Help me upgrade my system

NoRoots

Wammer
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Sep 28, 2006
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Hertfordshre, , Unit
I think its time to upgrade something i want to improve my system as I want to tighten up the bass and I believe that the sound stage could be improved. I listen to a wide range of music but mainly dance music.

Here is my current system -

Source Components -

Marantz CD63 KI MK2 with these upgrades

Audiocom superclock 2.

Audiocom super-regulators for the output stage and DAC chip.

Elna Silmic II capacitors in all critical locations in the output stage and around the analogue stage for the DAC chip.

Sanyo Oscon capacitors around the digital stage for the DAC chip.

Lowered output impedance.

Lowered output stage PSU impedance.

Headphone amp removed.

Mute circuit removed.

Output capacitors removed.

Output stage signal path drastically cleaned up!

Decoder sorted out by replacing caps, sorting out layout and using chokes to separate it from the rest of the digital stage PSU (also the cpu is treated in the same way).

Amplification -

Marantz PM7200

Speakers -

Acoustic Energy Aesprit 309

Cables -

1 x Homemade interconnect all the rest QED Qunex 1, Speaker cable also homemade with banana plugs

Which part should I upgrade first to achieve what I want? What do you guys suggest I upgrade it to?

Your advice and knowledge would be great guys

 

Ant

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Aug 5, 2005
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what is your budget? Speakers tend to give the most bang for buck when changing and I'd recomend finding some speakers you like and building around them.

 

TIU

Artist and daft as a brush
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Dec 17, 2005
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Gary
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  1. No
Yes change the godamn amp!

shock.gif.7732780fe7e208b945ce79ca96402fca.gif
:lmao:

No it's a great amp really.
wink.png
Change the cd player for a turntable, a proper source.

[Now the next person has to tell him to change his cables]
biggrin.png


 

Faithless

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Jan 17, 2007
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Faithless
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No Roots with all these mods to your cd player did you gain a considerable improvement over the standard version of your Marantz CD player?

 

uzzy

Grumpy Old Git
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Apr 16, 2006
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David
HiFi Trade?
  1. No
NoRoots wrote:

I think its time to upgrade something i want to improve my system as I want to tighten up the bass and I believe that the sound stage could be improved. I listen to a wide range of music but mainly dance music.Here is my current system -

Source Components -

Marantz CD63 KI MK2 with these upgrades

Audiocom superclock 2.

Audiocom super-regulators for the output stage and DAC chip.

Elna Silmic II capacitors in all critical locations in the output stage and around the analogue stage for the DAC chip.

Sanyo Oscon capacitors around the digital stage for the DAC chip.

Lowered output impedance.

Lowered output stage PSU impedance.

Headphone amp removed.

Mute circuit removed.

Output capacitors removed.

Output stage signal path drastically cleaned up!

Decoder sorted out by replacing caps, sorting out layout and using chokes to separate it from the rest of the digital stage PSU (also the cpu is treated in the same way).

Amplification -

Marantz PM7200

Speakers -

Acoustic Energy Aesprit 309

Cables -

1 x Homemade interconnect all the rest QED Qunex 1, Speaker cable also homemade with banana plugs

Which part should I upgrade first to achieve what I want? What do you guys suggest I upgrade it to?

Your advice and knowledge would be great guys
Description:

  • 95 watts per channel power output (into 8 ohms)
  • 155 watts per channel (into 4 ohms)
  • 25 watts pure class A operation
  • HDAM (High Definition Amplifier Module) fully discrete copper-shielded output stage
  • Premium-quality parts and construction for superb sound quality
  • Seven source inputs including moving magnet (MM) phono input
  • Remote control operation including volume adjustment

The amp is good japcrap so if i wanted to improve the system I would look to the loudspeakers first. However, a budget of £300 to £500 will not yield a major improvement on what you have, unless you can find a bargain on eBay.

As you have no definite idea for what you want though the eBay option is limited.

I would recommend you visit a good dealer and listen to speakers to get an idea of what you want Even better what about your friends and relatives what do they use?

For the amp and cd player you have for me it has to be the loudspeakers and to gain a worthwhile improvement then a budget of a grand would not be out of order.

Uzzy

 

JANDL100

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Dec 5, 2006
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  1. No
I'm a bit embarassed:oops: to push my own For Sale kit, but my NuForce Reference 8 power amp monoblocks might be just what you are after. Seriously high damping factor (1000s) so they will have TOTAL control of your woofers.

Fellow Wammer "Kev" has just had them on loan and was seriously impressed, but decided that his Pass Aleph 30 amp (£1000+, I think) was equally as good overall. They should be winging their way back to me now.

I'm asking £400 - 70wpc. See my classified here http://www.hifiwigwam.com/forum5/12079.html

Of course, you'd need a pre-amp too.

 

Tel

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Aug 13, 2006
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I woul be looking at the speakers as well.

It is interesting though that your other thread about room modifications is getting nowhere near the same level of response, where some simple rooom mods may achieve a better 'upgrade' than buying new equipment.

