Making baby steps into Hi-fi

[hydra]

I've been very much into music all my life, but I've never owned a setup at home that can be described as even entry-level hi-fi.

I have a pretty nice setup in my car because at least 80% of my music listening happens when I'm out of home or out of my office. If I have more than 1.5 hours free at home, I usually end up watching a movie, rather than listening to music. Of late, due to a (much) better set of circumstances at work and in my personal life, I tend to have some time everyday to watch movies and listen to music.

So far, I've been listening to music mostly through a pair of Audioengine A2s (FLACs via a WDTV feeding a Beresford Caiman DAC) or through my Senn HD555s off the Beresford Caiman's headphone amp. This setup has started showing its limitations and I've been looking at (= dreaming of and drooling at) better options for quite a while now.

I'd had the opportunity to listen to a PSB Image B6 and a NAD 326BEE sometime back when I was in Chennai. To say I was completely smitten, would be an understatement. I have had very little exposure to good home audio setups and I'd never heard music sound so good.

Two weeks back, I decided to break the piggy bank.

After a few calls over a few days, I decided to place an order with Final Touch, Bangalore, for a pair of PSB Image B6s and a NAD 326BEE. I just made payment a few hours ago, and guess I will take delivery in a few days.

To go with the speakers, I've also ordered a pair of speaker stands with Magma.

For the current set of equipment I decided Magma's HiFi rack would be overkill, so I've placed an order with a local furniture joint for a small rack. I expect the rack will be ready before the week is out.

I've also bought 7 meters of Chord Silver Screen speaker cables and a pair of Chord Carnival Plus interconnects. I ordered them at the HiFiMart and got delivery last friday.

So this is what my setup will look like, at the end of the week (if I get delivery of everything by then):

FLAC > WDTV > Optical out > Beresford Caiman > Chord Carnival Plus > NAD 326BEE > Chord Silver Screen > PSB Image B6.

I'll post pictures as the stuff comes in.

I've been going through the speaker-placement and room-acoustics threads over the last week, and frankly, I feel completely intimidated. I hope to have fun trying everything out and I really hope to get the best out of the kit I've bought.

 

[Kittu]

Congratulations hydra, Look forward to your detailed review after the system is setup.

 

[prithivi]

welcome hydra
sorry to disappoint you FLAC->WDTV->Optical wont work out to have a beautiful stereo setup
you need a DEDICATED CDP ( MARANTZ CD6003 can read Music from USB FLAC) or atleast a DAC

 

[hydra]

Thanks Yes, I will put in a review after I get everything setup right.

... Btw Alpha B6 or Image B6 ?

Thanks for the heads-up. I did mean "Image" B6. I have corrected the original post. Too much of reading about the Alpha B1s I guess, heh, heh.

 

[hydra]

welcome hydra
sorry to disappoint you FLAC->WDTV->Optical wont work out to have a beautiful stereo setup
you need a DEDICATED CDP ( MARANTZ CD6003 can read Music from USB FLAC) or atleast a DAC

Yep, I do know it is not the best source. I do have plans for a HTPC (which can do double duty as a music source), in the (distant) future. I don't think I will go for a CDP when I can build a pretty decent HTPC for more or less the same cash outlay.

But well, if I do come across a good deal for a pre-owned CDP, I might change my mind, heh, heh

 

[Kittu]

you need a DEDICATED CDP ( MARANTZ CD6003 can read Music from USB FLAC) or atleast a DAC

Are you saying marantz can read flac format from the USB drive ?

I think hydra already has Caiman (DAC)... I think that should do a decent job.

 

[prithivi]

Are you saying marantz can read flac format from the USB drive ?

I think hydra already has Caiman (DAC)... I think that should do a decent job.

yes marantz CD 6003 can read Flac from usb pen drive

the caiman DAC can do nothing better when the source audio is processed by WDTV

 

[prithivi]

Yep, I do know it is not the best source. I do have plans for a HTPC (which can do double duty as a music source), in the (distant) future. I don't think I will go for a CDP when I can build a pretty decent HTPC for more or less the same cash outlay.

But well, if I do come across a good deal for a pre-owned CDP, I might change my mind, heh, heh

Hydra i had the same feeling of you when i was a starter that HTPC will solve all your issues but when the moment i heard to one CDP parallel comparison
from that moment my Sound card is lying in the corner.
USE CDP
yo purchased NAD AMP PSB SPEAKERS purchase a pre owned CDP and test it then you will say WOW WOW WOW ! ! !! :yahoo: :yahoo: :clapping:

 

[magma]

yes marantz CD 6003 can read Flac from usb pen drive

the caiman DAC can do nothing better when the source audio is processed by WDTV

source audio processed by WDTV ?
i thought hydras taken the digital out off the WDTV and feeding a DAC

yes a HTPC with a card like the Juli would do better but what hydra s doing is fine isint it?
for the sytem hes got i think he would rarely hear a difference

and hydra i thought you said youre geting the B6
wow! a bold choice
a major rock and roll speaker with some kick ass bass
Now knowing you to be a bhp ICE geek i can imagine how and why the B6 impressed you

(didnt miss the sub ehh??hyeah:.... alas if we could have this speaker in the front door of our cars )

then too im just wondering didnt you audition anything else

 

[ajay124]

hydra
Best of luck with your hifi adventures. I hope you find happiness with your new set up. A dedicated cd player is essential. If you want to keep the cost down, look for a used cdp. An entry level Nad or Marantz should do the job, but if you can find an Arcam cdp, which is within your budget, then you should consider that.

