Long story but I ended up buying a system without auditioning a single component and haven’t set it up, what are your thoughts? Technic SL 1210 GR, nagaoka mp-500, eversolo dmp-a6, pass labs xp 17, pass labs int-250, klipsch forte iv, Cardas clear Cygnus speaker cable, Cardas clear interconnects, Cardas clear Cygnus phono cable. I know I don’t need the int-250 for the klipsch but got a great deal.
Should sound nice, but I will say you're buying 225wpc more power than you need with Klipsch speakers. If you can exchange the int250 for one of the lower powered ones. Specifically one of the Class A amps, as class A amps IMO sound better with Klipsch speakers and you don't need the power with close to 100db and 8ohm load. You may even find you can do separates at lower power than a big integrated. no point buying power if you don't need it unless your thinking other less efficient speakers down the road.
The ONLY criteria for buying a system is HOW IT SOUNDS TO YOU. I have heard a lot of very positively reviewed equipment that has disappointed when auditioned. I will never buy equipment that I have never heard. Even phono cartridges, the least expensive piece of equipment in my system (currently a Lyra Skala).
The Forte IV has many wonderful reviews and seems to deliver a good bit at this price point. I don’t dislike Klipsch in that I have a Klipsch 9:1 system. I was thinking of running a low wattage system, since I’ve had great success with a 300b amplifier at eight watts per channel, but I didn’t find the Forte IV to sound right to my ears. That really shocked me in that I chose a dealer specifically because they had the Forte IV. I bet they sound better with tube amplifiers. That said, after visiting a couple of vendors, I ended spending many multiples of the Klipsch price to get the sound that I was after and I ended up with a power amplifier similar to what you have. So, here we have a speaker that seem to elicit very different responses and perhaps that also has something to do with how they are driven. After hearing them, I don’t think that you will be left wondering if they are what you want. You will know if they are to your taste.
The Cardas where a good middle ground on price I was willing to pay and some of the reviews I read is that they lean a bit warm. To be honest you can read so much about cables and I walked away from that rabbit hole feeling like Cardas would be right for me.
Being a cable guy, I am just curious about the reasons of choosing Cardas.
And as others say, you have to really like your speakers or nothing will make sense. Yeah, burn them in for 250 hours at low and moderate levels. Be nice to them, they should be worked into the sound, slowly, step by step, not hit by heavy metal at concert level volume.
Cardas cables usually cost 100 and even 1000x more vs the cables used to record the music you're listening to so they don't make sense by default even without auditioning. These cables even sometimes more expensive than an ENTIRE Technics 1210G!
Believe or not, for the same reason I don't purchase Prada, because there are a lot of things to wear that are better and cheaper than Prada.
You have purchased a lot of great equipment. I would relax and be excited at the prospect of having a great system. I’d like to point out that Pass Labs amp is an incredibly good piece of equipment… that I would say is as middle of the road audiophile as you can get. It has a great tonal balance, not tipped towards really warm or fatiguingly detailed… has excellent musicality (makes you tap you foot and emotionally be involved with the music), and lots of power.
I could go on… all good stuff.
I think your reaction will largely depend on your history with high end audio. If you have none or a very small amount, you are likely to be simply overwhelmed. So, if you will be comparing this with a inexpensive audio / video processor… it’s going to sound great. I think this is where what you don’t know works to your benefit.
So, if I were you. I would set it up and enjoy. As has been pointed out… you have all great components. It will take at least 200 - 500 hours to break in. You want to learn the nuances of the sound. Remember don’t judge until at least +200 hours.
Read about speaker placement and room treatments in the first months. These make a huge difference in sound quality.
This becomes your reference system. After a long time you can venture out and hear other systems and see if you think some difference in character of the sound is worth pursuing… probably the speakers.
Why do you say you're going to learn a hard lesson? I would give the speakers as long a trial period as the company allows. I ran a few trials before settling on the speakers I have right now. It can take some time. The only problem is reboxing the speakers! I wouldn't worry so much right now about other options. Settle into listening to the Klipsch speakers for a couple of weeks. See if you can get to the point where you're just listening to music without constant analysis.
The problem with auditioning speakers in the store is that you have to take the dealer's word for it, if it's even brought up, on how long the speakers have been broken in. Many will sound very, very different out of the box than they will 200 hours later.
Get the room right and get the setup right and you should be a happy camper. The room and the setup will affect the majority of how it sounds. Nice choices of equipment. Enjoy!
I almost always buy equipment without auditioning. It is difficult and expensive to audition. And I make pretty good decisions on equipment. I rely very little on published reviews is one of my secrets of my success.
I just calculate what I will lose if I need to promptly resell. Often with used equipment that number is 0.
All good components, and they will most likely sound very good together. After break-in time the only question is will your system suit your needs and likes. I believe at least half of the music-listening community, if not a larger percentage, cannot audition equipment they purchase in a store let alone in their home. I'm glad to read that you decided to "bust a move" instead of thinking about what to do and being stuck in neutral. Eventually, you will sell one or more of your components and purchase something else, I call it the evolution of audiophila.
Closing day on house got pushed back, that’s why it is not put together. I have kids can any room by dedicated? (I think I need 7 years until they have no interest in me). The only items I can probably return are the klipsch, I wanted something with a broader horizontal dispersion and could be placed closer to a wall but still have bass without a woofer. In the future I want to add DAC and power conditioner and could prob upgrade turntable (technic is mostly for nostalgia and I had it before everything else)
How about setting it up and listen. You are the judge of liking it or not. If somebody comments that this set up sucks, highly unlikely, would you sell it right away without trying it out?🙄
Congratulations! Get to work and put it together. Allow some break-in time and enjoy. You will know in due time where to make necessary tweaks or changes.
One thing you didn’t mention, do you have a dedicated listening room and what is the potential for some room treatments?
It'll largely boil down to how well you like the Klipsch, and how they play with your room. The components are all good stuff, and the MP500 with the SL1210 should be excellent together.
My thoughts are that you bought some good equipment. I have no idea if you're going to like how it sounds after you put it all together, though. Expensive way to find out.
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