So glad I came across your channel. Love listening to audio geek talk. Feels like a group of guys standing around a 68 Camaro, hood up, beer in hand talking about the build. So refreshing.....I also have a small moderate build pieced together from audiogon, closeouts,bought some off friends. Running Rotel amp rmb 1095, rsp 1066 processor, monitor audio s8, velodyne sub clean up with monster power hts5100. Use a dragonfly red and a laptop. 10yr system still running strong. I am subscribed and fan of your channel now!!!! keep it coming. Cheers🤙
One of the best "hi-fi audio gear" videos on TH-cam. Guy goes from $4000 speakers to $400 speakers and still has an enjoyable listening experience -- LOVE IT!
I wish more people were like this young man, good at tinkering with stuff, like me, can buy old stuff cheap and be more than happy and satisfied with what he's got knowing he's made it work! To many audiofools out there, this hobby needs more people like him!
Something off about his story, no one does that, I could see selling the $4,000 speakers and down grading a little but to that low level. Don’t buy it. His girlfriend said it’s the speakers or me. Lol
Please Steve, you know so much and your guests have such amazing gear: show us longer shots of the gear in a living environment. To see how people live with hifi and how the gear integrates in a room is so interesting.
After a while the hobby becomes how nice can I make my system with the least amount of money and let me tell you that hobby is a lot more fun than spending a bunch of money
Very refreshing to hear an audiophile verbalize the small differences between pricey and value driven speakers. No need to chase rainbows...just chase music...it’s a lot cheaper too.
His verbalization of the "small differences" is very likely due to his highly colored, low resolution speaker/room interface. It's the single most important component.
@@intrinsicfreedom I believe he means its up to your interpretation what you like because you can never really be IN the studio as each rooms are layed out different and using different equipment so its hard to actually be there so just enjoy what you enjoy sound wise
Rich is not an audiophile at all. Owning a high performance race car makes no sense for him. A base Corolla is more suited for him. Just listen to the echo in this listening room. Neophytes don't understand everything that's involved in creating a high performance system.
No kidding this guy seems like a person you can watch and trust what he says. So many of these videos trying to learn what to buy are from people I would not want around my dog. Thanks for great information
It is call appreciation, it takes hours to make a video. We are very lucky to have a guy like Rich who is very kind to allow us to see his audio system. I enjoyed the video. Thanks guys🔈🔈🔉🔉🔊🔊
You can guarantee that they wouldn't interview someone like Arthur Salvatore either, and he's the kind of zealot who WILL spend thousands on gear (while telling everyone else they spent too much). Not even sure how the print magazines are still with us in 2019, particularly given the ratio of ads to actual editorial content.
Really nice system thanks for sharing. I wish we had a component listing for the system, which interconnects you've tried out, etc. I really enjoy these types of videos you do Steve, thanks again, if Rich reads this, I'd like to see an update on what you have now. I very much appreciate the honesty of Rich and his humility, you see a lot of "well I started with these low end bookshelf speakers" but you hardly (if ever) see anyone humble enough to admit that their $4,000 speakers weren't "all that" - that's pretty awesome - I have a ton of respect for that! I think the other is, is that people often overlook the modest end of audio gear.
I like this guy's style. He developed a work around for upgraditis. I've heard systems worth several thousands of dollars and I'm pretty sure my sub $1000 system has all the features to satisfy a discerning audiophile. Having a good sounding room helps.
I love telling this story, so here goes again: one time I asked my serious girlfriend to go look at a pair of speakers with me. We went to the HiFi shop where we listened and my girlfriend approved of the sound. Then she asked, "Do they make a bigger version?" The salesman grabbed me by the arm and whispered in my ear, "marry her!" I did. I don't remember what the speakers were. I should figure that out because it would probably be interesting to audiophiles.
The woman of my dreams right there!😃... i hate to be told i can't have something I really like when i have no say in what pots and pans she gets!!! Maybe I should just stay single... finish building my Home Theatre and enjoy.😎
Really fascinating that Rich started with those expensive Focals and then worked his way down the food chain to the Klipsch. I'm still marveling at that. I have often wondered if audio gear past a certain price point is a lot of diminishing return e.g., you start paying A LOT more for tweaks, visual aesthetics, etc. The sound is improved, but not on a grand scale and what you're paying for is incremental. Mind you - I'm not saying that IS the way it is, merely that it is something I have wondered about. This was a great interview. I was glued to the computer. I hope you made some suggestions to Rich about how to combat the echo that seemed to be very prevalent in that room?
Yes, one can be happy spending little. I wish it was my case. I went from the Elac B6 ( sold after 4 months) and bought the entry level Focals chorus 716 floorstanding for $1200. Huge difference. They are fabulous for classical and jazz.
With the things that Micca, Klipsch and JBL have been doing recently there has never been a better time to be a budget audiophile. The future sounds amazing!
