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New system - the ongoing saga

T

tiggers

pfm Member
OK some of you will recall a few threads form me about reducing box count etc. I want a simple CD/pre-amp/active speaker set up and budget is around £15K. Thus far the best combo I've heard is the Hegel Mohican/Hegel PR30/ATC SCM40As, but I'm still auditioning and want to try some valve pres.

However I think I might have a problem with my room and boomy bass so was wondering if it's possible to put room correction into a system like that without taking anything away from the overall characteristics and dynamics of the sound and if so how? What cost?

It's not something I know much about so would be interested in the pfm crowd's thoughts.
 
tiggers said:
OK some of you will recall a few threads form me about reducing box count etc. I want a simple CD/pre-amp/active speaker set up and budget is around £15K. Thus far the best combo I've heard is the Hegel Mohican/Hegel PR1/ATC SCM40As, but I'm still auditioning and want to try some valve pres.

However I think I might have a problem with my room and boomy bass so was wondering if it's possible to put room correction into a system like that without taking anything away from the overall characteristics and dynamics of the sound and if so how? What cost?

It's not something I know much about so would be interested in the pfm crowd's thoughts.
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Have a look at my thread re the ATC CDA2, you could go for a mini dsp & forego the pre-amp. I was equally clueless but received some really good advice.
 
Woodface said:
Have a look at my thread re the ATC CDA2, you could go for a mini dsp & forego the pre-amp. I was equally clueless but received some really good advice.
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Yes I saw that in your thread, but I am concerned it may not sound 'analogue' enough, the PR30 is the only solid state pre I have liked outside of Naim .... I guess I need to demo the DSP to find out how it stacks up. I need to read up on what it all means, might save me some cash :D
 
tiggers said:
Yes I saw that in your thread, but I am concerned it may not sound 'analogue' enough, the PR30 is the only solid state pre I have liked outside of Naim .... I guess I need to demo the DSP to find out how it stacks up. I need to read up on what it all means, might save me some cash :D
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I know what you mean, it is a bit of a challenge to the ‘old ways’.

There are some interesting system reviews on the Strictly Stereo web page, vinyl front end into a DSP.

You obviously like the ATC40S.
 
Woodface said:
I know what you mean, it is a bit of a challenge to the ‘old ways’.

There are some interesting system reviews on the Strictly Stereo web page, vinyl front end into a DSP.

You obviously like the ATC40S.
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The ATCs were the first component I decided on although I didn't demo a great many alternatives. Aesthetically they do it for me too and that is quite important to me, but yes sound wise they are a veritable bargain as much as anything costing that much can be a bargain. Are they better than 135s/SL2s I already have? Not all round better no.. they do some things better and some things may be not quite the same, but I am really impressed overall at just how good they are in terms of 'playing music' and the reduced box count will be a godsend.
 
tiggers said:
The ATCs were the first component I decided on although I didn't demo a great many alternatives. Aesthetically they do it for me too and that is quite important to me, but yes sound wise they are a veritable bargain as much as anything costing that much can be a bargain. Are they better than 135s/SL2s I already have? Not all round better no.. they do some things better and some things may be not quite the same, but I am really impressed overall at just how good they are in terms of 'playing music' and the reduced box count will be a godsend.
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They are great on voices, scary to think what they cost compared to SL2 & 4 x 135’s at retail.

They don’t have the obvious speed of a naim speaker/amp combo but they just play music very well.
 
Atc 40’s are great. But 8c’s are a significant step up and well within budget. Home demos are free and all set up for you, room correction n all. What’s to lose

And yep, another happy user of an SHD, probably soon to be two of them
 
tiggers said:
...I am concerned it may not sound 'analogue' enough...
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That is going to depend on which piece you buy and how you set it up, but dealing with "boomy bass" is what digital room correction does best. The best processors use AD and DA converters which are effectively transparent, which is to say that when the filters are switched off you cannot tell whether or not the processor is in the chain. I took the miniDSP SHD to last year's North West Audio Show along with a nice Well Tempered Lab turntable and some Dutch & Dutch 8c active speakers.

https://www.strictlystereo.com/shop-online/minidsp-shd-audio-processor

We used it as a preamp too but you can use it as a line level processor/DAC with a separate analogue preamp, if you prefer. The Dutch & Dutch 8c has its own onboard AD and DA converters and DSP, so we used a digital output from the SHD to the speakers, to eliminate unnecessary conversion steps. We have other customers using the SHD in front of active ATC speakers, with both analogue and digital source components. At least one of them is running SCM150s.
 
Hi,

If you are set on active speakers then just ignore this.

