For the love of audiophile vinyl, cd/sacd, high resolution audio files, audio equipment and really everything audio! I have been purchasing and loving vinyl since the early 1970's.
Like you, I still have my VAC tube amp and ARC LS15 tube preamp that I bought back in 1996 My tower speakers have built-in powered subs along with two SVS Ultra 13 subs I just love the way they truly energize my listening room I've heard really good reviews about the Goldenear T66 speakers, maybe something to consider?
I think Goldenear speakers are excellent. I have heard them in the past a few different times and they have always impressed. You have wonderful electronics, VAC and AR are amazing! Thank you for your suggestion!
@MikesVinylExperience I'm 73 so my hearing for the upper range is not what it used to be Maybe that's why I've gravitated to full range, I mean full range down to 18 hz stereo rig! I'm Just amazed sometimes in disbelief and my enjoyment I'm not talking crazy bass I have my subs cross at 35 Hz with low gain With the SVS subs everything is controlled in my listening chair via their excellent DSP app Oh my towers also have gain control So I guess in effect I ended up with a bass array 😅 Enjoy your speaker hunt, as there are so many good options out there!
Thanks, Mike for your thoughtful and inciteful review. Just bought the great album but have yet to hear it. However, I'm sure I'll have the same response as you. Keep up your fine work.
Mike, I’d say buy only the speakers now. Let your ears settle then decide on the amp or pre-amp. I would also buy a phone pre-amp. That will allow you more options when shopping for an integrated or amp/pre amp combo. Highly suggest the Sutherland 20/20 MK2 for your phono pre-amp. Sutherland was the founder of Martin Logan and now only makes his passion, phono pre-amps all make in Kansas City KS.
I have been looking at Southerland Phono pre amps and would agree they are first rate. I believe it would be a huge improvement over the built in phono stage on my Classe'. I am likley going to be getting just speakers for now as you suggested. I still have a few speakers I am hoping to listen to but I have narrowed my list down after listeing to some this past week. Thank you so much for your thoughts and suggestions!
I know all speakers you mentioned and audioned all of them, too. Not a big fan of the focals (none of them) but if you like hights that show off (just like old BW speakers did also) … The new 800 d4 Series is a great improvemt for BW and the First time everr that i would recommend them. Amat G4 is very different again. Not the Most neutral or fastest speakers but voices come to live like few other speakers can do. Borresen you cant go wrong but if you want full range they are extremly expensive.. i don’t know. Very good but maybe overpriced. If you can get a good deal maybe ok. Not heard the 50th Watt puppies but the Sasha V and i love the Sasha V. Probably the Speaker i would recommend. Your description of different Sound Signatures is Spot on i would say. You definetly have a history in HiFi. If you can listen to the TAD GE the floorstand Version of the latent CE1 tx.
Thank you so much for your thoughts. You are right, I was not overly excited by the focal Sopra 3's or the EVO's (nice looking speakers though) I have heard in the past TAD and have always been impressed with them at audio shows. I have not heard the latest models but would like to. My local Wilson dealer does have a pair of Sasha's on display and will deffinetly listen to them. I admit I have been very taken by the sound of the wilson speakers. I have a few more I am trying to listen to in the next couple weeks. Thank you again for your suggestions and thoughts!
I just played both of these and I thought they were absolutely dreadful. Way too thin and bright. Surely originals are much better. I will confirm once I find my originals. These latest Atlantic 75 series are being mastered in the same manner as the Rhino HiFis (except The Yes Album). They are being mastered with too much hyper detail but severely lacking in warmth and musicality. They must be catering to people with mid systems and/or those severe HF hearing loss. These are unacceptably bright.
Thanks for your comments on these albums. On my system and ears, I didn't find them to be overly bright, in fact on the Bad company I found the AP version to be much more detailed than my original which is very good and sounds excellent as well. You are listening through a much better system than mine so you may have a different result as it sounds like you do. I have yet to find one of the AP atlantic 75's that I didn't like (not buying them all) better than what I have to compare it to. Your system is much more reveling than mine and your sound that you like might be different than what I like. That is what makes this hobby fun! Thanks for your thoughts and opinnions on these albums! I would love to hear what you think after you have listened to your original copys of these albums. Thanks again.