This is one of the most sensible discussions regarding accuracy that I’ve ever seen on TH-cam. The only type of music where accuracy of reproduction is a goal is orchestral - although as you two have pointed out, even then there’s considerable audio engineering involved - but at least with some recordings there is an attempt to recreate the sound of the actual acoustics of the concert hall in the recording. Additionally, there is nothing else as complex and difficult to reproduce as the sound of a full Symphony Orchestra, especially at full tilt and loudest volume levels.
we need to come up with a new name for "bookshelf" speakers..... most audiophiles do not place them on a bookshelf... let's call them "stand mount" or something more suited to their application.
ozzy aquanut lets also stop calling speakers like these klipschs entry level speakers. The gap between these speakers and speakers 3x the price just isn’t enough anymore.
Rythmik makes EXCELLENT subwoofers. They're servo controlled and very well suited to systems that require a subwoofer. I don't use a sub in my audio setup, but a servo controlled sub would be my primary option.
Fantastic, Rich. My systems have always been put together from used, refurbished, or DIY. So I can relate. The exception has been cartridges. Keep on swapping stuff in and out. I always save the boxes until I sell our give away a component of the warranty period expires. I have been at this since before Steve was a projectionist, but you are an inspiration!
The more I listen to people like this fellow, the more I realise I am right. Some people have looked at me with derision when I say my £1000 system sounds great, and I tell them you don't need to spend thousands to enjoy music, and that is the whole point, to listen to the music, forget the gear and enjoy.
Now 66 yrs old, my hearing has degraded over the course of my lifetime due to exposure to high noise environmental conditions, hearing trauma, and age related issues. If I were much younger with fresher healthier inner ears, and able to accurately perceive a high end wide response from more high quality (i.e. expensive) would be more justifiable than in my current point in my life. That being said, my enjoyment level of fine audio is just as good or better than when I was younger. So I can justify spending $400 on good speakers rather than thousands on higher audiophile quality stuff.
Aswaguespack Same issues with me. Just go with high resolution speakers like the Klipsch or Keff. I was lucky enough to to nab an OPPO UDP 205, so can set just how sharp I want my DAC to convert, and a Schitt Loki to boost the treble. It still feels great, as long as I’m listening alone! 😄
Makes sense. I bought some Totem Rainmaker speakers on eBay, probably all I need. I am switching from headphones to speakers for audiophile listening due to hearing loss in the left ear. (Damage mostly from a Frank Zappa concert where the tweeters on the speaker stack were blasting on my left. Beware live amplified music!) Otherwise, if not for my ears I would probably refurbish my old Stax earspeakers and just listen that way -- even the cheaper models (electret, not electrostatic) were superbly detailed.
William Pietrak High Frequencies above 8kHz roll off quickly in my right ear which is a result of trauma. Cilia in my inner ear were damaged and as a result high frequencies are not Processed in that ear above 8 kHz. My enjoyment of fine music is not affected just a part of the spectrum is degraded some.
Part of the hobby is certainly tinkering, getting deals, swapping components, etc. It's why I think a lot of us are drawn to hifi in addition to wanting a continually better music listening experience
Steve,.i just got done upgrading a pair or Heresy l speakers.i had a pair many years ago and the only amp I get any bass out of them was a Crown DC300a.Bass and sensitivity was anemic due to an under powered woofer that they contracted with Eminence to replace the original Electro-Voice SP12 woofer that that cabinet was designed for. Paul Klipsch was a cabinet designer.not a driver manufacturer.he used all EV drivers.i think EV may have started to have issues with that.all the woofers after that in all the Heresy line series were not EV.they lacked that EV sensitivity.so guess what I used in my uprade?.they sound incredible!! thanks for reading!
Really love the tonal quality of the Focals, but i get the lively need of the 600s. IMHO i would place the 600s on the Focals they would be more pet friendly stable and could switch off for different moods and genres. Sounds like a real echo in the room maybe with a little soft scape would warm up the mids on the 600s. Really love the Denon....Love that you present, you don't need to be rich to enjoy good sounds..Good Education.
Guy got some great bargans. I wonder if Steve panicked when he walked into the room. Sound reflections everywhere. When my wife replaced the living room carpet with hardwood I had it installed in basement. Moved my system down there and we're both happy.
Very cool. I have a similar story. I admit that I don't like RP600m. I thought the RP8000F's were pretty good. I had them for a while, too. I had been listening to Klipsch Chorus II and I thought I would keep them long term. But, I found a set of KSP-400's and I decided to try them. They are only $350 and I absolutely love them. The compression driver and the 15" subwoofers built in are really special. The dual 6" woofers are great as well. I even found a pair on KSP-300 and I am using one as a center channel. So, I never thought I would like a tower more than a Chorus II, but on the KSP-400, the low end is deep and dynamic, and the highs are better. I highly recommend taking a listen to the Klipsch KSP-400 if you find this rare beast.
I was about to buy a pair of 4000 dollar Focals myself when I saw this video. I went back to the showroom and heard the Klipsch. He is right. The difference in sound cannot justify the difference in price. Let's just say the showroom manager was not very happy with my decision, having lost 9/10 of the price in sales...I live in the UK but if I am ever at Brooklyn I need to buy this guy a beer.
