Downgrading... Is it possible??? Suggestions


I am currently running what I consider to be a really nice setup. I like the sound a lot and don't really have an itch to change a thing. That said, my system pretty much has overtaken our living room and while it looks pretty cool to an audiophile, it is rather unsightly to most others. I have 2 racks and am using a total of 9 rack spaces.

My wife is very cool about this, but really we have rather small house and I feel like a jerk hogging up the whole living room like this. I originally had a dedicated built room for my gear but I found I liked having my music where I am all the time and not having to go out all by myself and play music in closed quarters.

Check out my system and give me suggestions. I don't want to change my sources but am open to speakers (maybe going to a standmount?) and the preamp and amps to an integrated. I don't spend most of my listening in the sweet spot and value a good lively dynamic sound. I listen to all music types.
ejlif

Showing 1 response by onhwy61

Unfortunately for you the two biggest space saving moves can have a noticeable impact on your sound quality. The VSA speakers work best when positioned out into the room. Nearly all stand mounted monitors also need to be positioned in this manner, so they really won't save you much space even if they can be a little less visually imposing. You need to look for a speaker that works well when positioned close to a wall. The speaker doesn't have to be small, particularly if its finished as fine furniture. There are several threads on that topic; you should search them out. Your mono amps are very large and your preamp has a separate power supply. That's a total of four boxes. An integrated amp would generate big space savings. You'll have trouble finding one with as good a phono section as your Whest unit.

At this point I'm thinking Rowland, Gryphon, BAT, Leben or McIntosh (tubes) coupled with Gradient, Tannoy, Guru or Klipsch speakers. Alternatively you could get a preamp w/ phono and run it directly into a powered monitor (ATC, Genelec, etc.) Place the speakers on a stand with rollers and move them in and out of position as needed.

Easy moves would be to dump the cassette. Is it really necessary? Same for the Masterlink. Record directly to the computer and burn CDs for it. Combine the A/D and D/A converters into one unit. Apogee Digital makes an excellent product along those lines.

In short, the answer is YES, it is very possible, but you will face some obstacles. You should be able to create a great sounding smaller system, but it probably won't sound just like what you have. It doesn't have to be worst.