What is my weakest link?

nooshinjohn
nooshinjohn Posts: 25,420
edited January 2011 in 2 Channel Audio
I am already looking ahead to plan my next upgrade after my tube amps are finished. Overall, I am quite please with how things are coming together, but I know there is always room for improvement.:biggrin:

My current setup is this.

HT/ Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature 425~5 amplifier
......Sunfire Theater Grand MK V Preamp/Processor
......Sony BDP-S350 Bluray Player
......Polk Audio SDA-SRS 2.3TL's (unmodded) Fronts
CSI-a6 Center Channel
LSi-15's(unmodded) surrounds

My HT rig will soon be separated from my Two Channel setup. It will consist of the following...

Carver Statement 450~1 Monoblocks (custom built Tube Amps)
Yamaha PX-3 Linear Tracking/Direct Drive Turntable with Sumiko Bluepoint EVOIII high output cartridge
Pioneer PD-D9J Super Audio CD Player
Sunfire Classic Vacuum Tube Preamp with mods/upgrades by Bob Carver
Polk Audio SDA-SRS 2.3TL's

I am running a mix of cables in my rig currently and Canare 4S11 speaker wires. The amps will be using PS Audio AC5's. I am thinking cables may be the weakest link here, but I am looking for input on components as well.

Aside from cables, I am beginning to think my big SDA's may well be the weakest link in my setup from a two channel point of view. Opinions?
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

“When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
Post edited by nooshinjohn on
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,033
    edited January 2011
    No tubes.
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,420
    edited January 2011
    treitz3 wrote: »
    No tubes.

    They are on the way. I should have them in the rig by the first of March.:cool: My Classic Pre is tubed.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,033
    edited January 2011
    You asked. Next? Mod them bad boy's. What the F are you waiting for? A new country to be discovered?
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,420
    edited January 2011
    If they are going to stay in my HT rig(likely) then I will be looking for a new flavor for the two channel setup. My gut is telling me to go with Maggie 3.6's or the 20.1's
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • treitz3
    treitz3 Posts: 19,033
    edited January 2011
    *cringe*

    That's just me.....
    ~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited January 2011
    Love Maggies... Love SRS's... not that fond of LSi's, but using the 15's as surrounds is just wrong... IMO....

    I'd move the 15's up front in the HT, bag some new surrounds and SRS the 2-ch (I assume you can strap the monoblocks). If the SRS's don't give you the jollies you're searching for, set 'em free...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,967
    edited January 2011
    Ht..move the 15's to the front, 2 channel, might be time you move on from SDA's, theirs a whole nutha world of speakers out there bro.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • leroyjr1
    leroyjr1 Posts: 8,785
    edited January 2011
    Toss the Sunfire gear.
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  • kawizx9r
    kawizx9r Posts: 5,150
    edited January 2011
    I too would vote to move the SDA's to either 2CH or get rid of them altogether.

    For HT, why not either go with an all-LSi setup or switch to RTiA's? You've got the power at hand so either series should sound pretty damn good. I'm only suggesting the RTiA's because they seem to be a bit more HT-friendly as opposed to LSi's. If you keep your 15's, modify the crossover and swap the side-firing woofer (posted on another thread).

    I love me some Maggies, and that will be my next speaker when I decide to build another 2CH setup. I'm thinking 1.6 QR's though :biggrin:

    Edit: In response to your comment of your SDA's being the weakest link (other than cables), you really need to mod those 2.3tl's.
    Truck setup
    Alpine 9856
    Phoenix Gold RSD65CS

    For Sale
    Polk SR6500
    Polk SR5250
    Polk SR104


    heiney9 wrote: »
    Any clue how to use the internet? Found it in about 10 sec.
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  • TNRabbit
    TNRabbit Posts: 2,168
    edited January 2011
    Mod your SDAs.
    TNRabbit
    NO Polk Audio Equipment :eek:
    Sunfire TG-IV
    Ashly 1001 Active Crossover
    Rane PEQ-15 Parametric Equalizers x 2
    Sunfire Cinema Grand Signature Seven
    Carver AL-III Speakers
    Klipsch RT-12d Subwoofer
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited January 2011
    I think you should buy me a turntable next.
    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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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited January 2011
    Crossovers.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited January 2011
    Crossovers should have been done first. The difference is that good. The weak link is NOT the SDA's, if you dig what SDA's can do. Next you need to get serious about cables, real serious. You take care of those two things and you'll be at a whole new level.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited January 2011
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    If they are going to stay in my HT rig(likely) then I will be looking for a new flavor for the two channel setup. My gut is telling me to go with Maggie 3.6's or the 20.1's
    Judging by the pictures I've seen of your room, that sounds like a bad idea.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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  • TroyD
    TroyD Posts: 13,077
    edited January 2011
    Nothing wrong with the gear or the speakers.....I would look at upgrading the sources.

    BDT
    I plan for the future. - F1Nut
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,420
    edited January 2011
    Face wrote: »
    Judging by the pictures I've seen of your room, that sounds like a bad idea.

    We are buying a new house in So Cal this summer. The room will change, and I will be certain to get a house with the needed space.:smile:
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • SolidSqual
    SolidSqual Posts: 5,218
    edited January 2011
    I think you should look into other speakers. I'm not saying the SDAs sound bad (I heard them, they sound great), but your musical tastes might be more impressed by the offerings from other manufacturers who specialize in open baffle designs, planars, or just different baffle construction. With a little more gear tweaking, you will be approaching the realm of not sound better, just different.
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  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited January 2011
    There used to be a day when SDA's sounded fine without mods. That's when the suggestions here made more sense....now you automatically have to upgrade them, and then something else, and then something else.

