System Upgrade for Christmas

Birthday on xmas eve too? Does santa bring extra large presents? Maybe you could ask for SL speaker cables? 

Hard to improve on that Steve.  

Regards,

Lindsay

SL speaker cables would be my choice too, and some good quality Ethernet cables. I'm hoping for a new cardigan. 

I would suggest a set of black diamond speaker cables ........, I've just had the Super Lumina on dem and haven't been overly impressed,  maybe I was expecting to much.....but the black diamonds would be a perfect match for those focal Diablo Utopia's..

SL speaker cables/they are worth the investment but no idea on any diamond 

300DR

555PSDR

A nice headphone maybe? Focal Elear!

enjoy it! 

wenger2015 posted:

I would suggest a set of black diamond speaker cables ........, I've just had the Super Lumina on dem and haven't been overly impressed,  maybe I was expecting to much.....but the black diamonds would be a perfect match for those focal Diablo Utopia's..

It would be interesting to hear what the TQ speaker cables do with an SL interconnect! 

I too tried those SL speaker cables on my current system and when I borrowed the 250DR. I wasn't keen myself and preferred my current black cables. Maybe it was due to synergy as all my cables are TQ. 

...A very big sock full of great music.  Keep you going for a good while. Also some soap on a rope that's been targeted for bearded hipsters.    plus tickets to see some interesting stuff in the new year.

Steve it's perfect your system, if i were in your place i would buy new car

SL speaker cables. 

And a fully loaded LP12 (Klimax) with an interconnect upgraded to Chord Music RCA - DIN 

A very well balanced system, Steve. I'm a fan of SL speaker cables so like others would suggest trying a pair. That said, what's your system sitting on? A decent rack can make a big difference. 

Buy a better grade of Champagne than usual this Christmas and sit back and enjoy the music with some friends.

Possibly keep the Focal Diablo Utopia's 

Thank you all - Some interesting views (as always) and in response to posts. 

Noogle....Champagne is a given!

MDS...See my next reply.

Adam...I don't do vinyl (shock horror!)

Adi...Done that.

Tobyjug....Noted.

Finkfan &Emre...Will try a set but 7m SL's might me a £ too far!

The Strat...Thank you

H.H.......I expected better from you so what colour cardigan? Also see next reply.

Wenger2015...Worth a look at the Diamonds and will definitely keep the Focals.

This post has reopened another but linked topic........

Steve

I'd just buy more music. 

I'm not sure I follow your comment there Steve, but grey...

Your system other than speakers is what I use, which is why I suggested the speaker wires, as they work really well with the din to XLR. I only needed 3m lengths though, and got them ex dem so the cost wasn't so bad. I certainly wouldn't go mixing SL and TQ wires. The other thing well worth doing, if you haven't done so already, is to install a good dedicated mains setup. 

Some time ago I posted a question about racks and never did anything about it (hangs head in shame).

In an ideal world I'd have a 'Full Fat' Frame but (at the moment) my kit must sit under the TV, meaning an AV rack (I know!).

Quadraspire racks were recommended but (and here's the big one) SWIMBO hated the look of it and before anyone suggests it.......... no, she's not going. 

So, what are the criteria for a good rack? 

Steve

Steve GTX posted:

Some time ago I posted a question about racks and never did anything about it (hangs head in shame).

In an ideal world I'd have a 'Full Fat' Frame but (at the moment) my kit must sit under the TV, meaning an AV rack (I know!).

Quadraspire racks were recommended but (and here's the big one) SWIMBO hated the look of it and before anyone suggests it.......... no, she's not going. 

So, what are the criteria for a good rack? 

Steve

 

Always a tricky balance!! Other popular racks with Naim boxes are Hutter and Isoblue, you could see what she thinks of them......

Thanks HH, 

Just my pathetic attempt at a humour - Sorry!

We have very similar systems and your advice has guided my audio journey............................ and drained my bank account - more than once!

The XPS was a masterstroke.

Steve

Chrissu.

Must be an AV stand.

Don't think either of your recommendations make them (could be wrong!)

steve

Hi Steve,

is your TV still a heavy CRT or one of the newer and lighter LCD/LED-types? With a relatively lightweight TV, you can go for a Fraim for the Hi-Fi with a single Fraimlite on top for the TV.

Hmmm, tricky. Is there any way of putting the TV on a wall bracket to keep it off the rack? I've never seen one in the flesh, but Hutter make AV racks too. Search for Hutter Racktime and you'll see them.

Good question Mulberry.

It is a 42" plasma TV, quite heavy and the rack also has to house the SKY box and DVD player.

So, AV it has to be.

Having said that, I could make one.

I could use 40mm solid oak as the shelves and use isolation spikes and / or place the 272 on a solid marble platform.

Any thoughts?

Steve GTX posted:

So, what are the criteria for a good rack?  

Avoiding the temptation for smut:    It depends what you mean,  are you asking for tips on how/why a rack performs best or are looking for brand names that work best.      

I had my CDX2, SN & FM tuner under a 1m long TV cabinet for a few months while I made my own deign rack,  the SQ difference with the CDX2 when it was installed in the new rack was amazing, the vibration (resonance) of the 1m long TV cab shelf must have played havoc with the laser performance.  The design objective with my rack,  apart from making something that looked like it blended into the room decor,  was to make it as inert (non resonant) as possible.  

Brands that do a good job are well known to the forum,   Fraim is the obvious one,  but for me it doesn't fit with the room decor & it does a poor job of hiding cables (a pet hate of mine)   Other brands IsoBlue, Hutter, Quadraspire etc I am sure all work well with improving/optimising SQ otherwise the forum would not be so enthusiastic.  But I would definitely get the TV moved to a separate mounting of some sort & your audio in a dedicated rack.    I guess a search around the interweb & the rest is a matter of what looks best to you & your significant other.  

The criterion for a good rack is does it make the music more enjoyable?

There is no consensus about what aspects of a rack will provide this. Sometimes wobbly racks are an improvement, sometimes rigid ones. Sometimes racks which are tuned to vibrate at a specific set of frequencies, other times ones which damp oscillations. The maths of coupled oscillators gets complicated very quickly. 

Ah Mike, I did not twig the double-entendre, so thank you for resisting  temptation.

So I one thought was that I would build my own - I am  asking for tips on how/why a rack performs best. 

Almost impossible to re mount the TV but could isolate.