The end of the (upgrade) road?

Having added a second set of Taket Batpure supertweeters to my system, and having tweaked my VTA slightly, I feel that my HiFi journey is now on the finishing straight, getting close to the end. It is nearing the time to sit back and enjoy what I have and listen to more music. Realistically speaking it is going to take some serious cash (or lucky purchases) to improve on what I have. Yes, there are still the "I wonder" moments where I fancy trying something else, only to find it is no better, just different. The only thing still niggling away at me is the speakers. The Electric Beach FH3s are very good, but sometimes I feel myself wanting a bit more slam/depth (did someone mention Edingdales?).

Since I joined AoS 5 years ago, a lot has changed.
I have gone from playing nothing but CD, to almost nothing but vinyl.
A few new components have come and gone.
I have played with cables until I found how good the Klotz MC5000 and the Sommer CarboKab 225 are, and stopped looking.
I have meddled with speaker cables, making some good DIY ones, before changing speakers and using some good quality copper cable.
Cartridges have gone from MM to MC and back again, with a few coming and going, leaving me a nice selection to suit all moods and moments.
The TT has gone from one of the most common decks available to something pretty unique and to something I really like the sound of.
I have changed my opinion on how important power is, and that mains cables can make a difference. I would never have believed it if I hadn't tried it for myself.

Although I know that there is always something better out there, I have got to the point where I just don't care anymore.
Most importantly though, I have learnt a lot from my time here, and I thank you for your patience.

During my time here at AoS, I have made new friends and acquaintances. Don't get me wrong, this is not a farewell, more of a "à bientôt".
I will drop in from time to time, just to say hello and catch up on the news.

I have watched your journey Kevin as it has been similar to mine and know where you have got too as I have reached this stage as well . Yes you can always buy other stuff but I have found other items are just different and not always any better, hence I feel quite happy with my system and I am sure you will agree it's now more about the music and not the system!:)

I totally agree.
It sounds great now. I recently did a comparison between my first system I ever bought, one I lived with for 10 years and what I have now.
At the time of owning each system, I was happy with it, but there is no competition to which I prefer.

The money I would normally spend on HiFi components is being redirected to vinyl. both new and old.

Nice on Kev. I am the
Same in that Ive finished my journey now. Thought I'd finished a few times but glad to say. Definitely finally.

Don't be too much of a stranger

That's good news Kevin, and a good place to be. Well done.

Looks like you will have to change your avatar now! :D

Enjoy your system - but don't become too much of a recluse. Keep in touch

Barry

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Originally Posted by CageyH

Having added a second set of Taket Batpure supertweeters to my system, and having tweaked my VTA slightly, I feel that my HiFi journey is now on the finishing straight, getting close to the end. It is nearing the time to sit back and enjoy what I have and listen to more music. Realistically speaking it is going to take some serious cash (or lucky purchases) to improve on what I have. Yes, there are still the "I wonder" moments where I fancy trying something else, only to find it is no better, just different. The only thing still niggling away at me is the speakers. The Electric Beach FH3s are very good, but sometimes I feel myself wanting a bit more slam/depth (did someone mention Edingdales?).

Since I joined AoS 5 years ago, a lot has changed.
I have gone from playing nothing but CD, to almost nothing but vinyl.
A few new components have come and gone.
I have played with cables until I found how good the Klotz MC5000 and the Sommer CarboKab 225 are, and stopped looking.
I have meddled with speaker cables, making some good DIY ones, before changing speakers and using some good quality copper cable.
Cartridges have gone from MM to MC and back again, with a few coming and going, leaving me a nice selection to suit all moods and moments.
The TT has gone from one of the most common decks available to something pretty unique and to something I really like the sound of.
I have changed my opinion on how important power is, and that mains cables can make a difference. I would never have believed it if I hadn't tried it for myself.

Although I know that there is always something better out there, I have got to the point where I just don't care anymore.
Most importantly though, I have learnt a lot from my time here, and I thank you for your patience.

