Dali Zensors/Rega DAC (completed/paired with?)

Hi guys nice to meet you all!

I’m starting a new set up, and I need some guidance/opinions/views to gain a wider understanding on the world of Audiophilia.

Two weeks ago, I sold my Bluetooth speakers and got a pair of active speakers Ruark MR1 MK2s - they are nice but I think I caught the tweaking bug...

I did some research etc, and got a Rega DAC because the music from my Airport Express to the speakers via optical connection was extremely jittery - I was so frustrated and upset.

The Rega DAC really improved it tremendously, however it has brought about new issues and I think the speakers cannot handle the output gain from the DAC. So I decided I’m returning these “silly” Active speakers today.

Because there is bad distortion and clipping even at low levels of digital volume.. Increasing digital volume to more than 50% will hurt my ears and analog volume is set to 5-10%...

That is not living - I’m not able to enjoy the maximum resolution of my music... I was saved by someone at eBay. I spotted a deal I couldn’t resist and bidded on it and won - I’m picking them up this Saturday! So the items I won are a pair of Dali Zensor 1s and a Marrantz MC510. (And I save a £100 from my Active Speakers) So I’m pretty chuffed.

However I have some auditioning to do because I need to decide what will my next step be to complete my system.

Here’s the list of my equipment (or soon to be):
1) Dali Zensor 1s
2) Marrantz Mc 510
3) Apple Express
4)Apple TV 4th Gen (still in box)
5) Rega DAC
6)Allo DigiOne
7) Yamaha NSW-100 subwoofer (on the way)
8) wish list: Rega Brio-R?/some other Amp
9) Ghent Audio cables (enroute-but possible unusable now due to change)
10) Power conditioner/extension lead
11)Ferrite chokes

So yes - please suggest an amp for me to test out - preferably used/reasonably new which I can obtain on the used market.
(Entry level budget: £300)
Room size: 3m x 2m
(yeah it’s small hence I initially went for the Actives for less clutter)

I’m thinking of liquidating the Marrantz to finance the replacement amp, although I haven’t heard/set it up yet.

I am a passive speaker virgin - but not anymore - because I just ordered my first pair of speaker wires... and banana plugs (no pun intended!)

A bit about me:
I have quite sensitive hearing - I find the Rega DAC too bright (which I discovered can be upgraded on here) - I’m certainly enjoying the added layers and dynamism from it.
Grew up with HiFi and subconsciously uses Dad’s sound as a benchmark (Active crossover Krells powering a Dunntechs using a Jadis CD player and he had a Gryffon thing I don’t remember what it is) I hope I don’t reach this level of fanaticism - hence I shop online and avoid dealers. Most times I feel obligated once I walk into a shop.

Ears are very sensitive, especially to the higher frequencies. Have wide eclectic music taste, but mainly folk rock, indie, jazz and classical.

I bought the Rega DAC because I like the design, aesthetics, pragmatism and great value. I’m worried I’d succumb to Marrantz’s convenience which I like because all/most of Music comes from Apple Music. Or will I turn into a Rega-Fanboy?

I’d like to stay on middle and mix and match if possible.

Been eyeing on some Vintage Linn amplifiers... because they look nice, I’m not sure if it will match the speakers/DAC. Is it ok to buy vintage or the circuits still as effective and efficient?

Thanks for reading and any advice is welcome!

 

Welcome to the forum.

Wow; that's quite a list. Ok, first let me say that I think you are over thinking the whole thing. Second, you are also going about it the wrong way.

So, we understand that you know what a good hi-fi can sound like and that you are dissatisfied with your self-powered speakers and general set-up. That's well enough and the rest can be remedied. I am hearing you going at all of it at once from various angles and making a mess of things in the process. You need direction, and focus.