Bit the bullet with WA a few years back. Crossed over from KEF and B&W "British" sound. Started with Sabrina, then Sasha DAW, now Alexia V. Not looked back. If you can go the new Watt Puppy, then do and think about electronics in due course. You won't regret it. As my son says, YOLO :)
I have been very impressed with the Watt Puppy! They are doing something right that I am not totally able to put my finger on with just two or three hours of listening in the dealership show room. I have been checking a few other speakers out this week and will be doing the same next week then plan on making a decision then. Thank you for the advice!
Best to your journey. Two comments: Your Hana Cartridge is not up to the level of your new purchases. & Would definitely do some serious room acoustics 1st. before any new purchases. That way when you move up in your upgrades, you will get the most from those various components.
Have never seen the Qualio speakers in person. I have heard about them here on RU-vid and they seem to impress. Thank you for your suggestion. I will see if I can find them. Thanks again.
Wow, never knew of The Warning. Thanks for turning me on to them! If I might return the recommendation … I saw an L.A. based band about ten years ago, so same time frame The Warnings 1st album came out; called Stars in Stereo. I spoke with the young lady Bec, the lead singer after the show. What a gracious, down to earth young woman she was. Tiny thing, maybe 5’ 0”, you can’t even believe the powerful voice that came out of that stick of dynamite. Check out their album *Leave Your Mark* 👍 Thanks again, great vid!
@@mkfmkf55 Thank you, it is still a good system that sounds nice to my ears. Excited to see the progress in technology of both speakers and electronics. Thanks again
Not yet. Still on the fence wondering if I should plunk down $150 each on these two albums. I know they are going to be amazing but not sure if I need more copies of them. The OJC's are excellent and so I am still trying to decide what to do. I will let you know if I snag them. Thank you.
Hi Mike, we seem to share much in this journey (and age). I notice your room has a size that doesn't rule out stand mount speakers, so you could also consider them as many can outperform floor standers these days. A few that come to mind would be Gershman Studio II or XdB, Wilson Benesch Endeavor 3Zero, Alta Audio Alyssa or the Totem Element Fire V2 or Wilson's TuneTot even. I think you should check these out first. I think one of these will make you decide and what you save you can pass on to the other components. I belong to the tube preamp - solid state amp, hybrid camp, so many good recommendations there as well. All the best to your plans. Keep us posted.
Thank you for the recommendation. I did hear the Wilson Benesch 3zero and thought they were unbelivable! I have always like the Wilson Benesch spearkers. Expensive, but incredibly musical! Thank you!
Very interesting , thanks man ! wilson sasha / watt pupoy speaker , laiV dac , rose r130 streamer , mcintosh pre c2800, electrocompaniet aw300 power amp , take care
@@Gomez561 I have not heard the mofi’s or the current tannoys. KEF reference 3&5 are on my list for tomorrow. Not sure if either mofi or tannoy is available in my area or state. Possible they could be at a couple dealers I’m planning on visiting to listen to Sonos Faber and Focal. Thank you for your suggestions.
@@MikesVinylExperience yes, very important to have a local dealer that carries the product you want for warranty and support. I need to go hear some KEF floorstanders one day. Hope you enjoy them! I’ve had the opportunity to listen to large Tannoy speakers and they have absolutely blown me away. The first time was at a recording studio that had the Tannoy 215 DMT II’s which sounded impactful, lively, and non-fatiguing playing loud. The second was at the 2017 Rocky Mountain International Audio Fest. One room had the Tannoy Kingdom Royal MKII’s playing vinyl with tube amps and the sound was breathtaking. Tannoy’s have a heritage of over 80 years. My dream speakers ✌🏼
Nice analog vinyl. I am not a pro but I say absolutely forget about BW and the Sabrina is probably nice with a Class A poweramp but very expensive. Yamaha NS3000 or the bigger NS5000 speakers have probably much more resolution or are more clear than BW but absolutely not warm. You can choose smaller speakers and always add a sub or two which have their own amp so you can tune lows like it is a tone control. But a sub takes extra cabling. Some like JMR or Audiovector or Goldenear or Fisher and Fisher or Qualio IQ which have AMT 🤔 Maybe Magnepan or ESL speakers are a must try 🤔 I would choose a Class A poweramp such as the Coda S5.5 or even the cheaper Galion TS A 20 but also want a SE Tube amp such as the NAT amp to name some but they get very warm 🤔 The TA dac 200 and AAdac are nice and have a pre volume control and dac function and come with remote but I can not say if they handle the one analog input completely analog in pure setting especially if using the sub outs but I prefer to use the hi level sub cable so the front speakers always stay full range without using a filter on the pre amp. The Mola Mola dac is slightly better.
