Time for a change??

badlands posted:

It sounds like the OP has already made up his mind if you read between the lines, and is looking for that emotional support of the forum.

There is always going to be something better, no matter how much money you throw at the problem, if there really is a problem. The simple answer is just buy the most expensive model in the brand that you prefer at the moment (Kudos), and be done with it.

HH is giving some good advise, Gawd, I hate it when I agree with him, I know this advice will fall on deaf ears, but get yourself a simple, beautifully built speaker that can connect you with the music, doesn't have to be at any particular price point, just something that can make you happy in the moment, not what can impress the world!

Here's what I wrote all the way back on page three, I haven't kept up with this thread because I knew exactly what the OP was going to do from the beginning, man, I love it when I'm right!!!!

Max_B posted:

Live without speakers for a while, listen to some table radio, with ear buds in the cellphone; then you might discover that the speakers worth buying could be much more numerous than you thought. Become music hungry, then your parameters will be others.

Best wishes

Max 

Of course Max is correct, my main system gets played only once or twice a week usually it's just a little Roberts FM/DAB in the back room at home or at work I'm usually subjected to Radio 1 or KISS fm's diet of Grime and EDM and so I am in a state of total music starvation on the odd evening I listen to my own music on my own system and it sounds great.

Polarbear posted:

Out of interest, what’s people’s opinion of Sonus Faber on the end of Naim gear, too polite??

In my experience, and admittedly I haven't heard all SFs - dull as ditchwater. I can't recall the exact models I listened to, they were so uninteresting I couldn't be bothered to remember.

Pretty much my impression of the admittedly limited selection of models I have auditioned.

So there you have it - a nice little sample of diverse opinion on Sonus Faber speakers and a prime exemplar as to why speakers are such a challenge to fit in and perform well in our individual listening spaces!

Peter

@ PB, using the 808 for some years now, I actually had one of the first ever produced I believe, there is some upgrades worth considering: 

1. Change the links: Music links are just what your speaker wants. Sarum way better then what’s supplied  

2. Use a great cone under. Chords offering is great. Could be enough  

3. Even better, contact Sonority and use their platform. 

4. They respond very positive on speaker cables. Best is...Chord Music (no surprise there).  Stupid price, awesome sound. 

5. 30 cm from the wall gives me a very “involved speaker”, 40 a very beautiful one, 50 is like a Martin Logan bit with PRAT and bass. 30 is the my choice. 

//Jonas

Tabby cat posted:

Out of interest PB what happened to the Arts ?

Sorry haven't followed the whole thread but do remember you saying something like their packed and going back.Did Art simply buy them back off you or did you sell them privetly.

Looking forward to hearing about how the new ones sound.

Cheers Ian

Hi Tabby,

I sold the ART's a couple of months ago, they went to a lovely gentleman from Rotherham who was re-building his system after that dreaded D word.

They haven't gone back to Scotland and won't be re-appearing back here. Its time for something new 

northpole posted:

Polarbear posted:

Out of interest, what’s people’s opinion of Sonus Faber on the end of Naim gear, too polite??

I recall Edouard in Paris being enthralled when he bought his floor standing SF speakers.  Indeed I'm sure he was on the Forum earlier this year, every bit as enamored with them now as the day he bought them.  Could be well worth having a chat with him PB.

Peter

Edouard and I used to chat on a regular basis Peter, he truly loves his SF speakers but we do have very different musical tastes and it could be that as someone said earlier, they wouldn't suit my musical tastes.

northpole posted:

So there you have it - a nice little sample of diverse opinion on Sonus Faber speakers and a prime exemplar as to why speakers are such a challenge to fit in and perform well in our individual listening spaces!

Peter

Its always good to hear other peoples opinion and its certainly split peoples opinions. Interestingly the members I share musical tastes are probably the ones I would tend to agree with.

Jonas Olofsson posted:

@ PB, using the 808 for some years now, I actually had one of the first ever produced I believe, there is some upgrades worth considering: 

1. Change the links: Music links are just what your speaker wants. Sarum way better then what’s supplied  

2. Use a great cone under. Chords offering is great. Could be enough  

3. Even better, contact Sonority and use their platform. 

4. They respond very positive on speaker cables. Best is...Chord Music (no surprise there).  Stupid price, awesome sound. 

5. 30 cm from the wall gives me a very “involved speaker”, 40 a very beautiful one, 50 is like a Martin Logan bit with PRAT and bass. 30 is the my choice. 

//Jonas

Thanks Jonas, thats very good to know, I will certainly bear your advice in mind, although I fear Chord music speaker cables are going to be out of the question price wise due to the lengths I would need.

Hi, PB,

Did you get the chance to speak with Bob, regarding active on the XL 10's?

dave marshall posted:

Hi, PB,

Did you get the chance to speak with Bob, regarding active on the XL 10's?

Nope, not yet Dave, still enjoying the Titans 

Polarbear posted:

dave marshall posted:

Hi, PB,

Did you get the chance to speak with Bob, regarding active on the XL 10's?

Nope, not yet Dave, still enjoying the Titans 

Good to see you at Peter’s yesterday, PB. Sounds like you won’t have to wait too long before your listening room is graced with a new arrival...

