Building a System based on Music Preference

Klipsch

 

I don’t think I would argue with that choice.

 

I think my prefs are very similar to yours, and also like a detailed sound, but not bright... I was looking at the Q Acoustics Concept speakers, I'm going to a dealer tomorrow and demo the Concept 300 stand mounts and see how they are (Stereophile Class A speakers)

I've never listen to horns, but am I'm considering the Klipsch Forte IV as an option to demo as well... After reading people are having quality issues with L100, I'm going to drop them as an option

 

If used is an option, I love my Anthony Gallo Reference 3.5 speakers. To me, nothing disappears the way they do, and in an open space they deliver great articulate nuanced bass. If you want new, the Strada and a sub are another great option.

 

I do like the look of those Concept 300 stands!

I just re-read the Stereophile review, and it seems you can adjust the speaker terminal jumpers to roll off the top end a bit. That may be important, depending on your amp and/or room setup.

 

I listen to a lot of what you listed and my Ascend Acoustics speakers do a great job with those genres. I’m using the middle of their line now with the CMT-340 bookshelf. I have my eye on their flagship Sierra Towers as my next speaker. Just my two cents.

 

So I got a chance to listen to the Q Acoustics Concept 300 and the KEF LS50 Metas, both sounded great, and Stereophile's review was spot on! Especially when comparing the two together. Now I'm thinking with my REL sub I might be able to get away with standmounts vs floorstanding speakers... Tough decisions to make

 

That's a really odd OP, a good system can play all types of music surely, maybe you could get two or more different stylus, more analytical or more "warm" if you want but any good hifi with the ability to reproduce highs, mids and lows accurately is all you need.

 

You can get stunning imaging with standmounts. Eye opening. On the other hand, they may have a harder time delivering bass to a larger room. The only way you'll know is to try them out at home. As you say, this is hard work.

What amps did the dealer demo with?

 

It was demoed with a Marantz integrated amp and a Marantz CD player, didn't check which models they were... I have a sub so I think I can get away with the standmounts... Amp wise I'm looking to get the Benchmark AHB2 amp to pair with the speakers

 

The dealer just messaged me that they are running a promo on the Concept 300 for an unbelievable price, so I guess the decision is made for me

Now to decide on an amp to pair with them, most likely the Benchmark AHB2 but also considering the PS Audio M700

 

Rick, you need to feel "very secure" with that Parasound A-21, it will last a lifetime, sounds great, looks great, presents well, and has a company backing it that you can depend on! I have owned lots of PS Audio, with their digital stuff, there is always something going on, and when you go to sell it, oh my gosh, people want it for nothing, and by nothing I mean 50% off list in NEW condition or more likely 55-60% off if it is absolutely like new with no blemishes. No, you are on very firm ground with your A-21, keep on loving it, it will treat you very well for years to come! However, if you decide on a JC-5, well, I'm right there with ya!

 

It sounds like you're getting close. Exciting! Those Concept 300s seem to have lots of delicious engineering baked in. Also, from the Stereophile review, "[the Concept 300s] could play louder in the bass than the LS50 before starting to feel the strain."

If you're getting the amp from the same dealer, it's worthwhile to bring in your preamp to the shop so you can hear the complete chain preamp-amp-speaker. I realize you might have to source online; no one carries all brands.

 

Unfortunately the dealer doesn’t have much in terms of brand selection for preamp and amps, mostly carries just Denon and Marantz stuff. The preamp I will be using is the Freya+ and what I’m reading about the Benchmark AHB2 is that it doesn’t colour the sound at all and let’s whatever is up the chain determine the sound... So with the Freya+ And AHB2 I’m hoping to get a holographic lush sound with the Concept 300

 

It will be interesting to get a report when you get your system together. Although I haven't heard either, both the Concept 300 and the Benchmark AHB2 have just terrific measurements. This shows they put in some careful engineering up front.

There's a nice quote from John Siau, Benchmark's lead designer: "At Benchmark, listening is the final exam that determines if a design passes from engineering to production. But since listening tests are never perfect, it’s essential we develop measurements for each artifact we identify in a listening test." I really like how he framed that.