Update. The AAdac and Mola Mola dac have no analog inputs and the TA dac 200 just one so it is the question if the signal stays pure analog without processing. Now EAR has a phono pre with volume but then you have to switch the cables everytime at the poweramp and has probably no remote either. And for a normal dac without volume I would choose the NewOntech or Sugden or Lampzator Baltic 4 or Amber 4 or just a Class A amp with a built in dac as option such as Vincent. I have not seen a comparison between Mola Mola and TA dac 200 and Meitner MA3 and Lampizator yet 🤔
Just saw about the Circle Labs A200 amp but it is not a Class A amp but the Coda CSIB Version 1 is up to 18 Class A and for normal listening enough. But if using Magnepan or ESL speakers they seem to need some extra power. Synthesis tube amps and the Ayon Spirit SE KT150 tube amps are also nice there is so much to choose 🤔
I have never heard the Yamaha speakers but have read about them and they have been very well recieved and reviewed. I was able to listen to a pair of Magnepan 3.7's yesterday and they sound amazing. Big but amazing. Thank you for these suggestions!!
@@dennis3779 I wish there was more options close to me. I am going to go to the Pacific Audio Fest in september to hopefully investigate more electronics. I hope to have speakers selected by then. Thank you.
You already have good equipment and all the equipment and speakers you are considering are very good. However, it appears to me that your room could be the weakest link. Its proportions do not appear to accord with those recommended for ideal listening rooms, so it is possible that the finest equipment will still sound compromised. Many experts in the audio community regard the room as the most important component and I would therefore recommend that you first invest in getting your room checked out. As far as potential room treatment goes, be aware that some "experts" tend to prepare over the top solutions. Whatever you choose, make sure that you are satisfied with the performance in your room before irrevocable commitment.
completely agree. That is one reason why I moved the rack with electronics from between the speakers to the side wall, leaving only the amp between the speakers. Huge improvement in bass response and depth of stage. I have had a room acoustic treatment design done but have not pulled the trigger as I want to get new speakers in the space to evalute before placing treatment on the walls, ceiling etc. The room actually sounds very nice with B&W. Not perfect but pretty decent. Thank you for your recommendation.
I think your community is giving you a lot of good advice about taking it slow. Kudos to you for trying to do this the right way. All of the gear you mentioned is AMAZING. I would only add that the Vandersteen Kentos are in that price range. I’ve found Vandys to be the most natural sounding speakers and a relative value. Especially with Ayre Acoustics electronics. Anyway - Best of Luck!
@@kerryfarrell2787 I have loved vandersteen speakers for a very long time! 2c & 3 always punch way higher than their price point. I actually had the opportunity to meet Richard vandersteen many years ago at ces when the high end audio was at the Alexis park in las Vegas. You’re correct in that they are an excellent sounding and well designed speaker. Thank you for reminding me of them!
Having heard all of these (not the borresen) in some way shape or form i always tend to like Wilsons better. B&W has more detail (bright) in the highs, focals mids are more transparent but wilson gets that bass right and that is what holds everything together. I use horns personally (JBL 4367) but if I ever go back to boxes (probably not) wilson and borresen are at the top for auditions. I own a McIntosh MC462. It is nice but get the speakers you want first and take the money out of the electric budget if needed.
Thank you. That is likely the rout I will be taking Speakers first then electronics. The MC462 is a beautiful amp and it does sound excellent. Thank you!
I see you have no room treatment… neither do I, for many reasons. This led me to insist on listening to speakers in my space as even great speakers can sound terrible in bad rooms. And led ultimately to the Focal Utopia Scala Evo’s. I had discovered earlier in my journey that downward firing ported enclosures worked well (Proac). Then onto a used pair of mk1 Scala’s and eventually the Evo’s. Many amps have also passed through from integrated to separates, prices ranging from £6k - £50k. Magic arrived with the Esoteric S-02 power amp, and was taken to another level with the addition of a Weiss Dac 502 Mkii, fed from a Auralic Aries G2.1 digital transport. Although the system can rock, it also sounds fantastic at relatively low volume also. It is always engaging, but most of all truthful. By that I mean when I’m listening I know I am hearing what I am supposed to hear. It is a strange effect to feel that you are listening to the truth, but it is what I feel. Instruments sound real and vocals are alive. Synergy is everything… All I can say is try as many combos as your dealer will allow, find that speaker you love and start from there. Try as many amps as you can and something will hopefully click. Good luck.
