Does It Really Get Better Than This

thor098

I've been slowly upgrading and my signature shows where I'm at. I worked with a Parasound engineer today and he helped me set the gain on the amps to accomodate my 2100 preamp.

The sound is not quite live sounding, but I'm getting close. What is left? Can anyone put it into words?

fbm211

Whats your source?CD,DVD,music server,etc?

Driver_King

Tweeter upgrades, crossover upgrades, interconnect upgrades, isolation... That's just on the speaker part.:eek::D If you haven't already, there's also acoustic treatments you could do and isolation/raising your subwoofers. After that, upgrading your actual subwoofers. It can only get better, believe it or not.

thor098

The source at this time is just an IPOD with Lossless. I also have an Oynko cd player and I don't hear any difference. Will a better CD player make a big difference?

Driver_King

Get an SACD player. Get DSOTM. Enjoy.

dougy

I'd get rid of that "Oynko" CD player. They're real pigs.:D

BlueFox

thor098 wrote: »

The source at this time is just an IPOD with Lossless.

Good start, but.... Are you using the iPod's DAC? If so then STOP. You need a Wadia iTransport and an external DAC to even start thinking of getting better. Of course, you will need to upgrade the Wadia power supply, and the digital cable, but even the stock Wadia, stock cable, and DAC is a great improvement.

thor098

OK, just a follow up. It's a year and 1/2 later and I've learned a few things about "better" sound. At the time when I asked "what gets better," I had just updated to a Parasound pre-amp from using a Marantz 2170. I knew it sounded better but couldn't really figure out why. After months of the Parasound, I went back to the Marantz. I learned that the highs and the imaging were much better on the Parasound and everything was so much warmer sounding. Now I've updated my speakers to Magnepan MG 12's. Although they are missing some of the bass and the wide soundstage of my SDA's, everything really came to life. It's pretty cool. Other's have talked about how the soundstage can include depth. I didn't really understand until I hooked up the Maggies. The details and the depth are amazing. I don't think I'll love them forever though. They just seem to be lacking something. I hope someday to get the Polk LSI15's but no one around the Minneapolis, St. Paul area sells them so I have no way to get a demo. I'm hoping they combine the imaging and depth of the Maggies with the warmth and bass of my old SDAs.

mhardy6647

It really all depends on one's tastes.

falconcry72

thor098 wrote: »

...(of the mg12's)...I don't think I'll love them forever though. They just seem to be lacking something...

I've owned a number a Maggies, including the MG-12's. If you like their sound, try moving up the Maggie line. Your next stop would be the 1.6's (or 1.7's). Your soundstage will get much larger, and you'll get deeper, more visceral bass. Next stop after that is the 3.6's (or 3.7's). This is where Maggies get really special. This model uses a True Ribbon tweeter as opposed to the Quasi Ribbon in the 12's and 1.6's. the 3.6's also have even lower, more textural bass, but the midrange is what makes them phenomenal, at any price.

(of the LSi-15's)...I'm hoping they combine the imaging and depth of the Maggies with the warmth and bass of my old SDAs...

I think you'd be disappointed. I currently own, and listen regularly to, Maggies, SDA's, and LSi's. The LSi's do kind of bridge the gap between the SDA's and Maggies, but they don't do their respective attributes nearly as well. They'd be a big compromise. I say, if you've got the room, use both SDA's and Maggies. Keep the SDA's in place, and move the Maggies in and out when you want. Just make sure to put them as far in front of the SDA's as possible. I did this for a while. It was great, no compromises. I, like you, am looking for a speaker that is a "best of both worlds", but the LSi ain't it.

heiney9

thor098 wrote: »

I'm hoping they combine the imaging and depth of the Maggies with the warmth and bass of my old SDAs.

They won't. I'd choose SDA's over LSi 15's everyday of the week and twice on Sunday. IMO, a properly set-up and run pair of SDA's can have some Maggie-like attributes as far a soundstage, none of which LSi15's can really touch. LSi 15's are still very nice speakers, but not on par with a proper set of SDA's and farther away from the Maggie sound than SDA's.

H9

nooshinjohn

Having owned all the speakers discussed (Maggie MMG, MG-20, Polk SDA 1c, SRS 1.2/2.3TL, and the LSi-15's) I agree fully with Brock that the SDA is the best of both worlds solution over the rest, with exception to the large Maggies. I get tight clean bass, liquid mids and highs and a depth that startles me at times. The need far more room to breathe than the SDA's do, but the realism with proper amplification and source components is stunning. Stay with SDA if you cannot set the Maggies at least 3/4 feet into the room.

thor098

Wow, some unexpected replies. Glad I never bought the LSI's on a whim. It's mostly like MHARDY said, It really all depends on one's tastes. But there is something special about the SDA's. My wife loves them because you can listen to them at a fairly high volume and yet be able to talk in the room. They are just so comfortable to listen to. We'll see what happens to the Maggies over time. I'm not letting go of the SDA's yet.

thsmith

Have you spiked, upgraded the Xover in the SDAs, dynamatted the drivers and applied norez, upgraded Binding Post and IC to your SDAs?

