Preamp/Processer questions and also some amp questions. (1 Viewer)

[Jesse Sharrow]

Well thank you all for your advice. I guess I just needed someone to tell me whats what.


But as far as a few things go. I do need to realize that if I wait and save up I can get something really nice and be happy.

One other thing. I have heard some pretty high end systems. Nothing $100,000+ but I have heard $100,000 and smaller systems. I used to sell some of the stuff. I have heard a pair of $15,000 kef's. The second from the top of the line, i forget the model. I heard them hooked up to a full krell stack. The lower end stuff, but it was still pretty awsome. I have also heard a two channel musical fidelity system hooked up with almost top of the line audioquest interconnects and sonus faber speakers. I have heard b&W Nautilus series, martin logans, etc, etc.

Honestly I like my dunlavys the best and I havnt even heard the full potential of them. Thats why I dont want to buy a cheaper amp, not that outlaw is bad. But I want to make sure I get something I will be very very happy with.

Now from my research so far I can get a sunfire 2 channel for under $1500. I can also get krell for under $2000. I think I am definitly going to go the monoblock route though.

Also as far as my speaker cables go, I found someone who is willing to trade it for MIT cables. It sounds a little sketchy but Im gonna do alot more research. He wants me to send my cables to him and email him with the tracking number. Then once my cables sell or something he will mail me the MIT's. Doesnt sound right? This is what he told me. "After you have sent it email me the tracking number I will send you a paypal invoice for $315 plus shipping, once the invoice is paid your new cables will ship."

Thanks again guys. You have really helped.

 

[MikeDuke]

Have you heard any sunfire? It seems like you have heard krell and like it. If not that would be my next move. Your ears are the only ones that count.

 

[Jesse Sharrow]

I have heard sunfire before and I acctually, as far as I can remember, liked it better than krell. But I do need to go listen again.

 

[DavidCooper]

For most a good home theater is a long road. It's starting out small and working your way up. Buying good equipment within your budget not what others have. After all we aren't coming over to your house to check on all your stuff.

I've been into this for about 4 years now and I started with a very affordable Paradigm cinema set up. I moved on from there..but I always did a TON of research and found what I think is the best equipment given my budget. I've always tried not to extend myself. I've got a very modest system now and It sounds on par with some VERY expensive set-ups I've heard. You have to realize when you get to a certain level you can achieve very high quality HT sound and not have to spend crazy money.

Case in point: I have an all Swan system. I paid right around $1,000 for my C3 center/2.1 mains/2.1 surrounds. I spent roughly $900 on my SVS sub. My DVD player was about $200 and my Denon 2802 ran about $500. I added a Parasound amp to the mix for $350, and my big screen was $1800. So we are now up to about $4750. Ad in cables and misc stuff and now your around $5,000. Is it the BEST system in the world? NO way...is it the BEST system I could afford? ABSOLUTELY!!!
Plus I didn't go broke or starve getting all of this. It did take me close to 4 years to build it up. During that time my budget increased and so did my knowledge. It's a full blown hobby and I'll continue to make changes as my finances and wife allow! LOL.

Point is....do your research and find a reasonable budget and stay there. As time goes on you will be able to do more and more. Just don't get in over your head right off the bat.

During movie watching the difference between a $5000 system and a $10000 system are fairly minimal. Most would agree on this.

 

[Arthur S]

The fantasy is in full swing again. The guy hasn't even heard his speakers on stands, they are still on the floor and he likes them better than any speaker he has ever heard. Has no idea what they are going to sound like on stands with the tweeters at ear level. Guy has no clue that moving them from the floor to stands will make 500 times more difference than going from his receiver to any power amp in the world.

So that guy is going to "trade" you his MIT plus $315? But wants you to ship before he pays. With a little luck, you won't end up giving away the silver speaker wires.

So you have prices on Sunfire and Krell and on and on and no money to buy anything. How many more times do we need to hear your fantasy about Krell?

It is starting to rub off, I am starting to fantasize myself. In my fantasy the next post from the guy would be AFTER HE GETS SOME GOOD SPEAKER STANDS .

 

[Robert Cowan]

jesse needs to do a little more of his own leg work. sure, krell and sunfire is nice, but the stuff he's talking about is needle-in-eardrum low end high-end. i was one of the krell trainers for colorado, and the low end stuff is junk in my opinion. and, sunfire is expensive for what it is. there are MANY other brands out there.

and he has access to some decent store out there, but he hasnt really been to any of them for a proper demo. those $15k KEF's he talked about are a joke. they are in ultimate electronics hooked up to mediocre gear in a piss-poor display. i was also a trainer for them too, and i quit after that line came out...

he needs to hear a ~$10k - $30k system thats tweaked to the max (setup right in a good room with components that really play well together) to get an idea what a coherent system REALLY is. like many of you have said, your $5k system blows the pants off most stuff you've heard. well, thats becuase most show rooms just plop down stuff thats expensive and expect it to sound good together. thats not always (if ever) the case.

oh, and the whole cable trading thing... thats just someone trying to get free cables and once again, he is worrying about step 954 out of 1000. step one is speaker stands. i bet money those MIT cables wont sound any different than what he already has. get speaker stands, save money, research quietly, dont make any new threads, and be done with it.

oh, and i almost came to your house and kicked the crap out of you when you responded to the guy asking questions about crestron. you have no right offering up advice on someone who has a VERY complex system. crestron is VERY nice stuff and you had no idea what it is or what its about. so, learn a little bit more before you go replying to things you dont understand.