I would suggest a Naim CD player, a Naim Supernait 3 and a pair of Shahinian Arcs or Compasses.

That is a three box system and well reviewed by many on here.

Just a thought, as I say ignore if not interested.

Cheers

John
 
Strictly Stereo said:
That is going to depend on which piece you buy and how you set it up, but dealing with "boomy bass" is what digital room correction does best. The best processors use AD and DA converters which are effectively transparent, which is to say that when the filters are switched off you cannot tell whether or not the processor is in the chain. I took the miniDSP SHD to last year's North West Audio Show along with a nice Well Tempered Lab turntable and some Dutch & Dutch 8c active speakers.

https://www.strictlystereo.com/shop-online/minidsp-shd-audio-processor

We used it as a preamp too but you can use it as a line level processor/DAC with a separate analogue preamp, if you prefer. The Dutch & Dutch 8c has its own onboard AD and DA converters and DSP, so we used a digital output from the SHD to the speakers, to eliminate unnecessary conversion steps. We have other customers using the SHD in front of active ATC speakers, with both analogue and digital source components. At least one of them is running SCM150s.
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I know someone who is using an SHD to drive a pair of Bel Cantos. Impressive!
 
Eyebroughty said:
Hi,

If you are set on active speakers then just ignore this.

I would suggest a Naim CD player, a Naim Supernait 3 and a pair of Shahinian Arcs or Compasses.

That is a three box system and well reviewed by many on here.

Just a thought, as I say ignore if not interested.

Cheers

John
Click to expand...

Curious why you suggest SN3 which have phonostage and not SN2 if source is CD only ?
 
Eyebroughty said:
Hi,

If you are set on active speakers then just ignore this.

I would suggest a Naim CD player, a Naim Supernait 3 and a pair of Shahinian Arcs or Compasses.

That is a three box system and well reviewed by many on here.

Just a thought, as I say ignore if not interested.

Cheers

John
Click to expand...

Had an active system for decades, I have second system that is passive, but there is something about active systems I just love.
 
@tiggers - why have you not called in for a brew?

‘Analogue enough’? Well you know what I went from, and I have no regrets. I fully appreciate this is ‘each to their own’ stuff, but by all means the invite is still open...( Subject to the Covid regs).

Correcting the bass in my room using DSP is the simplest and best thing I’ve done. Had Mrs C liked ATC, I’d have quite happily lived with an SHD feeding a pair of those.

There are dealers out there that will loan you the necessary kit to be satisfied. So they should, at your budget. I know who I’d be phoning...
 
Andrew C! said:
@tiggers - why have you not called in for a brew?

‘Analogue enough’? Well you know what I went from, and I have no regrets. I fully appreciate this is ‘each to their own’ stuff, but by all means the invite is still open...( Subject to the Covid regs).

Correcting the bass in my room using DSP is the simplest and best thing I’ve done. Had Mrs C liked ATC, I’d have quite happily lived with an SHD feeding a pair of those.

There are dealers out there that will loan you the necessary kit to be satisfied. So they should, at your budget. I know who I’d be phoning...
Click to expand...

Cheers Andrew, just not been up your way due to Covid and also wasn't sure you'd be wanting visitors anyway. Would love to drop in at some point, it's a long term project sourcing the new kit so will definitely make an arrangement.
 
Olsen said:
Curious why you suggest SN3 which have phonostage and not SN2 if source is CD only ?
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Latest model, that was all, plenty other integrated that will be fine.

I changed from active Isobariks to Shahinian Arcs, just more music and no issues with the room.

As I said ignore if only wanting active.
 
@tiggers

"problem with my room and boomy bass"

Have you got wooden suspended floors?

Since I added isolating layers between my speakers and floor (floorboards with 3' void beneath) the issues I had with the room joining in (boomy bass) have all but disappeared.

My stereo sounds fundamentally different since I made the isolating granite sandwiches.
 
Big Tabs said:
@tiggers

"problem with my room and boomy bass"

Have you got wooden suspended floors?

Since I added isolating layers between my speakers and floor (floorboards with 3' void beneath) the issues I had with the room joining in (boomy bass) have all but disappeared.

My stereo sounds fundamentally different since I made the isolating granite sandwiches.
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No, it's concrete floor/solid walls. I think it's something to do with the dimensions - 8m x 5.5m but with lowish ceiling 2.35m. The only speakers that thus far sound OK are Naim Allaes and Neat Motive SX2s, but it's still noticeable at higher volumes. Did think it was the electronics (Naim 202/200) so transplanted my entire active system into the room (52/135s)... still didn't work too well. It needs room correction.
 
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