During my time here at AoS, I have made new friends and acquaintances. Don't get me wrong, this is not a farewell, more of a "à bientôt".
I will drop in from time to time, just to say hello and catch up on the news.

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Good on you Kev that's a good place to be hopefully I will not be far behind I would much rather buy lots of lovely vinyl kick back and just enjoy the music as others have said don't be to much of a stranger
Best wishes mate

Nice one Kevin , what a great place to be :) Don't be a stranger mate , your opinions and observations are valued on the forum :)

QUOTE=CageyH;887632]Having added a second set of Taket Batpure supertweeters to my system, and having tweaked my VTA slightly, I feel that my HiFi journey is now on the finishing straight, getting close to the end. It is nearing the time to sit back and enjoy what I have and listen to more music. Realistically speaking it is going to take some serious cash (or lucky purchases) to improve on what I have. Yes, there are still the "I wonder" moments where I fancy trying something else, only to find it is no better, just different. The only thing still niggling away at me is the speakers. The Electric Beach FH3s are very good, but sometimes I feel myself wanting a bit more slam/depth (did someone mention Edingdales?).

Hi Kevin,
Though the FH3 are excellent speakers (I should know as I have built several pairs for folk using various Fostex and Mark Audio drivers including a couple of pairs for myself) they do have there limits. To whet your appetite Below is a photo of my prototype MKII Edingdales that are now my official demo speakers. I am currently building a pair the Edingdale MKII speakers for a couple up in Tyne and Wear. These will be finished in Oak veneer. The demo pair in the photo below are skinned in a rather expensive Tamo Ash veneer.

http://www.audio-talk.co.uk/colin/IMG_2403.JPG.

Next you are in the UK you are most welcome to pop over to Topps' Towers for a review of the speakers. We can accommodate a sleepover to ease travel arrangements and my wife's hospitality is second to non. However beware. We do have quite a new range of speakers that might temp you? There is the new Headley range of small 2-way stand mount speakers that are a similar size in height to the FH3 but offer better low frequency response. These were the result of an initial bespoke request from a guy in the Cambridge area. The client wanted a small 2-way speaker and is a great fan of the ProAc range but his budget wouldn't stretch to the price of these fine sounding speakers and so his brief was can we design a ProAc inspired speaker within his quoted budget and with a downward firing port? The result was these:

http://www.audio-talk.co.uk/colin/IMG_2002.JPG http://www.audio-talk.co.uk/colin/Henley_Grilles.JPG

We have expanded the range to include an all SEAS driver version and an all SB Acoustics Satori driver version. These are more WAF friendly but don't have the same slam as the Edingdales. Here is what the guy had to say about the originals we built for him:
http://www.audio-talk.co.uk/phpBB3/v...art=15#p147351

Look forward to meeting up with you.
Regards Colin

Colin,

Thanks for the response.
I was in touch a few months ago with Scott and yourself about the speakers.
One of the questions I was going to ask was about possible demos, so I appreciate the offer of overnight accommodation.

I will be in touch closer to the time.

ohhh lovely veneering on those speakers!

So you say those Mk11 Edie's have got the bass? They sure look like they do! I like the finish.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Apart from still wanting a set of Edingdales, nothing much has changed recently.

I fitted my Technics EPC-U205 with Jico neo SAS. It sounds superb.

I have always had a niggling in the back of my mind about the Cat5 twisted pair cables used in my FH3s.
Last night I swapped it out for some 2.5mm OCC stranded cable. I really like the difference it has made to the presentation.

Now, do I dare ask the Mrs for a pair of Edingdales for my upcoming birthday?
I see Thakker now have stock of the Jico SAS for the EPC205, so I think I may buy one as a spare. It is a superb sounding combination for the money and makes me wonder about the need for expensive MC cartridges.

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Originally Posted by struth

Nice on Kev. I am the
Same in that Ive finished my journey now. Thought I'd finished a few times but glad to say. Definitely finally.

