questions from and advice for newbies

tweak everything....that is exploring the music

 

lots of great advice. I'll especially have a look at Ruiz Audio, Anubisgrau. I can't believe I haven't run across it with all the searches I've done recently.

Thanks!

 

no problem

i've checked meanwhile on a sugden/jm reynaud compatibility. according to some users, one of the most synergetic, musical combinations in this price range but you do have to check if the sound is your cup of tea (apparently a bit on romantic side).

and yes - trentes on magic stands are the way to go, better than the cheaper twins.

i think you have a no-brainer here, it's only if you can stretch your budget a bit or if the gear is still unsold. hurry up mate!

 

buy safe? / Anyone familiar with NVA? / room considerations

You all who have bought used eq, is there anyway to do this sight unseen? I asked about the jm reynaud twins, for example, but they are in Valencia. There's no way I can go down to Valencia to look at a pair of speakers. Or anywhere outside of Madrid, for that matter. (I have no car.) So, I'm not sure if there is a protocol for this sort of thing, or if I just have to avoid it and hope something comes available here in Madrid.

And...

As I mentioned in the intros thread, I ran across the Nene Valley Audio eq on ebay and got interested. All the reviews I've seen were definitely positive, if a bit short of raving. It seems like a really good value: passive pre with 2 40w mono blocks: 600 euros. And Richard offers to give you full value trades on upgrades in the same line.

What concerns me is that these amps are said to be so neutral that your sources have to be of exceptional quality. So I was wondering if anyone had anything to say about the brand in general and pairing choices for speakers or cdp. I asked Richard, the owner / builder and he only said that the speakers should be very simple so as not to get in the way.

at 1500 e, the budget is stretched. i.e. not any cdp and not any wires. 8 or 9 hundred for speakers nearly doubles what I was planning, though I appreciate your research efforts, anubisgrau.

and...

my room is 16 feet x 10 feet. Lots of furniture. It seems to me that floor standers take up the same amount of room as bookshelves on stands, but I can't pull 'em out much from the wall except for special occasions when I just want to listen, then put the speakers back. What factors should be taken into consideration in this respect when looking at speakers?

Thanks again all for the great responses!

 

Don't buy rear ported speakers. Uh, also consider that active speakers will likely have a bass roll-off control which you can use to adjust for placement against a wall or out in the room.

By the way, 'eq' generally means equalisation, not equipment.

 

okay, thanks Tenson. I thought about the eq thing after I posted, then figured you'd guess from the context.

 

if i would be a beginner i would think twice before going a more complicated pre+2 monoblocks mode. yes it gives you a flexibility to experiment but if you get addicted to this, it can be destructive - you will not listen to the music anymore. plus you will need an extra budget for ICs, because better ICs will make a difference - this should be put into account for any separate combo no matter if it is pre/power or transport/DAC. this kind of games are not for people on a tight budget and can be really demanding or tiring to find a piece of wire that really makes your system sing.
this kind of a headache you don't have when dealing with integrateds. i would really recommend to focus on finding a good integrated, especially from a brand with a decent resale value. sugden is a great option and i have no doubts it would outperform the mention NVA combo - in era of really properly made integrateds, the separates don't rule anymore as they used to do for decades. some of the best amplification you can buy today for any money is actually super integrateds from lavardin, karan, accuphase etc.

 

anyone know anything about the ps audio 100 delta? I see it for 300 euros. Also some Harbeth speakers at an accesible price.

I'm checking on the Sugden too. Still, if it isn't in Madrid, I don't see how I could opt for it.

Cheers!

 

which Harbeths? Harbeths are real gentlemans speakers, the BBC monitor ones are the best ones.

 

My advice, visit a good hifi dealer. He'll trace down your needs and make use of your brain/ear combo to select the appropriate kit.

Cheers, Ricardo

 

harbeth HL-P3s. that looks pretty good for 300 euros, no?

 

Sounds a fair price, about £200. You need to choose an amp next. They won't be bass monsters, but they should do everything well. If you think it's that even handed, play lots of different sorts of music without pulling hi-fi stunts that you want, it seems a good idea.

There's a nice review here, but you've probably seen it:

 

Just seen they are 82.5db/w, you'd need a few watts to shove them, so if you do find a Sugden A21, try and give it a go with them, it might run out of puff if you like it loud. would be a nice sound at normal levels I'd wager though