f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Trout,

Nice system there, we have discussed Naim before.

Will try and get a pic up soon, but system as follows:

Linn Sondek LP12 turntable/Ekos arm/Archiv cartridge/Lingo power supply
Naim CD2 D player
Naim 102 pre amp
Naim Hi-Cap power supply
Naim NAXO2-4 active crossover
Naim Hi-Cap power supply no.2
Naim 135 x 4
Naim Credos in active mode
Naim AV2 sound processor
Naim NAV-173 3 channel power amp
B&W centre and surrounds
Naim NAC A5 speaker cables
Chord/Naim interconnects

Stealth

iTrader: (4)

That is the very projector I used to have setup in my living room with my PS3, what you need is a HD Fury Cable, HDMI to VGA allowing your output to be HD

I have a HD Fury Gamers edition for sale if you want one, will do you it cheap

Trout

iTrader: (1)

This also sounds very good

Trout

iTrader: (1)

I forgot to mention my modified Origin Live turntable with RB250 with silver cables and Denon cartridge!

jsh1

iTrader: (1)

Stu,

Why would you not use the pre-out for front left and right from the AV amp into an input on the Cyrus and use the Monitor Audio speakers for the fronts?

Jason

Evolution Stu

iTrader: (2)

Thanks, that was a large part of the brief as I really dislike having a lot of stuff on show. The bonus with that cabinet I redesigned is that the slatted front doors allow all the remotes to still work perfectly when they are closed.



Its all about the tonal balance. To get a sonically correct AV system you really need to be quite careful with speaker matching and output balancing to ensure the sounds output by each channel are correct and trying to match that center and surrounds to those RX8's would be neigh on impossible. Plus, the KEF's really do sound very very good indeed. The sub is thunderous and the overall sound quality extremely high. I guarantee if you heard it you would presume the big ones actually were running.

Secondly it would be a total ballache trying to turn the volume up and down on two separate amplifiers.

Its something I deliberated on long and hard for quite some time as I didn't want big floor standers and initially gave myself a budget of £2K for Av and a decent 2 channel system. As soon as I fired up the AV I was amazed, after a good 50hrs running in it really did come to life, but sadly it was tiring sonically in 2 channel mode. AV amps simply don't cut it when it comes to accuracy and timing so I had to bite the bullet and install two separate systems and figure out how to not make the room look like your local Audio T showroom. I am happy with the end result.

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

Why is it that audio stuff 'comes to life' after a period of running in? How does that actually work? I was told to 'run' my headphones in and that the sound would improve with use but I'd like to know how that occurs. In simple terms please

jsh1

iTrader: (1)

I understand all that, in fact I run my own AV installation company and have been in Hi-Fi and Home Cinema for over 20 years.

You could have matched them with an MA centre channel etc, and once you have calibrated the system you only need to set the Cyrus to a pre-determined level and then the AV amp handles the increase and decrease in volume of the whole system

I fully understand your reasons for going down the route you did, and I have used the Kef system many times and it is very good and exceptional value for money.

I am sure that it will bring you years of pleasure.

Jason

Mark'sWRX

Audio:

Project RPM6 with Grado Prestige Gold cartridge
Cyrus dad3Q with PSX-R
Thorens 190w monoblocs with matching preamp (very rare)
Mission 782se with QED silver anni bi-wire

Owned for quite a few years with no desire to change.

AV:

JVC 28" CRT with built in sub and pseudo surround.

Sounds better than ANY built in sound on a new fangled flat screen.
Not worth setting up a proper AV system as all I watch on TV is Top Gear and TV Burp.

Coffin Dodger

Paid this in mid 2008:

Onkyo CS325UK-BLACK Onkyo CS325 CD & DAB/FM/Am Receiver System with iPod Dock & Speakers in Black - £201.99

Sony DVPNS708 DVD Player with 1080 Up-scaling - Black - £61.99

(and the TV for completeness Sony KDL-26T3000 - 26'' Widescreen Bravia HD Ready LCD TV - With Freeview - £309.67)

Evolution Stu

iTrader: (2)

Ah I see your thinking, but please bear in mind I didnt buy all this gear at the same time. The KEF's came first and I kept it firmly in my head that I was very very happy with that AV setup as it was and had and stil have no desire to upgrade it at all.

Secondly but importantly, I know that I may want to convert one of my spare rooms into a listening and chilling room, a room with no damned TV in it, and this route allows me to split the system into two again with no detriment to each other should I wish to. That final thought was the decider to follow the path I did.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Down to the materials the speaker is made of.

Many speakers have coated cardboard cones, and butyl rubber edging, with a spider (fabric suspension) around the voice coil to hold it all central. When new it maybe quite stiff and restrict the cone's movement. As the speaker ages the butyl and fabric suspension becomes more flexible so the cone moves more freely, this changes the sound characteristics, especially the deep tones.

Also any wadding/stuffing inside the speaker cabinets may need to settle, but that generally depends on how its been stuffed and if its shifted during transit.

