Well, decided to take two steps back and restart. Selling the Sunfires. I purchased a Shanling SCD T200 CD player and I'm going to build around that. I'm having the Level I and plus mods installed in the player. Now I'm going after the Shanling SP-80 Monoblocks with the upgrade mod. Comments, anyone?

pariah2x August 24, 2003 21:20

Great advice! Thanks a ton.

Randy

pariah2x August 19, 2003 07:31

Pariah --

Okay, here's my advice. Don't buy expensive cables.
Save that money. Put that money into your components. You will be much happier with a
$1,600 CD/SACD player and generic 12 gauge copper
speaker wire than you will with a $1,000 CD player
and $600 cables. My recommendation for CD/SACD
player is a Sony SCD XA777ES, which you can usually
get for around $1,600, used, on Audiogon. Can you tell the difference between a $1,000 player and a $3,000 player? [The Sony SCD XA777ES went for $3,000 new]. Hell yes! I had a Yamaha s2300 Universal Player, which goes for $1,000 new and the Sony BLOWS IT
AWAY. You will be happy for a long, long time with the Sony CD/SACD player and it will go nicely with your set-up. Now, before you buy an AC conditioner, I recommend that you install 4 dedicated, properly grounded 20 amp circuits. In the long run, this will solve more AC problems for less money than any other solution. It will make a big difference and will save you a lot of time, money, and hassle. Because you'll end up spending a bunch of money on other things that
won't be as effective. If you still feel the need for an AC conditioner down the line, you can still add one. Save money on your cables, spend it on your components, install dedicated circuits. After that, see if you still feel the need for an AC conditioner.

Hope that helps.

rsbeck August 19, 2003 07:17

Thanks again, Warren. Can't seem to get anyone else to chime in. I'm a novice, and your advice is very helpful. Must say, your taste is good, and SPENDY!

pariah2x August 18, 2003 23:11

FWIW: read my reviews on the Audio Magic/ power conditioner and the Audio Aero Prima cdp. It you can swing the $$, you'll be very happy. peace, warren

warrenh August 18, 2003 11:37

Oh yeah, one more thing.....my speakers are "tri-wireable". My amp has two Voltage Out and two Current Out sources for each channel. I know I should wire the current out to the upper range, but in what combination? Unfortunately, I am in Japan while my equipment is showing up at home. All I can do from here is configure it in my miind :-)

pariah2x August 18, 2003 10:30

Thanks guys....I'm looking at the SHANLING SCD-T200 player. It definitely makes a visual statement, but the reviews are mixed. I listen to all kinds of music, particularly if it is sonically sound, like Norah Roberts, Miles Davis, Various Violin Concertos, Steely Dan's latest, some Hendrix, Moody Blues (as you can see, my taste runs the gamut). I think my earlier questions were too broad, so I'll be specific.....how about thoughts on the SHANLING SCD-T200 CD player, a Chang CLS 9600 power conditioner, and MIT MH-750 biwire cables. How do these "fit" my system? I want this effort to meld as well as possible.

I would appreciate any and all input.

Randy

pariah2x August 18, 2003 10:26

10%-15%? Obviously we don't have empirical studies of what the actual differences are. I will tell you this. 15% in this world of audiophoolishness is significant. It's a big deal in just about anything, when you think of it. What's 15% MORE than a million bucks? That's nothing to sneeze at. You'll get tons of posts to help you out. I wouldn't know where to begin in 500 words or less. Good luck. peace, warren

warrenh August 18, 2003 00:34

Well forget a $80.00 front end, yet you can look into the $300.00 & up mark.

Can you hear the difference between a $1200.00 & a $5000.00 front end?

YES, but you will have to be your own judge as far to which sound you can live with. You may only notice a 10-15% difference between the two.

Can you sacrifice the sonic difference, depending on the monitary precentage between the 2 will be your toughest or easiest decission.

audiobugged August 17, 2003 16:04

Randy a very reasonable start. I am no expert but your front end question is a good one. It depends on what you want to spend and what type of music you listen to. Is WAF important? I would strongly consider used if you want to maximize your dollars but you will have to be careful. As for brands, some like american for ease of repairs and service, others will not worry so much. I have audiomeca which is terrific but some have troubles with service, mostly due to distance not disinterest from the company which has always been great to deal with. They brought out a new model so the old one goes very quite a reasonable price. With regards to cables I would pick source first and then worry about this. Good luck. Drop a note if any questions

gajgmusic August 17, 2003 14:43