Need help with system improvements.

sastusbulbas said:
I don't get it, is it an attempt at taking the piss out of an audio ancillary based on personal opinion? and can you do it with any piece of audio equipment if one so chooses?
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Yes and yes, respectively. Somebody on pfm gave me an idea today:

On the first part of the journey
All my hi-fi gear lacked life
There were Sonys, Sanyos, bland, boring
Played through boomy, boxy things
The first time I met with a guy full of PRaT
I heard music with no clouds
The pace was hot, the soundstage was not
But the air was full of sound

I've been through my CDs with a player called Naim
Had a sound you cannot disdain
But no better than others, it's plain
You can seek for PRaT, but you'll listen in vain
La, la ...

More work needed...

Or is it based on experience?
This being how you actually found Mana supports and some of what happened to you?
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Mana has an especial place in my affections. It was Mana's total failure to work that made me the s(c)eptic I am today. I am forever grateful.

I am merely quoting the miraculous results quoted on the Mana website itself.

Did selling all the furniture not affect the room acoustics?
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Don't be silly, Mana from heaven can overcome anything.

Did you get a discount from the shoe repair shop? Did this also affect your carpet?
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Only for sole music. And the carpets were sol(e)d.

How long was the airline?
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As a piece of string.

How did the MOA find out how high it was?
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Apparently the altimeter reading of a U2 that nearly hit it.

Did the floor actualy take so many stacks of Mana?
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Yes, after some modifications by Freeman, Fox & Partners.

Did you not need planning permision?
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I plan to get permission some day.

Did you have to take your roof down?
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No, just a simple hole allows one to fiddle on the roof. (If I were a rich man, dumadumadumadum...)

How did it affect your relationship with your wife?
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My what? What a question to ask an audiophool!

Did the permafrost and cold affect the Hi Fi in any way? It could not have been good for your cart?
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On the contrary, it proved the brilliance of the Great Mr. Belt. Remember how we all laughed about putting CDs in the fridge to improve the sound? Well, Belt didn't go far enough - put the whole thing in the fridge and the sound is, for want of a better word, cool. Who needs cryogenics, when one can have altitude?
 
I just wanted to say that one of the best systems I have heard was at POG's who used to work at Mana.

He had a whole wall full of Mana, with the LP12 at eye level, masses of Naim into Isobariks.

It was a wall of sound to be proud of and one of the few Naim systems that I could even stay in the same room with.
 
tones said:
Yes and yes, respectively. Somebody on pfm gave me an idea today:

On the first part of the journey
All my hi-fi gear lacked life
There were Sonys, Sanyos, bland, boring
Played through boomy, boxy things
The first time I met with a guy full of PRaT
I heard music with no clouds
The pace was hot, the soundstage was not
But the air was full of sound

I've been through my CDs with a player called Naim
Had a sound you cannot disdain
But no better than others, it's plain
You can seek for PRaT, but you'll listen in vain
La, la ...

More work needed...


Mana has an especial place in my affections. It was Mana's total failure to work that made me the s(c)eptic I am today. I am forever grateful.

I am merely quoting the miraculous results quoted on the Mana website itself.


Don't be silly, Mana from heaven can overcome anything.


Only for sole music. And the carpets were sol(e)d.


As a piece of string.


Apparently the altimeter reading of a U2 that nearly hit it.


Yes, after some modifications by Freeman, Fox & Partners.


I plan to get permission some day.


No, just a simple hole allows one to fiddle on the roof. (If I were a rich man, dumadumadumadum...)


My what? What a question to ask an audiophool!


On the contrary, it proved the brilliance of the Great Mr. Belt. Remember how we all laughed about putting CDs in the fridge to improve the sound? Well, Belt didn't go far enough - put the whole thing in the fridge and the sound is, for want of a better word, cool. Who needs cryogenics, when one can have altitude?
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:notworthy
 
Echoance said:
*wonders who's thread this is*


:P
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LOL, sorry, strikes my funny bone :), 9 pages and as far as I can tell, its try:
cables,
and stands,
and everything else too:)
- can't go wrong :D


I reccon as your not so keen to change equipment initially, and can't move speakers easily..?
Try an equipment rack and your diy mains cable.
Maybe even a nice silver mains cable from FatKat, I'm part way through making one, quite amazed at what differences the demo one made in my set up.

:)
 
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Echoance said:
Hi, guys. My system is as follows:

Arcam Alpha 8R (tweeter duty)
2xArcam Alpha 9P (1 ea. mid/bass duties)
NAD C541i
Proac Studio 200's (fooking heavy!!)
Homebrewed IC's and CAT6-based speaker cable.

The problem I have is that, although it's fantastic at revealing details, have a good soundstage and the bass starts and stops where it should, there's very little 'boogie' factor. With my old system (AA8R, AA9P(1 of), NADC541i) heard thru B+W DM601(s1)'s, although technically it wasn't great, I always found my feet tapping without realising. This doesn't happen as often with the new setup. :(
Can anyone suggest anything?
Proviso: I can't afford any more gear and I can't really move the position of either speakers or system.
Also, (and perhaps related), can anyone suggest any cheap internal mods for any of my hardware? I don't mind soldering, etc. so, for example, if new opamps will make an improvement, lemme know.
If you need any more information, please ask.
Cheers, neill
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Maybe try some basic Chord cables? Second hand off eBay?
Or try some cheap granite chopping boards as supports?
Or Nordost Points?
Or try running only one amp?

Maybe the Nad and Arcam combo are not complimenting each other? for instance two items with similar character may over egg the puddin!

If you feel it is too laid back, some say glass supports can brighten up a system? Could try a rack with glass?

I should say I do not think much of the cable you have chosen as an interconnect, I have used this myself, and still have loads of interconnect with that cable and the Van Den Hull type plugs kicking around, I found it quite uninvolving myself.

Precious Metals Copper Tech Alpha isn't too expensive, and quite decent. My own preference regading speaker cable and interconnect is to have both from the same manufacturer usually?
 
Stereo Mic said:
READ THIS BEFORE YOU WASTE ANY MONEY.
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Good advice, it is true that you can not radically change the sound of your equipment via cables and racks, only tweak it a little, it may indeed be as good as it gets?

If you can buy it cheap on eBay you can usually sell it cheap on eBay, advance with caution.........
 
sastusbulbas said:
Good advice, it is true that you can not radically change the sound of your equipment via cables and racks, only tweak it a little, it may indeed be as good as it gets?

...
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I my own personal opnion, not so.

I have spent a considerable amount of time in the last year or so playing with racks and different support systems.

Occassionally the gains have been minor, often they have been substancial.

Whether any one goes down this avenue is IMO an entirely personal decision. I would say try it in a small way to start with.....see if you get results (and enjoy it) and make decision from there.

My Dad spends much time editing photographs. To me that would be waste as pics stay on my computer and nobody ever sees them. The time spent on my audio system (IMO) has resulted in some thing that sounds better to me at least...........+I've gained an enormous amount of knowledge.........at minimum ££ too!

Horses for courses.




:)
 
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Hi, guys. Just thought I'd call in and let you know what I've done and how I've got on: very little/great!!
Basically, I shoved my speakers 6" further apart (as much as they could go) and there's a huge improvement in the sound. It's...nice...to listen to now and I've got the boogie factor I wanted. I know the setup still isn't perfect and I'll be looking at other bits and pieces in the future but there's no real rush now, although I think a dedicated stand will help as the 4 components are stood on top of each other. Wwwobbbllllyyyyy!!
Thanks for the advice. Neill
 

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