Wow! I also bought a Technics full auto turntable (SL-1300) with a faulty auto start (which I knew about, but I haven’t fixed that yet). I was intending to have to replace the cartridge, but when I got it home found that it ALSO came with a Shure V15 Type III with an original VN35MR stylus in great shape. It sounds amazing. Best of luck in your audio journey!
Fun episode and Rich is right, you can get nice things (not just audio equipment) by keeping your eyes open and being patient. People don't like to ship heavy audio equipment so being quick in the local game is vital. Facebook marketplace is a good place to watch and also befriend your local audiophiles because they are usually unhappy with some part of their system and you can often get their leftovers for a good price!
I came to the same conclusion some years ago though I have spent a fair bit assembling a pro-audio-based system with active analogue crossovers. Though it's 2-channel only, I have essentially 2 systems integrated into one (including large conical horns) that has tremendous presence. I like Steve; he genuinely loves music and reviews even humble systems.
Small good quality bookshelf speakers often have a dynamic sound which I personally prefer. I have recently changed from some large KEF floor standers to B&W 607s. They also seem disappear in the room. I have a very large 12 sub to fill in the bottom end. Amp wise I stopped buying stuff and started building stuff 20 years ago. Currently running a Naim NAP140 clone as a power amp and a AD815 preamp I build 15 years ago with a resistor ladder volume control. Sounds amazing
re: previous floor-standers vs. his new stand mounts; His perspective of those differences is absolutely dominated by his listening room's acoustics. Every audio component in Rich's system is routed through his "Speaker/Room Interface" before he experiences it. That "overlay" impacts everything. This overly, the room's transfer function, distorts every listening session. In addition to the reverberant energy that time smears bass detail and transients, an impulse response would reveal high level arrivals msec after direct sound. Those latent arrivals skew the freq resp into a peak/null mess, obscure soundstage info and blur image detail. I enjoy your channel Steve. Rich, I dig the system and good interview... certainly no disrespect intended. The acoustic distortions of the room are the single biggest factor of sound quality. Merely tending to a couple of the simple low hanging fruit issues is a powerful force multiplier towards greater enjoyment. It's not subtle. All the best
I'm a fortunate man. My wife loves my Magnepans and she wouldn't care what audio system that I brought home. Sometimes we humans stress over the wrong things. I want me a pair of those 600's, though.
I don't believe in absolute sound: recordings vary wildly, room layout, etc. But you can have a lot of fun tailoring relatively cheap gear to your space and when it works, that's hi-fi heaven. I do have this quirk about hi-fi gear though, I don't find black to be appealing; wood and silver for me.
A 3 way will do it better than a 2 way cos the med driver is smaller and lighter, than with a 2 way. Or use a small (expensive) FR driver and a woofer. I have a way of getting more khz from the cheaper FR drivers (cheap but tedious).
@@Justwantahover can I ask what's ur favorite 3 way bookshelf...under 2000$...would this solve the loss of midbase he was talking about... Thanks in advance👍
@@justingriffin2546 Having lots of med bass without sounding "boomy" and "bonky" is like...well impossible. It makes a speaker sound "warm" with too much med bass and too "cold" with not enough med bass. I make speakers and have experienced both. But having just the right amount of med bass makes speakers sound great, like with house music the low bass and the upper bass of the different synthesizer sounds really stands out against each other and sounds so "separate" to the low bass instrument, with 3D holographic effect and sounds fucking awesome. Buy any bookshelf speaker with a time aligned coaxial driver, either + woofer or just the coaxial driver itself in a small bookshelf speaker (and a good sub with variable crossover frequency). KEF make bookshelf coaxials and so do ELAC. The KEF bookshelf speakers cost between $800 and $3,000 a pair. REL brand subs start at about a grand and are recommended by PS Audio (who makes way hi-end stuff). If the bookshelf speakers sound "cold" use the higher crossover frequency on the sub and if the bookshelfs are "warm" use the lower crossover frequency. This should give the best med bass level. Why coaxials? With time aligned coaxials, the VOWELS and CONSONANTS (in the voice sound) are coming from the same point instead of a foot apart. And you get a way better sound image (way more holographic). Extra hifi just by the placement of the drivers. Neat! I deny normal 2-way and 3-ways. lol With them you can hear the "whizzy" sound from the tweeter and the "muffly" sound from the woofer (just that little bit). Yuck! But with point source speakers you don't hear that at all and the treble is more natural, not as obvious cos it's mixed better with the med (like reality) but many "tinkly" surprizes too (like reality). But that's just my opinion (and many others) but there are speakers out there for a half a mill and with drivers all across the board. Be careful, not all coaxials are time aligned (like some car speakers) and the tweeter is coaxial but mounted in front of the woofer. And not right in the core like the KEFs and ELACs are. Tannoys and Klipsch coaxial speakers aren't time aligned either, they have a horn tweeter behind the woofer.
If you can swing a pair of used Quad 57s... IMFs (which were built in the UK through the 70s and early 80s) are Amazing at low levels. If you can find some.
my "vintage " system consist of Kenwood KA 7300 amp and tuner, JBL E 80 speakers and a Pro-ject TT with a small Pro-ject tube phone amp...the only new piece is the turntable. This is more "fun" to listen to a lot of the time, compared to my newer system in the living room. Great video!