F1nut

^What he said^

Also, have you upgraded your source yet? How about cables?

thor098

I have not made any mods to the SDA's. I'm not sure I'm up for all that. As for the upgrading the source? Nope not yet but thats next on my list. I've been able to hear a couple demos at a local audio shop - Audio Perfection in Richfield, MN - so I know the difference that will bring. I'm thinking about using a Mac Mini as the music server and then I'll have to decide on the DAC.

thsmith

Put the $500 you will spend for a MM and put it in your SDAs.

F1nut

thor098 wrote: »

I have not made any mods to the SDA's. I'm not sure I'm up for all that.

If you're not up for it, find someone to do them for you. The sonic improvements are substantial.

thor098

Oh in case anyone is looking for input on cables. I did upgrade the cables as far as I will ever go a long time ago. I have 12 guage wire going to each of the speakers and I found that RCA cables could really change the sound dramatically. I found the the most expensive popular cable - most people know which ones I'm talking about - really flattened the sound. Others sounded tinny. I eventually found some I really liked from a fair priced site on the internet.

decal

Two words.... more money:biggrin:

thor098

I'll think about the SDA upgrades. Thanks for the input.

tonyb

Well, you did ask the question.
I'll go along with the upgrades on the SDA's, but just as important is the source and a dac. Ipods just don't cut it as a quality source imho anyway.

drumminman

F1nut is right - do the upgrades. You'll be amazed at how much better they can sound than they do now.

thor098

OK, its been about a year again and this is what I've done and learned. I would look for advice if anyone has some about my situation. First off, I went to laptop music server with a Cambridge audio DAC on my 2 channel. It made a slight but noticeable difference over the IPOD.

After that, I stuck it out with the Maggie's and I'm glad I did. It really took about 6 weeks before they stopped sounding better. No lie. And once they were broke in and I got the subs set up right, there were amazing detailed, full and spacious sounding. My wife absolutely loves them and she put up with the low WAF so she could have the sound. Well now we are remodeling and they really do need to go now.

Stay with me, I,ll get to my point. I always liked my Polk rti8's and sda 2's so in the last year I built a HT around Polk LSI's. overall, I'm pretty happy and I realize my Denon is probably under powered. Even so the dialog on the LSI's is extremely clear. We can turn the volume down and still hear every word.

OK, this is where it gets interesting. When I hook my LSI15s up to my 2 channel they are extremely bright and basically hurt my ears. I have an old pair of TSI 300s that sound better. I've tried a lot of adjusting and can't make them work. Any ideas? The LSIs are a nice looking speaker and I'd like to see them work.

thor098

I keep this thread alive to help those looking to learn. I have an update on the LSI15 s. After a couple months on the ht I noticed that I needed to recalibrate. So with the change on the ht I decided to try them on my 2 channel system again. They now sound amazing. Not quite as detailed as the Maggies but close enough. The overall sound has a lot more of the mid bass punch. They really bring some different music to life. Very enjoyable now. I think they, like the Maggie's, needed a break in period.

steveinaz

thor098 wrote: »

The source at this time is just an IPOD with Lossless. I also have an Oynko cd player and I don't hear any difference. Will a better CD player make a big difference?

As NICE as your 2 channel set up is, it deserves a better source. Look into a higher end CDP, or transport/DAC--OR--higher-end streaming source (Bryston/SQBox, etc). There's a lot more to it then just bit-perfect transmission.

SolidSqual

It can get a whole lot better . . . way better.

thor098

I like the idea of looking at a new DAC again. Good idea. What is a solution to replace my windows based laptop running itunes for under $2000. I'm thinking about some kind of apple computer. Any better ideas? note that I will never leave digital music. The convenience to mix up the playlists is just to valuable.

steveinaz

There's lots of great DAC's out there in the under $2k...Wyred 4 Sound, Bryston, Benchmark, and lists goes on and on....

rooftop59

I went to laptop music server with a Cambridge audio DAC on my 2 channel

Is this still what ur doing? If the dac is usb and asychronous and the files are lossless then u should be gettin gpretty darn goodsound.

AsSiMiLaTeD

The Oppo 105 is hard to beat at it's price, especially given all the features it has. Even if you throw out all the blu ray and video support, I don't think you'll find a better DAC, CD, and SACD player setup at the $1200 price.