Advise Needed

[KimKod]

Hi all,

Would like some advise on speaker cables and probably a DAC.

In my system i have an Accuphase E-305V + Proac 1SC + Micromega Stage 6 (also have Marantz CD5001, Radford WS1 and a Sonny).
Also have tried other equipmenst, but definitely this setup is my favorit for now.

Speaker cables:

It's hard to find people in Portugal with Accuphase Amp's, so i can't swap experiences that i made with cables and the amp.
I've bee talking with UK and German people that have Accuphase amps (but don't have my speakers) and have already some considerations:
- Nordost RedDawn
- Kimber 8TC (Bi-Wired)
- Others

I'm now using a borrowed Tranparent Music Wave and i don't dislike.


DAC:

I really like the sound of Radford (still with problems, but sometimes i can listen) and Micromega, but both have Philips DAC's. I also had at home a Cambridge 840C and didn't like the sound.

My ideia is to have a Equipment (DAC) to connect to Micromega (for example) and some days listen thrue DAC and other times thrue CDP (Swaping the sources and having diferent sonic signatures).

Would need a DAC with Coax Digital input and RCA or XLR output, but with a chipset D/A diferent from Philips.



Do you guys have any recommendation?

Kind Regards from Portugal

José

[hifi_dave]

You're bound to get loads of recommendations but my tips to you are - keep it simple and not expensive. Don't bother with bi-wire, just use jumpers and nothing with 'boxes' on as these are there to tailor the sound.

I have always had good results with Chord Rumour-2 or Odyssey-2, the new DNM cable is excellent even if it doesn't look impressive and LFD cables in various price brackets.

[The Grand Wazoo]

Jose,
Does your amp not have a slot to plug in a DAC?

EDIT: Apologies, Now I realise that it's from a little before the time Accuphase started doing that.

[DSJR]

Response 1 SC's have a very unnatural and strangely whispy treble. I'd be inclined to get something a little more "correct" before pratting around with dac's, otherwise you'll be matching one problem with another....

If you don't believe me, try some Harbeth P3ESR's wired to the amp with a sensible but good gauge copper cable. listen for a few hours and THEN try the Cambridge 840C again............

[Rare Bird]

Well i sold my Micromega 'Stage 6' before christmas, now the 'Stage 1' is a gonner back to a Sony machine.

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Them stage 1's good andre? I was looking for a sub £100 tunefull player for ... well just coz really ... Not that I have the money to chuck around ... Just eBay window shopping saw the stage 1 and thought it looked rather cool...

[Rare Bird]

A lot have troubles with em Hamish..They often refuse to play the odd CD which is apparently normal :mental:

If i was gonna recommend you buy one no.

[Ali Tait]

Hamish,maybe look for one of the Pioneer Stable Platter players.A nice sound,and a decent transport too.I got one from a cash converters for 19.99!

[Rare Bird]

Hamish,maybe look for one of the Pioneer Stable Platter players.A nice sound,and a decent transport too.I got one from a cash converters for 19.99!

You mean the ones the you load the discs upside down?

[Rare Bird]

i bought a Sony CDP XB930E 'UK Special Edition' years ago as a sapre for my Arcam 'CD72' player. I now use this Sony player, they are cracking players to be honest & use fix lazer mechs (proper way to load discs) I think someone else on AOS has one!

This is one on the bottom shelf right but just a standard edition.
http://www.minhembio.com/bilder/bild/?pic_id=228725.jpg

http://www0.epinions.com/review/pr-Sony_CDP-XB930/content_104822443652

Please note that review is for standard form the UK Spec has the headphone section omitted for sound quality reasons.

[Ali Tait]

You mean the ones the you load the discs upside down?

Yep,that's them.Can bo got for within what Hamish wants to pay.A little on the warm side,but that's no bad thing for red book digital.Good detail too.

[hifi_dave]

Them stage 1's good andre? I was looking for a sub £100 tunefull player for ... well just coz really ... Not that I have the money to chuck around ... Just eBay window shopping saw the stage 1 and thought it looked rather cool...

IMO, forget any old style Micromega. They were so unreliable and poorly made that they brought the company down. Also they didn't sound anywhere near as good as the reviews of the time made out. The new Micromega is a different company with entirely new products.

[Rare Bird]

But still using Philips Mech :mental:

[Themis]

DAC:

I really like the sound of Radford (still with problems, but sometimes i can listen) and Micromega, but both have Philips DAC's. I also had at home a Cambridge 840C and didn't like the sound.

My ideia is to have a Equipment (DAC) to connect to Micromega (for example) and some days listen thrue DAC and other times thrue CDP (Swaping the sources and having diferent sonic signatures).

Would need a DAC with Coax Digital input and RCA or XLR output, but with a chipset D/A diferent from Philips.



