My stereo system

[FrantzM]

I am getting better and better educated in this respect. I have never been a big believer in the bla bla of the manufacturers. They never backup their chit chat with test results.

Also, I have seen most of the reviews of Amir on YouTube and not only they are extremely informative, they are very entertaining.

Last week I saw the video on Jay's Audio Lab I which he reviewed Siltech loudspeaker cables that cost $ 105,000(!!!!) He wasn't satisfied and he read out loud the insane response of the manufacturer. I couldn't stop laughing.

Welcome to ASR and stay , you will enjoy it. At times the re-education may (shall?) be a bit jolting , even humbling, not to say humiliating... Many of us went through this de-tox if you will. The results: better sound, for much less money

I congratulate my camarades for the restraint and civility and will apply myself to the same but we need to mention this to you :

• Power Amps: Two ARCAM PA240 stereo power amplifiers. The DMP-A10 hooks up to both via balanced XLR. I'm running them as monoblocks in dual-mono mode (vertical bi-amping).

A few things, since you exposed your system to us, I believe it gives us an opening toward comments? yes ? .. Here I go , those are comments , and a few facts..

On the Bi-amping of the Arcam : If I want to remain nice, this "bi-amping" is not bi-amping, it brings "not much", since I have to tell it as I see it and this is factual , not an opinion, it brings nothing more to the sound. If you really need more power, it is better to run the Arcam bridged mono, they can. Not sure I see the benefits of that either. As for Class A .. Well not sure it brings any sonic benefits, but this is a different discussion.
You could on that, shed the ISOTEK, if someone wants to take it off your hands/system in which it does almost nothing, while costing close to $ 2000. It is basically a glorious, overpriced power strip.. Read the review here : ISOTEK Aquarius EVO 3 Review (Click here)
same for the Shanling. It is a nice piece of equipment but there are much cheaper (Read under $100) CD players with USB output that provide the same sound , same results; this is measurable, perhaps was measured here .. Yes! Bits are bits.. Proven., here and elsewhere.
And from now on, keep yourself some thousands of Km or miles, from anything by Audioquest.. Even if it is a gift-keyholder... A USB cable is a USB cable, even those that comes free in a phone, are usable for the purpose of Audio with exact same results ... If you absolutely want great built quality, go for Belkin or Amazon or ... and do not pay more than $20

As for me I come from the audiophile -side where a 20K transport + DAC combo was my reference ..
My present system which cost much less (<$3400 total 7.2.2 subwoofers) than some speaker cables I had in my previous life, Is the best I have had in 50 years of being an audiophile , Full range : 20 to 20 KhZ @ 110 dB at LSP) ... Measured. I listen to music in 2-Channels plus subS.at about 2.2 meters in a room that is about 5 x 3.8 x 2.8 meters concrete and treated a bit with drapes and some foam...

Again welcome. Stay and do not feel offended , that wasn't the purpose.
You’ll be very glad you did.

 

[pjug]

• Power Amps: Two ARCAM PA240 stereo power amplifiers. The DMP-A10 hooks up to both via balanced XLR. I'm running them as monoblocks in dual-mono mode (vertical bi-amping).

Seems excessive to use two stereo amps if you are not needing to bridge them for more power. Especially when you have a heat issue. The amps seem nice, though; I wish they didn't weigh so much to make them unlikely to be measured here.

 

[OCA]

46Hz crossover seems a bit too low for that ported speaker which has its -3dB at 46Hz according to spec.

 

[Brainvoyager]

Seems excessive to use two stereo amps if you are not needing to bridge them for more power. Especially when you have a heat issue. The amps seem nice, though; I wish they didn't weigh so much to make them unlikely to be measured here.

My goal was not to have more power since 225 Watts at 8 Ohms is enough for my 702 S3 loudspeakers.

Bridging the amplifiers can indeed be done, but that causes other unnecessary complications I don't want, like more heat and halving the impedance.

