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I hope I made good choices with new gear. Comments?

(Subtitled: Rabbit holes can run deep)

Synergy and such. It always worries me as I don’t have time for much trial and error.

Some of this appears in a recent thread elsewhere but it was getting off topic.

This all started out by me wanting a new TV. So I bought an LG 77" C5 OLED model. Well, then I decided I might as well redo the room it’s going in so that’s almost done.

 Gee, then I figured I need a new DVD player, a 4K one. I bought a Panasonic DP-UB820-K for that. It reads like it’s a pretty good unit for picture and sound. Of course with the long cable run from the TV to the rack holding the audio gear and DVD player, I would need a 30’ or so optical HDMI cable. Also long audio cables from the TV to the rack.

  My main audio system is also in the same room the TV is in. It’s mostly equipment I bought 36 years ago, save for the CD players. The amps are getting old and nobody around here works on them. So I purchased a pair of Cambridge Audio Edge M monoblocks. I figured I would use my old Harmon Kardon Citation 25 preamp with them. It’s compatible and still works. Nah, I ordered a Parasound Halo JC 2BP preamplifier today. Hey, those new components have XLR inputs and outputs! I bought some Audioquest Red River XLR cables for that.

 No way am I going to just plug all of this stuff into wall outlets. I bought a pair of APC BR1500MS2 uninterruptible power supplies to protect against power surges and brownouts. These do not provide enough battery power to run for any length of time but we have an emergency standby generator that kicks in in less than 10 seconds so it’s not an issue. 

 With all the new gear, I need someplace comfortable to sit. I found a good set of wing chairs on sale on the ’net. Also got a nice small narrow table to put between them to hold remotes and a drink. My new gear also needs a nice place to sit so I also purchased a Salamander Designs rack for it. 

 New and much longer SP6 speaker cables are currently on the burn-in machine at Morrow Audio. 

 All of this started with wanting a new TV and it just kept going, LOL! Oh well. Did I miss anything? Did I get anything that’s not going to work well together?  I did as much research as I could and it was quite a bit. Ya never know though.

Any and all input is greatly appreciated! Thank you all.

toddsyr
mahler123
3,996 posts
 

You are asking to have your choices validated.  They seem to be reasonable to me.

First of all AI is irrelevant. Quoting it to justify your purchases won’t score you any points with real humans who have ears and central nervous systems. Which leads to the next point- what do your sensory organs tell you?  Are you enjoying what you are hearing?

  Could you have made other choices?  Sure, the road not taken and all that.  I suggest that you stay with the current setup for a while, listen to lots of music, and try not to be analytical for a while.  After some time period see if you decide what you don’t like (if anything) and then what you are looking to change.  

ditusa's avatar
ditusa
2,393 posts
 

First of all AI is irrelevant.

I agree!

I suggest that you stay with the current setup for a while, listen to lots of music, and try not to be analytical for a while.  After some time period see if you decide what you don’t like (if anything) and then what you are looking to change.  

+2

Mike

larsman's avatar
larsman
3,145 posts
 

I think AI is far from irrelevant if using it as a guide for further research and not the final arbiter of the decision. Been a big help to me in many areas of life, including researching audio gear. 

rar1's avatar
rar1
1,876 posts
 

@toddsyr  -

Good morning.  It is very much like adopting a new pet (cat or dog, your choice) that you have been assured gets along with cats, dogs, and kids and now you are walking through your front door and you are about to see how it all works out.  

So, time to live with what you put together.  Start to learn what works and what doesn’t work ... what needs to be tweaked ... what finds its way into a secondary system ... what do you really listen to (77" screen TVs, like Cane Corsos, tend to dominate a space) ... etc.   

Stop relying on ChatGPT, unless you’re lonely or require manual stimulation.  

Listen and live with it for a good while.  Those are the only ways  For all I know, it will all come together nicely.  Or maybe, you’re buying pet gates to separate the upset animals.   You sunk some good cash into this, enjoy it now.  

Rich 

 

 

toddsyr's avatar
toddsyr OP
229 posts
 

cleeds- Yes, it was pretty obvious AI wants to make you feel good, LOL. I did use a few though and one of them helped me to decide to use a better interconnect for CD players. It pointed out that weak spot so it’s not totally flattering. 

sls883- Thank you for the compliment. Yes, some of the AI sites also said my speakers are the weak point now. I’ve been looking into that for a while now and there just isn’t anything out there that appeals to me for what I would be willing to spend. Most "full range" speakers do not go nearly as low in frequency compared to what I already have. Besides the JBL L100t3’s, I have a pair of JBL L100t’s. Subwoofers to go with new speakers? They would crowd the room too much. The next upgrade will be a new CD player but it will have to wait a bit. Streaming? Nah, it’s just not for me. I have a decent CD collection and it’s what I like. I don’t have a lot of listening time so I already know what I want to hear when I do "tune out" and I already own it. 

mahler123- Validation? Well, yeah, sort of. Like I said, "synergy" is a big concern and I just want opinions on whether I goofed on that or not. We all hear different so the actual sound will be for me to decide if I like it. I’m pretty sure I’ll like it though. I agree, listen to it for awhile and just enjoy it before making permanent decisions. All part of the process. It won’t be all set up for a couple more weeks though. 

larsman- Well stated! It is but one of many tools I used. I received information from the forums here, talked to salespeople, read reviews and specs, talked to others in person, etc. 

rar1- Yes, that is the plan. Once everything is all here and setup, just listen to it for a few weeks and let it soak in. Exact speaker positioning will take some time too. As I say, the AI is but one of many resources I put to use. The more information the better. 

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