 

[magma]

Hydra i had the same feeling of you when i was a starter that HTPC will solve all your issues but when the moment i heard to one CDP parallel comparison
from that moment my Sound card is lying in the corner.
USE CDP

hmm
intresting
in that case the DAC market will cease to exisit
i know a couple of fellow members who swear by computer audio transports/sources coupled with dacs over even esoteric and meridian CDPs

 

[naren2512]

@ Hydra,

Congratulations on your purchase buddy, PSB Image B6 are great spekears.. i am also planning to buy them for my 5.0 HTS in a few weeks.

Could you share the price paid for your AMP? I might buy one in future for stereo listening

Regards,
Naren

 

[hydra]

Thank you, @prithvi, @magma, @ajay124 and @naren2512!

@magma, I'm actually not much of a basshead. Mostly just the opposite. Maybe it was the room, but I didn't feel the Image B6 was that much bass-heavy when I listened to it. The source used was a HTPC and overall the setup sounded great to me. I really liked the way the speaker-amp combo brought out the midrange -- I listened to a lot of Diana Krall, Chantal Chamberland and Eva Cassidy on that (I'm mostly into female vocals) and I felt the vocals came out very very well, with a lot of soul.

I do have my fingers crossed now that my room will not add to the bass-forward nature of the speakers. The Caiman tends to mellow down the bass quite a bit and I'm sure that will help.

I actually didn't do a lot of listening. Other than the Image B6 + NAD 326 combo, I also listened to an Alpha B1 + NAD315 combo, a Wharf 9.3 + Marantz 5003 combo and a Norge Millenium + Norge 2060 combo (price-wise all over the place, I know). I liked the Alpha B1 + NAD315 combo, but the others didn't make too much of an impression. Unfortunately I rarely get to travel so my auditioning options are very limited

@prithvi & @ajay124, the thing is, the HTPC will definitely get built sooner or later, as I already feel the need for one going by my movie-viewing habits. And as Magma said, I'm not really sure if I'll be able to get that much of an improvement with a CDP over a HTPC with my current level of equipment. But I will keep my mind open to a good deal on a used CDP. I'll also see if I can convince somebody to let me try their CDP in my setup to see how things improve. I tend to use only CDs in my car so I'm no stranger to constantly swapping CDs in and out

@naren2512, the amp came to Rs.28,000.00 (Final Touch, Bangalore).

 

[iaudio]

Ashok, congrats! Good that you are getting stands from magma too. No compromises.

 

[ajay124]

hydra

Why don't you sound out Final Touch? Perhaps they would be willing to provide you with a Nad cdp for a home audition.

I agree with Magma. A Dac would probably be as effectice as a cdp, but may require more 'head scratching' to get it right.

A Dac would be cheaper. You already have one.

You should try home auditioning a 20-25K Marantz/Nad cdp and the Arcam/Musical Fidelity Dac's, and compare their performance with your Caiman.

An audition at a dealer, in a different set up, in a different space, is next to useless.

Above all! AUDITION ALONE.

The path to hifi hell is sometimes strewn with advise from audiophile 'experts'.

 

[magma]

hydra
you will see a difference in all the cdps mentioned by ajay
some will sound much better than your dac ( purely in my opinion)
(the truth actually is that your dac can be much better.... but then... bhp has taught us well how to upgrade later...you have to start somewhere!)

about the vocals on the PSB- youre spot on!
i have been screaming my lungs off about this right from the time i heard my first PSBs

PSBs may or may not be the most detailed,articulate, imaging sounstage etc etc
but when it comes to vocals i have rarely liked speakers better than the PSBs in those budgets

 

[square_wave]

Congatulations Ashok. That is quite a " baby step " . It is always good to see someone picking up a great pair of speakers and a solid stereo amp as their first step.

In these times of crappy AVRs and boomy cheap floorstanders to confuse the hell out you, you have done a great job !

Enjoy ! Magma's stand will enhance the sound !

 

[hydra]

@iaudio, thanks! Yes, I wanted to get the best out of the speakers. So, rather than go up a level in speakers, I figured spending some money on stands would be a better idea.

@ajay124, I'd actually have loved a home audition. I agree fully that a home audition is the only kind that really makes sense. Unfortunately, I am in Kerala and there is no way Final Touch (Bangalore) could have let me have a home audition. The speakers and amp are being shipped to me from Bangalore. If I were in Bangalore, I'm sure Akash Dembla at Final Touch could have worked something out. I spoke to him on the phone a few times and he's a really nice guy. There are just 2 dealers in my city I know of, and they usually don't keep ready stock. Even if they did, I doubt they would arrange a home audition.