Nothing 10hours of hard rave music at near full volume (not distorting) wouldn't sort

Evolution Stu

iTrader: (2)

I am no audio technician and can only think of this as the best way to describe what i want to convey. if you imagine the outer ring of a loudspeaker (The soft part that flexes and allows the actual rigid part of the speaker cone to move in and out at high speed in a linear fashion) as a piece of cardboard and the design brief of your piece of cardboard is to flex at high speed thus creating sound. Over its life the more you flex the cardboard the softer it becomes and therefore for any given amount of effort made to flex it, over time, it will flex further because it has become more pliable and softer than it was when new. Speakers are the same, the materials used soften up and respond differently to the voltages applied to them as they bed into what the designers have decided is their lifetime flexibility where hopefully they will stay for many many years or until some child pokes a hole in one of them.

The electronics are similar, as the components get hot and cool repeatedly their voltage outputs change ever so slightly and thus so does the output to the speakers. Cyrus recommend a minimum of 3 days to get an acceptable output from their equipment and then up to three weeks of running time until their electronics stop improving.

Scoobychick

iTrader: (1)

A perfect couple of explanations there, thanks chaps

I'm off to buy me some glow sticks...

stilover

How tall are you Stu?

Cos that door handle is a bit on the high side

Paucatuman

Cardboard was used extensively in cone manufacture because it was lightweight, fairly rigid and cheap. One of the major design considerations of speaker designers is to make the cone as rigid as possible and for it not to flex. Flex in the surface of the cone is the speaker designers enermy. When the voicecoil moves forward it pushes the cone forward as well, if the cone isn't rigid enough a wave will move across the surface of the cone, hit the rubber suspension on the outside edge and then ripple back towards the centre. Very much like ripples caused across the surface of a bucket if you drop something in the middle. When these waves meet going in opposite directions the purity and clarity of the sound deteriorates.

Speaker design is a science and a subject that goes into huge detail and very in depth - my knowledge is limited to the top layer - i get lost if you start talking to some of these guys. I used to work very closely with B&W in worthing - their R+D facility is an incredibly interesting place. You only need one trip there to never want small speakers again. To make big noise you need big cones!

Anyway, some nice kit here guys - don't forget the interconnects though. 10% of total spend should be on cables. It hurts at the time but it's worth it. Always found Ritcher Sounds very reasonable of speaker cable.

Jamie

6 ft fat thumbs

Evolution Stu

iTrader: (2)

LOL. Everyone who comes to mine says that. Its a strange "feature" of the house, they are all like that.

Evolution Stu

iTrader: (2)

I fully understand you and just struggle to convey it to a non techie in the correct terms. I have edited my explanation to hopefully clarify my thoughts. If that fails and anyone is very interested to hear a good explanation I will get my good friend Mr Doug Sterling to pop along and explain. He owns Sterling Broadcast who as many of you will know design and manufacture the world famous Sterling LS3/5a series.

stilover

Small ****.

Paucatuman

It must save time in the evenings though - the handles are conviniently light switch height.

scooby L

Loving the Monitors Stu..I'm a big fan of MA

What is the AV unit? (looking for a similar "child friendlier" version to mine)

Little fingers and all that

PS, The door handles are ideal for keeping the kids in (or out) of rooms!

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Anyone who wants to know about speakers, I can Recommend the book "More about Loudspeakers" by G.A. Briggs, who was chief designer for Wharfedale, before they were taken over by Rank.

I've actually BUILT one or two sets to his designs and others and they were outstanding for the outlay.

Hysteria1983

Since having the kids and quitting my job, such things as a nice system do not exist in my home.

I don't miss it at the moment, but the little stereo in the kitchen just doesn't cut the mustard.

When I am back at work and looking for advice, I will sure know where to come for help.

My living room is basically black and red, and being of the fairer sex, i'd like it to match a bit, the rest I will have no idea where to start.

stormyuklondon1

my 2 channel system consists of-
michell gyrodec, michell tecnoarm and dynavector dv17d3 cartridge
Dynavector p-75 phono stage
macbook and cambridge audio dac magic
Bryston bp-25 preamplifier
isotek mains distribution block

PMC AML1 active monitors.

pretty happy at the moment, but im thinking about a dac change before the summer..

alcazar

iTrader: (2)

Is the above MP3 based, apart from the vinyl? If so, how does it cope with the compression?

stormyuklondon1

no, all my cd's are stored in aiff, so no lossy issues..

f1_fan

iTrader: (9)

Love the Gyrodec Superb both aesthetically and functionally.

grahamk23

TOP TIP

If u have got a new pair of quality speakers, it takes a while to bed them in as u all know....to speed this up place the speakers face to face, only about 10 inches. on one of them reverse the cables on the back (+ to -/- to +). now play them for a day, but not loud!! this will speed the running process greatly.

mike1210

Not a complete system as such but

Technics SL1210 turntable with

TimeStep Power Supply
Jelco SA-750D Tonearm
Denon DL160 Cart
Sound Hi Fi Mat
Isonoe Feet
Motor Dynmanics Mod

mods are all from here

Technics SL1200 SL1210 - SL-1210 SL1200 SP-25 SP25 SP-15 modifications

Trichord Dino Phonostage with Plus Power Supply
Graham Slee Headphone Amp
Sennheiser HD600 with Eqiunox Cable

Caiman DAC from here

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