Let me say that I am an audio dealer, and I am also a music lover, and a technician. I don't like the term, but I suppose that I also fit the description of audiophile as well. I am a well seasoned one however and have become way less inclined to want to change things and be neurotically obsessed with particular performance flaws. If the latter describes you, then you might need to seek the help of professionals outside of the audio shops . I am not going to try and sell you anything. I am going to suggest that you get over the silly fear of audio shops and go explore what is available in person. That's how you gain experience with listening. You can't do that by reading. So while you might feel obligated to buy something from a helpful shop, you might also find it to be your greatest asset and your best investment. You should visit several and explain what you want in terms of better sound and ask for guidance within your budget. Proving and focusing on your budget is important or you will find yourself wasting the time of staff and them wasting yours. So don't just go in and act like you can buy the place to try and impress anyone. It's not a social club, rather a place to hear and buy audio gear. You don't have to buy what you don't like the sound of, nor what you cannot afford. You should buy what you do. I mean, that's why you're there, right? So going and listening to the products available and the salesmen's takes on what they would do if in your shoes will help you to realize what certain pieces of gear can do, what you like and dislike, and what direction to take. Then once you have that direction, stay focused and just buy the one item at a time that you'll find will provide the greatest improvement. It is possible that you'll find a couple of products at once, especially when starting fresh, but it sounds like you will soon have the starter system, so that shouldn't really be the case here.

Next, I'd stop reading too much crap on-line. You will get and see thousands of odd examples, none of which, or maybe only a few of which, would have any real benefit to you directly, as they are descriptions of what others have done. You need to focus just on your rig, not worry about others or introduce 1000 variables where two or three will do for now. You are wasting your own time and money by reading so many suggestions and buying what others would gladly spend your money on. It's not their system, and it's not their budget.

Lastly, no matter what you read on-line, or what you are told in shops about cables, do not spend any more money on them, period. You don't even have the main items sorted out yet and can connect what you have easily with any cable. They will not revolutionize your system and probably not even enhance it any any sonically discernible way. They might look pretty.

As a Rega dealer, with much experience with the products and many others, I can tell you that the Rega DAC does not sound bright. If anything, it's uberwarm. You have other issues. Once you get your mini-monitors and sub set-up and dialed-in in your room, then you can start to see what you like and dislike about that system. You might find that it's awesome. If not, then that;s when you want to go and listen to some other set-ups to see and hear how they do what they do and if you think any improvement can be had within your budget by buying them. Many shops will have used gear, so you might even find that you don't need to buy anything new if you do buy there. Then again, sometimes a new item is the best value. It'll certainly have the latest technology and the longest lifespan and support if all else is equal. I think that you'll find that speakers are what is going to make the greatest improvement in your system and amps, less so.

Your source should be quite nice with the Rega DAC, that's a solid piece IME. What you will want to do on-line is to ask about just how to feed data into that. Shops will help with hardware, but many struggle with software. If you find a particular steaming device that you like at a shop, then maybe they can be of service, but I'd probably just be looking at software and server solutions if I was going to use streaming as my source and already had such a nice DAC. Some people really find the hardware solutions such as those by Sonos to be really nice to use though, so no harm in asking while you are there either. You certainly don't need to go that route if you don't want to and there isn't any point in replacing such a nice DAC with a cheaper, integrated unit from a sound quality standpoint.

So, get what you got set-up and listen for a while. Then go out and visit a few local shops with the knowledge of what your system at home sounds like and what your budget is. Then decide how to best feed whatever system components that you settle on as best for your budget.
-Bill

 

Thanks - I really do need to take a chill pill.
That was a rather insightful reply in fact.

Yes, I need structure and guidance - but there is a part of me who just won’t listen and I have always done things my way... it’s always been the case (I sense a recurring theme here)

I do need a pre/amp to find out the difference. My main prerequisite now will be one which will send a pre-amp signal to the active sub?

The very reason I decided on the active speaker option was because I didn’t want all this hassle - seems like I’m going down the bespoke option.

I will feed the data into the DAC via Allo DigiOne on Raspberry Pi via BNC - but my cables haven’t arrived yet. So I need to get all my kit together and do a sound test.

1) Allo DigiOne and Rega DAC
2) Marantz integrated solution

I have a feeling I might not end up picking an all bespoke option sans the source (which is Digital)

I honestly cannot for the bane of my life stand to accumulate anymore stuff. So CDs or LPs are out of the question - until I get more space. And I’ve not actually heard an LP being played before. It’s only been CDs and digital all this time.

Only recently I have discovered that not all recordings are made equal - it also depends on the the mastering and quality of the recording...

I’ll find my way some how... and maybe visit a shop once I’ve had my mish mash experimental set running for a while and see what needs fixing... or just learn with what I have accumulated.

At the end of it I’ll be living with it so if I’m honestly unhappy about it I’ll go seek help. Or just learn to live with it...