2. amps-preamps
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New to this. How do I stack my stuff?

I'm new to hifi. I've asked a lot of questions here and some of you may already know my situation but I got the following by chance and for free: Audio Research LS16 tube pre-amp, Arcam CD92 cd player, Madrigal Proceed HPA2 amp. 

It is all up and running and I'm loving it. Now just trying to maximize the little things that I can. For instance, speakers had spike stands but spikes were missing so I made a set.

Now I read in the CD manual that it recommends sorbothane feet and says sound quality will be better.

I'm now figuring out that placement of components is important and that proper stands, expensive ones, are best. Well, expensive stands are not going to happen. But I can try to make accommodations that are cheap and won't turn the room upside down.

Here is how it is all situated now...let the ridicule flow, but keep in mind that I am space limited to a serious extent. Was not sure I'd get the system in my house at all:

The (very) heavy Proceed amp is sitting on a carpeted floor on strips of wood which raise the bottom of it well above the carpet. It is higher above the carpet than it would be above a hard surface just on its own feet.

The CD player is sitting on a small, simple, wooden, antique side table. It is sturdy. The pre-amp is on top of the CD player. I have no idea what this might mean in terms of SQ but the CD player actually puts out a fair amount to heat which rises up into the pre-amp of course. That concerns me.

So other than getting some sorbothane feet for the CD player, what else would be a priority here?

Finally are there issues with which cables contact which cables, how much speaker cables are looped, etc. (Most of the cabling is Transparent Super Bi-wire.)

Thanks for any assistance.
n80
inna
7,141 posts
 
When I had my belt drive CEC cd player in the system Vibrapods without cones worked okay but Boston Audio graphite tune blocks were better in every respect. I use a combination of a 3" thick maple block and Boston Audio tune blocks under my Nottingham turntable and have no intention of changing this set-up. You can also try good brass cones under you player but it may ring, Audiopoints maybe. I use them under my integrated amplifier. If you can't avoid stacking you might want to put something under the feet of your pre-amp, maybe some cork/hard resin blocks like Mapleshade sells, and I got something very similar on Audiogon for my PS Audio power plant regenerator. As for the amp, I don't know if it is realistic to put it on a good spiked amp stand.
inna
7,141 posts
 
The sound must be very alive even if it is not exactly pure. To have both you would need a complicated and expensive set-up. Some swear by active K Minus and Herzan platforms. I think Whart has the former under his turntable.
djones51
4,947 posts
 
I would get a modular open av rack like a salamander which would support that amp and place the other components on the upper racks. At the very least I would move the pre amp off the top of the cd player. 
lak's avatar
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lak
4,544 posts
 
@n80, there are all kinds of inexpensive racks out there new and used that could hold all of your equipment on an individual shelf per component. That's the route I would suggest at this time and don't worry about the rack being an audiophile quality rack or not. As long as we aren't talking about glass shelves you should be good to go.
If you don't care for that suggestion, pick up an inexpensive end table and if you do a search you can find a sturdy end table with a shelf on the bottom and you place preamp on top shelf and CDP on the bottom or vice versa. Or look for a four-foot (or longer) coffee table with a lower shelf and use it for all components.
Personally, I don't think it will really make much of a difference if your speaker cables are longer than what you need unless you start to pick up radio stations or interference in your area through your speakers. I would suggest you elevate the speaker cables off the floor by putting them ontop of anything you have around the house like 2"x4" blocks or some type of paper or styrofoam cups.
n80 OP
2,107 posts
 
Unfortunately a rack is out of the question, at any price. My wife is already not happy with 'mission control' sitting at one end of the room.

Also, for me, there is no TT in the line up. I have one, don't use it much and it is junk. If I ever get into vinyl then TT set up will be a whole other can of worms. Right now it is just amp, pre-amp and CD player.

As to what to set the components on....I'm confused. Some of the things mentioned above are compliant to varying degrees. Some of them are hard and relatively non-compliant. So I am not clear on the purpose of different materials. If the goal is isolation why would you use something hard? 

Anyway, this is what I'm thinking about doing until I get  a bigger table:

End table: I'm stuck with it. Could easily have it sitting on spikes. Not sure if this is better or not?

Amp:  Leave on floor. I could easily make a low platform with spiked feet but have to wonder why it floating on the carpet is a bad idea. Seems like that would be ideal for isolation.

CD player: Leave it on the end table. Right now that is the only option until my wife warms up to all this. I can play with all sorts of things to put between it and the table surface. I'll start with some cheap sorbothane but I have all sorts of wood that I could make foot blocks out of. I could even make laminated wood blocks (like butcher block).

Pre-amp: It pretty much has to go over the CD player. I'm thinking about making an open wood box/cover that will sit over it and the pre-amp will sit on top. This box can have some sort of feet where it sits on the table and the pre-amp can have some sort of feet where it sits on the box.


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