I started putting together this 2-channel system about 3 years ago. Initially the system was located in my bedroom, but now it resides in my family room/dining/kitchen area. It sounds great, and I hope some day to put this system in a dedicated listening area. Top volume is roughly 90dB, due to a combination of average speaker sensitivity and modest amplifier power. I tend to listen at moderate volumes anyway (70-80dB), so for me the combination works well. Overall room size is 14' x 28' with an 8'-10' sloped ceiling. By choice, the system tilts slightly to the warm side of neutral. The sound is clear and smooth. Bass is satisfying, and extends to 40Hz solid in my room! I am VERY impressed with the NHT SB3's -- they have excellent midrange clarity, sweet highs, and tuneful bass. The Puccini and Paganini are nice quality pieces. The CPCC Model 11 power cord on the Puccini was a nice upgrade, providing more bass punch, more resolution, and more expressiveness overall. The Chang Lightspeed 3200 power conditioner (with isolated outlets for 2 digital components) provided even more resolution and more 3-dimensional imaging. I enjoyed putting this system together, and I know I will continue to tweak it and add to it, but for now I feel the main components are all "keepers".
System edited: Added Nordost Blue Heaven interconnects. I decided to try out the Blue Heavens ($175 retail), because I figured my Analysis Plus Oval One interconnects ($74 retail) might be 'holding back' my components. The Oval Ones are good, but the Blue Heavens are great! Are they worth more than 2x the cost of the Oval Ones? In my opinion, yes! The Blue Heavens are more revealing in the mid-range and top-end. Bass character seems about the same. I used two CDs when comparing the interconnects back-to-back: Dick Hyman, "From the Age of Swing", and Take 6, "Beautiful World". Both CDs contain wonderful music, and they are very well recorded. With the Blue Heavens, instruments sound more like real instruments, and voices seem more immediate. It's like a proverbial 'veil' has been lifted from the music. I think the Oval Ones are good budget interconnects, being clear and smooth. In comparison to the (more expensive) Blue Heavens, however, the Oval Ones are a bit too smooth. The Blue Heavens do a better job of simply 'getting out of the way' in making music. I have read the Blue Heavens can be too revealing in some systems, but in my system they are fantastic.
System edited: Added Mapleshade HeavyHat brass weights to the top of my amp and CD player. The effect was slight yet positive. In A/B comparisons, vocals and instruments seemed somewhat more distinct (real) with the weights in place. Again, the effect is very slight, but this tweak is definately worth the $27 cost.
