Well..My modest system which I downsized recently from a BIG BAD expensive rig is WAY more musical and gives me the liquidity and organic sound Ive been wanting, but never achieved with my other hi priced rig. Here is my gear( I have a system post to view also) It is an all tube system, which may be a prerequisite for that "liquidity" IMHO
Proper room acoustics are first on the list!
followed by RF control/AC niose quieting/ and vibration control.
VPI Aries2/JMW10/ZYX Fuji Silver H
ARC PH3 SE Phono
Jolida 100 cd
Manley Stingray Integrated amp/ El84 output tubes
Ridge Street Audio Poiema! IC and speaker cables
Electraglide UK Statement 2 Rev and Mini Khan Plus Pc's
Bybee Power Purifier Signature
Bybee slipstream rca's plugs.
I am very satisfied with this sound after many years of "upgrades"
Good Listening!- Ken |
Oh....speakers are Usher 6371's. |
Alright, I'l bite. Yes, I think mine sounds liquid. Von Schweikert VR4 speakers upgraded to VR5s, pushed by a Jeff Rowland Model 10, and a tubed
British preamp, an Audio Innovations L2. Synergistic Research speaker cables (Resolution Reference on the bottom and Designer's Reference .5 on the top) and PCs, but with Pure Note silver interconnects between pre and power. Front end is an Adcom (don't laugh - a solid redbook player) GCD 750 with Synergistic interconnects.
I've basically stopped looking at stereo equipment. I'm done.
Enjoy. |
My basement flooded once. |
Audio Note...a complete system is incredibly musical and liquid. I have 2 of them. |
More liquid than not really. Perhaps the wrong liquid though. Sort of holds together like keifer. |
Liquidity was one of my main goals and currently, I am very satisfied with what I have achieved. I can't stand musical notes that don't relate to each other...it is just unnatural. The Jolida JD100 cd player (with NOS 5751s) was a fantastic addition. I haven't heard layering and detail like that, even in high $$$ rigs at fancy hifi shops. I feel lucky to have finally obtained this kind of system synergy. Arthur |
More lush than liquid...would not be to hard to push it's sound towards liquid though.
The tubes I'm using in my Audioprism Mantissa (NOS Amperex 7308's) give only a nice rounding to the mid-range...My Krell Ksa-250 is on the warmer side of neutral and the Apogee Duetta Signatures are lush my nature.
Sold my Sony XA-777es and am thinking about adding a tubed DAC or CD player soon...leaning towards a modded Jolida.
Cables are Acoustic Zen and Harmonic Technology along with Apogee for digital cable.
Dave |
I think I have a fairr amount of liquidity, everywhere but the bank account that is! Seriously though, I just moved and the system is loving the new room, I like to call it liquid transaprency. A Tube Technology CD player/ Rega P3>Camelot Lancelot Phono>Herron VTSP1A preamp>KR Audio V300 Antares amp>Alon Lotus SE MkIII speakers. Aaahhhhh!!!!! I'll be posting new pics and stuff soon. |
I've read your other posts on this subject and can relate to your frustrations, however given the various known attributes which system components have, its what you do with them that will give you the sound you want. Its a long trip for most of us to get there and our just giving you a list of components we use is highly unlike to help you at all. Hell, I doubt that most of us could agree on what "liquid" means let alone most anything else. I have a very smooth musical system, rich, warm, liquid(?), but I'd bet if I just delivered this stuff to your house you'd still be working on setting it up 6 months from now to get to where I have it.
I would suggest that its time to back off, take a deep breath, and start some serious evaluation of you room, your set up, and what you think might be missing from your system (or what you already have too much of) that keeps it from being what you want. Only you can hear your stuff in your room and only you can determine when it sounds right.
I appoligize in advance for the lecture, especially if you find it offensive, thats not my intent. |
There are lots of proponents of smoother, more liquid sound. They all seem to share a couple of traits - tubes, vinyl, copper wire, and staying away from metal dome tweeters.
I also have found smooth bliss with my tubed Audio Prism Mantissa preamp (Hi, Sogood51) feeding a near Rev A McCormack DNA .5 amp. I've got speakers with a very even and musical sound (yes, soft dome Scanspeak tweeters), but I modded them myself to get them there. The vinyl sounds great with a tubes phono stage (Hagerman Coronet) and the digital is smooth and detailed enough that I don't constantly feel the need to play vinyl (EA modded Sony 7700 into a modded ART DI/O). Belden 89248/89259 IC's feed everything.
You may notice a common theme - everything is modded or DIY. I never could have gotten where I am without slinging some soldier, unless I had oodles of $$$ and lots of time and patience to try and try again.
Good luck,
Bob |
the only thing thats liquid about my rig is that the gear flows in & out like water.
mike. |
I know what you are looking for as I was looking for the same. My system is on the laid back side but that is what I like. It has detail but is not mechanical. Musicality is the key. Stay away from Metal dome speakers and foward bright equipment.
Get yourself a Tube integrated and a pair of speakers you have auditioned and stick with one cable brand throughout for your interconnects, speaker wire and powercords.
There is some great advice in this thread. My system is in very simple form right now but it has a full liquid character. Good luck!
Chris |
I have the awnser, LIQUID for all. My system is sonic euphoria and you would never believe my interconnects. I'm running two sets of magnepans MGIIIa's and MG-I improved's as my front L/R speakers. They are run in parallel at 2.7 ohms and powered by a crest audio Vs450 up to 750w/ch. My rear L/R speakers are Carver ALIII's and they are run off a Carver Pxm450 250 w/ch (which I find to be conservative)My center is a cerwin vega HT-MDC (the weak link) run off my reciever Yahama RX-V620. I use the reciver's A R/L speaker outputs as the input on the Crest Audio The B R/L speaker outputs are running to my 2 subs so I can control them with a push of a button. The surround speaker outputs are going to the Carver via line level to 1/4" cable I made from Actron (very generic) speaker wire and a 1/4" jack from radio shack I used the same wire thruoghout my system for my Maggies and my Carvers. I had a friend come over with a pair of his very expensive "solid silver" speaker cables guaranteeing vast improvements in sound quality, so I go along with him and start unwiring the beast.
We hooked the cables up the same way that the previous wires
were on the left side and left the original wires on the right side. We powered up the system and got it warmed up and there it was, barely a noticable difference and on that
note it was a $500 difference |
"the only thing thats liquid about my rig is that the gear flows in & out like water."
Too Funny! I am the same way!
Chris |
Nrchy, that was great. Also quit a system you have. Was that a Harley, or a Victory? Hope things work out, thanks. |
