2Ch System components

[Danny]

Currently i have an EV crossover connected to a Ramsa Amp (driving a sub 400Watts/side at 4ohm) and an AE440 amp (250watts/side at 4ohm) driving the mains. Am hoping to upgrade my speakers soonish as they are the weakest link in the system (still sound alright but could sound better). Wondering what everyone else is using in their 2Ch systems at the moment.

[JCD]

Well.. my two channel system will be up soon -- I hope. I am going to convert my garage to a listening room soon (link to accoustic question).

Anyway, all of the equipment is DIY or used. This is what I have:

1. a pair of DIY speakers (link)
2. Rotel 971-B 2 channel amp (bought used)
3. Marantz A600 Preamp (bought used)
4. Panasonic 5 disc DVD player (old DVD player I had hanging around, will be used for CD playing mostly)
5. Crown 602 XLS Amp (bought used, for planned IB)
6. Rane AC22 (bought used, crossover to be used for IB)
7. BFD 1124 (bought used, for planned IB)
8. 6 sheets of OC703 to be used for DIY accoustic treatments

The only thing not listed are the drivers I'll be using for the IB. Haven't figured out what I want.

Anyway, that is/will be my rig.

JCD

[Danny]

DIY speakers look awesome - be interested to see if i can get it in Aus. I'll probably end up getting a Behringer mixing desk to use as preamp (to feed the amps as they are pro audio). I was considering getting the Crown amp but it was $700 over here, a bit out of my price range. You're going to have a cracker of a system when it's finished.

[akitaboy]

Right at the moment I'm using a Parasound PHP-850 Preamp and a Bryston 3B-ST Power Amp driving a pair of NHT 2.9 towers. I'm using an older Panasonic DVD player to play the cd's. A pretty straightforward system, but I like the sound.

Akitaboy

[geekwithfamily]

I have a Rogue Audio 99 Preamp, Anthem MCA-2 Amp (200 W per channel), Hsu Research VTF-2 subwoofer and Vandersteen 1c loudspeakers. This set up gives me an accurate and never strained presentation with great imaging and bass weight.

[rcarlton]

My two-channel setup includes Klipsch Cornwall I's, McIntosh MAC-1700, Cambridge Audio Azure 640C. Looking to add a Technics SL-1200 MK2 turntable (built like a tank, direct drive).

[JCD]

Danny wrote:

DIY speakers look awesome - be interested to see if i can get it in Aus.

Here is the Usher dealer in Australia per Usher -- don't know if you can get the drivers directly though. Here in the states, we get them from Parts Express. I also found this one online.

Danny wrote:

I was considering getting the Crown amp but it was $700 over here, a bit out of my price range.

Yeah, new they're about the same. I happened to get a good deal on a used one.

Danny wrote:

You're going to have a cracker of a system when it's finished.

I hope so! Thanks.

JCD

[Yamahaluver]

A pair of NS-1000x and Canton Ergo 120, a Accuphase DP 70V CDP and a Yamaha CDP 1050, they are directly connected to CX-1000 Yamaha pre amp and Yamaha MX-1000 power amp, also a Technics SL-1200 Mk-II turntable and a SONY TC-730ES cassette player.

[khellandros66]

I can highly recommend the Triad InRoom GOLD LCRs. Also for a similar amount of money the Paradigm Signature 4s with a great pair of musical subs like the SVS SB-12

As for components Parasound Halo P3 and A21 and their new D3 player

or

Sim Audio Moon Evolution Series SuperNova CD Player, P-7 Dual-mono Preamplifier, and W-8 Reference Dual-mono Power Amplifier

~Bob

[Kenr]

My two channel setup is a subset of my 5.1. I have a Classe cp60 preamp in surround sound mode so I run my 5.1 mains through them but for two channel my processor is out of the loop. The rest of my 2 channel system is a pair of Dynaudio 3.3s, Well Tempered TT, Sigma Genesis 2000 cartridge, Cal Delta and Alpha CD and two channels from my Simaudio Titan.

[brucek]

Wondering what everyone else is using in their 2Ch systems at the moment.

I suspect my two channel system would sound better in a dedicated room, but it still sounds nice in my living room....

I use an ARCAM ALPHA 9 CD player:

Alpha.jpg



Feeding a BRYSTON SP2 in analog bypass to one of my Bryston amps:

SP2.jpg



Using Bryston XLR interconnects and DIY 9 guage speaker cable with locking banana plugs:

cables.jpg


Feeding ProAC 3.8 speakers:

ProAc3.8.jpg


brucek

[Wayne A. Pflughaupt]

brucek,

What are you using for cabinetry? It looks like basic veneer over particle board, but I know that would never hold up those Bryston amps!

Regards,
Wayne

[brucek]

What are you using for cabinetry?

I'm using absolute junk. In fact, I had to add extra supports under the shelves to keep the heavy amps from crashing to the floor. hehehe

It doesn't change the sound though...

[jmprader]

brucek wrote:

I'm using absolute junk. In fact, I had to add extra supports under the shelves to keep the heavy amps from crashing to the floor. hehehe

It doesn't change the sound though...

...doesn't change the sound? doesn't change the sound? Sacrilege. Call in the Inquisition.

