[essrand]

Just saying hello.

Been in this hobby on and off for a few years.

Been obsessed for past 6 months.

CUrrently hunting speakers, and selling my old stuff to buy new stuff.

[JLM]

Welcome aboard.

You've seen right through the audiophile 'hidden' traits (of being obsessive and modern hunters).   

I've been into stereo/audio for 40+ years, mostly on/some off.

Feel free to post your questions and comments.  Hope you enjoy your time here.

BTW Audiogon is the best place to sell gear.

[WireNut]

Quote: CUrrently hunting speakers, and selling my old stuff to buy new stuff.


Sounds like you got the bug. I came down with the sickness about 35 years ago, never did get rid of it.
Buy used and make sure the seller has feedback or a reputation on the site.
Welcome to AC.

[essrand]

Sorry, thought I will get a email if someone replied to my post.

Thanks for the welcome guys!

Yes, already bought and sold in Audiogon.

The bug is still on.

[ZigFlitz]

I am new to AudioCircle too. I have also been in and out of the audio hobby for the past 25 years but am now trying to get back in. I appreciate all the excellent advice and resources here.

Would anyone recommend a book entitled "Get Better Sound" by someone named Jim Smith? I don't know how long the book or Mr. Smith have been around.

Thanks

[toocool4]

Welcome essrand and ZipFlitz, you are going to have fun.

[woodsyi]

I am new to AudioCircle too. I have also been in and out of the audio hobby for the past 25 years but am now trying to get back in. I appreciate all the excellent advice and resources here.

Would anyone recommend a book entitled "Get Better Sound" by someone named Jim Smith? I don't know how long the book or Mr. Smith have been around.

Thanks

Welcome to AC.  I have not read the book.  Jim Smith apparently sold Avantgarde speakers for a while.  If he could get those horns working properly in show rooms, he knows some things.  I am not sure it's worth the money but the information is probably not useless. 

A ringing endorsement, eh? 

On the other hand, you can ask anything here and it's free.  There are pretty sharp and helpful people who will answer you and not charge you a thing!

[woodsyi]

There is a review of the book by a person who actually read it.  Scroll to post #5 and you will get the same tepid "endorsement" given by an actual reader. 

I was pretty much correct on my assessment.   

[essrand]

Welcome ZigFlitz.

I liked the Robert Harley book on High end audio. It was a good start to understand terms and provides a good foundation.

AC is cool, I like this community, everyone is so friendly. Looking forward to more fun in this hobby.

[Douger]

I am a reader of "Get Better Sound" and heartily recommend it along with the 3 DVD set, and they are on sale now... Not  only did Jim import Avantgarde speakers, but he
earned a great reputation for  setting up demo rooms for audio shows. If you can make a hotel room sound good...
Chances are you will gain enough knowledge to justify the small outlay, otherwise he guarantees them. Jim also has better musical sense and taste than many others in
this industry!

[ZigFlitz]

Thanks for the warm welcome and good advice. I just found Robert Harley's book Complete Guide to High-End Audio. Will check it out.

Question 1: What are some good circles to check out for someone trying getting to get back into the hobby?

My current system: Faroudja DV-1000 CD player, NAD integrated amp (50 Wpc, and Focal 807V speakers.

Question 2: I like the Focal speakers. However, years ago I used to listen to planar speakers (Magnepan). I recently auditioned a pair of Magneplanar 3.5qr speakers powered by a big amp (McIntosh 300W tube monoblocks) but the bass sounded boomy and muddy. Do you think that was because the speakers were too close to the walls of room (were positioned at least 2 feet away from nearest wall)?

Question 3: A friend of a friend is selling a pair of Martin-Logan Aerius i speakers for about $500. Are they worth it? Anyone heard of these. I don't want to travel a couple of hours to hear them if they're not worth it. I listen to jazz, classical, instrumental and vocal. No rock.
What do you guys think?

[JLM]

Thanks for the warm welcome and good advice. I just found Robert Harley's book Complete Guide to High-End Audio. Will check it out.

Question 1: What are some good circles to check out for someone trying getting to get back into the hobby?

My current system: Faroudja DV-1000 CD player, NAD integrated amp (50 Wpc, and Focal 807V speakers.

Question 2: I like the Focal speakers. However, years ago I used to listen to planar speakers (Magnepan). I recently auditioned a pair of Magneplanar 3.5qr speakers powered by a big amp (McIntosh 300W tube monoblocks) but the bass sounded boomy and muddy. Do you think that was because the speakers were too close to the walls of room (were positioned at least 2 feet away from nearest wall)?

Question 3: A friend of a friend is selling a pair of Martin-Logan Aerius i speakers for about $500. Are they worth it? Anyone heard of these. I don't want to travel a couple of hours to hear them if they're not worth it. I listen to jazz, classical, instrumental and vocal. No rock.
What do you guys think?

Q1:

What exactly do you mean by getting back into audio?  Are you itching to spend money?  Is there something in your system that you're not satisfied with?  Is the grass greener on the other side of the fence?  From glancing at your gear, the NAD may be the weak link, but it looks like you've prioritized the same way I would (especially with the warm NAD sound to tame the Focal tweeter).

The big technology changes in recent years have been in digital (music servers, DACs).  DACs especially are advancing quickly, making it easy to 'over invest' in expensive models IMO.  Servers allow for downloads, playlists, remote control, and sharing throughout the home.  The only other significant changes to the audio landscape since you bought last is increased use of ribbon tweeters and some increased home use interest in active speakers (that makes a ton of sense to me, I won't promote them any more this time).

98% of the systems I find have way better equipment than the room justifies.  By that I'm thinking of various room compromises.  Shared rooms typically limit the setup from being ideal, use of treatments if needed, or the size/amount/complexity of gear.  But more importantly is how often/loud you can listen and what you listen to.  Another issue is the pressure to integrate the audio system with home theater uses.  The only advantage of having the room in shared space is that the room is typically bigger (but usually odd shaped or multiple openings, making acoustic solutions harder to nail down).

So my advice is to start with finding a dedicated room and visiting the acoustics circle for advice on: 1st room size/shape; 2nd insulation; 3rd tweaks/setup.

Q2:

This could easily have been due to the room being too small or as you say placement (usually 3 - 5 feet is recommended for dipoles).  Deeper bass than what you're used to could also sound overblown.

Q3:

Speakers preferences are very individual/personal.  Try finding reviews and relate the reviewers back to speakers you know to see if you relate/agree with their tastes.  If you do go for the audition take your spinner/NAD/cabling with you to try to better figure out how they might sound in your setup/room.

[ZigFlitz]

Thank you for your comments JLM!

Q1: The Focal 807V is an excellent speaker. On some recordings, I wish its tweeter was more tame or forgiving, as you have astutely pointed out. So I'm really just interested in exploring options. 

Excellent summary of the highlights of recent technological advancements, by the way. Do you have any suggestions or recommendations on digital music technology? I really know little about it. Don't own a stand-alone DAC and don't do high-quality downloads. Most CDs.

You're right that so many audiophiles don't have a decent enough room to play their high-quality equipment in. I will have to give this more thought.

Thanks again for your thoughful comments and taking the time to write them out!

[JLM]

Servers come in many different forms, from simply using a personal computer with a DAC to building a dedicated headless computer to buying an expensive turnkey server to adding a wireless solution (like Airport Express or Sonus).  Frankly I simply use an iMac with iTunes and an old DAC (use a $100 Logitech UE smart radio for remote listening) and am not the guy to ask about servers. It's a fast moving target and unless you want armchair/playlist convenience or better sonics (high resolution) there's no need to change right now (I needed a new computer anyway).