 23, 2020 12:46:58 GMT
I thought the Ditton 33 would win out, Chris. Very nice indeed. No winners or losers here Sir just rather nice choices! |
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