When is your system finished?

[Blake Klondike]

Been thinking a lot about what the desire to improve my system means, what kind of improvements exist, and how to decide what/if to buy.

A few months ago, I heard $14,000 Harbeths --> Prima Luna Amp --> $1000 Cambridge Audio CD player. The results *literally* brought tears to my eyes. It provided an experience that resonated with and enhanced the emotional attachment I have to the source material (in this case, 70s Gordon Lightfoot/Cat Stevens, well-recorded string quartets, late-50's RVG small combo jazz records) I felt like the system was giving me *more* of what I already liked about the music, by presenting it in a certain way.

My thought was "Music is the most important thing in the world for me-- if it can sound this good here, making that at home happen is a top priority."

Since I can't afford $16000+ set-up, I started looking into "How close can I get to this wonderful $16,000 experience on a $3k budget?"

Plus, one of my biggest lessons from folks at ASR is "you don't have to spend big bucks to get great sound."

Cue the research/auditioning process: Harbeth bookshelves, Spendor bookshelves, Golden Ears, Castle Warwicks, Falcon, Totem, Magnepan .07, KEF LS50s, several amps from Bryston, Rogue, Parasound, etc. Nothing cut the mustard.

Then last night I turned on English Settlement by XTC streaming SDAC --> NAD 7600 that I got for $150 at an antique store --> Monitor Audio PS6 towers. My reaction was "Well, I'll be damned-- this record sounds great."

The lesson for me seems to be that spinning my wheels with all these lateral moves, trying different gear combos, etc. is wasteful of time and energy. Of course, you have to audition the gear to learn these lessons, but it strikes me as wise now to enjoy the system I have-- which, I was reminded last night, sounds really good-- and save up for a long-term Harbeth purchase in the future.

I feel like with ASR's help, I know I could simply buy Benchmark amp and Benchmark DAC, and once that is squared away, the speakers and the room become the next job. For me, the Harbeth showed me what the endgame can sound like. Still no strategy for how to attain it-- if similar sound is avail for less money, would be glad to spend it!

But it was just very cool to realize that what I already have sounds *genuinely good*. It removes some of the urgency from the process of chasing ghosts, trying to get $15,000 worth of sound out of $3000.

Just wanted to thank you all for your help and guidance so far!

Does anyone else have thoughts about this process and what it means for those of us who enjoy this hobby so much?

 

[BDWoody]

Been thinking a lot about what the desire to improve my system means, what kind of improvements exist, and how to decide what/if to buy.

A few months ago, I heard $14,000 Harbeths --> Prima Luna Amp --> $1000 Cambridge Audio CD player. The results *literally* brought tears to my eyes. It provided an experience that resonated with and enhanced the emotional attachment I have to the source material (in this case, 70s Gordon Lightfoot/Cat Stevens, well-recorded string quartets, late-50's RVG small combo jazz records) I felt like the system was giving me *more* of what I already liked about the music, by presenting it in a certain way.

My thought was "Music is the most important thing in the world for me-- if it can sound this good here, making that at home happen is a top priority."

Since I can't afford $16000+ set-up, I started looking into "How close can I get to this wonderful $16,000 experience on a $3k budget?"

Plus, one of my biggest lessons from folks at ASR is "you don't have to spend big bucks to get great sound."

Cue the research/auditioning process: Harbeth bookshelves, Spendor bookshelves, Golden Ears, Castle Warwicks, Falcon, Totem, Magnepan .07, KEF LS50s, several amps from Bryston, Rogue, Parasound, etc. Nothing cut the mustard.

Then last night I turned on English Settlement by XTC streaming SDAC --> NAD 7600 that I got for $150 at an antique store --> Monitor Audio PS6 towers. My reaction was "Well, I'll be damned-- this record sounds great."

The lesson for me seems to be that spinning my wheels with all these lateral moves, trying different gear combos, etc. is wasteful of time and energy. Of course, you have to audition the gear to learn these lessons, but it strikes me as wise now to enjoy the system I have-- which, I was reminded last night, sounds really good-- and save up for a long-term Harbeth purchase in the future.

I feel like with ASR's help, I know I could simply buy Benchmark amp and Benchmark DAC, and once that is squared away, the speakers and the room become the next job. For me, the Harbeth showed me what the endgame can sound like. Still no strategy for how to attain it-- if similar sound is avail for less money, would be glad to spend it!

But it was just very cool to realize that what I already have sounds *genuinely good*. It removes some of the urgency from the process of chasing ghosts, trying to get $15,000 worth of sound out of $3000.

Just wanted to thank you all for your help and guidance so far!

Does anyone else have thoughts about this process and what it means for those of us who enjoy this hobby so much?