 

Benchmark seem to be great amps. But I see two things missing so far:
(1) Your sub just has one 8" cone, which to reproduce low bass is not much, even at not too loud levels. I'd want it bigger, or possibly add another or two more because the other thing I see missing is
(2) Any discussion of the room influence on the bass, and crossover between the subwoofer and mains. Back to Parasound, they (and Outlaw) are among the unfortunately very few stereo makers that have flexible highpass filtering. And unless you are incredibly lucky, your room is probalby *ing up your bass. Peaks and dips can really color the sound-it would be good to measure what you actually have going on down there. Home | miniDSP make some room EQ modules though yes that means an A/D step for analog sources. I can say Audyssey has really flattened one room I listen in, you could literally hear bass sweeps go from loud/quiet/loud peaks and dips to a much more even sound level.

 

I was thinking of adding another sub eventually to better disperse the bass. When I had an SVS PB-3000 sub I did get boomy bass when it was placed in a certain location. I will be rearranging the furniture a bit to better accommodate the sound. The biggest problem I have is a very large window on the right side wall that I can’t do anything about

 

A wall of glass can be a problem. Or you might get off okay just depending on the distances and geometry of your setup. A big potted plant at the first reflection point might help. A ficus is a classic for this application. It will obstruct some of the view out the window... but the light on (and filtered through) the leaves can be nice.

 

Oh that's easy, just cover the whole window with 12" deep acoustic foam...

In other news you might like the Wharfedale Linton Heritage
Wharfedale Linton Heritage loudspeaker
Not saying they are better than other suggestions here, but at Audio Element they sounded relaxed and open throughout the open-plan shop. Bass strong without tubbiness, highs clear without being too sharp.

 

My friend designed that! I'll pass your comment along. Yeah, good drivers just need a lot of development and research time and budget. I'm not sure there is any new Revel development going on. (He and a bunch of others got laid off when Harman/JBL pretty much closed their legendary Northridge facility. Then Samsung bought Harman-or maybe already had-and lucky for him Samsung hired him, mostly working on teeny TV speakers, wow those a the hugest challenge in all of speakerdom. Well I guess phones are worse...)

 

Something that is more accurate, more analytical and more dynamic is more fun!

How much vinyl do you play in comparison to digital? Are you ripping your CDs to a lossless format?

You can get a massive improvement for your budget, or spend a lot of money making small steps. Finding a good dealer could be the difference between being pleased with a small improvement, or being absolutely thrilled. Without knowing your long term aims, a better turntable, a better digital player, amp / passive speakers, or an active package, my best advice is listen to a few systems and see what blows you away,

All the best and happy listening!

 

I do have a plant next to the window roughly at the first reflection point, but need to consult with John Darko's audiophile plant video for pointers , and I put down the blinds sometimes when listening

What I'm trying to achieve is to tweak/upgrade my current system to better match my music preference... So my upgrade phases are as follows:
Phase 1 (which is now): Upgrade amp and speakers
Phase 2: Upgrade analog - turntable, cartridge and phonostage
Phase 3: Upgrade preamp, get a better tube preamp than the Freya+
Phase 4 (if necessary): Upgrade DAC

I just started listening to vinyl two years and I'm liking the sound, so I'm slowly increasing my collection got about 30 Records so far... I'm mostly streaming stuff to discover new artists. I'm happy with my current CD transport/DAC setup right now, not looking to rip my CDs.

 

Re Darko Video: What a snort!

Oh, well blinds or curtains can really take care of it. I suppose thicker window coverings are best, but who knows? It might be anything to disturb the reflection does the job. If you totally cease thinking about this issue when the blinds are drawn, then your work is done.

 

So I finally purchased the Concept 300 speakers, now need to finalize the amp for it. Has anyone tried the SPL Performer S800 amp? Looks similar to the AHB2 in terms of design philosophy

 

Congratulations on the Concept 300s. I can't imagine you'll ever want to let them go. Terrifically thorough engineering.

At least one reviewer found that the Supernait at 80 Watts per channel didn't have quite enough power for these. The Concepts have a treble roll-off switch, but I think it was John Atkinson who suggested to stay away from electronics that might be "bright". FWIW.