    What happened to just listening to music based on the merits of what you currently own? Good luck.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
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  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,243
    edited January 2011
    You!!!!
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,967
    edited January 2011
    nooshinjohn wrote: »
    We are buying a new house in So Cal this summer. The room will change, and I will be certain to get a house with the needed space.:smile:

    So....your loading up the truck and moving to Beverly...Hills that is ?:biggrin:
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,151
    edited January 2011
    The last four posts are GREAT..:smile::biggrin:

    Love em!!
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
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  • Tony M
    Tony M Posts: 11,151
    edited January 2011
    John, you haven't heard your masterpieces yet. You might not have to upgrade anything except your TT cartridge per Doctorcilantro's suggestion of moving up that line of Sumiko's line to the Blackbird ( I think it was).:wink:

    I love your project so far.
    Most people just listen to music and watch movies. I EXPERIENCE them.
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,420
    edited January 2011
    tonyb wrote: »
    So....your loading up the truck and moving to Beverly...Hills that is ?:biggrin:

    We are looking at Simi Valley, La Canada/Flintridge and Northridge/Porter Ranch areas for now, but may consider other areas. The only stipulation I have is that I get a room at least 20x18 (with a bathroom and a bar) for purposes of my own choosing, and a familiy room for a nice HT setup:tongue:

    Tis GOOD to have a rich wife!:biggrin:
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • JuanR
    JuanR Posts: 718
    edited January 2011
    leroyjr1 wrote: »
    Toss the Sunfire gear.

    I love Sunfire gear.....So if you decide to "toss" it, do it my way. I'm looking at getting a Sunfire TGP-401 for my Cinema Grand, How do you like the TGP-5?
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  • nooshinjohn
    nooshinjohn Posts: 25,420
    edited January 2011
    JuanR wrote: »
    I love Sunfire gear.....So if you decide to "toss" it, do it my way. I'm looking at getting a Sunfire TGP-401 for my Cinema Grand, How do you like the TGP-5?

    For HT, the Sunfire gear stays.:biggrin: The TGP mkV is a great piece. It has been easy to set up and use. decent pre for analog and though it does not have all of the HDMI functions and more current surround modes, it sounds awesome. I may be inclined to part with it at some point when I can afford a pre/pro that is more current, but HT is not my main goal these days.

    The Sig 425/5 and the Classic Pre are the only items in my rig that have a permanent home.
    The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, Mcintosh C2300 Arcam AVR20, Oppo UDP-203 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk Audio Legend L800 with height modules, L400 Center Channel Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds. Marantz MM7025 stereo amp. Simaudio Moon 680d DSD

    “When once a Republic is corrupted, there is no possibility of remedying any of the growing evils but by removing the corruption and restoring its lost principles; every other correction is either useless or a new evil.”— Thomas Jefferson
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  • mrbiron
    mrbiron Posts: 5,711
    edited January 2011
    HTIB......

    Why don't you pump the brakes speed racer!! I'd wait until you get this "dedicated room" so you can hear how your gear sounds there.
    Tis GOOD to have a rich wife!
    WTH!?...I bet she doesn't read this forum. hahaha
    Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!!
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  • Tour2ma
    Tour2ma Posts: 10,177
    edited January 2011
    dorokusai wrote: »
    There used to be a day when SDA's sounded fine without mods. That's when the suggestions here made more sense....now you automatically have to upgrade them, and then something else, and then something else.

    What happened to just listening to music based on the merits of what you currently own? Good luck.
    Just to be safe I've decided to mod any piece of eqiuipment I buy before I ever listen to it. Seems like the prudent thing to do.


    I mean, why risk dissappointment...
    More later,
    Tour...
    Vox Copuli
    Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt. - Old English Proverb

    "Death doesn't come with a Uhaul." - Dennis Gardner
    "It's easy to get lost in price vs performance vs ego vs illusion." - doro
    "There is a certain entertainment value in ripping the occaisonal (sic) buttmunch..." - TroyD
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  • ben62670
    ben62670 Posts: 15,969
    edited January 2011
    The weakest link would have to be the operator.
    Sorry John I just couldn't hold it in any longer.
    Ben
    Please. Please contact me a ben62670 @ yahoo.com. Make sure to include who you are, and you are from Polk so I don't delete your email. Also I am now physically unable to work on any projects. If you need help let these guys know. There are many people who will help if you let them know where you are.
    Thanks
    Ben
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  • Fongolio
    Fongolio Posts: 3,516
    edited January 2011
    (Hoddy toddy female British accent) YOU are the weakest link. Good bye.




    I can't believe it took 29 posts! I'll give Larry 6 points for effort though.
    SDA-1C (full mods)
    Carver TFM-55
    NAD 1130 Pre-amp
    Rega Planar 3 TT/Shelter 501 MkII
    The Clamp
    Revox A77 Mk IV Dolby reel to reel
    Thorens TD160/Mission 774 arm/Stanton 881S Shibata
    Nakamichi CR7 Cassette Deck
    Rotel RCD-855 with modified tube output stage
    Cambridge Audio DACmagic Plus
    ADC Soundshaper 3 EQ
    Ben's IC's
    Nitty Gritty 1.5FI RCM
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  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited January 2011
    ben62670 wrote: »
    The weakest link would have to be the operator.
    That was a given.
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
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