How do you keep yourself from flinging your system in a ditch?

[dtel]

" I mean, how do you keep yourself sane "

There's the problem, don't fight it just let it happen, it's going to happen anyway ! [:S]

[russ69]

Mr. Norm,

Assuming your receiver, cd player and speakers cannot be replaced at this time, I can recommend that you try a cable change. I'd put a Cardis 300B interconnect on your cd player, and I'd use Audioquest Type 4 cable on your speaker mains. You can try one or the other first, they are both about an equal step. If you like the direction that takes your system, later you can get the other set. This will take the edge off, add "musicality" and the dynamics you are missing. The speaker cables are $119 for a 10 foot pair and the Cardis is $140 for a half meter pair from Audio Advisor (if you don't like them you can send them back).

Nothing will transform your system for less money. Don't fling your system quite yet, your stuff is good enough to have a very satisfying music system, it just needs some tweaking to get it right.

Thanx, Russ

[Norm Mowry]

Mr. Norm,

Assuming your receiver, cd player and speakers cannot be replaced at this time, I can recommend that you try a cable change. I'd put a Cardis 300B interconnect on your cd player, and I'd use Audioquest Type 4 cable on your speaker mains. You can try one or the other first, they are both about an equal step. If you like the direction that takes your system, later you can get the other set. This will take the edge off, add "musicality" and the dynamics you are missing. The speaker cables are $119 for a 10 foot pair and the Cardis is $140 for a half meter pair from Audio Advisor (if you don't like them you can send them back).

Nothing will transform your system for less money. Don't fling your system quite yet, your stuff is good enough to have a very satisfying music system, it just needs some tweaking to get it right.

Thanx, Russ

No, thank you Russ, for your input - and thanks to everyone else who added to this discussion.

Seriously, though, do you really think wires can make that much difference? As it is, I am using a Monster optical connection from my CD player to the receiver and Monster cables from the receiver to the mains, with a Monster RCA connection to the sub-woofer.

I am beginning to wonder if I am just getting an unexpected reaction to having an "audiophile" setup - if it in fact warrants being called an audiphile setup - whereas I previously owned a Sony pre-completed bookshelf system in my apartment from when I first got married. The thing is, that system - which at the time was from an "elite" Sony line - played my CDs with a fairly equal sound quality. It had 20 or so preset EQ settings, and I would set it to the equalizer's "studio" setting for everything.

Maybe now with this new system I am hearing the most minute detail of each recording, thereby experiencing dissatisfaction with the detectable nuances that are much more evident now having such a system?

One peculiarity is that when I listen to CDs through my headphones - which are great headphones, but certainly not the most expensive you can get - and the receiver is set to "pure audio," the sound quality evens out across the variety of CDs I listen to at any given time. And the wires to the headphones are nowhere near the quality of the Monster cables running through the system's various connections. This lends credibility to tkdamerica's suggestion that a room treatment may be in order, or at the very least, I need to look at my system's layout in relation to the shape of the room.

I respect your integrity and believe that you believe cables can make that much difference, but I find it hard to understand.

Try to remember that I have so much to learn and I am still trying to learn what applies to me and what doesn't. I cannot believe the amount of information available online regarding audio systems. I last had an audiophile-caliber system in the 70's. In no way was there this much science available when a listener tried to tweak their system, and all one needed to contend with was the simplicity of a balance, bass, and treble knob and one "loudness" button that was usualy left on at all times.

Kind regards,

Norm Mowry

[dtel]

OK I have to tell you your avatar is VERY distracting when trying to read ! [] []

[Norm Mowry]

OK I have to tell you you avatar is VERY distracting when trying to read !

Here. Now you needn't squint. [:|]

[SWL]

there was something visceral about watching concerts on the Big Screen in the privacy of my own home.

[Y][Y][Y][Y]

[dtel]

I like the concert DVDs also for the most part the quality is much better, but I have a few that I can't even stand to try to listen to they are so bad.

Foreigner all access tonight is terrible, from the Eagle Vision label, Steve Winwood was another that sounded good but would skip and stutter, I returned it and was given another 3 different times until I just gave up, it also did it in the store. Another was ZZTop live from Texas, something sounds off on the DVD, just dull sounding, I watched the same recording on a HD channel and it sounded better than my DVD and that never happens.

I don't buy Cd's unless it's older music that could never make it to DVD. It's not just quality they can't even get the volume the same from CD to CD.

But with good recordings it's great, it's what makes the bad ones really bad.