@@christophermiller4029 that’s an amazing system you have assembled!! I am hoping to listen the Evo’s. I think if I can find the right speakers I can build around them. I have a quote on room treatments but I am holding off until I can settle on speakers and then I’ll look into that. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences!!
@@MikesVinylExperience my pleasure. Jays audio on utube is currently reviewing a pair of Esoteric monoblocks, his findings, especially when comparing to other makes, are exactly what I felt with the S-02 amp. Although the mono’s are four times the price… maybe one day, if I win the lottery. Have you seen the utube review of the Scala Evo’s by Audioholics ? I concur with their thoughts on them. Good luck on your journey. CM
I would love to find a used amp and preamp. I have asked a dealer that is local to let me know if they come upon some great gear like D'Agostino or others. Thank you!
I would recommend that you change one thing at a time. As someone who had a pretty nice system and then changed a few things which resulted in completely losing the magic in my system... I stopped listening for a while. :-{ Be careful! It took me a few months and many changes to get back to enjoying my system. Synergy is key!!! The loss of time and monies really sux. Synergy, synergy, synergy!
@@sinclabs I’ve been worried about that! Where as it seems most local audio dealers will allow me to take home equipment (electronics) to try in my system it’s really not a possibility with speakers for obvious reasons. So when I settle on speakers and get used to the new sound they provide I can start looking at electronics. That seems to be the wise decision to make. Thank you for providing your opinion it means a lot especially when you’ve been through it!! Thank you
@@MikesVinylExperience You got it! Speakers will make the biggest difference based on what you have, IMO. Then see if your amp is providing the control you need. If not I would do the amp next. Then you can experiment with pre-amp/phono/dac. That's how I would do it. Best! :-}
I would highly suggest auditioning some Bel Canto, Michi and Benchmark separates. Any of these will provide more transparency than the Mac stuff. For speakers, I encourage an audition of the Borresen X series. They might surprise you and save you money relative to the Wilsons and B&Ws. Borresen X3s are an incredible bargain if setup well. I would imagine the smaller X2s are similar. The X Series have probably the best tweeters I’ve heard regardless of price, which is crazy to me considering they’re in Borresen’s “entry level” models.
I have actually been listening to both the B&W's and the Wilson Sabrinal X and Watt Puppies with Michi X5 intgrated amp. Wow. Very nice amp! and plenty of power! I will listening to Borresen this weekend, just not sure what they will have available to listen too. Thank You for your recommendations!
I'm invested in your journey as I've always struggled in choosing big ticket items like the speakers as you want to make the decision so there are no regrets.
@@travis4619 that’s what makes these decisions so hard but yet supper fun. There are so many amazing speaker designs out there and you want to listen to as many as possible so you at least feel good about whatever you end up landing on. Thank you for your support
No mention of cabling. While it's not as exciting as getting new speakers and electronics. The single biggest advancement I've ever had in my system was finding a single preamp to amp interconnect that worked so well synergystically with the rest of my system and it was an inexpensive clone to boot. It's a big mistake to overlook cable matching as cables essentially are components.
@@carlosoliveira-rc2xt I actually will be updating speaker cables with the new speakers. I’ve been listening to transparent cables with the Wilson’s and Bowers and Wilkins. Cables do make a difference for sure. I’ve always thought highly of kimber cables but there are so many great designs in cabling just hope I can find the right ones! Thank you!
Great update on the speaker journey! I went through a similar process and still advocate you auditioning the KEF Reference 3 Meta floor standing. I almost pulled the trigger on a pair of Sonus Farber until I gave them a play. 😉
The rule of thumb in hifi upgrades is to focus first on improving your sources then if monies permit go upgrade the speakers. As such I would suggest that if you are listening mostly through vinyl to go invest in a dedicated phono stage with its own power supply. This will take your reliance away from your Classe pre-amp phono stage doing the job. If you are listening to music via streaming then perhaps next invest in a new DAC to freshen the sound. In this case I would suggest you check out the LAIV Harmony DAC which is not too pricey yet have received pretty good reviews off late. As for the amps and rest of your system, leave it alone for now. Once the above 2 areas are done, sit back, relax, listen to music coming out of your speakers and hopefully you are more satisfied than before and no further investments are needed other than to buy new vinyl.
@@chuanyewlee9502 I’ve been contemplating a mew phono stage. Manley oasis, Sutherland parasound, BAT, Gold Note and many others to consider. Same with dac, I do listen to vinyl more than digital but love them both. Thank you for your suggestions and thoughts!!
