Can I improve?

Aurhinius

Aurhinius

Aurhinius

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Joined
19 Oct 2002
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1,510
So my music setup which I was going to post in the other thread but wanted some advice on being able to improve things if possible.

Soundblaster Titanium HD - RCA to Marantz PM6004 - Wharfdale diamond 10.1

Soundblaster Titanium HD - Sennheisre PC350's

Cheers in advance.

P.S Where do you get hi-def music from.. seem unable to find anywhere.
 
You could get a dac, I got an rpac and it's a step up from most soundcards I've heard. For flacs just rip your own cds with ripping software. Newsgroups have lossless files but are not legal, there are not many commercial artists with lossless sales.
 
If you're happy with the sound that the Marantz PM6004 and Diamond 10.1 give (very good hi-fi items but a strange sounding combo i should think) then you could improve on the quality of the audio by replacing your DAC (soundcard) with a better, more 'upmarket' alternative.

What's your budget?

FiiO E17 - £100
PROJECT DAC BOX S - £160
Asus Xoner Essence ST/X - £145
Asus Xonar Essence One - £350
Arcam rDAC - £300
Cambridge Audio DacMagic Plus - £350
Quad Link D1 - £400

The list is endless tbh.

IF you want to change the soundstage/feel of your music (e.g. warmer/tighter/sharp highs/loose lows etc etc) then you could change your amplifier/receiver or speakers. It does make things more complicated, as it kind of requires you (or at least i advise you) to go out and listen to them setup first, demo the combo before purchasing.
 
If you are not satisfied with what you have, the biggest difference you can make is to change the speakers. Changing DAC or the amp will not yield a big difference. (unless you want it to, in which case you'll hear it) If you have no EMI pickup issues from your titanium HD i'd stick with it. Not going to better the marantz for little money either, getting something substantially better will cost you. For the same money that you could spend on a superior amp or DAC you could get some excellent speakers.
 
bemaniac said:
You could get a dac, I got an rpac and it's a step up from most soundcards I've heard. For flacs just rip your own cds with ripping software. Newsgroups have lossless files but are not legal, there are not many commercial artists with lossless sales.
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You had a problem with your Essence, which is going to make it sound worse than it should. Everyone has different experiences, likes and dislikes though, so you may prefer the rPAC, Essence problem or no. Someone else a while back found the Essence was almost as good as his Arcam rDAC.


If your Titanium HD is working fine with no issues, I'd stick with that OP. As Kei said, you will gain a bigger jump in sound quality from a speaker upgrade than any DAC. Going from a £150 DAC to a £300 one, will provide an improvement, but not half as much as going from £150 speakers to £300 speakers. The Wharfedale 10.1's are very good speakers, but if you are looking for an improvement, I'd save your cash for now and get some speakers that will really make a difference, whether they be new or used. You can buy some fantastic used speakers for a lot less than they would have cost when new.
 
Rossi - I do find the combination of the wharfdale's and the marantz a bit of a strange sounding combination.

I much prefered my mordaunt shorts and my cambridge audio 650.

Any suggestion for a better speaker to combine with the marantz then?

The only thing I can use to describe the marantz and Wharfdale's are they sound empty, hollow like there is no substance and body to the music.
 
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Kef are usually a good combo with Marantz i found, and quite frequently find them together. If you can afford them, i would highly recommend the Q100.. They're a delight to listen to, smooth all the way through with surprising bass for their size IMO. Their Q series is excellent overall, a little overpriced maybe.


Edit:
Looks like i'm not the only one to notice this!

http://www.avforums.com/forums/hi-f...092-anyone-demod-marantz-pm6004-recently.html
KEF actually demo there Q100 and Q300 with a Marrantz amp, so I assumed there must be a good synergy between the two......
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Also:
http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/marantz-m-cr603-kef-q100-sensible-setup

And:
http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/kef-q100
I've just bought a pair of Q100's and think they're wonderful! Electronics are Marantz CD-67 SE player and Marantz PM6004 amp. The sound is so natural and musical, with plenty of detail and tuneful bass. Definitely worth an audition with your system.
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I can now say that Cerwin-Vega! speakers go very well with the Marantz PM6010OSE, would be quite the same with your PM6004 i should think.

Good luck getting hold of some in the UK though.
 
A Behringer UCA22 will be an answer. Cheap and a night 'n day difference from onboard.
I have one, also great to have RCA ins/outs. I have been testing an M audio 2496 which is better but a bit more expensive.
 
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