what would you do?

Honest enquiry

My kit is as it stands is below. I mainly listen to jazz and the system below works quite well in a room 3.5*4.5m (ish). if you need to picture it it's the second half of a victorian terrace through lounge.

i'd like to treat myself to some new kit sometime before christmas and have had varoius thoughts....like the hyperoin 938 speakers and/or new BC monoblocks and/or a wadia cdp and/or a SME TT.

I'm coming around to idea of a new ariel for the tuner, a new tuner, some mains spur(s) and a new cdp.

I'm not a huge one for auditioning and all that faffing about, and am more than happy to go s/h.

i could go to 4/5K and i wondered what anyone else thought


Current Kit

LP12/Ittock/slee era gold version 5/elevator xp/at0c9/lingo2
audio research LS2 /belcanto evo 4
arcam cd72 (transport)/sugden stemfoort pda 10 DAC
kenwood tuner
Jm lab electra 920
trichord 500va powerblock
headfi - hd600's and rega ear

 

hi there,
Magnum Dynalab tuner with MD signal sleuth and MD ST2 antenna works well on the tuner front, and it's always worth phoning "the cartridge man" re the TT set up as he has just released his new air arm - HIS MUSIC MAKER 3 is a superb sounding cart. The Brinkman Oasis also looks groovy. Have you spoken to the chaps at WALRUS SYSTEMS in London, as they carry the Hyperion speakers and cannot stop raving about them though I have not heard them myself.
best of luck with it

 

I guess it depends which source you use most.

I would say your Tuner and CD would be the weakest link with you amp not really needing much attention (though maybe wadiameister might be able to tweak the Bel Canto for a modest sum).

If you really use the tuner a lot then the obvious cadidates are such as Magnum Dynalab, Naim, Linn etc. Don't really know enough about tuners or aerials etc - but if you buy 2nd hand you should be able to get a real nice high end tuner for £500-700.

The speakers seem fine, but I have read that the tweeter can be changed for a newer version which might be worth looking at as a cheap upgrade. Alternative speakers are very much down to the individual but for jazz perhaps Living Voice might be good.

CD wise with your budget a Wadia 860 or 861 ought to be within reach and run direct into the Bel Canto should be awesome

 

John,

If you listen to Jazz, get the largest pair of Tannoys or JBL's you can accomodate and find an amp to drive them.

I cannot tell you how much more pleasure you will get from doing something like this than investing in more fashionable items.

You really should hear Ian's Tannoys.

 

Art Audio Carissa/pre + Living Voice OBX-R2's.

Any source you like.

Jazz.

Nice. :MILD:

 

seems like pretty good kit to me.

how about just enjoying it and spending the money elsewhere?

 

John,

SM's got it about right IMHO - get some big 'speakers. Once you've got used to the new 'speaks then perhaps consider the other bits.

Stuart.

 

Me, I'd get an Ekos and Linto - then some Martin Logans.
That'd be about £5k

 

For me, definitely the front end, though which would depend on whether I mainly listened to LP or CD.
If LP, I'd be inclined to checkout one of the better Nottingham Analogue decks, otherwise the Esoteric X-03 is meant to be the dogs danglies and would be worth a listen.

 

i 'd say it's a 50/50 mix cd/lp

my feeling is the asside from letting tony have a go at the bc (good idea, thanks) and other mains/areil tweaks, a 4k ish cdp might be an idea. any ideas anyone as to which. is there some ch stuff i should look at?


i appreciate the comment about the tannoys/jbl's but what and where to get it?

 

If you like jazz go for a simon yorke ... or the brinkmann oasis. The lp12 is definately the weak link.

 

Ekos and a nice Lyra for the LP12.

The OC9 while excellent is not exactly top drawer.

 

the biggest change you could make would be a squeezebox or some other sort of media player - it will totally change the way you listen to music. does your dac have multiple / switchable inputs? if not you might look at another dac (or have something added to your existing one).
i know little about record players but the linn might benefit fromn a service if it;s a few years old.
other than that buy loads of music.
cheers


julian.

 

John,

You have pm

 

Seconded. There's not much wrong with any of your gear, but the record player could do with a nice arm and cart. I wouldn't muck about with amps or even speakers (you'd never get the current ones out of the front door for a start...)

Either that, or the idea of buying an SME instead seems like a plausible option to me.

-- Ian

 

Glad to be of assistance

If your paying a visit to Tony's then I'm sure he can show you the best way to spend 4K (or more!) on a CD player as well (Wadia or Esoteric)

 

I think the Arcam CD72 is still upgradeable to a CD93 or CD192, both of which are much better players. The upgrade is not cheap, but you would be selling your DAC as surplus to requirements anyway.