Mackie

fongalv: shall we discuss in chat since it derails from this thread? I'm already in there.

I believe you have decided on Klotz GY107 and that is a good choice if you wish to attain greater mid bass slam and retain the signature Marantz warm midrange. You could also try Belden 89259 which will give a slight treble lift which the CD63SE can accomodate. Since Belden 19364 power cord tends to contribute to soundstaging expansion, it will address the slight closed-in nature of the Klotz interconnect. Having a 83803 power cord at the amp will sort of clean up the bass region since both Klotz and CD63SE may sound punchy as a whole but less tight or refined. Therefore, I deduce the abovementioned power cords apllied as stipulated will be beneficial to you.

Shiro: I know you are a newbie but you gotta do some homework. The answers to all your questions are already available in this forum. If you bother to type "bullet plug" on google, you will learn Bullet plug is made by Eichmann. It's not a category nor the shape of the plug. Are you willing to spend more than $100 for a pair of plugs? If not, stick with Neutrik and Canare. Refer to the following on viix"s recommendation on LOK and Eichmann Bullet Plugs http://72.14.203.104/search?q=cache:Il0_2x...us&ct=clnk&cd=1 Edgy......I feel there's a metalic tizz in the treble region in regard to 83802/803. I'm giving you a more specific tonal detail than say brightness which can mean a hump from upper mid range to treble. I find 19364 for source and 83803 for amp makes a good partnership but as yet and 2 pages long, I still have no idea what's your system.

Most if not all captive cords on cdps are 2-pin as grounding is not as significant as in amps. In fact, having more than on ground in a sound system can cause ground loop, which causes hum. Since it's unsafe to lift the ground in a pre-amp and power amp, the source is usually the chose one. U have a wrong concept of digital signal transfer. Impedance and resistance is not the same. The so-called 75ohm cable impedance ideal for digital transfer is specified as so at a benchmark frequency, much akin to speakers specified at 8ohms at 1Khz. The impedance of the latter will fluctuate on different frequencies. If you are already using a Belden 1694A for digital S/PDIF connection, there's no reason to worry about much signal deterioration.

Guys, please get back on track as it's been derailed in the last 2 pages. Thanks.

It's the same as trying on a tee or pants in any shop/shopping center. Just ask. If you are willing to try out the Marantz CD5001, you will have to visit KEC at Adelphi. They are known amongst audiophile and videophiles to provide impeccable sales service. Try to visit them on weekdays though, as they will always be busy on weekends. Bring your cds and can and/or amp for an audition. Personally, auditioning your cans direct from the cdp's headphone out is sufficient. If you fancy DAC so much, try to research on it and discover the pro and cons. While you are at it, research on the DAC of Marantz CD5001 too.

If you are looking for speaker cables, you shouldn't be eyeing Belden 89259. Try homefix or a better neighborhood hardware store that sells Daiyo products. They should sell cables of different gauges. http://www.daiyo.com.sg/OFC.HTML

Check connection between amp and speakers and make sure the polarities are correct. If the power cords are DIYed, make sure the plugs are terminated correctly ie, blue to "N", green to "E" and brown to "L". If no abnomaly is found, check on your speakers positioning and make sure your seat (sweet spot) is at the center of the 2 speakers and equal distance to each speaker woofer/tweeter. Please start another thread if necessary.

In which case, you will have to select speakers that have an 8ohm impedance and sensitivity of at least 88 and above for your tube amp. Since it's a 2 channel system you are after, the KEF center speaker is no longer in the equation. Not unless you are thinking of expanding to a multi-speaker home theater cum audio speakers system, as the approach will be entirely different. Later on that. I suggest you start with Monitor Audio speakers as the shop that sells this brand also deals in Spark/Cayin tube amps. You could simply listen for yourself if these speakers will partner tube amps well.

I think you were misinformed. If you believe in "garbage in-garbage out" concept, any tweak at the source should yield the most benefits sonically. It's true that gauge of the power cord does not matter as much as that for an amp because cdp does not drain lots of current than an amp. However, a stable and quiet power line to source equipment will help to reduce interference at the digital and analogue signal conversion circuitry. Remember that interconnects and power cords serve to tweak the sound that your system inherits and they don't change its overall characteristics. Think of it as fine adjustment of a TV set. For the tweak on unused digital output, please check out the thread "Mackie's plug". They work especially well with Marantz cdps. This tweak was also tried by other audiophiles in www.audioreview.com when I posted a review of a cdp, inclusive of this tweak. On my part, I don't recommend Belden 83802/803 cable as power cord for a source as it makes them sound edgy at the top end, not unless you have a source that has much treble rolloff. This was highlighted many times in previous threads, especially those regarding power cord upgrade for amps. I favour Belden 19364 as a better and more user friendly cable to be had as power cord for sources. Although it might not have the bass tightness of 83803, the overall presentation is much improved over the stock cord and most importantly, smoother from midrange to treble and thus, kinder to most ears. Belden 19364 costs $10/m. Terminate it with a MK UK 3-pin plug, be it white or red as internal structure are of hospital grade, and finally, a Shurter IEC female plug on the other end. I reckon the hole receipe for 1m will not cost you more than $30. Last but not least, sonic improvement from power cords are harder to discern than interconnects, but the improvement over the stock cord should be quite obvious. My concern is whether your cdp has a captive power cord or a IEC male connector that allows easy swopping of power cords. If your system sounds weird like wooly or "cavey", your might have a phase or polarity problem in regard to power and speakers connection. Are there any US-standard power cords and/or power conditioner in your system? If it's affirmative, please start a new thread as we can discuss from there. In the meantime, listen to your system again and confirm if there is indeed a problem.

