Tubes? Of course....gotta do something to tame that neutrality of Dyn. :p

Actually that's not true although 1.4s(being dead neutral) will definitely benefit from a tube preamp and or amp because you're going to need some tubes warm up the sound a little bit give it some more life. But you could also use to start little bit more for work like some KT 88 or kt90/kt120 tube to give it more slam. Don't take my word for asked bluevette himself since he was at my place yesterday during a gtg and we rolled output tubes and he was pretty astounded at the differences in the sound by merely switching out output tubes.

Truth be told the best pairing I've heard with dyns(sapphires and. Consequence UEs) are not tube gear but solid-states like Burmester and Soulutions. In my opinion there's no such thing as taming neutrality but rather adding on to what already the soundstage possesses;you can configure it to your taste and make it sound open and and airy or romantic and warm or you can buy steely sounding tubes and make it sound cold and. clinical like sleepaudio err... Simaudio:p Taming boredom might be better suited for totems. :lolcry:

LOL! I was kidding, but your comments are noted. I think it's all about experimentation and keeping an open mind. In the case of SimAudio I always thought they were rather clinical as well, but then I heard them in various setups at the TAVES Show last year, and it was kinda like an awakening. I walked away fairly impressed and enough to say that I would like to hear them with some Totems to see how they sound to my ears. I haven't yet, but hope to at some point this year.

To each his own. Simaudio has a quite a following in the Dynaudio owner's thread at AVS and 4-5yrs ago the Dyn-Sim tandem was all the rage. They have impeccable build quality and contemporary and industrial style. I've heard the simaudio evolution stack paired with the Sapphires to death, but it was not and never was for me back then, even to this day. :D

I honetsly did not like the i-1 aka the i250 now, it did sound clinical but the i3.3 aka the I340 now did impressed me John but it's 3.5K I'd rather pay a lot less and get the Nait XS or the Arcam A38 for less money.

Id suggest you also listen to the Dynaudio speakers. I was orignally between the Sttafs and the Dyns I have. For $2k with Dyn you are kinda limited unless you don't mind buying used, but I found that the Dyns offered less of their own sound to the music then the Sttafs did. Ultimately, I just felt the Dyns might be better with HT. The two speakers were very close to one another, and anyone could be happy with either.

Check out Goodwins High End in Waltham, MA, I think they have both Totem and Dyns.

Rhett needs that warmth, his Sapphires are as bright as a pair of Kipsch F-2s! :p

The lower trebble on the Sapphires is tipped up a bit and so adding some tube warmth is great. Rhetts speakers are also much more delicate to changes then say mine are. Mine have more warmth and are more forgiving. We switch CDs back and forth, and sometimes where he comments as says the Classical CD was veiled... I didn't even notice.

As Rhett knows Im not as big of a fan of the Sapphires as I am the Confidence line. Thats not to say that one is better then the other its just a different sound, and we have different tastes.

Have you heard the Contours with both tubes and SS?

If so which did you prefer?

I have heard the Contour 1.4s with a T+A KT88 Blu-ray receiver, and they were awesome together, that is SS. I heard the 3.4s with an Octave V40SE(tube) and an AVR/AMP combo in HT. I also heard the same Octave drive the 5.4s. I liked the 5.4s with the Octave much more then I did the 3.4s, but I was also listening to the C1s right before the 3.4s, and the C1s were more my speed sound wise. The 3.4s are very balanced, great speakers, but a little more boring, IMO. However for HT use they awesome, very detailed and picked up every nuance of Star Trek First Contact or one of those older ones. I personally liked the SS pairings better then the Tube pairings. But I can see why one would like the tube warmth and liveliness. It could be that Im more used to the sound of SS products and its easier for me to gauge and know what Im hearing. I can see the arguements for both choices. I do like tubes, and the C1 with Octave was amazing, but it was likewise amazing with the T+A R2160 stereo receiver.

