The vicissitudes of listening to classical music

Oh yes, I forgot to mention in my above post - I am a classical music listener too. I listen to everything from soloists to pipe organ to lieder to massive orchestral works. This type of music is extremely demanding on a hi-fi system and ALL of them, without exception, fail. I have heard very expensive speakers, including my own, and none of these systems can do it all. I may prefer vocals on one system but find it falls flat with orchestral works. Or prefer orchestra on another system, and find the vocals sound awful.

Plenty of systems can make sounds, and your brain does the rest and turns it into music. I can listen to music in my car, or on my iPod, and it does not diminish my enjoyment one bit. However, if I want to listen deep into music, I need my hi-fi system. Sometimes I have the score in front of me as well - it really fills you in on what the recording has failed to capture.

In any case, I have learnt to become less demanding and have stopped trying to recreate the live experience. These days, if the system is revealing enough for me to hear what the musicians are doing, I am happy. It all depends on what you want - if you want to analyse deep into the music AND do it on a budget, get headphones.

Classical music is the most demanding sound for any system.
To truly judge the quality of any system, play classical.
It may well be your set up is doing the best it can, but your hearing needs a better system.

I was listening to a rinky-dink system just 4 weeks ago. I never thought internet radio streaming was going to satisfy my need for quality audio but the array of classical stations is appealing.

I appreciate the feedback. I know it's impossible to get hi-end on the desktop. I just want something with some weight and clarity that will bring me into the music.

I want to rip some audio. Not a lot. I'll use aiff. I want to listen to cd's and have that great soundstage and enough power so I can listen to a symphony and not adjust the volume for different passages. Good, clean power and desktop speakers.

Grazie,

jj

check this out for solution:

1)get a Squeezebox SB3(if you have a router). You can even use it wired with ethernet cable.

2) Sell your Drecco integrated and get a standalone, dedicated 2-ch amplifier, such as McCormack DNA-1 Deluxe, McCormack DNA-0.5 Delux(cheaper) or even one of the old Pass Labs pure Class A amps. You should be able to pick any of these up at under $1k.

3) Keep your speakers for now.

You will have to rip music to your hard drive(if it has not enough capacity, get an external USB drive...they're cheap, plus you can use losless format to rip because you will have more space to utilize on your disk drive).

What you will have with this system is a very good, smooth sounding amplifier that will properly drive your speakers and won't compress the dynamics and soundstage, awesome internet radio, digital music off your hard drive, volume controlled by squeezebox with remote. All this should total to what you wanted to spend on the integrated alone or even less. The dedicated 2-ch amp can be stored under your desk or wherever you want, you will run a pair of RCA interconnects from SB3 to amp(something like bluejeanscable.com RCAs should be more than enough) and speker cables to your monitors.

if I were you, this is how I would set up my desktop system.

Thanks for the advice. I'm exploring the possibilities mentioned. Also, the dialogue acted as a sprignboard. Too bad I can't swim.

Belle Cose,

jj