 

[Jesse Sharrow]

[rant]You see this is the problem with the internet!!!!!!!! I try to come on a website to get some opinions and some advice and I all get is bashing. If I bother you that much DONT REPLY!!!!!!!! Then this post will drop off the page and we will be done with it. All I wanted was some ideas. I never should have said anything about how much money I had. [/rant]

Come on guys, have a little decency! Im sorry that I have free time and I like to think about this stuff and even fantasize. Im also sorry that Im not rich and I couldnt just go out and buy everything I want and leave you guys alone.

[rant]BTW! Im not gonna trade my cables Im gonna keep them. And to the person who keeps saying that I should do my own legwork! I AM!!!!! Thats why I come here. Does a new guy who makes another post about SVS - Whoever get treated like this. Now Im at the point where everyone has bashed pretty much everything I have been interested in. So now I dont know what I want! You guys should seriously be ashamed of yourselves. Im sorry but come on![/rant]


Im sorry for all that but can you see it from my point of view? First of all thanks for the recommendation on Outlaw. That is high up on my list of choices. But Is there a way I can listen to it first? Well I guess they do have the 30day return.

Now if anyone else has anything constructive to say please do so. But to be honest I am going to go start a new post. Because I want to ask some questions about speaker stands. If you see it and it makes you mad... DONT REPLY! Please.

 

[Jesse Sharrow]

"oh, and i almost came to your house and kicked the crap out of you when you responded to the guy asking questions about crestron. you have no right offering up advice on someone who has a VERY complex system. crestron is VERY nice stuff and you had no idea what it is or what its about. so, learn a little bit more before you go replying to things you dont understand."

I was just trying to help. If I said something wrong then go ahead and reply. But as far as I remember the next person who posted agreed with me.

 

[MikeDuke]

Outlaw is internet only so it's going to be hard to try and listen to them. But like you said, they have a 30 day trial so it may be worth the shipping.

 

[Jesse Sharrow]

I think its worth a try. Sounds like a good set of amps. The M200's that is.

 

[Ron T]

They're more than $25. By the time you save the money there'll be the new flavour of the week so all this dreaming and speculation is a total waste of time.

 

[Jesse Sharrow]

Ron was that really necessary?

 

[Ron T]

Jesse yes a dose of reality is long overdue. You'd be far better off researching and saving on your own then when you're close to a decision come back. Ever heard of The Boy Who Cried Wolf? You've been given this same advice by many people so please drop this manic behaviour and just quietly research things. At this point you've got Dunlavys your wife bought you sitting on the floor and you have $25 saved up. They were a decent speaker but far from the best available so your Yamaha is not holding them back nearly as much as you think. Get some stands and just RELAX and enjoy what you have NOW.

 

[Scott Oliver]

Jesse I think the best thing you could do right now would be to start visiting local dealers. You have a few listening experiences but you need to keep getting out and just listen to as much as possible. Monitor as many high end and HT forums as you can as well. And then look into meeting other local audiophiles so you can hear their stuff as well. www.audiocircle.com has a forum for Denver audio enthusiasts. Their is also a Denver Audiophile Society who helps put together that Rocky Mountain Audio Fest so I imagine you might be able to find a link to their website if they have one from the link I already provided you for that event.

Just slow down and take the time to learn, especially since the money isn't there right now anyhow. Learn about all the various brands, learn how to listen, learn what suits your tastes, etc.

Oh and btw as for stands I am a fan of these. www.skylanstands.com

 

[Robert Cowan]

Scott,

i have tried numerous times through email or through the forum to get jesse to visit either my store or my house for demos. the company i work for is one of the main sponsors of the rocky mountain audio fest. i was there as a sponsor last year for 2 days. our company has the largest prescense there with three full sized rooms. i could help him out, show him around, but he declined. i dont get it.

 

[Arthur S]

Robert

And it's not as if you don't know he doesn't have any money to spend.

He probably declined because it would break the fantasy bubble. The realities of his situation are so bizarre that maintaining the fantasy is much more exciting (and less threatening) than dealing with real products.

Your offer is gracious, however, all he needs right now is a pair of stands. I wonder if it has sunk in yet that moving the speakers off the floor and onto stands is going to make 500 times more difference than adding the best power amp in the world.

Ron T

Keep up the good work.

 

[Jesse Sharrow]

Robert I just emailed you. I would love to come see you stuff. But I dont rememeber you asking me about any of that. I do want to go to the audiofest.


Arthur. I think it has sunk in.