what else to do

silvertuner
silvertuner Posts: 496
edited November 2010 in DIY, Mods & Tweaks
i have a set of rta-8tl's and am interested in doing more tweeks to them. ive updated the crossovers and installed rd0198's but am struggling to think of what else to do to really improve their sound quality. i would like to rewrap them but dont trust myself enough and dont have another set to put in their place while i would do something like that, altho that wont improve SQ. what would you guys suggest? just the usual spikes, dynamat, and maybe some sonicbarrier? i love these speakers, i just feel they could really open up and be amazing with some more extensive mods

some cheap free sony speakers
psw125
denon 1610
3.1 channel because i hate cables ran across the living room like that
Post edited by silvertuner on
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited November 2010
    Spike them. Most any speaker benefits from being spiked, especially bass quality. If you have carpet, spike them, then place them on clay tiles. See my showcase photo's....
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • silvertuner
    silvertuner Posts: 496
    edited November 2010
    i have hardwood floors lol

    some cheap free sony speakers
    psw125
    denon 1610
    3.1 channel because i hate cables ran across the living room like that
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited November 2010
    Spike'm and get the brass spike "cups" to protect your floors.

    Go here:
    http://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=AASONIC
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • ecod123
    ecod123 Posts: 379
    edited November 2010
    Steveinaz,
    Aside from the price, any performance difference between the acrylic and the brass isolation discs on AA?
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  • thsmith
    thsmith Posts: 6,082
    edited November 2010
    myesound.com pointsnpads

    They are Jesse approved:wink:

    Seriously they are that good.
    Speakers: SDA-1C (most all the goodies)
    Preamp: Joule Electra LA-150 MKII SE
    Amp: Wright WPA 50-50 EAT KT88s
    Analog: Marantz TT-15S1 MBS Glider SL| Wright WPP100C Amperex BB 6er5 and 7316 & WPM-100 SUT
    Digital: Mac mini 2.3GHz dual-core i5 8g RAM 1.5 TB HDD Music Server Amarra (memory play) - USB - W4S DAC 2
    Cables: Mits S3 IC and Spk cables| PS Audio PCs
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,604
    edited November 2010
    What are you driving them with?
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • silvertuner
    silvertuner Posts: 496
    edited November 2010
    halo71 wrote: »
    What are you driving them with?

    that is the NEXT upgrade after i finish the speakers. ive already planned on the spikes. its just a HK 3490, so either an amp or just get an integrated.

    some cheap free sony speakers
    psw125
    denon 1610
    3.1 channel because i hate cables ran across the living room like that
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,604
    edited November 2010
    If it were me. I'd spike 'em and do nothing more until I upgraded to a better AVR or amp/pre. I can tell you from experience that after putting my Onkyo M504 amp and P304 pre back into the mix. My Monitor 10's woke up big time! I had been running an older model Pioneer AVR then a older model H&K AVR purely because it was "easier" for my wife to operate. Needless to say she had to learn to operate the preamp! lol
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • silvertuner
    silvertuner Posts: 496
    edited November 2010
    lol, well, eventually the HK with 4390 will end up upstairs hooked up to a pair of bookshelves and used for my TV and such up there, along with my computer

    some cheap free sony speakers
    psw125
    denon 1610
    3.1 channel because i hate cables ran across the living room like that
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  • silvertuner
    silvertuner Posts: 496
    edited November 2010
    im going to order the spikes, dynamat the speaker baskets, and see if i can notice an improvement. im partially deaf (yes it sux) in my left ear so i rely on my right ear to tell me everything lol.

    some cheap free sony speakers
    psw125
    denon 1610
    3.1 channel because i hate cables ran across the living room like that
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  • silvertuner
    silvertuner Posts: 496
    edited November 2010
    altho, using the HK as a preamp, and buying something like a parasound amp... would that be a drastic improvement? or should i really invest in a better preamp as well? the rest of the set up is a set of AQ sidewinders off my denon 2900 and a AQ sub cable to a psw125 for when others are over and wanna hear the bass (i know i know dont say it), and the other stuff i havent worried about as i mainly just listen to music and am not worried for no more than i watch blurays and watch TV, besides its not a surround setup, i LOVE my 2 channel and have no desire in surround right now

    some cheap free sony speakers
    psw125
    denon 1610
    3.1 channel because i hate cables ran across the living room like that
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,604
    edited November 2010
    I'd go the pre/power amp route. Depends on your budget though.
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • silvertuner
    silvertuner Posts: 496
    edited November 2010
    at this point its limited to about $600. i suppose i could always get a decent amp, and upgrade the pre-amp later as well. any suggestions on what to power these? ive also considered room treatments, as the room is only 10x20 and u start to get a little reverb off the back wall and side walls

    some cheap free sony speakers
    psw125
    denon 1610
    3.1 channel because i hate cables ran across the living room like that
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,604
    edited November 2010
    You'd be better off with someone like Steve above recommending an amp. I am not familiar with those speakers or really any of the new offerings in the amp world.

