[bundee1]

I think I want to go back to basics and build a system from scratch. I listen to rock, reggae, techno and old r&b. Im going to sell my old system off and use that dough to restart. I should have a budget of around $1100. I want a punchy sound with good rhythm and detail but no harsh highs. Im keeping my speaker cables and ICs for now along with my Philips 963 but Im open to anything right now. Im open to buying used. Suggestions?

 

[dj_mocok]

nm my post...
i posted something earlier but i scraped it...
i actually dont know whether you want brand new home audio system (speakers) or just headphone system..

 

[soundboy]

Sounds like you're rebuilding your speaker-based system, right?

I am in a similar situation, with a similar budget. Will you be getting into hi-rez?

 

[bundee1]

I meant the speaker system mentioned in my sig. Im keeping my Philips 963 SACD/DVD player. Any suggestions?

 

[Hajime]

If you're looking for some new speakers I happen to be selling my ATC SCM-7's. They're great at rock with a lot of impact, and they're very accurate. The Jolida amp you have should drive most speakers well. If you want to sell it and move to something different, you might like the old Klipsch horn speakers like the Fortes paired with a low wattage tube amp.

[size=xx-small]Edit:[/size] Added more info.

 

[bundee1]

I want a system that can do rock well without sounding congested and harsh. I also want good bass which is something Im afraid the tube part of the Jolida is denying me. My old Arcam a65 plus had better more articulate bass.

 

[soundboy]

Unlike using headphones, the room is an important "component" in a speaker-based system. How big of a space are we talking about?

I would suggest trying the Monitor Audio Bronze B2. Quite efficient but packs some nice tight space for a bookshelf speaker. Very smooth midrange and highs.

I would also check out NAD or Cambridge Audio integrated amps; should be a good match with the Monitor Audio speakers.

 

[Hajime]

The ATC speakers have great bass and are very impactful. Another brand of speakers you should look at is PSB. I have only heard the older bookshelves (and I didn't think they were that good) but the newer floorstanders are supposed to be great for rock. I don't think you're going to get that low bass punch unless you go with solid state.

 

[bundee1]

I was thinking of SS integrated again like maybe NAD or Arcam and speakers such as PSB, KEF, Acoustic Energy, Wharfedales, or B&W. Can someone recommend amp/speaker pairings with good synergy. I figure I can get better sound with a more synergistic pairing and less money.

 

[soundboy]

It's all about synergy. Perhaps you should try out the new high-powered NAD integrated amp (I forget its model number)....it's a much bigger amp than the top-on-the-line Cambridge Audio. Personally, B&W sounded dead to my ears.

You should also put the NHT SB3 on your shopping list.

 

[ampgalore]

NHt 1.5 are really good speakers.

See the for sale add in my signature.

 

[Ferbose]

Quote:

Originally Posted by bundee1 I want a system that can do rock well without sounding congested and harsh. I also want good bass which is something Im afraid the tube part of the Jolida is denying me. My old Arcam a65 plus had better more articulate bass.

I am using the smaller brother of 1501, JD301. When I put my hand on the unit I can feel slight vibration, so I put a opera CD set on top of it and bass got tighter. Tubes are probably sensitive to microphonics. I wonder if doing the same will help your Jolida as well.

Based on my own system, I would recommend you give Athena S2/P2 a try. S2/P2 has received Soundstage year-end award for exceptional value in 2000:
http://www.reviewerschoice.com/rchoice2000awards.htm
This is a highly coveted honor for an audio product and I think S2/P2 deserves it.

S2/P2 offers seamless bass integration between minimonitor and subwoofer. All the friends who have listened to my system and myself never heard any sign of transition bwtween P2 sub to S2. So you get tuneful bass down to 25Hz (see Soundstage measuremnets). Having two subwoofers helps smooth out standing-wave modes in the room and IMO sounds significantly better than one. One subwoofer generally sounds too boomy at particular frequencies. S2 itself is very clean and quite accurate. Its hi-freq extension is not the greatest (compared to very expensive speakers) but its slightly dark tonal balance prevents listening fatique or harshness. They are, IMHO, probably the best speaker packages for a smaller room if good bass is of high priority. It is hard to put two good subs in a small room in a Sat/Sub combo if mini-monitors are on stands. And tower speakers with strong bass (to 35Hz) are generally designed for larger rooms.

S2/P2 has, IMHO, very good synergy with Jolida hybrid amplifiers. I am using Yugo 12AX7 right now and it adds a bit smoothness that makes music more enjoyable compared to more-detailed tubes I have tried. It sounds better than Rotel+S2/P2 at my dealer. Jolida+S2/P2 is not tonally 100% correct but is slightly dark and smooth, which is still highly enjoyable. While Jolida and S2/P2 alone seem like great bargains, the combo is a truly amazing value IMO, especially if bass is important for you. Since P2 is an active subwoofer, your concerns about the bass performance of Jolida may be less important.

 

[bundee1]

I think the lite bass is a function of the amp. I A/B'd my Arcam and a B&K st140 and noticed how the speakers' bass reacted to the different amps. I might just sell my Music Hall and use the dough to mod the Philips.

 

[arnett]

According to the conventional wisdom on Audioasylum, there are two decent cheap integrated amps: the NAD C320BEE and the Panasonic XR-45. It seems that most people at AA recommend using the Panny’s digital inputs only.

I own the other recommended budget integrated – the C320BEE. It’s truly the best $319 I’ve ever spent on audio. It’s not the most detailed performer, but it has a lovely tone that pulls you into the music. In fact, some AA members prefer the cheaper C320BEE over the more expensive NAD C370. The C320BEE is listed at 50 watts, but, according to some English mags, it’s more like 75 watts per channel.

I really like my KEF speakers with the C320BEE. Then again, I haven’t heard a lot of other speakers paired with the NAD.

Have you thought about a budget subwoofer?

Also, have you changed your mind about the CD25 being better then the 963SA on redbook?

 

[bundee1]

I listened to the Philips for a couple of hours yesterday and it sounded pretty good. I listened to James Brown's Foundation of Funk 2cd set with the upsampling off and the pacing and rhythm were both pretty good. I also listened to some Jimi Hendrix and with the upsampling on it sounded the best that Ive ever heard it. So now Im questioning my choice of cdp. Thats why Im considering modding the Philips.