Don't be too much of a stranger

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+1, matey. Lots of folk have joined AoS, as digital fans, and embraced the joys of vinyl, quite simply because we're so passionate about it here, and there are numerous threads with great advice on how to do it well, so I guess it's inevitable that it rubs off on folk!:eyebrows:

Glad your journey is pretty much at an end. It's so important that there *is* and end goal in your journey, as otherwise the danger exists of simply becoming another unhealthy and endless box-swapper [as opposed to a healthy one like Jerry, but few manage the process as well as he does], and ultimately a 'hi-fi victim', chasing your tail and getting nowhere...

This hobby of ours should ALWAYS be more about the music than the boxes used, which should simply be a means to an end, so I'm glad you're 'there' now. I've been in that happy place now for some time, and it's a great place to be. 'Upgraditis' should be an officially recognised condition, and always guarded against!

Anyway, definitely don't be too much of a stranger, as you'll always be welcome here, and thanks again for all your valuable input, and help especially with the cables you've made up for others and myself.

À bientôt, mon ami!:cool:

Marco.

It's funny I typed this last year.
I find myself in a similar place now to be honest.

My priorities are changing as my daughter gets older, and I find I have less time to enjoy listening to music.
I would still like a new pair of speakers, but that is going to have to wait.

I am sure I will still pop in from time to time....

:wave:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx33iwdS7ko

There's a song that fits 'upgradeitis' quite well!

Marco-you got it right (though I sold all my vinyl 2+ years ago....)
(-:

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Originally Posted by CageyH

It's funny I typed this last year.
I find myself in a similar place now to be honest.

My priorities are changing as my daughter gets older, and I find I have less time to enjoy listening to music.
I would still like a new pair of speakers, but that is going to have to wait.

I am sure I will still pop in from time to time....

:wave:

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So what has changed since 2018?
A new DAC, speakers, power amp, phono stage, some OCC speaker cable, a MI cartridge and an MC cartridge.
Most of this was brought on by CV-19 lockdowns.

I have also added a few Isopucks under the speakers and the valve gear, and recently upgraded my rack by adding some butchers blocks in place of the glass shelves.

It’s amazing what you can upgrade when you think you are done.

System now consists of:
Funkified SL1200
DIY built BB3 phono stage from BigBottle Audio.
Self built “Music” PC
RME ADI-2 DAC FS
Pioneer PD-S703 CD player (not sure why, as it hardly ever gets used)
Firebottle KIN pre amplifier with built in Phono stage
Neurochrome Modulus 686 power amp

Cables are all DIY assembled OCC of one flavour or another.

I should almost be done, but there is one more tweak arriving next week to what it does, if anything in my system.

Indeed, I thought I was at the end as well.

But in the last three months I have upgraded my Dac, added a streamer, changed USB/SPIDF, added BNZ cables, added amp footers, added some grounding plugs.
The constant are the speakers, amp, interconnects, power cables.

I have actually set myself a personal challenge for this year - not to buy any more HiFi.
Music is allowed.

The best part is that I have not told the wife, so if I crack, I don’t get earache….

I never, ever make New Years resolutions. Situations can change in the future, so unless it is something important like stopping smoking, carry on as you were.

I failed my challenge.
I have added a Topping Pre90 to my system. One came up at a price I could not refuse. The measurements look good.
My plan is to build myself a pre-amp using some Neurochrome boards, so before I committed to the project, I wanted to see how a good SS pre-amp would gel in my system.

I have also added a Sjostrom DCT-03 DC blocker in my Modulus 686 to remove the transformer hum, which is probably caused by my heat pump.

The system is sounding good. It is now very transparent, so I decided to see if the cost of OCC interconnects with pure copper plugs etc. is worth the cost. This little experiment is on going, and is likely to take a while.

And today I lost the captive lead (Mogami) from my SL1200.
I have fitted a 3D printed box, with some pure copper RCA sockets from WBT. These are connected to the internal tonearm PCB by some OCC wire. I have now added a Neotech OCC coax cable between the TT and phono stage, and I am happy with the result.

