Good thoughts. Ah yes the room acoustics, I have struggled with mine for years (small condo living room concrete all around). I long for the day I live in a place where I can tailor the room acoustics. The C1 helps as it is quite room tolerant unusual for a Dyn. Due to my challenged listening room I know I am way below an optimal setup. |
If i would spend more money on anything, it would be acoustics. We have a pro company building (reworking) operahouses, studios and super high end demo rooms. They are just a few miles away. It is completely awesome to hear a more closely linear room. Had i an own house or apartment, i would begin at that point. Rather spend money at good units and cables and money at acoustics, than extreme amounts at just gear. You will not be near what they can accomplish with mediocre acoustics.
Cables changes do good things, but when you look at a graph over a room and the peaks, dips etc. Well, you soon realize cables for big amounts is plain silly when the room interacts too much.
I have my room measured. It is ok, but if i would start from scratch, i would do things differently.
A almost perfect environment, with a good system compaired to a not so good, must be heard to be realized.
My cables works very very good in my system.
I think all units are working nice together. Acoustics, even if good, is not the best.
My speakers were mearsured also. They measure very good.
The company told me straight off, one client in another country had same speakers but a completely reworked room.
It was awesome they told me. Many speakers are good, but some are much more expensive.
He told me not to change speakers and also told me of a few very costly speakers which was almost same as mine when measured.
A dream would also be to buy PMC MB-2i, and send them to TG-Acoustics for a completely custom rework. New filters measured and made directly after that specific pair, new connectors and internal wire. MB-2 is a killer as is IMO.
I would like to build a system around those in a reworked room. Also, MA will release a Ref speaker 2012. It will cost somewhere near 3 pairs of PL 300. But my guess it will be extremely good.
In my opinion, PL 300 is very good if you work around it a bit. To just have a chance with either MB-2 or the Ref (when it comes), with new electronics etc + the room custom built. Oh, that is one dream to wish for:-)
Do you still use the C1? |
Thanks. I was hoping to try the new Shunyata Anaconda CX on the C500, mostly out of curiosity. But you may be right about the C500 being not so PC sensitive and best to leave the Lessloss alone and look to spend the money elsewhere. When you get a chance you should try it they come up 4sale here every so often and it is easy enough to unload. It went toe to toe with my old Shunyata Anaconda PC when I compared it on the Plinius years ago. |
Hi Noelpastor,
i don't think it's sensitive in the way of night and day.
I guess due to the PFC-1 unit inbuilt in C-500.
It is small shiftings. If compaired to my Wadia, the Wadia is perhaps 8/10 and the C-500 2/10.
I think it was almost same with other feets/damping/isolation devices. Wadia needs careful matching with PC and damping. It can yield very different results.
I think you are pretty safe what the PC you have.
Better work with IC or loudspeakers wire/ cable, if you find need of anything!?
If anything, i would avoid bright sounding PC's.
I did find the PS Audio Perfectwave AC-12 to work splendid.
I also would like to try the Lessloss PC's out of curiousity;-) |
Hi Inpieces. Did you notice if the C500 is sensitive to PCs? When I upgraded my amp from a Plinius integrated to the C500 I just continued using the "Lessloss" PC that fed the amp without bothering to explore other PCs. |
Never used or heard Nuforce in my own system, but i've had W4S STI-1000 fitted with high end fuses.
I used the STI in two systems, with sorted PC's and IC's.
I decided to try JRDG C-500 or W4S separates. I went for the C-500 which is way more expensive than the STI.
The C-500 is more refined and in a sense calmer in it's way of coming on. It is smoother but at the same time more detailed. It has better 3-d (depth). In direct A/B with STI-1000 (PS Audio high end fuses equipt), the STI sounded slighly forced, sharper and more pronounced in the top end. This affects the whole tonal spectrum.
I suspect the PFC-1 unit, inbuilt in the C-500 has alot to do with the results. Oh, PFC is a Power factor correction unit.
For tech spec, look at JRDG's info page.
The W4S is a good amp and i agree it offer much for the money.
However, changing powerchord(s) and/or platform etc, can not do what the C-500 do.
Even though, it helps. I would, if trying diffent fuses, try Furutech instead of PS Audio.
I expect, next step (upgrade) would be Vitus SS-101mk2 (;-) or darTZeel CTH-8550.
Or JRDG Corus + 625. These are completely other prices though:-(
I have heard from a friend, doing A/B of C-500 and Mcintosh MA7000. The MA7000 is quite good, but it can not match the 3-d and transparency of C-500.
Talking W4S amps, when is the Ref series expected to be released? |
I cannot comment on the W4S amplifier but I have owned both the Ref 9V2 SE as well as the Ref 9V3 SE and they are fantastic amplifiers.
The RFI issues were resolved with the Ref 8 or 8.5 iteration. I have never had any RFI issue of any sort.
The V3 SE is best described as nimble and smooth in my opinion. It is extremely extended on both ends of the frequency spectrum, and VERY revealing without becoming fatiguing (at least with my associated components).
The sound stage certainly became larger with the V3 SE over the V2 SE as alluded to by Vicdamone. The V3 presents music in a more integrated manner than the V2 SE, which is to say it's more musical in my experience.
Good luck with your decision. |
Very interested in A-B comparisons with these amps too. Both are on my shortlist, but I live in Australia, so very hard to audition. At the moment I'm going with the highly praised combo of a Peachtree iDecco with Gallo Strada and T3 sub. Audience AU24 cables, and Synergistic Research Precision AC Basik, Chang Lightspeed X Series H1 conditioner. Looking for more power, less sibilance, more warmth. I love the resolution and speed of the Gallo's but miss some richness. |
I ended up purchasing a Wyred for sound st-1000 and like Artmlatman use it with a lessloss cord. I am very happy with the results. |
I am extremely impressed with the Wyred STI-500. Liquid, detailed, grain-free, powerful, lifelike, refined. Bear in that I'm using one of the original Lessloss power cables, which in my experience so far seem to make all amps sound a huge increment better.
Given that, I could keep the Wyred and be very happy. Period. I'm inclined to keep the Cary because it is a hint more lifelike, even that it's bass is sloppier. But this is a tough decision that requires soul-searching, and I've never had that experience with solid state before.
Again I need to emphasize that I am NOT separating the experience of the amp and the power cable. Would I have been happier with Plinius, Rowland, other solid state in the past with the Lessloss? I assume so, but don't know to what extent.
In the past, solid state amps always sounded grainy to me, even expensive ones. The other exception is my recent testing of the Ayre integrated, which sounded very lovely, but lacked the power I need (and does not come in black!).
Art |
Art, interesting, which one do you prefer, the W4S STI-1000 or the Cary SLI80? |
Have yet to hear the Wyred.
I had an RFI issue with my PS Audio HCA-2. A small Sony clock radio exhibited interference while the Parasound tuner, which was shelved just above the HCA-2, worked fine. After upgrading the AC wiring to my system the problem was solved. My initial version of the NuForce 9 Special Edition's and upgraded version 3 9SE's posed no RFI issues.
My system became less forward with a much deeper sound stage and simply more musical with the upgraded version 3 9SE's. |
Early NuForce amps had serious RFI problems that is, FM radio in the building could not play when someone turned on a NuForce amp. From what I understand, that problem was quickly 90% to 95% fixed by a design change but I wonder whether it was ever 100% fixed.
I'm testing a Wyred 4 Sound STI-500 integrated in my home and there is no RFI problem at all.
So I am left wondering whether class D is prone to RFI problems or merely some early implementations?
Art |
I have read comparisons citing the Wyred to be smoother on the top end than the NuForce. |