Do you guys have any recommendation?

Kind Regards from Portugal

José
Hi José,

perhaps all what you need is a Maverick dac : http://www.mavaudio.com/base/

[pwood]

Them stage 1's good andre? I was looking for a sub £100 tunefull player for ... well just coz really ... Not that I have the money to chuck around ... Just eBay window shopping saw the stage 1 and thought it looked rather cool...

Though my first post better be contributory rather than a question. I have a stage 2 (upgraded from S1)in the loft in a box. It was on its 2nd transport when I decided to change it. The 2nd one made a screeching sound when going in and out and unfortunately I lubed the wrong bit hoping to sort it. It still works but sometime drawer needs prised open. The reason I swapped it was i found the sound rather top end focused and harsh on occasion with poor recordings not bad by any means but I tried an arcam CD73 and it was superior in every way.

Ultimately I stopped trusting the machine because if you played any that had data on them ie interactive discs with some computer content the player would actual play the data stuff causing painful white noise that I feared would damage my speakers when playing pretty loud. I could pay attention and check the track numbers but sometimes on discs it went there by mistake (especially if one had had a few beers:cool:). Micromega by that time had pulled out of GB and cost wise I decided enough was enough.

In other words 2nd hand I would avoid. I gather transports are no longer available or very hard to come by but may be wrong.

[Hypnotoad]

Get some 14 gauge Philips speaker cable that's all you need.

The Pioneer Legato Link CD players have a little turntable where you put the CD upside down, they sound pretty good too.

[KimKod]

Thanks for all the reply's.

I'm using now Audioquest Type 4 (borrow from a friend) and sound is much better than Tranparent Cables... (i gona keep trying :) ).



Jose,
Does your amp not have a slot to plug in a DAC?

EDIT: Apologies, Now I realise that it's from a little before the time Accuphase started doing that.

:) It would be very good... but this version don't have the slot. :(


Response 1 SC's have a very unnatural and strangely whispy treble. I'd be inclined to get something a little more "correct" before pratting around with dac's, otherwise you'll be matching one problem with another....

If you don't believe me, try some Harbeth P3ESR's wired to the amp with a sensible but good gauge copper cable. listen for a few hours and THEN try the Cambridge 840C again............

Yes, the treble is not the strong of the speakers, i prefer the MA Studio treble, but the Proac's have a punchy clean and deap bass, fast and i love them. i think that with wright cables the high and midle frequencies go better (this hapened with Audioquest).


Hi José,

perhaps all what you need is a Maverick dac : http://www.mavaudio.com/base/

Thanks for the advise.


Though my first post better be contributory rather than a question. I have a stage 2 (upgraded from S1)in the loft in a box. It was on its 2nd transport when I decided to change it. The 2nd one made a screeching sound when going in and out and unfortunately I lubed the wrong bit hoping to sort it. It still works but sometime drawer needs prised open. The reason I swapped it was i found the sound rather top end focused and harsh on occasion with poor recordings not bad by any means but I tried an arcam CD73 and it was superior in every way.

Ultimately I stopped trusting the machine because if you played any that had data on them ie interactive discs with some computer content the player would actual play the data stuff causing painful white noise that I feared would damage my speakers when playing pretty loud. I could pay attention and check the track numbers but sometimes on discs it went there by mistake (especially if one had had a few beers:cool:). Micromega by that time had pulled out of GB and cost wise I decided enough was enough.

In other words 2nd hand I would avoid. I gather transports are no longer available or very hard to come by but may be wrong.

My Micromega is on excelent conditions, without any problem (luck of me) refered above. I already listned many CDP's and Micromega is an excelent player IMHO, with a huge soundstage and very detailed sound. Micromega uses 2 x TDA1305 Philips DAC's and a Philiphs CDM 12.4 mechanism (still available new ones).

José

[pwood]

My Micromega is on excelent conditions, without any problem (luck of me) refered above. I already listned many CDP's and Micromega is an excelent player IMHO, with a huge soundstage and very detailed sound. Micromega uses 2 x TDA1305 Philips DAC's and a Philiphs CDM 12.4 mechanism (still available new ones).

José[/QUOTE]

Is yours a Stage 1 or further up the range. I upgraded mine from Stage 1 and wish I had either left alone or went to the Stage 3 which was the top of the tree at the time of purchase. My dealer had had a few issues with the Micromega's before they stopped selling them.

[Rare Bird]

Hi José,

perhaps all what you need is a Maverick dac : http://www.mavaudio.com/base/

Before you do, please note that if you are using low impedance headphones like my Sennheiser 32ohm jobbies you will need to drop two resistors values under the hood as there's a slight buzz due to, too higher gain.It's a simple job & i can advise.