I'd say for me its more like accumulating a set of building blocks of various capabilities, then mixing and matching them as the years go by and the collection of blocks improves. At this point, I have several very good sounding systems that each hold their own. I have always bought good electronics, usually used, so have amps from Krell, Bryston, Adcom, and Mitsubishi giving me lots of options, and a few A/V and AVR processors, as well as a pile of (mostly paradigm) speakers, good connectors and cabling, etc.

Point is, for me, I'd rather have a nice'ish theater downstairs for my son and his friends from a handful of paradigm speakers (LCR's up front and Titans in the rear and an AVR I had doing nothing (amazing sounding bargain basement system), one set up with a 3.1 system in my office, the downstairs bar, one in my bedroom, etc. My primary theater/listening room will always be where the 'best' things go...but that allows the rest to filter on down and through the rest of my house, so wherever I am, I have very good music.

I could sell it all, likely have enough to fund a quite nice(r) main setup, but it isn't tempting in any way. I'm happy with my trickle down system...works for me.

I don't think I've ever sold anything...i just keep it all, and move it around...

 

[Ron Texas]

Probably never.

 

[Wombat]

It is finished unless I take up subscription download/streaming.

My system sure won't fit in a nursing-home room but I could be buried in one of the speaker cabs. Definitely finished, then.

 

[ahofer]

I kept the same set of speakers (Thiel CS3.6) for 26 years, until I moved out of the suburbs to an apartment in NYC. I had the same amp for about 23 of those years. I loved that combination.

Front end changed a bit over that time - I had a Theta DAC with a magnavox player, then a Sony SACD player, then a Cambridge Audio 851N. I still have the Sony and the Theta. The CA broke, and they gave me a decent trade-in on one of their Edge players.

In 2019 I bought a new pair of Harbeth SHL5+(AE), and I just got a March Audio p252 amp to drive them, since the old Adcom was making my air conditioners work too hard. I can't tell the Adcom from the March in this setup. I'm listening to, and discovering, music every night and having a good time.

btw, I'd try the SHL5+ vs the M40.2. It's cheaper, smaller, and a great speaker, particularly if you are coming from something like Thiels (as opposed to another 'British' loudspeaker).

 

[jsrtheta]

Been thinking a lot about what the desire to improve my system means, what kind of improvements exist, and how to decide what/if to buy.

A few months ago, I heard $14,000 Harbeths --> Prima Luna Amp --> $1000 Cambridge Audio CD player. The results *literally* brought tears to my eyes. It provided an experience that resonated with and enhanced the emotional attachment I have to the source material (in this case, 70s Gordon Lightfoot/Cat Stevens, well-recorded string quartets, late-50's RVG small combo jazz records) I felt like the system was giving me *more* of what I already liked about the music, by presenting it in a certain way.

My thought was "Music is the most important thing in the world for me-- if it can sound this good here, making that at home happen is a top priority."

Since I can't afford $16000+ set-up, I started looking into "How close can I get to this wonderful $16,000 experience on a $3k budget?"

Plus, one of my biggest lessons from folks at ASR is "you don't have to spend big bucks to get great sound."

Cue the research/auditioning process: Harbeth bookshelves, Spendor bookshelves, Golden Ears, Castle Warwicks, Falcon, Totem, Magnepan .07, KEF LS50s, several amps from Bryston, Rogue, Parasound, etc. Nothing cut the mustard.

Then last night I turned on English Settlement by XTC streaming SDAC --> NAD 7600 that I got for $150 at an antique store --> Monitor Audio PS6 towers. My reaction was "Well, I'll be damned-- this record sounds great."

The lesson for me seems to be that spinning my wheels with all these lateral moves, trying different gear combos, etc. is wasteful of time and energy. Of course, you have to audition the gear to learn these lessons, but it strikes me as wise now to enjoy the system I have-- which, I was reminded last night, sounds really good-- and save up for a long-term Harbeth purchase in the future.

I feel like with ASR's help, I know I could simply buy Benchmark amp and Benchmark DAC, and once that is squared away, the speakers and the room become the next job. For me, the Harbeth showed me what the endgame can sound like. Still no strategy for how to attain it-- if similar sound is avail for less money, would be glad to spend it!

But it was just very cool to realize that what I already have sounds *genuinely good*. It removes some of the urgency from the process of chasing ghosts, trying to get $15,000 worth of sound out of $3000.

Just wanted to thank you all for your help and guidance so far!

Does anyone else have thoughts about this process and what it means for those of us who enjoy this hobby so much?

It's never finished for many, if not most, audio enthusiasts.

I do have a question, though. I've owned Monitor Audio speakers for slightly less than 20 years, bookshelf and floorstanders. If I had the money I'd like, I'd stick with them unless a miracle happened and I found something I like more. But I've listened to, and owned, a lot of different speakers, and I've always come back to the Monitors. But I've never heard of "PS6" towers, and nothing seems to come up on a Google search.

