[becomethemould]

hey toaster you are looking for speakers too? you could ask on the aus hi fi newsgroup to ask for a listen in sydney. there's a guy in canberra who has a pair of vaf dc-x's. but i can't be stuffed asking

yeah i guess it's down to the equinox vs legend. haven't listened to osborn and krix though. osborn i gotta pay and i can't really be stuffed. but i may listen to the krixs, they are at ipswich and you go by there to get to toowoomba

 

[taoster]

not active looking but more active curious.

thanks for letting us know your auditioning..

 

[Ctn]

Most people say Vaf's sound is really bright. I havent heard it though but I doubt it would pair good with the ME if that's the case. Vaf's are really well priced though...should listen if you can with your amp.

I had a look at the osbornes and they seem to be up market.
Like really costly

Krix from memory wasnt that great.

 

[JohnR]

I think most of the people who say the Vaf are bright use them in bright or small rooms. Wooden floors without much absorbing furniture would make most speakers on the bright side..

I've used the DCX in room about 5x6.5m (with ME gear) and I don't think they are bright... but putting them into a 3x4m room with floorboards and they get a bit edgy. Try clapping loudly in the room and listening to the reverberation.. you don't want it to "ring"

 

[Ctn]

Hi JohnR,

What ME gear do you own

What do you think of them?

 

[JohnR]

I've got an ME24 and an ME850. I got the 850 2nd hand for 2k, which I'm told is a pretty good deal

I think they're good for the price. To better the 850 in every respect would cost alot of money.. I doubt I'll upgrade unless I get some serious speakers. I agree that they tend toward bright, but it's not a problem in my system.

A friend of mine got an ME14 modified by a retailer in Perth, upgrading resistors, capacitors, etc, and reducing the signal path. It sounds damn good. Much more 'delicate' if that makes sense. The guy who modified it considers it pretty much reference level.

 

[becomethemould]

hey JohnR, i did the clapping thing, there is no echoing. i think if i sit 3m back from the speakers they sound way better, but still not the best

btw what speakers do you have JohnR?

 

[JohnR]

DCX's

although I'm looking to upgrade.. just don't have the money yet.

Since having my HD600s for a while now, I get a little disappointed listening closely to the DCX. They're just not in the same league.

 

[becomethemould]

i'm sort of not trying to compare my headphones to speakers, they are different products, but yeah i am a bit disappointed with the speakers i've listen to, i thought they would have blown away my perceptions of sound as when i first got the grado sr60s when using crappy earbuds before.

i think the equinox solstice have the vocals presented pretty forward? similar to grados? maybe it's just the room or i am listening too far forward, i'll go back to 3.5m next

 

[taoster]

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnR DCX's although I'm looking to upgrade.. just don't have the money yet. Since having my HD600s for a while now, I get a little disappointed listening closely to the DCX. They're just not in the same league.

would you upgrade to a better VAF or something else all together? what's your own opinion of VAF speakers?

 

[becomethemould]

yeah, what do you think of the DC-X? a guy MalP reckons they are a bit harsh?

here is a pic of the speaker setup for reference. what do you guys think? a waste of quality equipment in a ****ty room?

http://users.tpg.com.au/jtb81/listen.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/jtb81/listen2.jpg
http://users.tpg.com.au/jtb81/listen3.jpg

 

[JohnR]

I took a bit of a gamble getting the DCX. I hadn't heard them before and decided to do the 'in home trial'. I was very happy with them compared to other offerings in my area for near the same price, so I kept them. There's not much other aussie gear to compare with near me, so I didn't realise that most aussie speakers would be really price competitive.

I haven't heard the Vaf Signature range but I have heard DC7s. Both the 7s and Xs are quite a "distant" sound similar to the B&W NT series. Not really "lively" like some, where some sounds (like vocals) just jump out of the speakers. Everything seems more recessed. I agree with some of the comments of MalP in that they are "coarse" rather than detailed but don't think they are bright. I'm not any expert on "hifi" though....

I don't really know what I'd upgrade to. Vaf are definitely good, but I'd take a trip to Adelaide to hear them and others before deciding anything. I think I would stick with aussie made unless there's some great deal I just can't pass up. I'm just considering the upgrade at the moment

becomethemould: looks comfortable

you might want to close the vertical blinds when you listen to avoid reflections from the glass door.

 

[Ctn]

Wow you have a ME850...Im sooo envious of you.
2k for a 850 is a really really good deal.

How much was it to get the ME14 upgraded?

I thought it was pretty much as good as pre amps gets.

I wish I have spare cash to get the ME1400/1500. The sound is just amazing.

 

[JohnR]

Ctn: I don't know how much since my friend bought it already modified. I can't remember the brand names, but the resistors were around $25ea.. so it's a fair increase in price (probably $600 or more).
The guy who modified it said that he used alot of silver inside, removed the tape loop, and went "direct" from the cd input whatever that means. So CD sounds different to Tuner and AUX. It's a pretty obvious change to my ME24 using HD600s and a NAD c541i.

I'll let you know if a 2nd hand 1400 or 1500 is available cheap

 

[Ctn]

Nice. Sounds like pretty simple changes.

Was the external power supply upgraded as well?

Did you get your ME24 upgraded?

Yeah thanks, if you ever find a 2nd hand 1400/1500