@magma, my installer has 4-5 CDPs with him (mostly scary-expensive ones) and I'll try and persuade him to lend one to me for a day. You guys have sure got my curiosity piqued about how much better things can be.

@square_wave, thanks! Yep, I did decide to wait for a while (and save up enough) before spending some money on the speakers and amp. I've had enough experience with the upgraditis uncontrollablis malady on the car audio front, heh, heh. I wanted to get something that I would keep for quite some time, and enjoy for quite some time. And spending enough time on hifivision sure kept me on the right path! And yep, I'm sure Magma's stands will go a long way in getting the best out of the speakers.

 

[hydra]

The Speakers and the Amp came in yesterday :yahoo:



Initially I was planning to wait for the stands and the rack to come in, before I unbox them and set them up. But once I got the gear home, I just couldn't wait. I decided I'd do a quick and dirty setup with what furniture I had for the time being.

Setting up
So I unboxed the speakers and the amp. Then I took the cables out (I'd got delivery about a week back).



I'd started on all this at 11 in the night so I was stuck with a small problem -- I had no tools (all my tools are in my parent's house next door). My parents would have about settled in by then, so I decided to make do with my Swiss Army Knife.

I've never stripped a set of expensive (for me) cables before, So I, uh , took about 1 hour to cut the entire length in half, and to strip the ends of both halves. I know what a surgeon feels like now -- I was so paranoid of wasting the cable, and of (horror of horrors) cutting off even a single strand of the cable while stripping the sheaths off. Anyway, I manged to do the deed with a loss of about 4-5 strands total from 2 ends.

After that everything was hooked up in just 10 minutes. It took me another 10 minutes or so to decide what to play first. I cued up one of my perennial favourites, "A Case of You" by Diana Krall (Live in Paris).

Well, to start off with it didn't sound that good (= mild shock, to put it um, mildly). But in about 10 minutes things started to open up, and in about 30 minutes I was all smiles . I spent the rest of the night listening to music -- I managed to tear myself away at 5.00AM.

Initial impressions
The room is 9 feet wide at the end where the speakers are kept. I had to arrange the furniture so the speakers were 2 feet away from the side walls and 1.5 feet away from the rear wall. Unfortunately, with the furniture I could manage, the left speaker sat 8 inches lower than the right speaker and there was quite a bit of stuff in between the speakers (TV, other equipment etc). I sat about 8 feet away from the speakers (with the speakers toed-in just a bit).

As I said before, overall, the music started sounding like music about 10 minutes after I started playing it. Within about 30 minutes, it started sounding pretty good. Even with all the placement issues and the stuff in between the speakers, there was a reasonably defined central image and the music did seem to go behind the speakers. I wouldn't go so far as to say the music extended a lot beyond the speakers, to their sides, but mostly the speakers managed to disappear.

As I noticed when I auditioned the speakers and the amp, vocals came out exceptionally well, with full body. They stand out so well from the rest of the music that I could go so far as to say they seemed to be coming from a different source altogether. There were songs where the background music got a little muddled (mostly bass response issues), but I hope to sort that out with better placement once the stands and the rack come in.

The amp pushed the speakers really well, I didn't have to go beyond the 9 o'clock position on the volume dial to get the music at a volume that I typically enjoy music in (medium loud). Since I stay alone in a self-contained building (on the 1st floor) with the closest neighbour a street across, I have no problems playing music at volumes I like, even in the middle of the night. hyeah:

I really like the way the combo (PSB Image B6 + NADc326BEE) sounds and I'd like to say that if this is the NAD sound, I LOVE it!

I will put in my impressions once I get the stands and get the placement and the room sorted out.

Sorry for the really long post. It is just that I'm really excited. Can't wait to get back home today evening!

 

[magma]

T
I've never stripped a set of expensive (for me) cables before, So I, uh , took about 1 hour to cut the entire length in half,

car audio cabling and home audio cabling have many differences
the amount you consider expensive in car audio generally is just enough to buy entry level in home audio

As I said before, overall, the music started sounding like music about 10 minutes after I started playing it. Within about 30 minutes, it started sounding pretty good.

both and amp and speakers are new
Burning in will improve sound no doubt
what you should notice is the change in "openness" rather than detail.

As I noticed when I auditioned the speakers and the amp, vocals came out exceptionally well, with full body. They stand out so well from the rest of the music that I could go so far as to say they seemed to be coming from a different source altogether. There were songs where the background music got a little muddled (mostly bass response issues), but I hope to sort that out with better placement once the stands and the rack come in.

this is a PSB trait!
i love this brand for just that reason

I really like the way the combo (PSB Image B6 + NADc326BEE) sounds and I'd like to say that if this is the NAD sound, I LOVE it!

yes NAD does connect emotionally
it has a flavour
the people who like it - love the music from it
as ive said before music to me is about emotion and how it makes me feel - rather than the superb clarity and detail blah blah....

Sorry for the really long post. It is just that I'm really excited. Can't wait to get back home today evening!

yes im sure we can actually feel your excitement

P.S your stands should be ready shortly
they are currently lying at final coat