I really liked the Naim/Focus pairing, and I think that naim sound is what I like more then anything. But the Naim is kinda tube like at the same time as being fully SS.

I would probably buy a tube amp, but not while josh is young.

Thank you for the kind words. Welcome to the forum. Feel free to jump in on the conversation, we talk a lot of more technical things/gear/music as so on, but we get a little personal too. OH, and there is lots of sarcasm thrown around here.

I'll go with the Parasound for the time being, an expensive IA just isn't in the plans right now. This will most likely the last two channel upgrade until the HT is done, unless some incredible deal comes along that would just not make sense to pass on. Actually that's not true, the one other thing I would like to try is some different tubes in the phono amp. That won't be an expensive thing to do though.

Worked on dialing in my sub a bit more and it's getting very close to where I want it to be, hopefully some bass traps and Audyessy Pro with get it the rest of the way. As you can probably tell I'm a little anal about how the sub blends in with everything else, I don't like to run hot and have overblown boomie bass.

Looks like both us had someone not liking the sound from each of our speakers manufacture, and stated how they were not impressed by them over at AVS.


I just don't know what to say about how they felt the Monitor Audio sounded to them.

As they put it:

Flat, Muffled and Muted, and they were using some Arcam equipment. lol

Yeah, I think you should go with the Parasound for now also. I think it will work nice together. Later you can take your 1.4s around with you to some places and ask them to let you demo them with the gear they have, then you can find the best pairing for you. Maybe you stay with Parasound, and just get a more powerful amp.

That is awesome that you feel like you are close on the Sub being the best it can. I don't want the bass to hot either. I want it to fill in below the speakers, not stand out too much.

So what do you have left to do on the HT front?

where is this?

The Dyns and MAs have a completely different presentation, they cant both be flat, muddy and muffled can they

The list is getting smaller, some of this is not going to happen until the BIL is gone. Here's the list in no particular order,

1. acoustic treatments
2. second PSA PPP
3. another sub ( the current room is just too small to warrant another one )
4. Oppo 95 ( or whatever the current version is when I get around to buying one)
5. Audyessy Pro Kit
6. Dayton Omni Mic
7. another set of surround speakers to be able to run nine channels
8. maybe a pj or larger flat panel
9. more seating


If I can manage to get that done I can't think of anything else to add beyond more subs which after spending that much probably won't happen.

Don't worry Hamp as long as you like them is all that matters. There was some idiot in the Dyn thread on AVS today saying my speakers sound like they're in a cave. What a moron! The guy must have his ears filled with wax, either that or just not know the first thing about speakers.

You'll run into those types of people who just don't know good sound when they here it all the time.
:p:p:p:D:D:D

My wife and I were joking/talking, and she was like if you leave me Im taking the sub, ONE of the X16s and he Integra, and the TT, and all of your favorite Albums. I then said, well why don't you take the Missions and the X22, Integra, TT and sub. Ill take the Naim, Oppo and X16s.

She Says "What would I do with those POS speakers? They look like you took them out of the Cookie Monsters Trash Can! You take them and the X22. They suck, they barely work for surrounds."

Me "We'll I figured I could trade in the X16s for the 1.4s, and use the Naim to power them with the Oppo as a CDP. So can I upgrade them to the DM2/6s? Then if we split, we both get a great pair of spekaers."

Her "Find me $850 and you can get them."

ME "I think I could get some B-stocks for $600ish."

Her "I bet! Maybe in a few months, you're already spending $1350 on an IA"

ME "So you say theres a chance?"

aaaahhhhhh hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

You did go lurk on there? I was wondering when you would mention that.... :rotfl:

You have to admit it was kinda funny

well it looks like a few of these things will be done sooner then later huh? I thought you already had some of the Acoustic treatments in the works? Get the Oppo so I know how much I want it. And the second PSA PPP is on the way right?

