Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

[duke86fan]

i think my setup is getting a bit too punchy (or im playing the music a bit too loud), but listening to the percussion on an album like donuts i felt tired and like there was too much bass in there... i will see my results once i get a magni 3+ or heresy to replace the powered speakers i use as a headphone out but rn there is just a bit too much bass and listening on my headphones can feel tiring

or these M audio speakers are powerful enough that 10 o clock they get too loud and i have to set it to 9 o clock

 

[kvetcha]

i think my setup is getting a bit too punchy (or im playing the music a bit too loud), but listening to the percussion on an album like donuts i felt tired and like there was too much bass in there... i will see my results once i get a magni 3+ or heresy to replace the powered speakers i use as a headphone out but rn there is just a bit too much bass and listening on my headphones can feel tiring

or these M audio speakers are powerful enough that 10 o clock they get too loud and i have to set it to 9 o clock

I mean, it could also just be the production on some albums.

 

[duke86fan]

I mean, it could also just be the production on some albums.

so i'm SOL? because i dunno how to get albums i love with better sound quality because VMP are dumb

 

[kvetcha]

so i'm SOL? because i dunno how to get albums i love with better sound quality because VMP are dumb

I mean, the production is the production, not the pressing or the mastering. Does it sound similar via streaming?

 

[duke86fan]

I mean, the production is the production, not the pressing or the mastering. Does it sound similar via streaming?

not really

on my monoprice USB DAC (which i plan to move to a dragonfly red in the future), they sound more flat and even a little boring on spotify

 

[duke86fan]

@kvetcha did a slightly deeper test and yeah testing the same thing with streaming at the same volumes and stuff the bass is not close to as heavy as the vinyl. its either an issue with my setup or a lot of vinyl mastering

 

[kvetcha]

@kvetcha did a slightly deeper test and yeah testing the same thing with streaming at the same volumes and stuff the bass is not close to as heavy as the vinyl. its either an issue with my setup or a lot of vinyl mastering

Same on both headphones and speaker? Definitely points to something in the chain then. What's your cartridge, and what's your phono stage gain set to?

 

[Joe Mac]

Same on both headphones and speaker? Definitely points to something in the chain then. What's your cartridge, and what's your phono stage gain set to?

unless it’s genre specific

 

[duke86fan]

What's your cartridge, and what's your phono stage gain set to?

Grado black1, gain 1 all low, gain 2 all high, 47K load

Also only tested as headphone because I don't use speakers

unless it’s genre specific

No I get a similar issue on albums like songs for the deaf and some hip hop albums like camp Lo are great

Some albums like Becks odelay and Akira symphonic suite sound great though so maybe it it mostly an issue with hip hop pressings like dilla being mastered bad

 

[kvetcha]

Grado black1, gain 1 all low, gain 2 all high, 47K load

Also only tested as headphone because I don't use speakers

No I get a similar issue on albums like songs for the deaf and some hip hop albums like camp Lo are great

Some albums like Becks odelay and Akira symphonic suite sound great though so maybe it it mostly an issue with hip hop pressings like dilla being mastered bad

I would see if the issue is also present on the speakers. Remove the headphone output from the equation.

 

[duke86fan]

I would see if the issue is also present on the speakers. Remove the headphone output from the equation.

did some slight testing and yeah songs for the deaf had the same "bass so loud i can barely hear the singer" situation thats not on the spotify stream.. and J dilla was much number than i remember on headphones and speakers (i can put that one to being tired when listening). though i will note that one of the tweeters on the speakers was already possibly broken from me pushing the bulging part a bit too much to see the air go away and grow back

who knows maybe it was just a mental excuse for feeling bad about using the plebian level grado or maybe i just was tired when it came to that track, the issue is still strong on the vinyl mastering on songs for the deaf so that bugs me when i like vocals closer in the mix

 

[kvetcha]

did some slight testing and yeah songs for the deaf had the same "bass so loud i can barely hear the singer" situation thats not on the spotify stream.. and J dilla was much number than i remember on headphones and speakers (i can put that one to being tired when listening). though i will note that one of the tweeters on the speakers was already possibly broken from me pushing the bulging part a bit too much to see the air go away and grow back

who knows maybe it was just a mental excuse for feeling bad about using the plebian level grado or maybe i just was tired when it came to that track, the issue is still strong on the vinyl mastering on songs for the deaf so that bugs me when i like vocals closer in the mix

Might be the amp in the speakers going bad.