My goal was to create maximum separation of the stereo signals.

I don't have a heat issue since I have the Noctua fans in use. Maybe they are not necessary and I'm just over concerned about the heat. But I guess it's better to be safe than sorry...

 

[Brainvoyager]

46Hz crossover seems a bit too low for that ported speaker which has its -3dB at 46Hz according to spec.

I have been playing around and a-b-ing with the crossover set on 48 Hz and 46 Hz. I like my crossover to be set at its lowest possible value. I'm still in the process of testing.

 

[pjug]

My goal was to create maximum separation of the stereo signals.

If that is the only goal wouldn't true mono amps be a better solution? Or a dual mono design (e.g. ATI AT1822). The fans might keep the amps from running too hot but it won't help with wasting power or heating your room. Anyway, if you are happy doing it this way it is your prerogative and I am happy you like your system.

Also, not any criticism of your system here but in what world is B&W living that the speakers are spec'd at 8 ohms nominal? They are 3-ohms to 5-ohms between 100 and 1000Hz. Even their own literature says they dip to 3 ohms and still they call it 8-ohms nominal.

 

[Brainvoyager]

If that is the only goal wouldn't true mono amps be a better solution? Or a dual mono design (e.g. ATI AT1822). The fans might keep the amps from running too hot but it won't help with wasting power or heating your room. Anyway, if you are happy doing it this way it is your prerogative and I am happy you like your system.

Also, not any criticism of your system here but in what world is B&W living that the speakers are spec'd at 8 ohms nominal? They are 3-ohms to 5-ohms between 100 and 1000Hz. Even their own literature says they dip to 3 ohms and still they call it 8-ohms nominal.

What you say about the B&W's true impedance instead what they spec'd is very true, I know about this.

I agree that true monoblocks would be better. The truth of the matter is that there are many, many solutions available at the market and, last but not least, I used only one PA240 in the beginning.

When I decided to go separate, it was more or less a no brainer to just buy the second PA240 (a year later). The PA240 is really a good amp. Last but not least, my wallet had only a certain "thickness".

The question remains: would I hear a (big) difference between my current PA240s and true monoblocks if I'd swap them? I don't know. What I do know is that swapping the PA240s would mean a substantial investment again...

 

[Cote Dazur]

The question remains: would I hear a (big) difference between my current PA240s and true monoblocks if I'd swap them?

No. It will be minimal, if anything, at best.
Your amps are fine.

 

[pjug]

The question remains: would I hear a (big) difference between my current PA240s and true monoblocks if I'd swap them? I don't know. What I do know is that swapping the PA240s would mean a substantial investment again...

No, I doubt sound would change. It is just that if it were me I would prefer a more elegant solution without fans and unnecessary extra channels.

 

[kemmler3D]

Thanks for your comment. I'm pretty satisfied with my speakers. I'm a pensionar of 64 years old now and as someone with a moderate income, I'm pretty proud of the system I managed to achieve.

Of course I know and see that the world of audio is much bigger than the universe ...

I like to read about audio on forums and watch videos about audio on YouTube, also these of Amir. It's a great hobby and I know my limitations as to placement (and my wallet). I always envy people who have a dedicated listening room that they have acoustically treated.

Life is complicated...

Good upgrades can be had on a budget, I'm a big proponent of buying and selling secondhand, but at this point I'm going beyond "spend other people's money" to "sell other people's gear and then spend that money" so I'll keep it to myself.

Suffice it to say that membership will be ready with recommendations if you ever decide you want to upgrade stuff.

 

[Brainvoyager]

Good upgrades can be had on a budget, I'm a big proponent of buying and selling secondhand, but at this point I'm going beyond "spend other people's money" to "sell other people's gear and then spend that money" so I'll keep it to myself.

Suffice it to say that membership will be ready with recommendations if you ever decide you want to upgrade stuff.

Thanks a lot!