Want acoustic treatments. Talking of a new baby, so means new home. Right now getting new school straightened out. Then off to look for a place to call home that will have a nice big HT, well, big enough for a 100" screen and one Lay-Z Boy. Want to have living room and HT separate.

Youre gonna be moving soon travis? I can't get a PJ in my house, But Im OK with that. Looks like you could have some ugrades coming down the line huh?

That's a quality list, Aces. I'm guessing you'll have 2/3s crossed off by springtime.

The 2nd PPP is on the way? Were you keeping me in the dark? Did you find another black one? I may have to revise my timetable for you. I'm guessing you'll have the entire list crossed off by spring.

Whassup, Callas?:rock:

No, I wasn't saying this person was saying that about both our speakers. I was just saying, I was reading you were talking with someone in they Dyn thread about dyn.

and

In another thread it was a guy who mentioned that about Monitor Audio RX6's and RX8's..

Believe me, I'm not worried. I love'em, I just thought it was funny.

Having the two separated really helps with actually being able to implement acoustic panels. My wife doesn't care in the basement but said there's absolutely no way that'll happen in the living room.

You'll have to get another Lay-Z Boy when your daughter gets older, my kids love to watch movies with me in the basement these days. Can't always watch what I want but it's cool they're enjoying it too.

Not much, laughing cause I was making fun of Andrew indirectly on AVS knowing he'd lurk and read it.... I thought it was hilarious, I wasn't sure he'd actually read it, cause I didn't know how much he lurks, and those pages can go quickly.

Im also waiting for my state tax return check so I can get the Niam Nait 5i. I have the money, but the wife wants me wait till the check comes in so we don't exhaust savings.

my son wants to watch Rio and Gnomio and Juliet all the time... OH its getting old. My wife and I know the movie lines by heart.

Not soon. Hopefully can get the financial ducks in a row by end of the year. I'd like to get some land and build outside the city, friend of mine is doing it. Would hate commuting to work, though. Gotta get out of apartments and town houses. Hate sharing walls.

Ohhh.....

I got you... I agree with Andrew, just ignore them. You run into idiots that run their mouths about speakers they don't know all the time..... ;)

Id have to say that I didn't find the MAs muted...who knows maybe they cant afford them, and come up with reasons why they don't like them....

Maybe I'll get some bean bag chairs.

Your right it was, that's why I didn't say anything until Hamp gave me an opening.

I made an offer on a silver one, it was priced well enough that I could get over the fact it was silver instead of black. In my stand the middle door is a solid door so I could put it on that shelf and no one would see it, I would keep the black one for all to see. Thing is I wasn't the only one to make an offer on it, there was someone ahead of me. I got told if they don't take it I'd get it, so there may not be another one on the way.

Hehe. Aces needs a little ribbing.:D

I'm not even close to having my taxes ready.:o Lol. Procrastinating is my middle name.

Just buy the Niam, she'll never know.:whistle:

Congrats on your 2nd PPP.:rock:

Your list is getting shorter by the minute. You may have it all completed before springtime.:cool:

No one will even know you have a silver one.

Sure rub it in why don't you?:D

The black ones are hard to find on the used market right now, if this deal doesn't go through then I'll hold out for black.

Good Morning :thumbsup:

What's spinning ?

My Bad RUSS.

Been busy, passed out just after I came online last night too. Then I get up and the wife's car has a flat again, come to work my boss is here.... gezz.

Been spinning a lot on Sunday... U2, Police, Foo Fighters, Jimi, Smashing Pumpkins and something else, I forget. Then I went onto some computer audio, then to a couple CDs. It was relaxing.

So what are you doing for computer audio now? How do you have it set up?

Nothing really, I have to connect to the internet, then use an ethernet line to the Integra from the laptop, and I can play music on my integra thru windows media player on the laptop. I don't have a lot of music on the computer, I have to rip it from a CD to the laptop. No Downloads. SQ is OK.

currently The Strokes "Is this it?"

Their sound is ideal for vinyl.