The road to Audio Bliss....
nellis8166
Posts: 292
Not sure if anyone is going to want to read this but I just wanted to share my story of the last couple of months in my quest for audio bliss.
I hope that some people in my situation will read this and not make the same mistakes I did.
This all started about three months ago. I had a modest stereo and home theater...it sounded ok....now that I think about it more it sounded like horse crap. It consisted of a $500 JVC receiver, $100 JVC cd changer, a cheap Yamaha center channel, Advent Laureate towers for mains, Avent Prodigy towers for surrounds and a Celestion 8' powered sub. Bits and pieces of odd speaker wire.
I have been a musician my entire life and one day I was listening to a CD and I just got absolutely disgusted by what I was hearing so I decided I would get a nice new reciever and my problems would be solved....wrong. I listened to just about everything under the sun and ended up with a HK525. I was really dissapointed when I hooked it up. It sounded great with Polk speakers at the store so I decided it was time to upgrade those too. I worked out a budget and my local hifi store gave me several options. The best I listened was the LSI9 and LSIC. I ended up going with RTI28's for surrounds and rear surrounds. I know they are supposed to be voice matched, but honestly I could hear no difference and could not see spending the money for more expensive speaks for surround use. Brought them home and set up, need more bass, bought an Infinity Alpha Sub. Now I had too much bass and my mids and highs sucked. Consulted this service and I was informed I needed more power for the LSI's. After testing several amps in my home I agreed that was the missing link. Bought a nice power amp for the LSI9s and LSIC.
Wire....tried to get away using Home Depot wire and Ratshack interconnects. Was not happy having all this expensive gear and spending 20 bucks on wires and interconnects. Invested in M series bi-wires and original M cable for all the surrounds. Nice Monster Interconnects and a Monster power center for good measure, oh and a nice Sony DVD/SACD combo. Difference was like night and day. Got a free PSW 202 with my LSI purchase and I wired that into my side rear surrounds this weekend for an extra kick in the butt.
Well, three months later and not to mention a lot of credit card debt I sit on my couch with permanent grin from ear to ear. Does this sound familar "piss poor planning leads to piss poor performance." I learned the hard way, hopefully someone reading this will not make the same mistakes and do it right the first time.
I would just like to offer my thanks to all who helped me out.
I guess the million dollar question is "was it worth it?"
HELL YEAH!!!
Regards,
Nat
I hope that some people in my situation will read this and not make the same mistakes I did.
This all started about three months ago. I had a modest stereo and home theater...it sounded ok....now that I think about it more it sounded like horse crap. It consisted of a $500 JVC receiver, $100 JVC cd changer, a cheap Yamaha center channel, Advent Laureate towers for mains, Avent Prodigy towers for surrounds and a Celestion 8' powered sub. Bits and pieces of odd speaker wire.
I have been a musician my entire life and one day I was listening to a CD and I just got absolutely disgusted by what I was hearing so I decided I would get a nice new reciever and my problems would be solved....wrong. I listened to just about everything under the sun and ended up with a HK525. I was really dissapointed when I hooked it up. It sounded great with Polk speakers at the store so I decided it was time to upgrade those too. I worked out a budget and my local hifi store gave me several options. The best I listened was the LSI9 and LSIC. I ended up going with RTI28's for surrounds and rear surrounds. I know they are supposed to be voice matched, but honestly I could hear no difference and could not see spending the money for more expensive speaks for surround use. Brought them home and set up, need more bass, bought an Infinity Alpha Sub. Now I had too much bass and my mids and highs sucked. Consulted this service and I was informed I needed more power for the LSI's. After testing several amps in my home I agreed that was the missing link. Bought a nice power amp for the LSI9s and LSIC.
Wire....tried to get away using Home Depot wire and Ratshack interconnects. Was not happy having all this expensive gear and spending 20 bucks on wires and interconnects. Invested in M series bi-wires and original M cable for all the surrounds. Nice Monster Interconnects and a Monster power center for good measure, oh and a nice Sony DVD/SACD combo. Difference was like night and day. Got a free PSW 202 with my LSI purchase and I wired that into my side rear surrounds this weekend for an extra kick in the butt.
Well, three months later and not to mention a lot of credit card debt I sit on my couch with permanent grin from ear to ear. Does this sound familar "piss poor planning leads to piss poor performance." I learned the hard way, hopefully someone reading this will not make the same mistakes and do it right the first time.
I would just like to offer my thanks to all who helped me out.
I guess the million dollar question is "was it worth it?"
HELL YEAH!!!
Regards,
Nat
RTi10
CSi5
RTi28
SVS PB12-ISD2
Denon 2106(pre/pro)
Adcom 5503(200x3)
Audioquest Diamondback ICS
Kimber Kable 8tc biwire(mains and center)
"Don't let your silly dreams fall in between the crack of the bed and the wall."
-J. James
CSi5
RTi28
SVS PB12-ISD2
Denon 2106(pre/pro)
Adcom 5503(200x3)
Audioquest Diamondback ICS
Kimber Kable 8tc biwire(mains and center)
"Don't let your silly dreams fall in between the crack of the bed and the wall."
-J. James
Post edited by RyanC_Masimo on
Comments
-
Enjoy the hell out of it ATCVenom, everything that I watch and listen to is like a whole new world now. My neighbors on the other hand...don't think they like it as much.
Regards,
NatRTi10
CSi5
RTi28
SVS PB12-ISD2
Denon 2106(pre/pro)
Adcom 5503(200x3)
Audioquest Diamondback ICS
Kimber Kable 8tc biwire(mains and center)
"Don't let your silly dreams fall in between the crack of the bed and the wall."
-J. James -
Originally posted by nellis8166
Does this sound familar "piss poor planning leads to piss poor performance."
Hey, that's my sig!
Thanks for sharing your journey to audio bliss, well written!Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Thanks F1nut, there is a whole lotta truth in your sig......
Regards,
NatRTi10
CSi5
RTi28
SVS PB12-ISD2
Denon 2106(pre/pro)
Adcom 5503(200x3)
Audioquest Diamondback ICS
Kimber Kable 8tc biwire(mains and center)
"Don't let your silly dreams fall in between the crack of the bed and the wall."
-J. James -
hi nellis 8165,
this hobby is that way, its hard to get every thing right, but wend you do. it turns into a life long hobby that there is no end.
and you didnt say what software that you use, cd, dvd, lp,tapes.
and there is a difference in the performance,and sound quality in the software to.. rt-7 mains
rt-20p surounds
cs-400i front center
cs-350 ls rear center
2 energy take 5, efects
2- psw-650 , subs
1- 15" audiosource sub
lets all go to the next ces. -
F1 that is my dad's favorite quote, he puts it as the 6 p's if im not mistaken.Damn you all, damn you all to hell.......
I promised myself
No more speakers. None. Nada. And then you posted this!!!!
Damn you all! - ATC -
It's funny Joe, I am trying to surround myself with as many SACD's as possible but they are not in abundance just yet. All the major labels say that is going to change, but who knows. I think the market is too small.
The bulk of this was done with CDs and DVD's, mostly DVD concerts, that is what I really enjoy.
The LSI's with proper power really bring out the flaws in some of my older CD's. Some of the recording are not very good. On the other hand newer recordings and SACDS make me melt in my chair.
Regards,
NatRTi10
CSi5
RTi28
SVS PB12-ISD2
Denon 2106(pre/pro)
Adcom 5503(200x3)
Audioquest Diamondback ICS
Kimber Kable 8tc biwire(mains and center)
"Don't let your silly dreams fall in between the crack of the bed and the wall."
-J. James
