My Ebay Cast-offs

[Jac Hawk]

Well here i go.
If you read my thread then you'll know all my current gear was bought on the cheap from ebay, and that all my music is played via my PC or ipod if i'm up stairs.

this is my system downstairs
http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb371/jachawk9000/Stereo/Photo0288.jpg

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb371/jachawk9000/Stereo/Photo0290.jpg

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb371/jachawk9000/Stereo/Photo0291.jpg

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb371/jachawk9000/Stereo/Photo0292.jpg

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb371/jachawk9000/Stereo/Photo0293.jpg

Now everything you see above plus a set of Mordaunt Short MS10's cost me less than £100, money is tight right now but I think I did ok, and for my ears it sounds great, the next thing on the list is a new (secondhand) sub as the little Yammy is a little lightweight for movies but hey it only cost me £1

Upstairs I have the following

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb371/jachawk9000/Stereo/Photo0287.jpg

http://i1202.photobucket.com/albums/bb371/jachawk9000/Stereo/Photo0281.jpg

I'm really pleased with the job I did on restoring the speaker cab's, when I got them, they were badly scratched and had cup rings on the tops, but a light sand, wire wool and several coats of shellac and there you go, i think they look great.

However these speakers seem to be short on bass, i'm not sure if it's the speakers, or if a better amp would give the lintons a bit more punch in the low frequency, some advice would be most apreciated, ohh and BTW the whole lot including the Atacama SE stands and the rack cost me less than £30

[Pete The Cat]

On balance, Ebay is a good thing IMHO.

I think the punch issues is down to the Lintons myself, but then again they are getting on (like me). You'll get a good few recommendations from the friendly folk round here, mine would be Mission 731s which on Ebay will be £45-ish.

Pete

[Macca]

Hi Mike

Congrats on putting together a decent little system for next to nothing - so many people suffer under the misapprehension that a good sound has to cost a lot of money.

regards your Yamaha I have the next model up (sw120) it is not a real sub just a 'bass reinforcement speaker' designed to bolster up the bottom end of lifestyle satellite speakers, it won't do proper deep bass as you say. It's probabaly redundant when used with those big Mordaunt-Shorts. You want to get an REL or a Velodyne or something similar for proper 'Movie Bass'

Regards

[Jac Hawk]

regards your Yamaha I have the next model up (sw120) it is not a real sub just a 'bass reinforcement speaker' designed to bolster up the bottom end of lifestyle satellite speakers, it won't do proper deep bass as you say. It's probabaly redundant when used with those big Mordaunt-Shorts. You want to get an REL or a Velodyne or something similar for proper 'Movie Bass'

Regards

Yes, I have been looking at a few Rel's, they seem to get good reviews too, the thing is my lounge is quite small, and your right when you say that my main speakers don't really need any help in the bass department.

However I have them on very low stands, about 15cm off the floor and i think I need to get them a bit higher to really get the best out of them.

The Yammy is on a built in cuppboard in the corner of the room, at about the same hight as the tweeters on the MS's and it fires at a 45deg angle to the main speakers and for listening to music it just makes the bass seem effortless, but it's right out of it's depth for movies, especially when you have big explosions or long rumbles such as when the space ship flies over at the start of Star Wars.

To be fair to it though I read reviews on it before i bought it so i knew it was not aimed as a movie sub, but as you say something to re-enforce bass on music tracks, which it does very well, plus it only cost me £1, To be honnest I think I might get some better stands 1st.

[Reid Malenfant]

I love ebay, well not literally but i have had some serious bargains :)

Nice system you have put together there for virtually nothing in reality Mike, you just need to be patient & all good things come to those who wait ;) Apparently :eyebrows:

If your room is small then whatever you do don't get a sub that is reflex loaded, you'll want a sealed box or you'll get all sorts of boominess in the room. I'm pretty sure Rel do sealed subs but there are loads more to choose from, Kef & B&W spring to mind though there must be others besides them as well :scratch:

Looking at your main speakers it looks like you need something that'll operate below 35Hz, if whatever it is doesn't have that as the lowest crossover frequency then give it a miss.

Congrats on getting a system together for little outlay :clap:

[DSJR]

if I remember me Dentons and Lintons correctly, they were balanced for near to floor mounting and using a vinyl source with the then usual presence band suckout. translated into today's thinking, that could easily be heard as a lack of bass, where it may just be a rising midrange.

You know, those ditton 15's on here may just be the trick if you can get them boxed carefully and shipped to you for P&P only. The ABR will provide more decent welly with a clean modern source and the mid and top will be at least as good as yours (are your's the Linton 3XP?)

[Jonboy]

Rels are very good, i have a B&W in my main av system ( bought ex dem)which is nice and controlled but also have a Paradigm ps 1000 that i bought new from Richer sounds many years ago, its a sealed box type, i have had it rattling plates in the kitchen cupboards and heard half way down the street, what a beast i still use it in a secondary av system i love it

[Jac Hawk]

Thanks for the suggestions guys, and BTW i'm going down for the Ditton15's in a couple of weeks time (if no one gets there 1st).
the sub is ia tricky one i think. at the moment it's in the corner on top of a built in unit, which i think would amplify the boomyness of the sub, so when i get a new 1 i will have to put it on the floor, the good thing is i have a solid floor, which should cut out that problem.
maybe an 8" rel or kef.

[Jac Hawk]

if I remember me Dentons and Lintons correctly, they were balanced for near to floor mounting and using a vinyl source with the then usual presence band suckout. translated into today's thinking, that could easily be heard as a lack of bass, where it may just be a rising midrange.

You know, those ditton 15's on here may just be the trick if you can get them boxed carefully and shipped to you for P&P only. The ABR will provide more decent welly with a clean modern source and the mid and top will be at least as good as yours (are your's the Linton 3XP?)

yes mine are the 3xps, and yes they have exceptional midrange, very very easy on the ear not bright like a lot of newer speakers can be with a digital source. but very little bass, or maybe just not enough form me.

Anyway in a whisky fueled fit of ebay hysteria, i have just bought a set of Castle Kendal II, the cab's need a tart up and they need grills but thats it, i paid the extorsionate price of £26.50 for them, let's see what they are like and if Darrell still has um the dittons as well, i'll listen to all three sets then make me mind up, and then like darrell give the ones i don't want away .

BTW I would be interested to know what people think of Castle Speakers in particular the Kendal's.