 

[duke86fan]

Might be the amp in the speakers going bad.

thats why im buying either a magni 3+ or magni heresy for it

 

[buchaneb]

Anyone have any thoughts on Parasound amps? I am considering the 2125 v.2 to power two pairs of speakers and maybe eventually pairing it with a Schiit Freya + preamp.

 

[Godardian]

Anyone have any thoughts on Parasound amps? I am considering the 2125 v.2 to power two pairs of speakers and maybe eventually pairing it with a Schiit Freya + preamp.

I have a Parasound Halo Integrated that I use with Klipsch Forte III's. Signal coming from a mofi ultradeck & ultraphono. I am also using the coax plug in with a sonos connect, and the optical plug in for my tv. I think it's amazing.

 

[kvetcha]

Anyone have any thoughts on Parasound amps? I am considering the 2125 v.2 to power two pairs of speakers and maybe eventually pairing it with a Schiit Freya + preamp.

No personal experience, but I've heard nothing but good things about Parasound equipment. @HiFi Guy might have a more informed opinion.

 

[buchaneb]

I have a Parasound Halo Integrated that I use with Klipsch Forte III's. Signal coming from a mofi ultradeck & ultraphono. I am also using the coax plug in with a sonos connect, and the optical plug in for my tv. I think it's amazing.

That sounds like a solid set-up! Was leaning toward one of the mid-range Yamaha integrateds, but now I am deep down the separates path lol.

 

[Godardian]

That sounds like a solid set-up! Was leaning toward one of the mid-range Yamaha integrateds, but now I am deep down the separates path lol.

I love it...paid for it for sure, but no complaints.

 

[Selaws]

Hi guys, I rarely come into the depths of this particular thread but I wondered if you guys could give me a bit of advice. I was searching on the Proj-Ject store for a product code for a new belt for my Pro-Ject The Classic (found and ordered!) and stumbled across a sub-platter upgrade which looks interesting (link to 'The Classic Evo Sub-Platter). It sounds like the added mass and machined metal dampens unwanted noise and gives a higher level of accuracy than the standard plastic one I currently have (link to the standard sub-platter - different model but for illustrative purposes it's the same type).

A replacement for the standard is around £20-£25 and the upgraded sub-platter is around £110. So, 2 questions. 1. Does it sound like a worthy upgrade, and have any of you gone down this route before? 2. Why is it that on the Pro-Ject website it stipulates that the original sub-platter must be returned to the dealer on upgrade?

 

[Joe Mac]

Hi guys, I rarely come into the depths of this particular thread but I wondered if you guys could give me a bit of advice. I was searching on the Proj-Ject store for a product code for a new belt for my Pro-Ject The Classic (found and ordered!) and stumbled across a sub-platter upgrade which looks interesting (link to 'The Classic Evo Sub-Platter). It sounds like the added mass and machined metal dampens unwanted noise and gives a higher level of accuracy than the standard plastic one I currently have (link to the standard sub-platter - different model but for illustrative purposes it's the same type).

A replacement for the standard is around £20-£25 and the upgraded sub-platter is around £110. So, 2 questions. 1. Does it sound like a worthy upgrade, and have any of you gone down this route before? 2. Why is it that on the Pro-Ject website it stipulates that the original sub-platter must be returned to the dealer on upgrade?

I know it’s a different table but I’ve upgraded my standard plastic sub-platter with an aftermarket one (it needed an upgraded bearing housing fitting too) and I like it. Added a little extra depth and the increased speed stability is a good thing. It wasn’t a night and day thing though, more an improvement tweak. The night and day upgrade on the turntable was the discovery of Grado carts, each one up has been progressively better too, and in the wider system it was the phono stage.

For your reference this is the one I bought and I notice he makes one for your table too by the looks of it.