Oh...Nice pic !

[Dmannnnn]

To Norm and everyone else here. Someone posted this on another forum and I thought I would share it with you. It is a bit long, but there is a lot of good information here on sound quality, remastering, and recording in general.

http://philoctetes.org/Past_Programs/Deep_Listening_Why_Audio_Quality_Matters

Click on the "watch video" tab.

D

[russ69]

Seriously, though, do you really think wires can make that much difference? As it is, I am using a Monster optical connection from my CD player to the receiver and Monster cables from the receiver to the mains, with a Monster RCA connection to the sub-woofer.

Yes, they do. They can change the sound of a system completely. I've used the Monster products you have, the speaker cable can be harsh (with horns) and tipped toward the top end with a thin midrange (twisted strand) and the sub cable (rca) is just boomy and not well defined. The ones I recommended for you will warm up your system and still add better definition. I could recommend a new CD player that would help out also but the cheapest way to go is to re-do the cabling. One more thing, dump the optical cable on your CD player, that's not helping your system.

Thanx, Russ

[SWL]

The title of this thread reminds me of when cell phones first came out.

[Deang]

Yes, they do. They can change the sound of a system completely...

[bs]

[Marvel]

Yes, they do. They can change the sound of a system completely...

[Y] Just read an article about the studio for Pink Floyd... They use crystals and cable supports and all sorts of crap for their studio. I always knew there was a reason I didn't like them.

Bruce

[SWL]

. The ones I recommended for you will warm up your system and still add better definition.

Are those the same ones that make you loose weight, live longer and generally just live a better life?

.......I've heard about those cables. [:^)]

[DrWho]

They use crystals and cable supports and all sorts of crap for their studio. I always knew there was a reason I didn't like them.

lol [Y]

btw, do you really not like floyd? []

[carbon summit]

Seriously, though, do you really think wires can make that much difference? As it is, I am using a Monster optical connection from my CD player to the receiver and Monster cables from the receiver to the mains, with a Monster RCA connection to the sub-woofer.

Yes, they do. They can change the sound of a system completely. I've used the Monster products you have, the speaker cable can be harsh (with horns) and tipped toward the top end with a thin midrange (twisted strand) and the sub cable (rca) is just boomy and not well defined. The ones I recommended for you will warm up your system and still add better definition. I could recommend a new CD player that would help out also but the cheapest way to go is to re-do the cabling. One more thing, dump the optical cable on your CD player, that's not helping your system.

Thanx, Russ

Why dump the optical cable on the CD player? I thought that was the best way to go on a CD player?

From what I've read I've got to throw the BS flag on the cables change the sound of the system thing too. Good quality wire of a decent gauge yes I'd agree with but beyond that I'm not buying it.

[carbon summit]

And another question. I've got a Yamaha 663 receiver (which I know isn't the most expensive greatest one out there but its not terrible so please don't recomment replacing it with whatever super expensive amp/preamp combo) and when I go to "pure direct" it sounds like crap. Why?

[russ69]

Ouch, guys. I'm not sure how to react to this but I guess I should have expected it. I don't recommend minor changes when a guy says he wants to dump his system in the ditch. He needs a big change, and that's what I offered, enough change to make a major difference. Colterphoto1 and JamesV had some useful tips but I didn't see much help from anyone else.

Thanx, Russ

[tigerwoodKhorns]

To Norm and everyone else here. Someone posted this on another forum and I thought I would share it with you. It is a bit long, but there is a lot of good information here on sound quality, remastering, and recording in general.

http://philoctetes.org/Past_Programs/Deep_Listening_Why_Audio_Quality_Matters

Click on the "watch video" tab.

D

Kind of long? It was 2 1/2 hours and I wish it was 5 hours. Great discussion. Where did you find this? Were you on Hoffman's forum?

I'll send you an email.

[carbon summit]

Some info on speaker wire written by Roger Russell at McIntosh. Just food for thought.

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

[tigerwoodKhorns]

Some info on speaker wire written by Roger Russell at McIntosh. Just food for thought.

http://www.roger-russell.com/wire/wire.htm

We have all read that. My take on it is yes, I have witnessed cables making a difference. BUT, at least to me, there are no set formulas on how to tune with cables and they are very expensive, so I refuse to go there. Buying some decent cables makes sense. I have Kimber 4PR that I got when I was 13 years old as a gift (in 1982) that I use for speaker wire and I make my own RCA's from Mogami Quad and RCA's from Ebay and XLR's (where needed).