Oh yes, just to endorse Jonas’ comments; we’d all completely understand your reluctance to invest in 9m of ChordMusic speaker cable (don’t listen to the Music-equipped 606s in the main listening room, for heaven’s sake, or you might change your mind!), but a set of Silent Mounts would be a really good idea.

Cheers

Dave

Evening David,

it it was lovely to see you again at Peters and catching up with all the news ????

i guess I need to let Peter have his 808’s back now as hes slumming it with a pair of 606’s lol.

what are the Silent Mounts? Do they differ from the special feet that Derek puts under the 808’s.  If I get chance I will try and have a listen to the 606’s on the Chord Music but it’s still going to be way over budget for us.

Great way to slum it 

Silent Mounts are the “cups” that the speaker spikes sit in. They were developed by an ex-Linn dealer in Japan, who based the design on the LP12 inner and outer platter. I was asked to try some years ago and ended up with them under speakers and Fraim. Weirdly good is how I’d describe them. 

Thanks David, that’s something else for me to check out.

As for speakers, we’re in limbo at the moment. Peters too busy setting up LP 12’s to collect the Titans and I am waiting for the next pair of speakers to arrive.

in the meantime I am enjoying some Rush on the TMS 3.  ????

Farewell to Kings was the first LP I heard in Lyric Hi-Fi, Belfast as I auditioned my first hi-fi system - Rega Planar 2; Creek 4040; Heybrook HB2!  That's goin' back a few years!!

Have you decided on another set of speakers to audition/ confirm the 808's are the ones?

Peter

northpole posted:

Farewell to Kings was the first LP I heard in Lyric Hi-Fi, Belfast as I auditioned my first hi-fi system - Rega Planar 2; Creek 4040; Heybrook HB2!  That's goin' back a few years!!

Have you decided on another set of speakers to audition/ confirm the 808's are the ones?

Peter

Peter,

Don't suppose you recall who did the demo for you? I worked in Lyric from Jan 1984 to mar/Apr 1986. 

Willy.

Good grief Willy - I haven't the faintest clue - maybe it was you!!  It was myself and two friends who crossed the threshold on Stranmillis Road.  I'd not heard Rush before then and embarrassing to this day, had Olivia Newton John expectations when, during the walk to the shop, one of the guys ranted on about Xanadoo being such a fab track......!!  He was right and it sounded amazing on that little system.  All I can remember of the people at Lyric was a slightly elderly man and a younger man who I'm sure mentioned he had done an electrical engineering degree at Queens.  It didn't seem long before I had swapped over the Creek for my first Naim piece - a chrome bumper Nait 2 (which I still have to this day!); and the Rega made way for an LP12 with a second hand Ittok and a K9 cartridge if memory serves.  I was pleased as punch with that set up.  I moved across to London in 1990.

Peter

northpole posted:

Good grief Willy - I haven't the faintest clue - maybe it was you!!  It was myself and two friends who crossed the threshold on Stranmillis Road.  I'd not heard Rush before then and embarrassing to this day, had Olivia Newton John expectations when, during the walk to the shop, one of the guys ranted on about Xanadoo being such a fab track......!!  He was right and it sounded amazing on that little system.  All I can remember of the people at Lyric was a slightly elderly man and a younger man who I'm sure mentioned he had done an electrical engineering degree at Queens.  It didn't seem long before I had swapped over the Creek for my first Naim piece - a chrome bumper Nait 2 (which I still have to this day!); and the Rega made way for an LP12 with a second hand Ittok and a K9 cartridge if memory serves.  I was pleased as punch with that set up.  I moved across to London in 1990.

Peter

Peter,

The elderly chap was Bert, sadly passed away some years ago. I did Mechanical Engineering at Queens so not me, possibly John (one of the founders) though not really a Rush fan. I moved off to Newcastle-upon-Tyne in '86 but think one of my drinking buddies Declan did a stint in the shop, electrical engineer, badly in need of a haircut and definitely a Rush fan, until he got all jazzy. 

Willy.

What news on your speaker quest, Mr. Bear? 

Polarbear posted: 

Interesting thought Max   However with no speakers we have no music, no TV and no films. Everything goes through the system, hence why it would be very quiet lol.

 

However, you do have a point, has anyone noticed how much better your system sounds when you haven't heard it for a while??

Then why not having everything going through the TV for a while? 

(Yes, I have!)

M.

Hello Nigel

Silent Mounts

Amazing VFM.  I asked Peter about them several years ago and he was not that familiar with them at the time - even though Chord was the distributor.  He came across the pond with two sets (one afterwards went on to Mark (Varyat)).

I can still remember both of us looking at each other and scratching our heads with what we were hearing after only 30 seconds of music.

If you look back through the archives on his website you will see a post from Tom detailing our experience with them.  Mandatory imho.

Hope you are doing well and good luck with your speaker journey.

Best

Gregg

Yes, Silent Mounts was the name that escaped me, described them as ”Chords offering”.

Different coups to be used under speakers vs racks. There’s a whole science behind it but at the end of the day it just sounds better. 

Nigel at Chord likes them. And Sonority. Enough said. 

//Jonas

I also find Silent Mounts to be a good investment.

/Ulrik