Great theme here. Did you hear the echo in that room? Lots of hard surfaces. Some room treatment would really help the sound of those amazing little stand mounted Klipsch speakers. I have a pair thanks to Mr. Guttenberg and his inspirational reviews with expert knowledge.
Ebay is my best friend, after a divorce and three sons dosen't leave much money for enjoyment. Carver av705x power amp, Infinity Interlude IL50s, Il10, and Il25c and rotel tuner pre amp processor for under $1200 . 2 years ago my sons bought me a Marantz av7005 preamp to replace the Rotel which I sold for $75. And I am very happy with the sound I get
I think I might start heading in this direction as well. I started off with very modest gear, and as I moved up it became difficult to get the sound I knew the gear was capable of. At the end of the day the room is the biggest bottleneck and until that's solved spending more is a waste of money.
Some amazing vintage turntables you can find, much better quality than new ones for the same price, just need to be aware there's a big chance they won't work as advertised and you'll need to tinker with it to get it working 100%
Thank you for the words of caution. I guess I’m always “lurking” for a vintage turntable. If I ever see one as nice as the Denon in this video, I would take a chance at the right price.
My personal philosophy is retail is for suckers. I've bought numerous turntables, receivers, cd decks, cassette decks, reel-to-reel decks, and speakers from eBay sellers or from various thrift stores. Even when I factored in shipping charges and import charges to Canada if I purchased electronics from America, I still saved a fortune.
Facinating video Steve. Like Rich I'm also trying to build the best system I can for the money. Limiting my budget at around 500€ for each piece of gear. I've just picked up some Triangle compete ez and a Musical Paradise md-1 DAC both for less than my budget. I've also inherited a Meridian power amp and at the moment I'm blown away by the sound. I've had more expensive gear in the past but if you do your homework and match the gear well you can build an amazing system for a wife friendly budget.
This guy really know how to find bargains. I've mentioned this in the comments several times to buy used and vintage gear because you always tell everyone to buy new. Sorry Steve but this is where the bargains really are. It can take some work and time but the bargains blow the doors off buying retail.
If you're willing to travel to pick stuff up there are some amazing deals on eBay. It always surprises me how many sellers are unwilling to pack things up to ship them, especially considering that it really doesn't add that much to the shipping cost to have the shipper collect the parcel from your home. The net result is that they put an item up for sale as collect-only and no-one is interested, so you can come in with an offer that's a lot less than they'd get if they were willing to ship.
I'm using a stock V15 mk3. Likely from the late 70s and it really sounds great, compares favorably with several new, expensive carts I've heard. Played through Schiit Mani.
Steve, love your work and reviews as always. But wanted to share one request, for these videos, specially this one, I'd be way more interested in looking at the equipment than the person. I think such small portion of the video shows the actual gear and mostly just the person, we can have him talk as you show the audio gear. Whole point of watching a TH-cam video.
Rythmic makes a servo sub with 2 8" drivers that is intended to play up into the midbass. It is special order, but having heard a similar approach in a custom speaker system I think it would work very well with this system in this room.
About subwoofers, I find I prefer the sound of my Usher BE10 floorstanders crossed at 60hz with a sub than without. I've been using subs for the last 10 years, through different bookshelf speakers (Proac Response 1S, B&W Signature 805) and I find I've been enjoying all sorts of music through them.
This is the smart way to audiophile. Let someone else take the depreciation hit. Lots of older equipment sounds great. Sounded great back then and carries forward. If you want to be a review chaser, do it at your financial peril. Check out US Audio Mart. Hundreds of great pieces of equipment that are just waiting for an offer.
Great system. Interesting comment about his seating position and bass. Hard to fix that when it's a dip in the response - dips cannot really be fixed, only crests via eq/dsp. Only solution I can think of is change the sitting position.
@@gurdyman1 The room bass modes are exclusively related to the geometry of the room. Moving a sub will allow the sub to excite some modes more than others, but if the listening position is at a "node" (where some modes have "zeros") then there is nothing you can do about it other than: 1- moving the listening spot or 2- changing the effective dimensions of the room (eg room treatment, a large bookcase, etc). The worst possible listening position is the center of the room, and that's possibly what's happening here. In my case I also sit roughly at the center, but it is a relatively non-symmetrical and large room so I don't really have a node there. Bottomline: Try to move the listening spot.
@@miguelbarrio Thanks Miguel, the sub also has full 0-180 degree phase adjustment, so I need to play with that and see if it translates to fuller bass from the listening position. On another note, It was fun to see your last video with Steve about the CXC mods. I had actually done the same mods to the Sony SACD player I showed on the video with Dynamat and moving around the signal wiring, so it was really cool watching someone else doing the same tinkering, haven't gone so far as replacing caps or similar parts. I'm probably going to try some mods to my phono stage and see how that can improve. Hope to see some similar stuff in the future.
