Pine Marten
pfm Member
Wow! Four years since I started this thread and since I didnt upgrade the speakers at the time, I never got round to updating it. Briefly this is "What Happened Next".
1) Ittok off to Audio Origami, horizontal (pillar) bearings shot, tight spots and general excessive friction issues. All bearings renewed with arm tube rewire at same time. Johnny removes the terminal plug at the headshell end, which removes possible problems with cart tag wires BUT means being extra careful when renewing cartridges and also removes mass at the headshell end. Now the DL110 is not a massy cartridge, so to keep the counterweight sensibly close to the pivot point I fitted the headshell shim supplied by Denon for just this reason. Results, no brainer, LP playback better in every respect.
2) Monoblock 110s converted to NCC220 Qudos and minicap 6. Results, just stunning!
3) 32.5 retrofitted with RSL Ryan Soundlab boards, including remote volume option, Aux/CD input hardwired, tape buffers already recapped with Nichion Muse Gold so retained. Results, everything RSL claim for this upgrade is true, just do it if you're running a 32.5/72.
4) Beresford Caiman SEG updated with latest clocking chip things and latest firmware chip and Dorado psu upgrade. Results, all round improvement in timing, pace, detail and naturalness. LP and CD performance, given a good recording give equal pleasure.
All done and run for another 18 months with the ES14's.
I couldnt let the niggle drop though. It was obvious that speakers in the £4k and above area would be needed to usefully upgrade them.
Enter Kudos Cardea C20 Supers, 6 months old in as new condition at a very sensible price, and a BK200 sub, just to help out in the 20 to 80 Hz area.
Thats it, done, it will stay like this now, I dont see (hear?) the need to spend what would in my opinion, be silly money for probably fractional at best, improvement over what I've got. It works well and to be honest, does not disappoint every time I have a sesh just playing my music!
1) Ittok off to Audio Origami, horizontal (pillar) bearings shot, tight spots and general excessive friction issues. All bearings renewed with arm tube rewire at same time. Johnny removes the terminal plug at the headshell end, which removes possible problems with cart tag wires BUT means being extra careful when renewing cartridges and also removes mass at the headshell end. Now the DL110 is not a massy cartridge, so to keep the counterweight sensibly close to the pivot point I fitted the headshell shim supplied by Denon for just this reason. Results, no brainer, LP playback better in every respect.
2) Monoblock 110s converted to NCC220 Qudos and minicap 6. Results, just stunning!
3) 32.5 retrofitted with RSL Ryan Soundlab boards, including remote volume option, Aux/CD input hardwired, tape buffers already recapped with Nichion Muse Gold so retained. Results, everything RSL claim for this upgrade is true, just do it if you're running a 32.5/72.
4) Beresford Caiman SEG updated with latest clocking chip things and latest firmware chip and Dorado psu upgrade. Results, all round improvement in timing, pace, detail and naturalness. LP and CD performance, given a good recording give equal pleasure.
All done and run for another 18 months with the ES14's.
I couldnt let the niggle drop though. It was obvious that speakers in the £4k and above area would be needed to usefully upgrade them.
Enter Kudos Cardea C20 Supers, 6 months old in as new condition at a very sensible price, and a BK200 sub, just to help out in the 20 to 80 Hz area.
Thats it, done, it will stay like this now, I dont see (hear?) the need to spend what would in my opinion, be silly money for probably fractional at best, improvement over what I've got. It works well and to be honest, does not disappoint every time I have a sesh just playing my music!