I wish you luck on your quest to upgrade your listing room but I do hope you have money in your budget to acoustically treat your room. That can do more to improve the sound quality sometimes than upgrading your actual components.
@@butchgo3756 I have considered that as well in fact I’ve used GIK room configuration tool and got a price quote. I’m going to hold off until I know what speakers are going to occupy the space first. Room acoustics are huge. Just moving my equipment from the middle of the speakers to the side leaving just the amp between them made a huge difference in depth of the sound stage. Agree with you that room treatments can be huge improvements. Thank you!
follow up comment (since you mentioned listening to more expensive speaker (Wilson Watt Puppy), why not allocate your monies towards the speakers that you might otherwise have put towards electronics? In general speakers matter most!
@@pkvista1 your absolutely right speakers are the biggest and most important factor in the sound you will be hearing in your space. Electronics certainly have impact but to a lesser degree. I guess that’s likely the reason I want to listen to the other speakers that are in the price range of the 50th anniversary Watt puppies just to get an idea of how they could potentially sound in my room. Thank you for sharing.
Mike - I agree with RonKindel9734: upgrade the speakers while keeping your existing electronics. You'll then get a full sense of what the new speakers bring to your rig. If you then want to upgrade the electronics try to borrow equipment from a dealer. It is far better to evaluate new pieces in your home listening environment than in a dealer's room. Plus, dealers carry different brands so you'd never be able to compare potential candidates all in one dealer's store.
@@pkvista1 so true and the local dealer that I’ve been working with at least on the WILSON speakers will allow you to take home electronics, such as McIntosh and moon by Simaudio. If I end up with watt puppies or something similar to that price range, I will definitely be waiting on electronics for a later date thank you so much for sharing your thoughts.
I’ve upgraded significantly regularly over the last 20 years. 3 comments You will love the Sonus Faber Serafinos, same money but works of art, and in testing impressed me more. Try Devialet amp, I’ve upgraded 4 times within the brand. Top end pre-amp integrated Finally, don’t underestimate the improvement cables can make, dont stint, I was fortunate to get a day with Chord in my home, every upgrade they added significantly improved the sound quality
@@celtic-audiophile every audio store I’ve been visiting has echoed the same thing about cableing as well as power conditioning. The Wilson’s I have been listening to have all been using Transparent. Thank you for sharing!
Wow Mike, those are all with a complete different sound signature. I'm wondering, because B&W Owners I know, stick with those kind of signature 😊 So I think you would love Sonus Faber, Focal I doubt. Borresen I dont like, than I'd would rather go for Raidho or TAD speakers. Amp/Preamp, as a German I stick with our awesome brands Brinkmann Audio, LinnenbergG and Preamp Soulution (Swiss). Good luck! BTW: i also thought to buy new speaker, than I did a major upgrade on my electronics (Pre: Soulution 725, Amp: LinnenbergG G.F. Händels ClassA Monos, Grimm Audio MU2) ...soooo much better my speakers, they stay ;-) so my advise is exactly the opposite: its not always the speaker which is the wekaest link!!
@@gerihifi oh my gosh I’ve only seen Solution equipment at shows, had to leave the room because I was drooling! There is literally so much different types of equipment out there and that really is what makes this journey so flipping fun!! Thank you for your suggestions!
Congratulations, but ................................................ 1. You've successfully resisted the urge to arrange all the gear between the loudspeakers. Bravo. 2. Now to convince you putting amplifiers on the ground (or 2 inches of it) isn't the way to go. 3. Judging from your new speaker deliberations, it's obvious you were a home theater enthusiast. Except for the Wilson's, these are all not 2-channel hifi speakers. Acid Jazz. Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊
I am converting from a home theater to a dedicated 2 channel setup. My current speakers and electronics were part of the home theater system. When I first bought them in the mid 90’s it was for 2 channel only but we quickly in the early 2000’s converted into home theater. So my quest with the room and audio equipment will be to achieve the best audio system I can afford since I love music and judging from the incredible audiophile albums that are being released and remastered and re released there is no shortage of incredible music choices. Thank you for sharing your suggestions and thoughts!
@@MikesVinylExperience . . Coincidentally, Erin's Audio Corner posted this video, "HiFi vs Home Theater Speakers. What's the difference?". As well, the "Acoustic Fields" channel gives facts about gear placement and positioning for 2 channel. Hint. between the speakers is not a good spot. Perhaps those may help and you're welcome. Anytime. Acid Jazz. Funk & Brass 🔈🔉🔊