Richel H Hi Rich! The phase adjustment is useful for the transition region between the main speaker and the sub - you don’t want each to be at opposing phases thus cancelling each other for example - but it won’t help the lower bass modes of the room (which is what I understood was your problem, maybe I misunderstood). As for phono stage mods, I think the biggest thing is a clean power supply since the gain is ~40dB (at 1KHz) for the moving magnets you are using (and ~60dB for MC), so clean power is very important.
@@miguelbarrio Gotcha, yeah I understood wanting to be in phase with the rest of the speakers. Just logically to me I thought perhaps some small phase shift would allow the sound wave to hit my listening position a little more directly. I'll need to do some more research on how to properly get the phase alignment synced with the main speakers. I'm with you on the first step is clean power, but right now I'm using the amps internal phono stage so that should have proper power. But I am going to get an MC cart soon to compare and for that I'll need an external MC phono stage where a good LPS will certainly come into play. Thanks for the advice!
I never found it! I use a Klipsch sub with my RP’s. I set the gain at lowest level and slightly increased volume. I can’t hear the sub. At least that’s what’s I thought until I turned it off. I would like to test the REL entry level sub. Anyway, very happy with my setup as a budget system. My ex wife kept my Dali column speakers :-)
I bought a pair of ADS L400 speakers with stand at a yard sale for $10...yes that’s right ten dollars. They are working perfectly fine. Any suggestion for a matching subwoofer?
Very cool, thats how I buy almost everything I own :-) . It allows me to buy way better products and keeps me from bouncing all over the place in search of the holy grail that you can never quite find.
I've been saying for years there are some great deals if you take the time to look. After my divorce I decided to put together a good HT system. Started doing my homework. Saw Pair of Infinity interlude towers on Harman audio Ebay site put in a bid of $468 , retail was $1700 never thought I'd get it. Won the bid and that was whipped. Next 5 channel amp saw great reviews on Carver Av705x, $450 when I got it a channel was out. Contacted the seller. He gave me the option refund or send for repair. Opted to send it to a Carver service center. That was in 2003, the Amp is still kicking ass in 2020. Then I recently upgraded my HT preamp. Got a Marantz av7005 $1500 preamp processor for $350. Cant beat that
Given the outside background noise (and dog) and what looks like a highly reflective room (with bare windows, floors, and walls), I think that it would be a waste to spend a lot on a system. It would only be an exercise of frustration. If you really want something that sounds good, you first need to deal with the sonic environment. However, most people just don't care about sound quality. It is only the very small percentage who are willing to pay a truckload of money to get the very best experience. I guess that I would fall into that very small percentage.
@@matthewbarrow3727 I do need some room treatment, we just moved in a few months ago so it's still a work in progress, but I actually like a bit how the acoustics sound with the small echo.
@@richelh Yep. I heard the echo in the video. Some echo can create a fuller sound, and is used by recording artists to do just that (amongst other things). What this means is that we select the right speaker that fits the room. We try to figure out what we can achieve given the situation that we are in. Living in a city could certainly add some challenges. I am lucky in that I am in the suburbs of a smaller city, where triple glazed windows pretty much removes almost all outside noise. Even fire engine sirens can hardly be heard. This allows for more options, which meant that I was able to go right up the audiophile range and still get significant benefit. There are systems that are absolutely amazing to listen to. It's hard to describe and the only way to get a sense of what is possible is to actually listen to them. I recently got such a system. I have had various friends around to listen, and they have been amazed by what they experience, even though they aren't audiophiles. However, the experience of such sound quality is not something that is a priority for them. While one doesn't "need" to spend a truckload of money, there are certain experiences which can only be obtained by spending a truckload of money.
@@richelh Guessing with the wife factor, furniture and placement is the only room treatment you'll be allowed to manage haha. A calibrated mic and room correction (REW & minidsp is your best bet) will go a long way if you can't do much else.
@@mohamedahmed1023 The systems in our nicer living room so whatever I do I'd like to keep it aesthetically pleasing. I'll definitely look into room correction.
Dude lucked out on the Sony sacd player! Looks like an excellent set up for the price. 10% improvement on better gear based on the space and that everybody is happy? Probably in any married household need to add in a set of headphones!
Steve,I stumbled upon your review of the Klipsch Heresy lV last week.it's so refreshing to hear a follow audiophile who has discovered the truth about great sound rather than buying the stereophile party line,even though you wrote for them.i cancelled my subscription after purchasing a Krell KSA 250 that was raved about in stereophile reviews.i had at the time Apogee Mini Grands,and Alon lV's.it was on of the worst sounding amps I ever heard! Equalization was built into the amp to give it that deep soundstage.but it was no near accurate.(bumped up bass,recessed mid-range.) I sold it on audiomart in less than a month.the Theshhold 400A blew it away.i still own that 400A.the problem with Audiophile magazines was they had the power to make or break a company based on the product reviews.i learned that truth 20yrs ago.you don't have to spend a lot of money to achieve great sound.
@@louisperlman8030 The Maggies? No need to spend that kind of money to make them sound fabulous. I was responding to the $4000 entry level speaker comment. 1.7i's are roughly half that. LRS's are way less than that. There are many "audiophile" speakers that are much less than 4 grand. You don't have to have Master Chronosonics to have marvelous music.
