2. amps-preamps
  3. 1033866049

Upgrade suggestions needed

just moved up from my old yamaha m-80 and i can't believe
what i've been missing. now i want more , and i could really use some help.
my current system is a rotel 991 cdp, krell
krc-3 pre, rotel 1080 amp and my old a/d/s L1590 speakers.
ic cables are custom house " barracuda " (xlr) and i'm using braided cat-5 cable for the speakers (bi-wired). i also have an old b&o 3300 turntable which i need a pre for, or maybe i should just replace it.
right now, things sound best at higher levels, but lacks warmth , some cd's are fine, others are too harsh,( making the speakers way too bright) and some seem almost perfect.
should i try a differant cdp,an upsampler or try a new amp . was thinking of a c-j mv-55 and a rega planet or a musical fidelity a3-24 , but would appreciate any advice. thanks for your help.
i listen to all music, but prefer blues,ie. robert cray, susan tedeschi etc. and the room is kinda large, 22 x 28 x 11. thanks again
josdel2
ultraviolet
105 posts
 
I live in Boston too. Try Tweeter's Etc. They're all over the place here, but don't listen to anything in the store except for the Viennas and the Rels. Oh yeah, and don't expect anyone in the store to know anything at all--especially about the lines they carry. Still, go for a listen. I am a very big fan the Vienna/Rel combo.
subaruguru
1,362 posts
 
Hey...I'm from Beantown too!
I'm pretty careful to avoid the line-pushing at most dealerships, and Goodwin's regard for MIT cables has irked me for a long time....
Spearit (Boston) is a source for JM Labs, B&W (if you must, and sister Rotel; their Northampton store (a bit of a ride, but VERY nice folks) stocks the wonderful new Thiel 1.6 and NAD B stock at really low prices.
Cameras Inc. near me in Arlington has my favorite Spendors, as well JM Labs, NHT and NAD, as well TVs and cameras.
Barry Wilenski is an industry old-timer, softseller, and a treasure.
Audiolab in Cambridge sells Audio Refinement, NAD, Ruark & Spendor,and Triangle, as well Alon. I've sent several folks to them
for an NAD CDP/ARC Integrated/X speaker system over the years. They have the BEST repair services in New England, and have a true objectivity in value. Mike and Derrick will quickly admit that most manufacturers' smallest speakers sound the best, for example.
Natural Sound in Framingham has B&W/Rotel, PSB, and importantly my favorite Revel F30 floorstanders. You've got to check these out for $3k.
Ensemble has moved to NH, along with their Verity Audio, Pass, Thiel, and Aeriel lines. You can get Verity Audio and Sonus Faber down at Sounds and Images In Westport.
Hope this has helped. Ern (West Medford) PS Need a car?!
josdel2 OP
11 posts
 
thanks for the advise, i'll try the speakers single wired, but i think i had the same problem before. i'll have to demo a better amp, maybe it could be the rotel with the a/d/s. i had tried the rc1090, rotel pre for a few weeks, and it was so harsh i thought my ears would bleed.
the list of dealers is great. i have been to natural sound and spearit's boston store, (where i got the rotel and krell).gonna take a ride up to goodwin this week, i would like to hear the dunlavy's that everyone talks about. thanks again
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