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Thread: Budget system upgrade

  1. #1
    Join Date: Aug 2017

    Location: Hertfordshire, U.K.

    Posts: 298
    I'm Graham.

    Default Budget system upgrade

    When I decided to unpack my vinyl collection some months ago, I perforce unpacked and refurbished my JVC QL7 turntable. I also had to purchase a phono stage amplifier as my NAD 326BEE had none. I bought a Pro-Ject Record Box E, which provides both MM and MC inputs and also has a very good AD converter with USB output. I installed the JVC Z1 pickup cartridge that was packed with the turntable, my Decca London Gold MkII and my Shure V15 Mki IV having been illegally appropriated by bandits years previously. Coupled to my Wharfedale Diamond 9.1 stand mounted speakers, I was quite happy with the result. The sound was warm, full bodied (with a little bass boost) and detailed.


    I knew that the weakest point in the chain would be the Z1 pickup cartridge with it’s spherical stylus, so I ordered a Z1-EB stylus for it, which has a .07 x .04 mil stylus on a Beryllium cantilever. There was a noticeable improvement in high frequency definition, depth of soundstage and tracking. Great.


    After a week or so, I found myself reminiscing about my lost Decca London Gold and my Shure V15 Mk iV and wondering what they would have sounded like through the Diamond 9.1 speakers, as compared to the Tannoy Monitor Gold speakers that I used to own. So, I ordered a Shure M97xE cartridge. The result was a little smoother, more detailed, but not a significant improvement. Never mind, I thought, give it time to “run in.” After a week or so the sound improved somewhat, with more low-end reach and better midrange definition. Orchestral brass was marvellous, as were vocals. But I remained unhappy with the low end. I was running the bass control at 4 o’clock, which is nearly at maximum. Bass was tight and controlled, not woolly, but I was still missing something at the low end of Beethoven’s Fifth or Bach’s Fugue in D Major.


    My son was emphatic in his assertion that I needed a subwoofer. I was not so sure. To my way of thinking, while a subwoofer would give more low down bass, unless I used separate subwoofers on the left & right channels respectively, I would muddy the soundstage and my living room isn’t all that big. I don’t go with the theory that all bass frequencies are omni-directional. I want to hear the double bass playing from the front right and the bass drum from the upper left, not from the sky.


    Reluctantly, I went looking for a “better” set of speakers. On a limited budget. Richer Sounds offered me a set of Wharfedale Diamond 230 floorstanders at a very reasonable price, end of line and sorry, you can have any finish as long as it’s blackwood. Having faith in Wharfedale, I agreed to try them.


    Placed approximately in the same position as the Diamond 9.1’s had been, and not run-in at all, I was initially impressed by the full spectrum of sound and the deep underlying effortless bass with the amplifier set to ‘tone defeat.” However, the bass was quite mushy, and after a week, I realised that, although I now could hear more and better bass than before, I had what is called “one note bass.” I couldn’t tell the difference between the Viola or the double bass. I tried the optional floor spikes with and without the rubber domed feet but as our living room carpet has a very thick pile, I realised that I couldn’t get the speakers to stand firmly without a degree of rocking motion. So, down to B&M I went and picked up two kitchen granite cutting blocks which were slabs of polished granite a perfect 100mm larger in both width and length than the footprint of the speakers. They cost a measly £7.00 each. With the speakers standing on the granite slabs, with the rubber domed feet installed the sound was transformed. The bass became much more controlled, richer and had more definition. The mids were more realistic and the top end sweeter. In fact, I was very impressed indeed.


    After running them in for a week, my Audio Technica AT95EX cartridge arrived. I had ordered one just on the spur of the moment, after reading lots of praise for it on various forums, including here. Installed in an Audio Technica headshell and mounted on the JVC arm on the QL-17, I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! The soundstage was totally three-dimensional, the brass and strings were amazing and the bass was superb, tight and very well controlled right down to notes that I hadn’t heard before. And the cartridge still had to be “run in!”

    I replaced the interconnects between the amp and the CD player with a set of Fisual Rio cables. What an amazing difference this made!


    So, don’t believe everything you hear or read. I have heard some very accomplished sound systems in my lifetime, including many production studio monitoring systems, and even so, I am very impressed with what I am now hearing in my own living room from what is referred to as a “budget” system.

    The JVC Q7 direct drive turntable with JVC tonearm.


    The Shure M97eX mounted in an AT headshell.


    The new Wharfedale Diamond 230 speakers are a little dominant.



    The granite chopping boards used as a base for the speakers.
    Last edited by GrahamS; 23-07-2018 at 12:08.
    GrahamS - It's not what you hear that counts, it's what you think you hear........

    Present Kit: NAD 326BEE, NAD C515BEE CD player, JVC QL-7 DD turntable, JVC Tonearm, Shure M97Ve, Audio Technica AT95EX, Pickering V15, JVC Z1E, Wharfedale Diamond 230s, Visual Rio interconnects and My Ears.

  2. #2
    Join Date: Oct 2012

    Location: The Black Country

    Posts: 6,089
    I'm Alan.

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    Excellent results Graham, really pleased for you.
    I also have used the granite chopping boards to good effect for better bass definition.

  3. #3
    Audio Al is offline Pishanto Specialist & Super-Daftee
    Join Date: May 2012

    Location: Dagenham Essex

    Posts: 11,215
    I'm Allen.

