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Debate on a whole front end change

I am currently in a debate with my old man on selling a portion of his front end setup and use the savings to buy a new pair of speakers and also get an improvement in sound at the same time from the benefit of better speakers and better front end.

The benefit of better speakers is no dispute, but he considers my recommended setup as a strong downgrade.

He currently has a Denon "cost-is-no object" top loading CD Player (don't recall the exact model), Theta Gen VIII v2 preamp, Jeff Rowland Model 7 mono amps, ML Descent-I sub x2 and ML CLS speakers conditioned with PS audio PPP x2 and Kimber Select cabling throughout

The sound is intoxicating and the noise floor is pitch black. Any time I get a chance to visit I am always impressed how well his front end makes the CLS shine.

My recommendation is the following setup:

PS Audio PWD = 3000
PS Bridge = 800
Ethernet cable = 100 (for a good one)
2TB NAS hard drive = 200
Ipod remote/play list controller = 200
PnP app for ipod = 9.95

4309.95 Total

Beside the money that could be used to upgrade your speakers "SIGNIFICANTLY" this setup would benefit your setup in several ways:

1) 7,000.00 - 11,000.00 SAVINGS!!!
2) Less AC draw
3) Consolidated CD library via NAS hard drive
4) Playlist creation ability and not need to switch discs EVER

.....now the above mentioned are just conveniences that do not affect sound.

5) Native sampling = RAW 100% uncompressed data with no error correction = the ability to use the DAC 192/32 Khz if so desired. No jitter and less information lost via cd to IC to preamp.

So at this point he disagrees without explanation suffice to say that this is a downgrade. I am not avid audiophile and therefore cannot explain anything scientifically to him and I know just how good his front end products are but feel the change would be for the better.

Would like to know the thoughts of the community.

Regards,

-Joshua
masongsong

Showing 2 responses by rar1

rar1's avatar
rar1
1,748 posts
 
Hi Joshua:

Your father has an incredible set-up. 3 guesses ... #1 - he does not believe that a hard drive with an iPod front end as a source can replace discs that he can hold in his hands. #2 - if he has already paid for his equipment, there is no savings, per se. It's more of an opportunity cost. #3 - he really like what he has.

I am probably near to your dad's age (53). I would feel the same way.

Rich
rar1's avatar
rar1
1,748 posts
 
Hi Joshua:

Something to consider ... you mentioned your dad's 7 neck surgeries. It sounds like some kind of spine fusion. I have had 13 surgeries and my spine is fused from T8 to S2 (shoulder blades to backside). As important as sound quality is to me, so is the ability to listen outside a speaker's sweet spot. Quite frankly, there is no comfortable listening position for me. It's also good practice to get up and about every 30 minutes or so ... keep moving. Any system component that permits long uninterrupted listening in one position is probably not a good thing for your dad.

Rich
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