 

ob1

Wammer
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Jan 12, 2007
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outside....Norwich,
AKA
OB
We(my bro and I)have4 marantzs in total, the 67 and 63ose and 6000ose are modded with audiocom superclock 4, blackgate cap, power supply...etc. The clock were £180 each and the rest of bits sand bobs add up to around £150 per cd.

Last week I bought a 63KI from meninblack (tent's guru) in orignal condition (apart from slightly loose output connection)The KI has a better sound
47_47.gif.482d183844f69ef6dec537ae753f214d.gif
.

The details may not be as good as my superclock players but The unforce presentation of KI and the timming ability is more enjoyable, for less than half of the mod's price. So my next upgrade will be the 2nd hand hi-end, without mod! No, I didn't wasted my time and money cos we had lots of fun modding them, my head just not as big as before that's all.

 

Jezzer

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Jul 31, 2005
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Get a pair of Dynaudio Contour 1.1's or 1.3's. Used values are very good for these speakers which had an rrp of £900 and £1,200 respectively.

Fantastic speakers and a worthy upgrade.

 

uzzy

Grumpy Old Git
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Apr 16, 2006
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David
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Jezzer wrote:

Get a pair of Dynaudio Contour 1.1's or 1.3's. Used values are very good for these speakers which had an rrp of £900 and £1,200 respectively.Fantastic speakers and a worthy upgrade.
Perhaps good advice but you really need to get out and about and listen to lots and make your own mind up.

Uzzy

 

icehockeyboy

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Aug 14, 2005
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Having owned a PM7200, they are very good, bettered only by spending quite a lot more.

Your cdp looks well enough modded to leave too, leaving speakers and..........CABLES!!!! no, really, looking at them, by comparison to the rest of your kit, these look a bit standard, and imo, would bring improvements without changing any boxes, but, if you feel you have to, i would agree, change the speakers first.

 

uzzy

Grumpy Old Git
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icehockeyboy wrote:

Having owned a PM7200, they are very good, bettered only by spending quite a lot more.Your cdp looks well enough modded to leave too, leaving speakers and..........CABLES!!!! no, really, looking at them, by comparison to the rest of your kit, these look a bit standard, and imo, would bring improvements without changing any boxes, but, if you feel you have to, i would agree, change the speakers first.
ok last time - there are lots of very good loudspeakers out there - get around and listen to them and make your own mind up. Our ears are not all the same we ave preferences.

If you buy blind on other peoples advice whilst they may be good value you will always wonder what x or y would have sounded like.

Have fun

Uzzy

 

NoRoots

Wammer
Wammer
Sep 28, 2006
102
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Hertfordshre, , Unit
thanks for the advice guys

the trouble going out to listen to different speakers is that the systems that they will be with will never be the same as my system if you get what I mean? hence if I go into a hifi shop and say I want to listen to a certain pair of speakers they may sound ace but that maybe because they are paired up with a good cd player and amp, whereas the speakers may sound poo with my system.

 

uzzy

Grumpy Old Git
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Apr 16, 2006
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David
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NoRoots wrote:

thanks for the advice guysthe trouble going out to listen to different speakers is that the systems that they will be with will never be the same as my system if you get what I mean? hence if I go into a hifi shop and say I want to listen to a certain pair of speakers they may sound ace but that maybe because they are paired up with a good cd player and amp, whereas the speakers may sound poo with my system.
That is alalways true - but you will get an idea of the basic sound so ask them to put the loudspeakers on a different amplifier and note the difference then change the cd player and so on.

I fell in love with Tannoy 15inch monitor golds the first time i was in a recording studio where the guy had a pair for his monitors.

I fell in love with Gales and NS1000s in the dem room of Guildford HiFi

I fell in love with Accoustat 4X loudspeakers in Bob Eubanks living room.

I could have happily lived with any of the above until I heard something better and better than that cost considerably more.

Get your arse in gear and get out and listen to lots and lots and get a feel for the stuff nag your friends to get together and swap your gear about to see how it sounds on each others systems.

This is lifedevelopment, character building, life threatening, nerverackingstuff vital to the world.

Oh and when are we going to design the audio enthusiasts anorac
shock.gif.7732780fe7e208b945ce79ca96402fca.gif


Oh and before you buy if possiblegeta home dem and hook them up to your system.

Have fun

Uzzy:nerd:

 

NoRoots

Wammer
Wammer
Sep 28, 2006
102
0
0
Hertfordshre, , Unit
athiest666 wrote:

No Roots with all these mods to your cd player did you gain a considerable improvement over the standard version of your Marantz CD player?
Yes I believe it did.

Cheers uzzy, next question, I am going to go out and listen to some now, does anybody know of any good hifi places to start with around the Hertfordshire/London area?

 

NoRoots

Wammer
Wammer
Sep 28, 2006
102
0
0
Hertfordshre, , Unit
I have seen a Rega Cursa Pre amp and Maia Power amp for sale. I have heard that both these are very good. I know I would have to listen to them first but can anybody tell me more about them?

 

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