@@ghawk78 They are Greg but they are still entry level you just have to go to Magnepans top of the range to understand and they are an awful lot better yet still 1/2 way up the ladder. If I can compare this to the motor industry you don't buy a top end Ferrari on cost you buy it on performance and somewhat stigma and you'd hardly compare it to a standard Ford or Japanese car as good as they are on cost..!!!
Don't waste your time with traditional sub's, get a REL as they are in a league of their own, it will absolutely enhance your missing mid bass as well as every other aspect of the sound, a truly special product. Good luck!
@@Ctripp2448 Well, I have been at this for more then 40 years so apparently you have more experience. BTW the money issue wasn't as it may pertane to value a consideration
Very nice 'bargain' hunting system for sure. BUT, I could not help noting the very fine woodwork in that older home ! Arched top doorcase and doors!, then the pillared window cases with inner shutters! WOW ((O:
If this is his listening room, it needs acoustic taming...lots of reverb which will as we all know, not do anything for us audiophiles.... a live room might be fun for a while but really overall not enjoyable. If you had a sofa curtains rugs etc and got used to a more accurate presentation you would not want to go back to the live reverberant room again !!! I have after a year of having my home studio and drums treated with some acoustic tiles found that the difference in listening to music, monitoring and mixing/mastering my stuff is so much more enjoyable and easier, I can really tell whats going on, and I already had carpet curtains and a sofa....just some tiles on the walls and wow....just a idea in that those bright Focals may have sounded a lot better than they did!!!! Cheers Steve for all your enthusiasm in your daily shows......
Yes, great interview. Steve, please reccomend a REL sub for him with a good dealer that will let him audition it before he buys it. REL may give him that full sound and integration with his amp via their proprietary cable.
I've read about REL, still a good option. In terms of specs, the Rythmik has better low frequency extension and also uses servo controlled woofer. But not sure what that means for real listening.
I would prefer Klipsch to Focal as well and I'm not even a Klipsch fan. Those Focal high order crossovers always make the sound feel reigned in, as if in a straightjacket. No bloom, no splash.
Question is will he go Klipsch Classic say Cornwalls once he has a flare of the dreaded audio nervosa virus.But glad he is experiencing a period of remission for now
Round Earth Shill I had a null issue in my room with a single sub. When I added the second (set up as a stereo pair) and using the subs’ high impedance inputs the sound was unrecognizable. Best upgrade I ever did.
Where are all the Shure M 91ED cartridges? They used to say it was a $50 cartridge back in 1970. (The wholesale price was nine dollars!) It was included on every hundred dollar turntable you could buy… Dual, BIC, Yamaha, AR, pioneer… Everything. I would think that half of the moderate priced turntables (1 to $200) included that cartridge. It was a very nice cartridge but if you had a nicer turntable, you bought the V 15 type three and it did cost $100. With all of the used turntables/cartridge sold today, I would think those cartridges would be an upgrade to what some people purchase used?
It was left out on the sidewalk for someone to take for free, I just luckily passed by before someone else took it. Unfortunately it has no markings to tell who made it.
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So glad I came across your channel. Love listening to audio geek talk. Feels like a group of guys standing around a 68 Camaro, hood up, beer in hand talking about the build. So refreshing.....I also have a small moderate build pieced together from audiogon, closeouts,bought some off friends. Running Rotel amp rmb 1095, rsp 1066 processor, monitor audio s8, velodyne sub clean up with monster power hts5100. Use a dragonfly red and a laptop. 10yr system still running strong. I am subscribed and fan of your channel now!!!! keep it coming. Cheers🤙
One of the best "hi-fi audio gear" videos on TH-cam. Guy goes from $4000 speakers to $400 speakers and still has an enjoyable listening experience -- LOVE IT!
Says a lot I reckon,, 😏
@@paulwibb.8944 Says don't get married:¬}
@@golfman9290 ooooh,,
contravesial,😄
I wish more people were like this young man, good at tinkering with stuff, like me, can buy old stuff cheap and be more than happy and satisfied with what he's got knowing he's made it work! To many audiofools out there, this hobby needs more people like him!
Something off about his story, no one does that, I could see selling the $4,000 speakers and down grading a little but to that low level. Don’t buy it. His girlfriend said it’s the speakers or me. Lol
Please Steve, you know so much and your guests have such amazing gear: show us longer shots of the gear in a living environment. To see how people live with hifi and how the gear integrates in a room is so interesting.
Yes plz, unless guest minds! Seeing th gear in context 2 th listeners position would b enjoyable & helpful! Thanx Steve
yes yes yes! Dammit need to see more shots of the system and hell even the room shape and furniture etc would be interesting.
Jan-Uwe Hilger great idea!
After a while the hobby becomes how nice can I make my system with the least amount of money and let me tell you that hobby is a lot more fun than spending a bunch of money
100% agree.
For sure.
This is me 100%.
That's exactly what I am. Mostly used stuff. Anything I can't find new is Schiit. (no joke)
Doug G love that notion. I’m just getting started.
