Lend me your ears...


I'm hoping to get some buying advice. I live in an area where it isn't possible to audition a variety of products. If you have experience with any of the digital sources I'm considering, your impressions would be most helpful. 

I'm choosing from; Cary DMS 800; Aurender A30; Antipodes K50 with a Benchmark DAC3 HGC; Baetis Reference with the Benchmark DAC. 

Suggestions? Cautionary tales? 

ott

Showing 1 response by clearthinker

@ott     "and the walls are being soundproofed. The room is 18' X 15' and will be fully carpeted. ....There are French doors that will be covered with moire curtains."

You are lucky to have what sounds like a dedicated room.  I have one too.  Be careful not to overdamp; you don't want to be listening in a near anechoic chamber.  To create a realistic soundstage you do need some reverberation. You speak of 'soundproofing' the walls.  Assuming this is not to prevent the sound entering the rest of your home (in which case 'soundproof' the other side of the wall), if you are damping all four walls, do it lightly with thin material.  In my room I damped the wall behind the speakers with heavier material and kept the other three walls cloth thin. Like you I carpeted the floor, but the ceiling is plaster.