All,
Thought I'd share this with you, since you've been so helpful in
advising me on good equipment to consider to enhance the performance
of my DQ10s.
I've been doing some upgrading this summer!!! Here's what I got,
and what I discovered:
1. Per all the recommendations here, I went out and got a powerful
amp--Adcom GFA-555. Hooked it up to the HK 3470 Receiver I'd been
using, so the receiver acted like a pre-amp/tuner. Impression: I
agree with all of you that the DQ10s like juice :) Sound became
more distinct and cleaner; imaging was clearer, and there just
seemed to be an overall easiness/less strain to the music, even at
the typically moderate volumes where I like to listen.
2. Got an Onkyo P-301 Preamp, a cousin to the highly rated (per
AudioReview) P-304. I realize it's solid state, not a tube Pre, so
I may not know yet what I'm missing. When I hooked it up & did an
A/B comparison of a Pre/Amp combo vs. Receiver/AMP, I noticed only
subtle differences, and these seemed to be clearer highs and little
else.
3. Got a Yamaha T-950 Tuner to plug into my Pre. Not a huge
listener to radio, but I definitely sensed an improvement in
reception, quality and clarity of stations and music with the
separate tuner, in relation to the receiver. Bought this based on
reviews on AudioReview as well.
4. Upgraded my CDP to an Onix XCD-88 with modifications to the
OpAmps. Without a doubt, this seems to me to be the best of all the
improvements I made this summer!!! All of a sudden, the music
coming out of my CDs seemed to take on an image all its own, and I
could place voices and instruments on a soundstage like never
before. The magic of having the "speakers disappear" was finally
achieved :) For those of you wondering about your old CDPs, I can
confirm that technology has evolved significantly, and the Chinese
units like the Onix are incredible values. I must confess, however,
that I haven't heard a $2000 CDP ;)
Total for all the items: about $1200, including shipping, which I
think is a darn good deal for how things are sounding now.
My remaining upgrade goals:
1. Get some good/better quality interconnects and speaker wire.
I've been reading good stuff about Acoustic Research wire, and the
price certainly can't be beat, but I'd love suggestions if you have
any.
2. Get some stands to elevate the speakers. Thanks to all of you
who suggested this.
3. Convert my speakers to a mirror imaged pair. Will probably go
with the kit Regnar supplies.
4. Upgrade my speakers using the capacitor kit Regnar supplies. If
anyone has experience with this type of upgrade, please let me know!
Some more observations:
1. Those of you who may have read my previous questions on how to
upgrade made some suggestions about subwoofers. My M&K VX-7 (8")
had a rattle, which I easily detected & fixed--loose cap on the
speaker that was easily glued. I really like how this little sub
seems to complement the DQ10s. I have no comparison to what a
bigger sub might sound like, but this sub seems to "flesh out" the
bass sound, and I do feel, at my listening volumes, that a sub is
necessary with the DQ10s. Of note, I've set the crossover around 60
Hz, below the company's recommended 85 Hz, and it seems to fit
nicely with what is put out by the Dahlquists. Any
similar/different experiences?
2. CDs, and a good CDP, are the way to go over vinyl. Granted, I
have a 20 year old Technics Linear Tracking turntable, but I ran a
comparison of vinyl vs. CD using the same album, through my new
Pre/Amp setup, and the dynamics and quality in the CD version were
simply not there in the vinyl. Maybe this would be different with a
better turntable, or maybe I needed to increase the volume when I
played the record, but I'm skeptical.
3. Be patient on Ebay. Got most of my stuff on Ebay, and by
holding back and not jumping into bidding wars, I was able to get my
stuff for a lot less than it's been typically going for.
4. AudioReview can be a great resource, provided enough people have
posted reviews on a piece of equipment, and you can mentally filter
out people who post reviews with significant biases due to price or
preconceived notions. Best reviews come from those who have a broad
depth of experience and exposure to equipment, and can make the
comparisons in an objective way.
5. You may have read, in the thread about musical recommendations,
that I have a handful of recordings I like to use to compare
equipment. One of these used to be the first Boston album, but with
better equipment, it seemed that the recording was too harsh in the
highs, and biased in that direction. Interestingly, with my new
setup, the album is much more listenable again, as if the power of
the amp is somehow "decompressing" and clarifying the dense high
end. Now there's less "ringing," more music. Very happy about
this :)
Hope this makes an interesting read for all of you! Thanks again
for your input and comments.
Michael