It took me a couple of hours to get it all done, but it was well worth it.

My Hi-Fi journey started realistically 40 years ago when I was a teenager able to work for serious pocket money whilst still living at home and going to college. That financial freedom gave me the purchasing power to invest in my first Hi-Fi system, Technics SLB2 turntable Grado FCE+ cartridge, Technics SU-V2 amplifier and original Mission 70 loudspeakers, this was before CD and a cassette deck was added a JVC KD-D4 for making those mandatory mix tapes for the Hitachi TRK 8080E Ghetto Blaster and the original Sony Walkman complete with additional battery pack and the orange foam earpads on the headphones !! Equipment has changed many, many times in the intervening 40 years and some memorable bits of kit were Celestion SL600 speakers and 6000 sub woofers, Alphason Sonata turntable with HRS100MCS arm and Audio Technica OC9 cartridge and the truly awesome Pink Triangle three box CD system of Cardinal transport, 24bit Da-Capo and DC power supply ! There were many other favourites but the over riding passion is the music and the now considerable LP and CD collection which every day I rediscover something new from. So never forget to sit back and enjoy !

As for the system now:

Source components: Pink Triangle Anniversary SE, SME V, Koetsu Rosewood Signature for Vinyl. Lyngdorf CD1 as Transport with Wadia 321 DAC

Amplification: Hi-Q Sound Iota Balanced Signature Reference mk2 Phono-stage Revised 2021, Krell KRC 3, Krell FPB 200c

Loudspeakers: Martin Logan Electromotion X and Sonus Faber Gravis Sub Woofer

Cables/stands: Transparent, DPA Black Slink, PS Audio, Atlas

Any other hi-fi bits: Moth RCM, AV system: Denon AVR 2310, Onkyo BD-SP809, Panasonic DMP-BDT180EB, Humax Aura, Samsung 49" LED 4K TV, Monitor Audio C300 Centre Channel, Q Acoustics 165P for rear channel. Logitech Harmony Remote.


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Nice thoughts, nice messages. I too have reached the end of the road. With regard to my sound system there is nowhere else I want to go. From now onwards it is only about music and the emotion it creates within.

I've not changed anything in a long time now, not felt the need. Went to that show the other week and the only thing appreciably better than what I have were the Kii3. It's a whole different approach though, and fifteen grand. Don't really want to spend that kind of money.

I will get a pair of tidy JBL L100 'Century' for the TV system. Just because I always wanted them as a teenager. Otherwise won't be changing anything in the main system until something dies.

The new pre-amp not arrived yet?

I was tempted to get a different pre, but I don’t think anything I want to,spend money on will “better” the Topping Pre90 for transparency.
At the end of the day, it is going to give the music a different flavour, but would it be better?

I have also had thoughts of trying an R2R DAC like the Gustard, but the price is a bit daft, and there is not a lot wrong with the RME.
So, the challenge for 2023 is to sit back and relax…..

I am done with cables. I have enough cartridges and valves to see me out. So fingers crossed, nothing breaks and I can spend money of the important stuff - more music…..

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Originally Posted by CageyH

The new pre-amp not arrived yet?

…..

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Yes got it a couple of weeks ago. Like you I've nowhere to go now but the speakers and they are good enough I'm planning to get a TEAC VRDS transport with the illuminated buttons, but only for the looks.

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Originally Posted by Macca

Yes got it a couple of weeks ago. Like you I've nowhere to go now but the speakers and they are good enough I'm planning to get a TEAC VRDS transport with the illuminated buttons, but only for the looks.

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You could get a little budget set up together for your office, and start a new upgrade path. Show the youngsters there just how good Heart 70s can sound :)

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Originally Posted by Pigmy Pony

You could get a little budget set up together for your office, and start a new upgrade path. Show the youngsters there just how good Heart 70s can sound :)

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would do only everything electrical in an office these days has to be pat tested for no real reason.

And I bet it's about £20 per appliance. Pat must be raking it in ;)

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Originally Posted by Macca

would do only everything electrical in an office these days has to be pat tested for no real reason.

