Audiophile question, What do you listen to your music on?

159595 Views 681 Replies 170 Participants Last post by MartinDB, 7 d ago

ScriabinMahler

Discussion Starter · Sep 27, 2009

At the moment im trying to decide which seperate system to get so that i can fully enjoy my classical CD collection, but i wondered what system do you currently use to listen to your music collection.

Has anyone got a NAD C545BEE cd player coupled with a NAD C326BEE Amp?

Or what couplings do you use?

Im a complete newbie to seperates so i think it may take me ahwile to decide which ones to get, alhtough ive read its best to have a CD player and amp from the same company.

Will be interesting to hear peoples fave systems.

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Bkeske

· #621 · Apr 19, 2022

After my old beloved Belles mid-80’s 400A amp went ‘kaput’ about a month and a half ago, found some newer Belles mono blocks (MB-200’s) to replace it in my main rig. Very nice. I’m liking these a lot. Classic Belles SQ, which I think works well with classical, or any other acoustic music.

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sAmUiLc

· #622 · Apr 19, 2022 (Edited)

96% on CD/CD-R, 2% on DVD, 2% on LaserDisc

I have 3 CD players of various price levels (French, Japanese, Chinese) in one 2 channel audio/video system. With matching aftermarket power cords and RCA interconnect cables, each sounds pretty good yet provides some distinctive sound character. It's like having 3 different systems in a way. Each players shares almost equal time playing any of my 5,000 CDs/CD-Rs. No streaming for me. There is also a DVD player (all-region) and a LaserDisc player, both inexpensive, in the system.

Klavierman

· #623 · Apr 20, 2022 (Edited)

Speakers:
Magico S5 MkII
Amplification:
Ayon Audio Auris II preamp
Ayon Audio Triton power amp
Pass Labs XP-17 phono stage
Sources:
Oracle Delphi Mk.VI turntable/SME tonearm
Koetsu Rosewood Signature phono cartridge
Esoteric K01XD CD/SACD/DAC
Misc:
Focal Utopia headphones
Woo Audio WA2 headphone amp

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Bkeske

· #624 · Apr 20, 2022

@Klavierman

Very nice rig!

Klavierman

· #625 · Apr 20, 2022

Bkeske said:
@Klavierman

Very nice rig!

Thank you!

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet

· #626 · Apr 20, 2022

Klavierman said:
Speakers:
Magico S5 MkII
Amplification:
Pass Labs XP-22 preamp
Pass Labs X250.8 power amp
Pass Labs XP-17 phono stage
Sources:
Oracle Delphi Mk.VI turntable/SME tonearm
Koetsu Rosewood Signature phono cartridge
Esoteric K01XD CD/SACD/DAC
Misc:
Focal Utopia headphones
Woo Audio WA2 headphone amp

What are the advantages you have heard in having a preamp, power amp and phone stage compared to an integrated amp?

Klavierman

· #627 · Apr 20, 2022

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:
What are the advantages you have heard in having a preamp, power amp and phone stage compared to an integrated amp?

I suppose one is that it's easier to upgrade one component rather than buying an entirely new amp should the need arise, plus there are no compromises with individual components compared to an integrated, which most likely couldn't accommodate the same level of sophisticated designs in a single chassis.

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TwoFlutesOneTrumpet

· #628 · Apr 20, 2022

Klavierman said:
I suppose one is that it's easier to upgrade one component rather than buying an entirely new amp should the need arise, plus there are no compromises with individual components compared to an integrated, which most likely couldn't accommodate the same level of sophisticated designs in a single chassis.

Have you noticed improved sound with the separate components? I have an integrated amp and am wondering what I'm missing by not going with the separate amp components set up.

Klavierman

· #629 · Apr 21, 2022

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:
Have you noticed improved sound with the separate components? I have an integrated amp and am wondering what I'm missing by not going with the separate amp components set up.

I had separates before (Primaluna), but the Pass gear is in another league of sound quality and circuit design. I had a Marantz integrated before the PL, and again, the PL was a massive step up in sound but also an altogether different type of circuitry, so it's hard to say if it was the design or simply the fact that they were separates that accounted for the change. I'd venture that the different design was largely responsible. Even if there isn't a huge sound improvement, I like the flexibility of separates. Plus they look cool!

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Rogerx

· #630 · Apr 30, 2022

I just have this one delivered , first LP is spinning now.