Very refreshing to hear an audiophile verbalize the small differences between pricey and value driven speakers. No need to chase rainbows...just chase music...it’s a lot cheaper too.
His verbalization of the "small differences" is very likely due to his highly colored, low resolution speaker/room interface.
It's the single most important component.
He got it, he gave up on the fantasy to be in the studio. This is an illusion so many audiophiles believe in. Great video, smart guy!
As the Pacific Ocean dies, the stock market makes all time highs.
So, what is your answer? What does it mean to go deeper, nourish what is real? What is your station? Guideline?
@@intrinsicfreedom I believe he means its up to your interpretation what you like because you can never really be IN the studio as each rooms are layed out different and using different equipment so its hard to actually be there so just enjoy what you enjoy sound wise
Rich is not an audiophile at all. Owning a high performance race car makes no sense for him. A base Corolla is more suited for him. Just listen to the echo in this listening room. Neophytes don't understand everything that's involved in creating a high performance system.
@@carlosoliveira-rc2xt hahahaha, hate much?
No kidding this guy seems like a person you can watch and trust what he says. So many of these videos trying to learn what to buy are from people I would not want around my dog. Thanks for great information
This guy would NEVER be interviewed by the audio magazines.
Yep 😂😂
It is call appreciation, it takes hours to make a video. We are very lucky to have a guy like Rich who is very kind to allow us to see his audio system. I enjoyed the video. Thanks guys🔈🔈🔉🔉🔊🔊
You can guarantee that they wouldn't interview someone like Arthur Salvatore either, and he's the kind of zealot who WILL spend thousands on gear (while telling everyone else they spent too much). Not even sure how the print magazines are still with us in 2019, particularly given the ratio of ads to actual editorial content.
@@arthurwatts1680 You mean the guy who ran 'High End Audio' on Queen St. E in Toronto?
I always wondered what became of him.
@@socksumi The very same. Prepare yourself for a trip back to 1990.
www.high-endaudio.com/
A man after my own heart, likes a bargain. The less I spend, the better it sounds.
Just as my own philosophy.
Really nice system thanks for sharing. I wish we had a component listing for the system, which interconnects you've tried out, etc. I really enjoy these types of videos you do Steve, thanks again, if Rich reads this, I'd like to see an update on what you have now. I very much appreciate the honesty of Rich and his humility, you see a lot of "well I started with these low end bookshelf speakers" but you hardly (if ever) see anyone humble enough to admit that their $4,000 speakers weren't "all that" - that's pretty awesome - I have a ton of respect for that! I think the other is, is that people often overlook the modest end of audio gear.
I like this guy's style. He developed a work around for upgraditis. I've heard systems worth several thousands of dollars and I'm pretty sure my sub $1000 system has all the features to satisfy a discerning audiophile. Having a good sounding room helps.
Massive respect to Rich from a fellow eBay lurker! There's great stuff out there, if you have patience.
Just got a pair of Kef coda iii. £85. £99 in 1985. Inflation adjust = £480...
@@paznewis107 Sweet!
@@thisisnev omg. Just arrived. Such a step up from Coda 2... 😁
I love telling this story, so here goes again: one time I asked my serious girlfriend to go look at a pair of speakers with me. We went to the HiFi shop where we listened and my girlfriend approved of the sound. Then she asked, "Do they make a bigger version?" The salesman grabbed me by the arm and whispered in my ear, "marry her!" I did.
I don't remember what the speakers were. I should figure that out because it would probably be interesting to audiophiles.
Great story!
I love this
So cute... I'm guessing that GF is spending Daddy's Money..
The woman of my dreams right there!😃... i hate to be told i can't have something I really like when i have no say in what pots and pans she gets!!! Maybe I should just stay single... finish building my Home Theatre and enjoy.😎
My (now deceased) wife loved the look of 6'5" Magnepans!
Really fascinating that Rich started with those expensive Focals and then worked his way down the food chain to the Klipsch. I'm still marveling at that. I have often wondered if audio gear past a certain price point is a lot of diminishing return e.g., you start paying A LOT more for tweaks, visual aesthetics, etc. The sound is improved, but not on a grand scale and what you're paying for is incremental. Mind you - I'm not saying that IS the way it is, merely that it is something I have wondered about. This was a great interview. I was glued to the computer. I hope you made some suggestions to Rich about how to combat the echo that seemed to be very prevalent in that room?
Yes, one can be happy spending little. I wish it was my case. I went from the Elac B6 ( sold after 4 months) and bought the entry level Focals chorus 716 floorstanding for $1200. Huge difference. They are fabulous for classical and jazz.
With the things that Micca, Klipsch and JBL have been doing recently there has never been a better time to be a budget audiophile. The future sounds amazing!