    Vintage wise, I know what "I'd" like to have and that is tube gear. But the ole' check book....and lets not forget the wife....will not allow for this right now! :tongue:
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • silvertuner
    silvertuner Posts: 496
    edited November 2010
    haha i know what you mean by the women saying "absolutely not" to stuff. i usually just do it, bring it home, and listen to her whine for about 3 hours, then i turn it on and turn it up and shes like "ok ur off the hook" lol. if i knew **** about amps i would have already done that. unfortunately im so new at all of this im still researching, but Concealer404 has been helping quite a bit with ideas. im a billiards player, not a long-time audiophile. i thought my hk sounded good til i heard solidsquals set-up and began to wonder WTF am i spending my money on!

    some cheap free sony speakers
    psw125
    denon 1610
    3.1 channel because i hate cables ran across the living room like that
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,604
    edited November 2010
    I was kinda the same way for a long time. I spent most of my money on guitars, tube amps, rack processors and other gear. Then I stopped playing in bands several years back. Still collected/traded guitars a bit. Then about 2.5 years ago the company I was working for closed the doors. 55 people laid off without any notice. At that time I had 27 guitars. I had to sell off all but my favorites along with some other amps and cabinets to pay bills. I only have 7 guitars now!lol

    Then I got back into audio and found this forum. Hooked up some old gear I had not used in years. Ken (polkersince85) gave me a pair Monitor 10's. And I have been revisiting many old jazz and blues CD's from years past every since.
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • halo71
    halo71 Posts: 4,604
    edited November 2010
    Check your local Craigslist for Adcom and NAD gear. They are popular here.

    This is pretty much the set up I have. Although this guys prices may be a little unrealistic.

    http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/ele/2005313362.html
    --Gary--
    Onkyo Integra M504, Bottlehead Foreplay III, Denon SACD, Thiel CS2.3, NHT VT-2, VT-3 and Evolution T6, Infinity RSIIIa, SDA1C and a few dozen other speakers around the house I change in and out.
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  • silvertuner
    silvertuner Posts: 496
    edited November 2010
    my dad was very heavy into audio, he had an absolutely ridiculous set-up when i was much younger (im only 25) but being the "amazing" dad he was never really taught me anything about his hobby lol. all i remember is listening to ac/dc, kiss, rolling stones, the doors, SRV, bb king, floyd, etc. on his system. i talked to him a few years ago about all of it since we had a "falling out" and all he would tell me was he had a "bunch of old mcintosh stuff" and im like "computers!?" lol. he said he sold everything for a down payment on his house in north carolina, and after the research ive done, a little "upset" he sold his mcintosh equipment for that lol. now he uses some HTIAB and sits at home alone on facebook 5 hours a day. wow went a little too in depth with all of that, but i guess the point is, this was all in my blood all along. now im trying to satisfy this desire, yet am slowly realizing i will never be 100% satisfied, but will always pursue that perfection.

    some cheap free sony speakers
    psw125
    denon 1610
    3.1 channel because i hate cables ran across the living room like that
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • silvertuner
    silvertuner Posts: 496
    edited November 2010
    halo71 wrote: »
    Check your local Craigslist for Adcom and NAD gear. They are popular here.

    This is pretty much the set up I have. Although this guys prices may be a little unrealistic.

    http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/ele/2005313362.html

    thats been on there a long time. i am constantly searching CL for stuff, but rarely find anything. maybe harry will come across something in his plethora of audio in my price range lol. i actually got my 8tl's off of CL, and immediately (before i even hooked them up!) ordered a set of rd0's for them lol

    some cheap free sony speakers
    psw125
    denon 1610
    3.1 channel because i hate cables ran across the living room like that
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited November 2010
    ecod123 wrote: »
    Steveinaz,
    Aside from the price, any performance difference between the acrylic and the brass isolation discs on AA?

    I don't know, never tried acrylic.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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