I believe Stehno has you headed in the right direction about lowering the noise floor.
Here is a less expensive, and easier way of accomplishing it.
Install a pair of Rothwell 10db attenuators ($59+shipp.) between the output of your source, and the input of your intergrate on the intergrate's input RCA's .
Read here about how, and why these work,and here for the technical explanation.
I installed a set Friday, and was shocked at how they transformed my system. Much more bass and detail in the treble with no degradation in sound quality. I tried these out, initially in a friend's system earlier in the week, He was very impressed at the improvement they made to his $10,000 Induction Dynamic moniter speaker. He, and his buddies laughed their A$$es off at me, when I showed them the attenuators, now it is I who is laughing the hardest, because I will not tell them where I purchased them.
I began looking for answers like you, when it appeared I could not get any more DB out of my system. My NHT3.3's, and D500 Phase Linear (500W@8ohm) would not play any louder than 90 to 92db. Certainly I had enough watts, but it lookes like the noise floor of the source (CAL Audio DVD2500 with a Linear power supply, not a noisey Switching power supply as found in most CD/DVD players) was limiting my ability to turn the volume up any further, without the noise floor becoming evident....
Now the tale gets even more hilarious... my NHT3.3 are down for some minor cabinet repairs, so I hooked up my NHT1.5's, a much smaller moniter type speaker. Well 98db on peaks at the same seating position, and no disconfort or fatigue. Plenty of bass and a clean top end.
I can't wait to try another set on my active subwoofer. I expect the same results.
As for my "BRONZE AGE MEN" friends, with their 10K moniters, I quote from the French Revolution..."Let Them Eat Cake" I still won't tell them where to purchase them.
Contact A/gon member "mrstereo" he can help you.
For the record, I use an Exact Power EP15a power cond. connected to a dedicated line with a Elrod Sig.3 PC. The sources are connected to the EP15a by Foundation Research LC1's... My system has always been dead quite, I thought, but the Dynamics unleased by the Rothwell's opens a new door.
HTH Dave
Here is a less expensive, and easier way of accomplishing it.
Install a pair of Rothwell 10db attenuators ($59+shipp.) between the output of your source, and the input of your intergrate on the intergrate's input RCA's .
Read here about how, and why these work,and here for the technical explanation.
I installed a set Friday, and was shocked at how they transformed my system. Much more bass and detail in the treble with no degradation in sound quality. I tried these out, initially in a friend's system earlier in the week, He was very impressed at the improvement they made to his $10,000 Induction Dynamic moniter speaker. He, and his buddies laughed their A$$es off at me, when I showed them the attenuators, now it is I who is laughing the hardest, because I will not tell them where I purchased them.
I began looking for answers like you, when it appeared I could not get any more DB out of my system. My NHT3.3's, and D500 Phase Linear (500W@8ohm) would not play any louder than 90 to 92db. Certainly I had enough watts, but it lookes like the noise floor of the source (CAL Audio DVD2500 with a Linear power supply, not a noisey Switching power supply as found in most CD/DVD players) was limiting my ability to turn the volume up any further, without the noise floor becoming evident....
Now the tale gets even more hilarious... my NHT3.3 are down for some minor cabinet repairs, so I hooked up my NHT1.5's, a much smaller moniter type speaker. Well 98db on peaks at the same seating position, and no disconfort or fatigue. Plenty of bass and a clean top end.
I can't wait to try another set on my active subwoofer. I expect the same results.
As for my "BRONZE AGE MEN" friends, with their 10K moniters, I quote from the French Revolution..."Let Them Eat Cake" I still won't tell them where to purchase them.
Contact A/gon member "mrstereo" he can help you.
For the record, I use an Exact Power EP15a power cond. connected to a dedicated line with a Elrod Sig.3 PC. The sources are connected to the EP15a by Foundation Research LC1's... My system has always been dead quite, I thought, but the Dynamics unleased by the Rothwell's opens a new door.
HTH Dave