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Asking for guidance on my first hi-fi system...

Hello, this is my first post here and I am hoping to gain a little confidence in making a purchase of an integrated amp for a nice two channel music only system. I recently built my own speakers, (the Jim Holtz Mini Statements) and auditioned them at my friends house on two different high end audio systems.... Rogue, Electrocompaniet, Van Alstine are a few names I remember of his gear. He helped me confirm that my speakers sound very nice and are a good starting point to build upon. My budget is 500.00 or less for an amp. Currently I use an Onkyo HT-R520 home theatre receiver, set on "Direct" listening mode. Obviously, my speakers don't sound as good with the Onkyo. I believe the bass is over emphasized and the mids and highs are a little lacking in detail.
Here are my objectives:
1. Stay within budget
2. Find something that will sound better and resolve the weaknesses of the Onkyo

Currently I am interested in a 300 to 400 dollar Carver CM 1090 integrated amp. Would this be a wise choice given it's age? or should I be looking at a new NAD, or ?????

Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!
jfmerk

Showing 8 responses by vhiner

vhiner
544 posts
 
All of these NAD recommendations are no accident or conspiracy. Their entry level gear punches way beyond the weight class and is known for exceptional reliability. I've used the BEE models for several budget systems and my friends are very pleased. I have a seriously expensive system yet still love the NAD sound and approach; it's very balanced and refined for solid state in this price range.
vhiner
544 posts
 
Jfmerk,

Glad the NAD is matching with your speakers. In a few months, you might want to try an after market power cord. You seem to be the kind of listener who would appreciate the improvement.
vhiner
544 posts
 
There are a number of great options: I suggest the Shunyata Venom 3 power cord because it costs $99 and nothing touches it for less than $200, IMHO. I added one to my father's NAD and, while he's no audiophile, he loved the result.

As far as speaker wire goes, there are so many options that will beat the stock or Best Buy wire. I'd suggest sticking with a copper based wire and you can easily find some great used wire on A'gon.

If you start with a good power cord though, you'll more easily be able to hear the differences in speaker wire and interconnects. I'd find out if there are some audiophile groups near where you live. I suspect any number of hobbyists would happily let you try some wire out. As you say, your ears will guide you.

I predict that the 326BEE will reward your efforts to feed it the best possible signal. I look forward to reading your posts down the road. We're in the golden age of budget gear right now, so you can have a lot of fun for relatively little money!
vhiner
544 posts
 
Here's how civil discourse works: "I've tried power cords and I couldn't' hear any differences between them."

Wilsynet's post seeks to insult the thousands of audiophiles (including hundreds of respected audi journalists, producers and engineers) who use and love power cords. I wonder why the ignorant bliss of so many bothers him so much? I'm always skeptical of those who want to protect others from happy hobbyists who are selling nothing.
vhiner
544 posts
 
Jfmerk,

To bad you have to contend with people who use hobbyist forums to insult people who they don't agree with. Fortunately, you have someone like your friend Jeff and your own good ears.
vhiner
544 posts
 
Yes, by all means, enjoy the giddy pleasures of your new kit! I usually rediscover my whole music collection when I've made a change.
vhiner
544 posts
 

The posts here certainly aren't going to tell the whole story about blind tests; whole books have been written about them and they have long ago been discounted by the mainstream scientific community as a reliable measure of whether a perception is valid or not. Why don't flat earth society members start a "power cords don't work" thread and leave the rest of us alone? The answer is pretty clear.

The fact that they can't be satisfied with merely posting their own listening experiences ( which they have yet to do here, btw) says quite a bit. A very wise engineer once said, "If you haven't listened yourself, you don't HAVE an opinion." The best and most civil advice is to listen for yourself. Borrow a cord and it won't cost you a dime. It'd be great if the debate were to end with that but and we could return to sharing what we love, but this will probably degenerate into the usual, pointless p***ing match. Is it any wonder the hobby is shrinking?
vhiner
544 posts
 
Reasonable differences of opinion aren't hurting our hobby but the use of pejoratives like "snake oil" to describe other people's preferences certainly does more harm than good. The term implies that the manufacturers are dishonest and that happy consumers who post here are fools. Condescension and derision in a friendly forum are not attractive practices.

I think Jeff (the OP) has the perfect outlook about all of this. He has an open mind and I'm confident that his open eyes and open ears will guide him just fine.
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