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    Thats the beauty of VINYL
    [

  4. #4
    Join Date: Aug 2017

    Location: Hertfordshire, U.K.

    Posts: 298
    I'm Graham.

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Firebottle View Post
    Excellent results Graham, really pleased for you.
    I also have used the granite chopping boards to good effect for better bass definition.
    Thanks, Alan. I thought of buying a whole bunch of granite boards, re-packaging them and selling them as "Bass enhancement platforms".......
    GrahamS - It's not what you hear that counts, it's what you think you hear........

    Present Kit: NAD 326BEE, NAD C515BEE CD player, JVC QL-7 DD turntable, JVC Tonearm, Shure M97Ve, Audio Technica AT95EX, Pickering V15, JVC Z1E, Wharfedale Diamond 230s, Visual Rio interconnects and My Ears.

  5. #5
    Join Date: Apr 2018

    Location: South East Cornwall

    Posts: 322
    I'm Dominic.

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    Quote Originally Posted by GrahamS View Post
    Thanks, Alan. I thought of buying a whole bunch of granite boards, re-packaging them and selling them as "Bass enhancement platforms".......
    You woudn't be the first one on that caper
    CD player = Marantz CD6006
    DAC/pre = Rotel RC 1572
    Power amp = ADA PF201
    Speaks = Quadral Chromium Style 6

  6. #6
    Join Date: Jan 2009

    Location: Essex

    Posts: 31,853
    I'm openingabottleofwine.

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    Quote Originally Posted by GrahamS View Post
    Thanks, Alan. I thought of buying a whole bunch of granite boards, re-packaging them and selling them as "Bass enhancement platforms".......
    Only if you sell them for £150 - £200 apiece!

    Nice system BTW, pleased that you are pleased with it.
    Barry

  7. #7
    Join Date: Jun 2015

    Location: London/Durham

    Posts: 6,869
    I'm Lawrence.

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    Quote Originally Posted by nonuffin View Post
    You woudn't be the first one on that caper
    Yes and don't forget to have some badges made with the logos of various speaker manufacturers so you can glue them on to the plinths and make them look like they have been made specifically for their speakers

    Sent from my BLN-L21 using Tapatalk

  8. #8
    Join Date: Aug 2017

    Location: Hertfordshire, U.K.

    Posts: 298
    I'm Graham.

    Default

    Now you've got me thinking......
    GrahamS - It's not what you hear that counts, it's what you think you hear........

    Present Kit: NAD 326BEE, NAD C515BEE CD player, JVC QL-7 DD turntable, JVC Tonearm, Shure M97Ve, Audio Technica AT95EX, Pickering V15, JVC Z1E, Wharfedale Diamond 230s, Visual Rio interconnects and My Ears.

  9. #9
    Join Date: Oct 2020

    Location: North Yorkshire

    Posts: 2
    I'm Jeff.

    Default Golden tip, really worked for me!

    I bought Wharfedale Pacific EVO 30's a few months ago and they sounded so sweet so I was content and all was good. Then I saw Diamond 230's for sale for £110 and I was tempted but managed to restrain myself. The ad disappeared so the temptation was gone and that was good. Then it appeared again, now for £100 and the temptation was back! My budget allowed for £80 so I decided to offer that in the certain knowledge that it would be refused and I could let it go. The seller messaged me last Friday that the buyer had declined and that they were mine if I wanted them, so what else could I do?

    So now I had a pair of shiny Diamond 230's in near mint condition. Full of expectation I set them up and was ready to be blown away after reading the 5 star professional reviews and the dozens of positive user ones. But then my enthousiasm took a kamikaze dive. Initially I wasn't impressed with the sound, soundstage was ok and although I love bass (the EVO's are mighty bass machines) the bass on the 230's was way too much and unfocused and the overall sound was mushy. I have normal carpet and the spikes on the EVO's are extremely pointy and go straight through it to the concrete. The spikes on the 230's are blunt and I tried with and without the spikes and the rubber domed feet and I really wanted them to sound better than my EVO's because it's newer technology and that's got to be better, (since they are both in the budget segment), right? Nope, didn't happen for me.

    Then it was time to get Googling and I came across this post which described exactly what I was experiencing. So off to the B&M I went and got the granite cutting boards (they are £8 now ). So with the granite boards, spikes and rubber domed feet the sound has transformed significantly! I think the previous owner (female student in York) hadn't really run them in yet as well, because with every passing hour they start to sound much sweeter. The chopping board solution at least focused the sound and tightened up the bass so it really was a lifesaver otherwise I might have gotten rid of them as fast as I had bought them and that would have been a shame.

    I will keep running the 230's the coming week and on Friday I will do a Diamond 230 vs Pacific EVO 30 and decide which one will go up for sale. Thanks for the golden tip Graham, it has really made my weekend!

  10. #10
    Join Date: Aug 2017

    Location: Hertfordshire, U.K.

    Posts: 298
    I'm Graham.

    Default Granite chopping boards

    Great minds always come up with the same answer.....
    GrahamS - It's not what you hear that counts, it's what you think you hear........

    Present Kit: NAD 326BEE, NAD C515BEE CD player, JVC QL-7 DD turntable, JVC Tonearm, Shure M97Ve, Audio Technica AT95EX, Pickering V15, JVC Z1E, Wharfedale Diamond 230s, Visual Rio interconnects and My Ears.

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