You are implying my recent purchase of special Yohembi wood shelves...raised organically in virgen, first-growth forests, tended by celibant albino monks of an ancient and secret religious order deep in Gabon, treated with secret formulas known only to a few surviving Native American shamans for anti-resonant characteristics and affixed to the pillars with special silver alloy screws drop forged by skilled artisans in the Black Forest don't really improve the sound of my system vs. my old DIY racks made of milk crates and leftover plywood? :holycow:

Next thing, you'll be saying my interconnects and speaker made of a secret silver/platinum alloy with a wire that is first heat treated then cooled in deionized holy water before being cryogenically treated on midsummer's eve in a special facility located precisely at the Prime Meridian and Equator don't make my stuff sound better either...

...makes me want to go electrocute myself with that kilobuck power cable I was going to buy to clean up all the garbage added to my AC between the PG&E plant and my wall socket.

Just reorganized my 2.1 ch second system to Sony 555ES SACD front end, McCormack TLC1, Bryston 7B-STs and a Crown K2, Behringer1124, Polk SDA-SRS2 and a 2x15 (soon to be 4x15) PE IB. Way too much juice for the Polks, but I had the big amps, so better to use them than leave them in storage...

[JCD]

jmprader wrote:

...doesn't change the sound? doesn't change the sound? Sacrilege. Call in the Inquisition.

You are implying my recent purchase of special Yohembi wood shelves...raised organically in virgen, first-growth forests, tended by celibant albino monks of an ancient and secret religious order deep in Gabon, treated with secret formulas known only to a few surviving Native American shamans for anti-resonant characteristics and affixed to the pillars with special silver alloy screws drop forged by skilled artisans in the Black Forest don't really improve the sound of my system vs. my old DIY racks made of milk crates and leftover plywood? :holycow:

Next thing, you'll be saying my interconnects and speaker made of a secret silver/platinum alloy with a wire that is first heat treated then cooled in deionized holy water before being cryogenically treated on midsummer's eve in a special facility located precisely at the Prime Meridian and Equator don't make my stuff sound better either...

...makes me want to go electrocute myself with that kilobuck power cable I was going to buy to clean up all the garbage added to my AC between the PG&E plant and my wall socket.

Just reorganized my 2.1 ch second system to Sony 555ES SACD front end, McCormack TLC1, Bryston 7B-STs and a Crown K2, Behringer1124, Polk SDA-SRS2 and a 2x15 (soon to be 4x15) PE IB. Way too much juice for the Polks, but I had the big amps, so better to use them than leave them in storage...

I LOVE your rant!

JCD

[Julien43]

Well here's My System

[arclight]

Currently running -

NAD - C352 - Integrated Amp
NAD - C521BEE - CD Player
PSB - Image B25 - Speakers
JVC - DVD Player - Soon to be upgraded with a better analog output stage.
Premiere - J23 - 20" Sand Filled Stands

[jackfish]

Music room stereo system includes:
Dual 1245 turntable with an AT-440MLa cartridge
Harman Kardon TD4400 CD Transcription cassette deck
AKAI AT-2600 tuner
Oppo DV-970HD non-vintage for a digital source with an AudioDigit Tubalizer tube buffer stage between the Oppo and the preamp
Harman Kardon Citation 11 preamp - reconditioned
Two Phase Linear 400 Series I power amplifiers - reconditioned
Components all sitting on a Flexy Table rack custom designed and built by me
Interconnects are either AR Professional Series or Monster Interlink 200
14 gauge speaker wire
Two pair U4 Large Advent stacked. The Large Advents are the "New" version, have been refoamed, had component upgrades to the crossovers, and are fused, each pair driven by one of the above amps. One pair purchased by me in 1980 and the other recently from eBay. These speakers stand stacked (top speaker is upside down) on sand filled Dayton SSHM-12 12" High Mass Metal speaker stands.

Housewide stereo system:
Realistic STA-2380 100 Watt per channel Stereo AM/FM Receiver
Harman Kardon TD-202 cassette deck
Technics SL-BD20D turntable
JVC 5-disc CD player
Niles SS-6 speaker selector with impedance magnification

TV room speakers -
Rock Solid monitors
AR S112PS subwoofer

Foyer speakers -
New Large Advents A4 walnut veneer

Sitting/computer room speakers -
New Large Advent U3

Dining room speakers -
Infinity SM65

Kitchen speakers -
Infinity SM65

[Marks57]

My 2 channel setup:

11'x13' Dedicated Room

Musical Fidelity A3.5 Integrated
Musical Fidelity XPSU V.3 Power Supply
Musical Fidelity XDAC V.3
Musical Fidelity X10 V.3 Tube Buffer
Marantz SA8001 SACD Player
Marantz DV6001 DVD Player
Panamax Line Conditioner
AudioQuest CV4 DBS Speaker Cables (2 pr double biwire)
AudioQuest King Cobra Interconnects
Tannoy Saturn S10 Towers (10" active bass, 10" active mid, dual concentric tweeter)
Tannoy ST50 SuperTweeters
Sony 23" LCD HD TV
Owens Corning 703 (37 sheets of 2x4 1" thick)

Future Projects/Purchases:

Marantz TT-15S1 Turntable (about 1 month away)

I have purchased a Tannoy S8C Center Channel and am going to incorporate 5.1 into the room for SACD and DVD 5.1 music concerts. I plan on getting a 3 channel amp to drive the center and the 2 surrounds and a Marantz A/V receiver as the preamp. The Musical Fidelity A3.5 has a HT input that will allow me to go line level in out of the preamp to drive the mains in 5.1 mode. I will also install 2 Tannoy 6" dual concentric inceiling speakers as the surrounds.

After this, I'm done! Yeah, Right.