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Not if its brand new [emoji6]

How about battery powered?

Nothing much has changed in the system since I fitted the RCA box to my SL1200.
However, the weather is not great so I dusted off the valve “collection” and decided to see if I could find what works best in the BB3.
I was shocked to see I have acquired 8 complete sets, so this may take a while.

Always fun tube rolling and sometimes you just need a change!:)

I have found a combination that seems very pleasing.
Tungsram PCC88 with an early Tesla ECC83 foil getter. I am not sure if it is the best.
I still have a few combinations to try.

I am glad I bought them a few years ago, as prices seem to have gone silly.

Yes there is a lot more tube gear around and folk have discovered the significant benefits of NOS tubes.

Have finished on the upgrade path too and sit back and enjoy the music.

Yes I could make small improvements, but it is on a sliding scale, pay thousands of pounds for a small increase in sound quality. My system now comprises PS Audio Dac/Transport, Unison Research Tube amp, Apogee speakers, with good quality cables all round. No idea which cables and no interest in finding out if there are better ones.

The biggest improvement I could make would be to use a different listening room, where the speakers had more room to breath, but also have a wife to consider :)

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Originally Posted by stuartm1962

... where the speakers had more room to breath, but also have a wife to consider

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What, you have to let the wife breath too? :lol:

You can only hold a Dutch oven for so long...

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Originally Posted by CageyH

You can only hold a Dutch oven for so long...

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ive got a sort of cast dutch oven lol.. and i cant carry it at all now. damn thing is heavy and i need at least one stick, so it doesnt get used...its really a casserole but its pretty big and would do same job. love enamel cast iron pans etc.

Life would be hell otherwise :)

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Originally Posted by Firebottle

What, you have to let the wife breath too? :lol:

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Wife and the speakers, plus dog and cat :lol:

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Originally Posted by Firebottle

What, you have to let the wife breath too? :lol:

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:lol::lol::lol: I was just about to post exactly the same, you beat me to it :D

Today I added a Neotech Silver UPOCC USB cable I picked up on the French equivalent of GumTree.
I wasn’t expecting much as I was coming from a Supra USB cable, but there is a difference in sound which is pleasing to the ear.
I am surprised.

No, I have not done a blindfolded back to back. Life is too short for worrying about that.
I like it. I am happy….

Onwards and onward….

Good you are not just trying zillionth degree purity copper bollocks and have gone for something a little more interesting. I liked a bit of silver in some of my cables and some of the worlds top amplifiers and hifi gear use it in their construction.

If it sounds good to you that is all that matters.

Over the weekend, I came to the realisation that I have not tried my Cyrus CLS70 speakers with my Mod 686 amp.
I think I should give them a try, as it could be quite interesting.

If they don’t sound any better, then it may be time to sell the. Grus, as they are currently sat in their box.

And today I replaced my Mark Grant DSP mains cable with a Neotech OCC combination (plugs and cable).
This has go e on my BB3, so time will tell if I hear any difference.

And today, I fancied a change, so have fitted my Firebottle Kin preamplifier back into my system, replacing the Topping Pre90.
Half tempted to try the FH3s as well.

What else is there to do on a rainy Sunday?

I really should try and sell some of my old speakers. Having two spare sets is a bit much, and I can’t see any of my old speakers displacing the Traingles.

It has been an enjoyable day spinning vinyl, through the BB3, into the Kin.
It has a nice relaxed sound to the system with the Kin in place. Just right for a cold and wet day.

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Originally Posted by CageyH

It has been an enjoyable day spinning vinyl, through the BB3, into the Kin.
It has a nice relaxed sound to the system with the Kin in place. Just right for a cold and wet day.

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So is the BB3 much better than the KIN phono stage?

I didn’t listen to the phono stage in the Kin, so I cannot answer that one.
Alan has told me it the past that it is though.

I heard the KIN back at my house a few years back when we had a bake of against my Croft 25R.:)