Warm sounding Power amp

[Simon_LDT]

I've had Arcam P1's for 3 years now and don't find them harsh at all. The sound is very neutral to me and if anything a little laid back. I was also using the matching C31 pre which is good but when I tried a passive (Tisbury) I found the sound to open up more. I've since upgraded to a custom built passive which was built for me by Jez Arkless and it has given me so much more depth I found it hard to believe just how much better it is over the Tisbury.

I also use copper cables (Mark Grant HDX1) and Van Damme blue 4mm speaker wire. I've also used Klotz MC5000 with MS audio plugs which are just as good as the HDX1. At this level, definitely don't waste money on more cables - put it towards source/pre/power/speakers. I've tried quite a few different cables in the range of around £20-£60 and if I'm being honest couldn't hear a difference between them. If I had that cash again, I'd have saved it to put towards something else.

Biggest upgrade in sound for me was switching speakers, followed by power amp/s and then pre-amp. I've still yet to experiment with phono stages though.

[wee tee cee]

Cardboard elephant ears are also a no go.....could end up getting you sectioned.

Get a few of the troops round with wires and boxes-usually just costs a few sticky buns and tea and coffee.

If it goes on longer a few bottles can get sunk and you musical tastes will inevitably widen-have a pad and pen at the ready!

There is a fine network at this end of the island....made some great friends/discovered music and really travelled down the music road helped by others.

Folks on here are keen to help and dont want you going up the many blind alleys in this wee hobby.

Enjoy yer tunes and more importantly trust your ears!!!

[Primalsea]

Sorry guys, must have been a typo, they are the 3050’s and I stream flacs and lossles apple files. Some 24 bits some 16 bits. Unfortunately i am bound to the living room that I have to share with teo teenagers and two huskies, so not ideal, as I do shiftwork it gives me some time during the week to have a lsten in piece.

Just as an aside, if you can train your Huskies to lay in each corner behind your speakers they will make great diffusers and should tidy up the imaging a little.

Sometimes just simple things can make the difference. A while ago I changed the feet on my speaker stands from silicone to metal, so that the speakers where coupled to the floor instead of isolated and this made quite a big differnce. Always worth having a play arounda and dont rule anything out as sometimes the issue can be from something that you think is fine.

[smithie]

But there does not seem to be anywhere to actually sit.

that was just a small hiccup...it was all about the modding...who cared how it sounded

[Rob Tube]

I found a big part of the solution, those Q Acoustics 3050 come with stabilisers at the front so they lean a bit backwards, this way they weren't very stable so I ordered another set stabilisers and placed then at the back, but the speakers supposed to lean a bit backwards, I adjusted the spikes at the front and now they sound a lot better.

[Lawrence001]

I'm not aware there was an 8 pre, just an integrated (8 or 8r with remote) and a power amp (8p). I suspect you are using the integrated as a pre. If there is some concern about the power amp output, I think you might benefit from biamping the 8 and 8p, assuming the speakers have 2 pairs of terminals. You're probably best off taking the 8 to the tweeters (though it's worth trying both ways). Just make sure you remove the links between the speaker sockets or you WILL blow the amps. The protection circuits don't guard against biamp shorting.

[Rob Tube]

Hi Lawrence, you are spot on and thank you for the tip, I bi wired the speakers , I never beamped the amps, I heard the tube amp at my mate Chris and loved that sound straight away. This is why I bought the Chinese Nobsound NS-01P and the sound was so much better than using the Arcam 8 (integrated) amp as pre-amp. although they say that pre-amp might be the weakest link, judging by my ears, the pre-amp sounds better then the Arcam. When I get the chance I will dive more in the tube amp world and see if I can find a better tube amp, but I love the tube sound.

[Lerxst]

Interesting idea.

[walpurgis]

I love the tube sound.

Valves old chap, valves! Americans use 'tubes', Londoners travel on them.

I'm unconvinced by the argument some have about valves sounding better or 'nicer' than solid state. Both can sound very fine and well designed amplifiers of either type should sound very similar, if not identical in a perfect world.

[Macca]

Valves old chap, valves! Americans use 'tubes', Londoners travel on them.

I'm unconvinced by the argument some have about valves sounding better or 'nicer' than solid state. Both can sound very fine and well designed amplifiers of either type should sound very similar, if not identical in a perfect world.

Very true - if the amp is a really good one you won't be able to tell from just listening if it is using valves or transistors.