Do you have any more information on them?

 

[Sal1950]

When is your system finished?
Never finished but my changes usually run in the decades region.

 

[Blake Klondike]

It's never finished for many, if not most, audio enthusiasts.

I do have a question, though. I've owned Monitor Audio speakers for slightly less than 20 years, bookshelf and floorstanders. If I had the money I'd like, I'd stick with them unless a miracle happened and I found something I like more. But I've listened to, and owned, a lot of different speakers, and I've always come back to the Monitors. But I've never heard of "PS6" towers, and nothing seems to come up on a Google search.

Do you have any more information on them?

Yep-- they are RS6, not PS6. I am very bad with model numbers.

 

[Hipper]

I've had practically the same gear for fifteen years yet I've still managed to improve the sound by employing the following:

1. Paying attention to positioning of speakers and listening chair.
2. Employing room treatment - lots of it bought over the years.
3. Tidying up with an equaliser.

If you can't do 1 and 2, employ DSP (Digital Signal Processing).

There lies your route to better sound (much before cables, power supplies and isolation equipment AND new gear).

Once you've done this you can hunt out better gear.

This video was mentioned recently somewhere and it's well worth watching if you want more confirmation:

 

[MattHooper]

I kept the same set of speakers (Thiel CS3.6) for 26 years, until I moved out of the suburbs to an apartment in NYC. I had the same amp for about 23 of those years. I loved that combination.

Front end changed a bit over that time - I had a Theta DAC with a magnavox player, then a Sony SACD player, then a Cambridge Audio 851N. I still have the Sony and the Theta. The CA broke, and they gave me a decent trade-in on one of their Edge players.

In 2019 I bought a new pair of Harbeth SHL5+(AE), and I just got a March Audio p252 amp to drive them, since the old Adcom was making my air conditioners work too hard. I can't tell the Adcom from the March in this setup. I'm listening to, and discovering, music every night and having a good time.

btw, I'd try the SHL5+ vs the M40.2. It's cheaper, smaller, and a great speaker, particularly if you are coming from something like Thiels (as opposed to another 'British' loudspeaker).

Hello fellow Thiel fan! (I've owned or used a number of Thiel speakers - 02, CS6, CS 3.7, 2.7). And...I've also owned the Harbeth SuperHL5plus!

I was going to suggest that Blake look at the SuperHL5plus as a more "affordable" alternative to the big 40s. I actually found the HL5plus a bit more neutral and linear sounding, yet retaining the Harbeth sonic virtues. Once you've lived with Harbeth speakers it's hard to forget some of their qualities, especially for voices! I'm also enamoured of my Spendor S3/5 book shelve speakers for similar reasons.

 

[Robin L]

As long as decent gear lands in thrift stores, never.

 

[Jim777]

When is your system finished?

When you're out of money.

 

[SIY]

Having only that one hope, the accomplishment of it, of consequence, must put an end to all my hopes; and what a wretch is he who must survive his hopes! Nothing remains when that day comes, but to sit down and weep like Alexander, when he wanted other worlds to conquer.

 

[jsrtheta]

Yep-- they are RS6, not PS6. I am very bad with model numbers.

Thanks for the clarification. They are the Silver RS6, which I haven't heard. I had a pair of earlier Silver 8is, and they were just great.

 

[Blake Klondike]

Thanks for the clarification. They are the Silver RS6, which I haven't heard. I had a pair of earlier Silver 8is, and they were just great.

I don't know the difference between the different models-- have only had the opportunity to hear the ones I have now. Interested to see how the TOTL models sound, and bookshelves. Prices seem to be going down on second-hand pairs, so hopefully will have the chance to compare.

 

[jsrtheta]

I don't know the difference between the different models-- have only had the opportunity to hear the ones I have now. Interested to see how the TOTL models sound, and bookshelves. Prices seem to be going down on second-hand pairs, so hopefully will have the chance to compare.

The Silvers were as high as I got. I have the Bronze now, and love them. I once had a pair of "Monitor 2.5s", which Monitor Audio told me had to have been created by Mo Iqbal, who started the company. But they had no record of them. They weren't surprised at that, because Mo, who is long gone, was known to experiment when he had some time on his hands, and whipped up models without bothering to tell marketing. A giveaway was the fact that the "2.5" on the back label was handwritten. But I have seen other sets around, so they weren't limited to me.

I really like MAs for female vocals. But very detailed all around. They are extremely lively speakers - everyone stops what they're doing when I fire them up.

I have read posts from a lot of other fans, and the current lineup seems to be a hit.

 

[Twitch54]

After close to fifty years in this crazy hobby I can honestly say I've reached a point of contentment. As stated earlier in the thread the journey has taught me the importance of speakers / room acoustic interaction being of paramount importance.