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progmatist

· #631 · Apr 30, 2022

Rogerx said:
I just have this one delivered , first LP is spinning now.

That's quite a turn...............................table.

ansfelden

· #632 · Apr 30, 2022

It looks like a Rega? But which one is it?

sAmUiLc

· #633 · May 1, 2022 (Edited)

Might as well be thorough since everything contributes.. I've been keeping my log. Just copied and pasted.

My two channel A/V system:

Sceptre 32inch LCD TV, with 1 RCA male to 2 female Y splitter
Pioneer Laserdisc player, with 0.75 m Aural Thrills Silver tri-brade RCA interconnect cables & 3 ft FosPower digital coaxial RCA cable
Philips all-region DVD player, on Herbie's Tenderfeet (4), with 1 m Aural Thrills Active RCA interconnect cables & 41" Nordost Shaman digital coaxial RCA cable
Yamaha/Bogdan CD-S2100 SACD player, with 4 ft Argentinian solid core silver power cord & 3 ft CablePro Reflection Puresonic Copper RCA interconnect cables
Micromega CD30 CD player (HDCD capable), on Black Diamond Racing Cones (3), with 6 ft Vintage Apple iMac Rainbow power cord & 1 m Auricle Audio RCA interconnect cables
Shanling Tempo CD player, on small washi tape rolls (6), with 2 m Western Electric 10 gauge power cord & 0.5 m Duelund tinned copper RCA interconnect cables
Townshend Audio Allegri+ passive preamplifier, on small washi tape rolls (4), with 1 m Western Electric RCA interconnect cables
FirstWatt F7 power amplifier, on round soft feet (4), with 1.5 m Puritan Audio Ultimate power cord
Zu Omen Dirty Weekend MK II loudspeakers, on flat wooden drawer knobs (3 each side), with 8 ft Yarbo VS904 swirl twisted flat solid-core copper speaker cables
BlueCircle Audio PLC Puck 2 outlet power conditioner
Richard Gray Power Company 400SB power conditioner, with 1.75 m Shunyata Research Venom HC 15ampM/20ampF power cord
Akiko Audio Triple AC Enhancer
Audio Magic CE Generator (3)
Machina Dynamica Magic Clock
Schumann Resonance generators (2)
bunch of gem stones - orgones, pyramids, spheres & wands

I won't touch a thing for a long while, probably never, except when a CD player goes bad.

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Bkeske

· #634 · May 5, 2022

ansfelden said:
It looks like a Rega? But which one is it?

It‘s an NAD C588. I believe.

Forster

· #635 · May 5, 2022

Rogerx said:
I just have this one delivered , first LP is spinning now.

C'mon Roger - I clicked on the image to get a better look, but it doesn't enlarge. So, what is it?

OCEANE

· #636 · May 5, 2022

TwoFlutesOneTrumpet said:
What are the advantages you have heard in having a preamp, power amp and phone stage compared to an integrated amp?

IMHO, when deciding pre+power amp or integrated amp, the issue of speakers must be counted.
From my listening experience of Jeff Rowland and Accuphase driving a same pair of floor-stand speakers, their pre+power amp had much better control and driving power for a large scale music...Mahler for example.

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Malx

· #637 · May 29, 2022

Whilst not in the same ball park, in fact not in the same postcode/zipcode as many of the systems listed in this thread I have what I consider a half decent system to which I have just added, for zero cost (please don't ask), the wonderful Hitachi FT-5500Mk II FM tuner which is fed from a roof mounted aerial - I am well pleased with the natural sound it is producing.

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NoCoPilot

· #638 · Jun 5, 2022

Rogerx said:
I just have this one delivered , first LP is spinning now.

I bought my first turntable in 1965, sold the last of my records in 2015. Over the course of those 50 years I had on the order of 10,000 LPs (coming and going). Don't miss 'em a bit.

progmatist

· #639 · 12 mo ago

NoCoPilot said:
I bought my first turntable in 1965, sold the last of my records in 2015. Over the course of those 50 years I had on the order of 10,000 LPs (coming and going). Don't miss 'em a bit.

Quest Love, who just won the Oscar for best documentary owns hundreds of thousands of vinyl records. His library includes a moveable ladder to access them all.

NoCoPilot

· #640 · 12 mo ago

Good for him.

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