anything I can add?

[pmckeealaska]

OK,

Originally, I wanted to complete a HT setup and then work towards getting a good two-channel rig for music. Now I'm thinking just the opposite after I bought a killer amp that has made my speakers sing. Here is my set up:

LSi25 speakers
NAD T763 reciever (for future HT setup, now being used as a preamp)
Rotel 1080 amp
Sony DVD/CD/SACD player
Monster HTS MK II power conditioner
All interconnects and cables are monster

My question is: is there anything else I can do or add to improve my system for music? Or have I done all I can and I should just complete my HT setup? I do enjoy wathcing movies, but music is definately my first love. Any suggestions would be welcome.

[F1nut]

IMO, upgrade your front end and all your cables.

[dorokusai]

I would pick up a nice Rotel Pre-Amp, and make that system your 2CH only rig....use the NAD T763 as the building block for the HT.

You really don't have to do anything, beings you are happy, but it might be time to start spending some more money and experimenting.

[pmckeealaska]

Sorry...what do you mean by front end? Do you not like Monster cables? Will I get better quality sound from other cables??

[steveinaz]

Parasound PHP-850 preamp. $249.

[F1nut]

Front end refers to your source, the Sony player. You will find a seperate higher end SACD/CD player will sound much better than the all in one units. In turn, a seperate DVD player will also be better for your video. I also agree with Doro that a better pre amp will help too, but I would suggest looking at a tube pre amp. While Monster cable is definitely better than stock patch cords there are any number of cable choices that will leave the Monster stuff wanting badly. With cables you will find that the biggest difference will be with interconnects, perhaps you can start there. Do you have a high end dealer in your area? Also, buying used is a great way to get more for less. Audiogon is a good place to shop and learn.

[pmckeealaska]

In terms of brand names, what would anyone suggest with respect to cables (speaker cable and interconnects) that I could buy that would for sure be superior to Monster Cable? Since I'm in Alaska, my choices might be limited.

[John K.]

PM, your present equipment is excellent(although you paid too much for wire). What you can do to improve your system for music is to rid yourself of any concept that you may have that you should limit yourself to two channels. At a concert we don't hear all the sound coming from the front; in fact even those in the front row of the concert hall get a greater proportion of the sound as reflected ambience from the walls, etc. rather than as direct sound from the front. My suggestion would be to get a pair of surround speakers to use with any multi-channel SACD material you may get and to use on two-channel material now with DPLII or your 763's own process. Having ambience coming from the sides and back, where it originally came from, rather than all from the front, makes things a little closer to reality.

[gidrah]

Monster makes some great stuff. They also make some "shtinkies" as my daughter would say. I've taken a length of CAT5 wire and the cheapest RCAs from Radio Shack and built 4 pair of ICs that left my lower end Monsters in the dust. They not only sounded better, but it was cheaper for 2 pair than for one of theirs. Ask your local digital cable/internet installer (providing there is one) if he has some scraps (wink $ wink). Put this on some decent RCA plugs and you're golden.

I'd look at interconnects and some Vibrapods. This with some hard core speaker placement testing should make a difference.

Is your CD/SACD/ etc player connected with a digital cable? If so, try analog. If not, try digital.



Buy a CD that you've been wanting for the longest time, turn out all the lights (spray paint the windows in the summer), put a thick cloth over your gear, and light a single candle in the middle. Enjoy!

[F1nut]

Pmckeealaska,

What is your budget? You really aren't limited in selection because you can buy any brand online, new or used.




Ask John K. what gear he has and what brand of wire he uses because he won't tell me. So far, from his last post and past statements I'd have to quess a Sony HTIB.

[gidrah]

Hey now, those Sony HTIB make wonderful boxes. The cardboard is mighty sturdy.

[Emlyn]

I'd suggest going for the best two-channel system, starting with a quality two-channel pre-amp that works well with the RB-1080. If matching components is appealing, either the Rotel RC-1070 or RC-1090 would be good choices. They sound about the same but the RC-1090 has more features. Another alternative would be to try the Rotel RSP-1068 A/V preamp which in analog direct two channel mode sounds just as good as the RC-1090 I use. I'm a big believer in using separate components now having recently experienced a very big difference between using a receiver (Denon 3803) and separate components for music and movies. The NAD receiver is a very nice one though.

Regarding multi-channel music, I'd suggest setting up a system that caters to the music you listen to now, which I'm guessing is music that originated as stereo recordings. I've found multi-channel music on SACD or DVD-A to be a gimmick for the most part, but I like the higher resolution stereo tracks of both formats a lot. There are a few multi-channel mixes that I've found some interest in, but most have been poorly done and rather annoying.

Right now the best thing you have in your system is your speakers, followed by the amp. You can build a great system around these components. In truth you don't even need to build a 5.1 system to enjoy DVDs. LSi speakers are capable of delivering a very strong phanton center image when set up correctly. I used LSi15s for this purpose for several months.

If you have the room and long-term budget for more than one system, I'd suggest setting up a two-channel only system around your LSis and a separate home theater with matched, smaller speakers all around and a HUGE subwoofer.