Downgrading your system

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by btf1980, Sep 18, 2014.

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  1. Fiddlefye

    Fiddlefye Forum Resident

    Interesting. I've heard both and I'd say preference would very much depend on the speakers you were pairing with and the listening room. I heard the Rogue with a Rega Planet CDP and some fairly expensive monitors in a high-end shop last week and found the whole experience rather hyper-realistic (if that makes sense); highs a bit hard, soundstage a bit forced, the whole effect a bit artificial sounding. Maybe just a bad pairing with the speakers chosen, but I found the effect impressive, but a bit wearying.
     
  2. mwheelerk

    mwheelerk Sorry, I can't talk now, I'm listening to music...

    Location:
    Gilbert Arizona
    I have for several reasons but I'm very pleased with the subtle system I have now and don't miss not chasing the next best thing.
     
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  3. Fiddlefye

    Fiddlefye Forum Resident

    Where most of us would like to find ourselves. I'm really pleased with what I'm running now as well, though upgrading carts, arms and such is always fun and interesting. No such thing as stasis in life.
     
  4. BrokenByAudio

    BrokenByAudio Forum Resident

    I can understand the idea of downgrading on some levels. Space, for example as at least one respondent said. "Getting back to basics", Thoreau-like, might be another.

    On the other hand, I think it makes more sense just to get to wherever you get to and then get off the upgrade train if you want to do it. Is it necessary to downgrade? I think I'd be asking myself why. I can understand if circumstances have brought some financial hardship and the gear you own represents assets you can liquidate, but barring that I think people can be prone to desire to make changes in their lives because the fact of the change itself will make them happier. (This is, of course, true when it comes to upgrading as well!)

    I'm happy with where my gear is now and it's really easy just to sit back and listen. I like to think just getting to the point of satisfied is a positive move.
     
  5. whaleyboy

    whaleyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    San Diego, CA
    I am going through a down-sizing exercise right now.

    For the last several years I have used tube based separates - amplification and pre-amplification (phono and source) and a turntable. I am about to sell the tube separates and install a Devialet D200 because a) I like the sound and b) it is amazingly convenient that it has a DAC, preamp, phono and amplification all in one very small chassis. A bonus is that it looks cool.

    I gave some serious thought to building a gnarly rack of huge gear instead of going this direction but, ultimately, I decided that I want my "adult living room" to look really nice and a rack (in my specific case) would have worked against the aesthetic for this room.

    For my AV system (in another room) we put the speakers in or on the walls and hid the components in cabinets so all that you see is the TV. I don't care about AV (my wife and kids use it) and my wife is super happy with the stealth approach. We had a Mac AV system before (in a rack) with in room speakers and the shiny knobs were irresistible to little kids (we are blessed with 2) and the speakers were in danger of being poked. Everyone is happier when the only moving part that is visible is the "on" button on a remote :)
     
  6. Nate

    Nate Forum Resident

    I've used Revel F30's since April 2000. I hadn't noticed any of the attributes you mention. Indeed maybe it was the speakers. synergy is everything
     
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  7. Fiddlefye

    Fiddlefye Forum Resident

    Highly probable. I'd love to hear the same speakers with an amp I know better and the Rogue with some speakers I'm more familiar with, at least as a starting point. Could be my ears and taste as well as the other people present seemed to like the pairing.
     
  8. Deryl Johnson

    Deryl Johnson Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Western New York
    I have a pair of FLUANCE SX6 Speakers in my dining room kit, and they sound really great.
    Not quite as good as my Wharfdales on my main set, but not that far from them either. Someone mentioned a driver replacement that would make the SX6's blow away the Wharfdales for $160' and I think it's possible. I think the drivers he mentioned were Swiss, maybe Peerless. It would be fun to try.
     
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  9. bhazen

    bhazen I Am The Walrus

    Location:
    Deepest suburbia
    Which Wharfedales?
     
  10. Deryl Johnson

    Deryl Johnson Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Western New York
    I have just the Jade 1's in my main set. I can possibly see that a $160 driver might even it up, but I don't see any way in heck the tweeters on my Fluances could keep up with the tweeters on my Jades. Actually, I think I think he may have been doing some wishful thinking. Although the Fluance are great speakers for the money, every time I play a really great recording through my Jades, I don't think I would be happier with any speaker that I can afford.
    Fluances are good back ups, but Wharfdales are in a completely different ballpark through and through. I really miss my Old JBL L 300's, but for modern speakers, Wharfdales are fantastic.
     
  11. smctigue

    smctigue Forum Resident

    Just replaced a pair of Audio Physic Virgo II's with a pair of Reference 3a De Capo's. The Virgo is an amazing speaker but are a bear to dial in. Not a good speaker for a neurotic like myself. I found myself constantly fiddling with speaker position, toe-in, head position etc. The De Capo's are designed to fire straight ahead with no toe-in, simplifies things considerably. Listened for three hours last night without tweaking anything but the volume knob. Haven't done that in a LONG time.

    The icing on the cake is a great synergy between the De Capo's and my old ARC D70. I am losing a bit of bass slam in the exchange but not much else.
     
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  12. Dennis Metz

    Dennis Metz Born In A Motor City south of Detroit

    Location:
    Fonthill, Ontario
    You'll be sorry.....life will continually be changing.
     
  13. numanoid

    numanoid Forum Resident

    Location:
    Valparaiso, IN
    I'm considering swapping my current cartridge (Cadenza Bronze) for something like a Lyra Delos. The price difference is about $600, so I guess that's a downgrade. I can't get the Bronze to sound good with my current system.
     
  14. Fiddlefye

    Fiddlefye Forum Resident

    I'm loving my de Capos as well. They seem to have great synergy with just about anything you care to run them with. I've tried a half dozen SS amps and tubes and they stepped up to the plate easily in each case.
     
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  15. smctigue

    smctigue Forum Resident

    Oooh, I bet they sing with the MV-45.
     
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  16. BayouTiger

    BayouTiger Forum Resident

    Similar story here. Went from the ARC VS110 and SP16 preamp to a Rogue Cronos, just don't have the space in my tiny room for the separates. I now find myself using the onboard phono instead of my PhonomenaII just for simplicity's sake.

    I actually really hate having a stack of little boxes of all shapes and sizes in addition to the standard size. AppleTV, Sonos, Phono pre, DAC, etc. Why can't they standardize on some sizes??? Make them all 1/2 of a 1U space so they can sit side by side. But that's a rant for another thread!!!
     
    Erik Tracy likes this.
  17. Erik Tracy

    Erik Tracy Meet me at the Green Dragon for an ale

    Location:
    San Diego, CA, USA
    "1U"??? You must be a tech or engineer.... :righton:
     
  18. Fiddlefye

    Fiddlefye Forum Resident

    Yes, it is a really nice pairing for sure. So far I've tried them with the CJ pairing, Yamaha CA-1000 and CA-1010, Accuphase E-202 and a Mac MC250 with either an Anthem PM-1 tube pre, the PV-12 or a Yamaha C-4. All-tube was the best to my ears, but I had a surprising fondness for how the old CA-1000 made them sing as well.
     
    Last edited: Oct 10, 2014
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