I'm using UM2 with PA2V2 and the only gripe I have is not sound quality but gain. Since a small adjustment of the volume knob will produce a moderate volume level, I have to make fine adjustment of the knob to achieve my desired volume. It never got past the 9 o'clock mark. Sound wise, UM2 sounds much better through PA2V2 than direct from a pcdp source ie Pannie SL-CT720. Use the included comply short tips as they give a better balance in bass and treble. Treble rolloff is further exacerbated with long tips. A Shure 3 flange modded to 2 flange is also highly recommended.

If this thread does not get back on track on MO, I will move it to an appropriate forum for further discussion.

There are a few....pls check out my review on DIY interconnects from the FAQ, Forum articles section.

What is your priority, CD or SACD? For a fact, budget priced CD/SACD machines play the latest format reasonably well but not redbook (CD) though. As such, you would do better with the likes of a Marantz CD5001. If you are looking for a machine that plays SACD as priority, the Sony will be a good choice as they are low cost, well constructed and sound pretty good with this format. However, forget about adding aftermarket DAC of the same price bracket, as they don't accept SACD playback.

A super engine but poor tyres can slow down a F1 car and the same would apply to sound systems. Granted having a good pair of speakers that fulfill your wants but paired with a less capable amp and/or source, the resultant sound could be impaired. My point is, look not only the speakers but the whole system. Although there's another school of thought that favours downstream (speakers > amp > source), I personally advocate upstream approach in setting up a sound system. After all it's Garbage in, Garbage out. If you wish to take a micro look at just the speakers, your search for a budget pair of speakers capable of the abovementioned will be equal to that of the Holy Grail. First and foremost, you seek a midrange that is warm. That means coloration unless you're referring to temperature? Afraid not. Therefore, it would render your next requirement "no coloration" moot and it would also contradict "accurate midrange" as extra warmth of the source signal means deviation from accuracy or neutrality? Or unless your measure of "accurate midrange" simply means a woman's voice should sound feminine and man's voice robust. In which case, I believe good budget speakers are able to meet this criteria. What do you mean by powerful bass? Do you mean mid bass boom or deep bass extension? Saying powerful bass reminds me of ghetto-blasters. In addition, your amp is the main factor in regard to having good bass control (tight bass). Therefore, it will have to be considered on how it could compliment and synergize with the speakers. Low frequencies draw more watts from your amp than high frequencies. You simply need to chalk up lots of time in listening experience and try out the different speakers in an intended price range. There are simply no short cuts. However, if your already have a source and amp, we could discuss further with our takes on how the system will sound and you can decide if that particular sound is what you like, but a personal audition is still required. You will learn most makers have particular sonic signature and it's either hate it or love it. Discover your niche with a certain make and then proceed to models as they will sound quite different in terms of presentation but yet maintain its signature. Building a speakers system have a much steeper learning curve than headphone systems but the approach is still the same though. That said, we don't even know what's your budget? To a high end audiophile, budget speakers mean those in the $1-2K bracket and therefore, subjective. As lengcm has highlighted above, start with the likes of Monitor Audio, Mission, JPW, KEF, Tannoy and Wharfedale etc. Most if not all, are available at Adelphi, Coleman Street.

To those who don't understand the above post, it's as followed: "My friend got a pair too, he taped it and continued using it..... erm...I think it's the right side too."

You can choose to retain or shorten the depth. The upper 4 levels retain the original depth while those below were shortened with the included spacers. This is to facilitate storing newly bought cds at the base of each original shelf (see the cds on level 4?) for faster search as they could get lost amongst my collection. The Billy bookcase has 6 shelves and each shelf is further divided into equivalent pigeon holes by inserting an optional cascaded divider. As a result, a 6-shelf bookcase becomes a 12-shelf cd storage furniture. I've magnified the earlier picture for better understanding.

George Lazenby, notably the critics' least favoured actor to take on James Bond role.

No worries. Check out the FAQ, articles section. I got this link for your benefit. http://www.sgheadphones.net/index.php?act=ST&f=2&t=134

I found the item in Ikea Australia site. The cd divider fits into the bookcase turning it into pigeon holes for cd sotrage. http://cebas.ikea.com.au/prod_template4.as...&Cat=13&Scat=55

USB 2.0 compatible, meaning USB 1.1

Please do not confuse clarity with treble sharpness or brightness. They are not the same in definitions. No one should complain about high levels of details and clarity (high resolution) but most people would against piercing high notes and general brightness attacking their ear drums resulting in fatigue.

The cd racks in picture are from Ikea. They also come with optional dividers for cd storage. These racks gave the best value for money in terms of storage space and price. I can't recall the model name but these are located at the entry of cabinet section in Ikea store. FYI, the 2 racks are holding more than 2K cds out of my >3K collection.

No kids.....CHECKED!!

"The complete Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong" 3-cd limited edition album. I especially love the third cd "Porgy and Bess". http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000047E...6392824?ie=UTF8