buying today,need your thoughts


today a local in Santa Barbara is BRINGING to MY HOUSE
B&W N803
Arcam CD 23
Kimber bifocal 4'
Kimber 1011 qty 1

I get to hear these thru the Perreaux 2150B and SM 2 I own.
I am buying the above for $3,000.
He is also offering the Plinius CD LAD for a great price as well...maybe $500.

So, I wanted to know:
cable ideas matching the Perreaux and Arcam and N803's
other things to help..power conditioners, cords, etc I read about from you all.

If I buy the CD LAD, do you think it is best to try it with the 2150b instead of the SM 2 to see how that sounds as a total unit?
would there be a good idea on an amp to use with the CD LAD?
should I bi amp?
is the 2150B and SM2 a good match for the N803/CD23

what would you do...

I isten to mostly rock, guitar players, Clapton,Santana, Allman Brothers, also jazz,miles and coltrane etc and acoustic like Hedges,.

I definitely like to TURN IT UP
and really desire.....the sound to be clear and refined and powerful as I increase the volume when I know a great part is coming. That is why I am spending this money...I dont want to play it loud, and then hear imperfections that get in the way of the total love and passion of the music playing.

thanks
128x128turnitup1234
Playing "loud enough" and "sounding good" while doing it are two different things. Most good sized speakers hit a brick wall at somewhere around 105 - 108 dB's at an appr 8' - 10' listening distance. Momentary peaks may be higher, but if you try to sustain "rock concert levels" or "long duration crescendo's", most speakers will fall on their face. Smaller, less efficient speakers may not even come close to the aforementioned figures.

Rsbeck: I think that the speakers would give out LONG before anyone's ears begin to bleed. Even highly efficient horn loaded speakers like K-Horns and La Scala's can't do that. Not even sitting one meter from the speakers. That's because Klipsch rates even their "Pro" versions of these speakers as having a max output of 128 dB's @ 1 meter. Sure, they can cause permanent hearing loss, but bleeding out of your ears, no way. Especially not a far less efficient speaker like B&W's at a typical listening distance. Sean
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My buddy had N803 with several different amps, the best being Rowland, but every time he turned it up the speaker sounded strained. His room is very big, about 20 x 30 with a very high ceiling so I am sure that is part of it...

He now has 802D and they fill the room effertlessly.
>>but bleeding out of your ears, no way<<

Mmmm....I don't know how to tell you this, but -- it is just a figure of speech.
I didn't really mean you would sprout a plasma gusher from the ear holes. I
meant that with the right amplification, you could play them real loud. I've
heard them driven with a Plinius SA 250 Mark IV and they played real loud
and real clean. I am open to the argument that loud to me might not be loud
to Philjolet, but try telling that to Philjolet while he has buckets of human
ketchup pouring out of the sides of his melon.
Rsbeck,

I do believe in trying to recreate the volume of the actual event which to me is pretty loud as I often listen to rock/alternative music.

I remember one of the magazines mentioning the same thing about N803s being limited in volume...

I give this information because turnitup1234 sounds to me like he means business in the volume department and the bottom line is he should get another speaker IMO.
Phil -- I appreciate your comments. I probably do not listen as loud as either of you. Best thing is that apparently this guy is bringing the speakers to turnitup's place for the Pepsi taste test, so he can listen and make the decision.