PDA

View Full Version : bedroom (stereo) musings


Aaron
08-11-2001, 05:27 PM
Since today was the first sub-90 degree day in the past week, I decided it was FINALLY time to set up my "new" RT55's (on their Sanus stands). The previous system consisted my housemate's RTA-11T's, Carver C-1 preamp, Carver PM-1.5 amp, and my Sony CA80ES CD player.

After hooking up the RT55's, I confirmed something that I've suspected for a long time: RTA-11T's don't sound very good compared to my RT800's and RT55's. They lack a lot of detail and sound hallow and lifeless compared to the RT55's.

For my next comparison, I listened to the 425W Carver PM-1.5 versus my dad's old Sony 120W amp. The preliminary results are in, and the Carver wins (what a surprise). The Sony wasn't as detailed and had smaller sounstage. It also didn't sound as full and almost seemed a little "behind" during fast, intense passages (I could be imagining this, though). I'm going to listen again later to get the final verdict.

Next up I'll be comparing the Carver C-1 to my dad's old Sony preamp. I think we all know what the outcome will be here as well, but ya never know.

Aaron
JohanK
08-12-2001, 05:07 PM
Funny, I think my RTA-8TLs (and my brother's RTA-11TLs) sound better than my RT55s.
Aaron
08-13-2001, 05:19 PM
It's official: the Carver sounds better than the Sony. Anyone surprised? I wish there was a way that I could flip back and forth between the two instead of having to rewire the speakers each time; that would have made testing easier. The biggest difference between the two was detail. The Sony was just lacking in comparison. The Sony presented a smaller, more centered soundstage. The Carver's soundstage, while larger, was also much more full. I found the sound of the Carver to be warmer and more full of life, though this was probably in part due to its 425W vs. the Sony's 120W.

As for the preamp comparison, that didn't last long. I couldn't get the right speaker to make sound with the Sony preamp. This isn't that surprising since this was the component that was giving my dad problems (which led to him getting a new system).

Aaron