This is one of the most sensible discussions regarding accuracy that I’ve ever seen on TH-cam. The only type of music where accuracy of reproduction is a goal is orchestral - although as you two have pointed out, even then there’s considerable audio engineering involved - but at least with some recordings there is an attempt to recreate the sound of the actual acoustics of the concert hall in the recording. Additionally, there is nothing else as complex and difficult to reproduce as the sound of a full Symphony Orchestra, especially at full tilt and loudest volume levels.
we need to come up with a new name for "bookshelf" speakers..... most audiophiles do not place them on a bookshelf... let's call them "stand mount" or something more suited to their application.
ozzy aquanut lets also stop calling speakers like these klipschs entry level speakers. The gap between these speakers and speakers 3x the price just isn’t enough anymore.
stand-mounts is what i have always called them; mine are far too large to fit on a book shelf
Rythmik makes EXCELLENT subwoofers. They're servo controlled and very well suited to systems that require a subwoofer. I don't use a sub in my audio setup, but a servo controlled sub would be my primary option.
Fantastic, Rich. My systems have always been put together from used, refurbished, or DIY. So I can relate. The exception has been cartridges. Keep on swapping stuff in and out. I always save the boxes until I sell our give away a component of the warranty period expires.
I have been at this since before Steve was a projectionist, but you are an inspiration!
Sweet glorious gear at a good price and in the hobby lots of bargains out there
The more I listen to people like this fellow, the more I realise I am right. Some people have looked at me with derision when I say my £1000 system sounds great, and I tell them you don't need to spend thousands to enjoy music, and that is the whole point, to listen to the music, forget the gear and enjoy.
Love it. Focused on great sound and value. Seems like Rich is 100% enjoying the hobby.
Now 66 yrs old, my hearing has degraded over the course of my lifetime due to exposure to high noise environmental conditions, hearing trauma, and age related issues. If I were much younger with fresher healthier inner ears, and able to accurately perceive a high end wide response from more high quality (i.e. expensive) would be more justifiable than in my current point in my life. That being said, my enjoyment level of fine audio is just as good or better than when I was younger. So I can justify spending $400 on good speakers rather than thousands on higher audiophile quality stuff.
I wish You health!
Aswaguespack Same issues with me. Just go with high resolution speakers like the Klipsch or Keff. I was lucky enough to to nab an OPPO UDP 205, so can set just how sharp I want my DAC to convert, and a Schitt Loki to boost the treble. It still feels great, as long as I’m listening alone! 😄
Makes sense. I bought some Totem Rainmaker speakers on eBay, probably all I need. I am switching from headphones to speakers for audiophile listening due to hearing loss in the left ear. (Damage mostly from a Frank Zappa concert where the tweeters on the speaker stack were blasting on my left. Beware live amplified music!) Otherwise, if not for my ears I would probably refurbish my old Stax earspeakers and just listen that way -- even the cheaper models (electret, not electrostatic) were superbly detailed.
William Pietrak High Frequencies above 8kHz roll off quickly in my right ear which is a result of trauma. Cilia in my inner ear were damaged and as a result high frequencies are not
Processed in that ear above 8 kHz. My enjoyment of fine music is not affected just a part of the spectrum is degraded some.
Jarek Nowak Thanks! Same to you
I need a neighbor like him great interview
Yes, a very pleasant, charming individual, indeed!
Part of the hobby is certainly tinkering, getting deals, swapping components, etc.
It's why I think a lot of us are drawn to hifi in addition to wanting a continually better music listening experience
Indeed,, 👍 how long have you been into hifi etc.
Love these impromptu interviews... Thanks for all your wonderful content Steve!
I love his dog.
Steve,.i just got done upgrading a pair or Heresy l speakers.i had a pair many years ago and the only amp I get any bass out of them was a Crown DC300a.Bass and sensitivity was anemic due to an under powered woofer that they contracted with Eminence to replace the original Electro-Voice SP12 woofer that that cabinet was designed for. Paul Klipsch was a cabinet designer.not a driver manufacturer.he used all EV drivers.i think EV may have started to have issues with that.all the woofers after that in all the Heresy line series were not EV.they lacked that EV sensitivity.so guess what I used in my uprade?.they sound incredible!! thanks for reading!
Really love the tonal quality of the Focals, but i get the lively need of the 600s. IMHO i would place the 600s on the Focals they would be more pet friendly stable and could switch off for different moods and genres. Sounds like a real echo in the room maybe with a little soft scape would warm up the mids on the 600s. Really love the Denon....Love that you present, you don't need to be rich to enjoy good sounds..Good Education.
Guy got some great bargans. I wonder if Steve panicked when he walked into the room. Sound reflections everywhere. When my wife replaced the living room carpet with hardwood I had it installed in basement. Moved my system down there and we're both happy.
Chasing accuracy is like finding the perfect renaissance painting. It's never going to happen.
Very cool. I have a similar story. I admit that I don't like RP600m. I thought the RP8000F's were pretty good. I had them for a while, too. I had been listening to Klipsch Chorus II and I thought I would keep them long term. But, I found a set of KSP-400's and I decided to try them. They are only $350 and I absolutely love them. The compression driver and the 15" subwoofers built in are really special. The dual 6" woofers are great as well. I even found a pair on KSP-300 and I am using one as a center channel. So, I never thought I would like a tower more than a Chorus II, but on the KSP-400, the low end is deep and dynamic, and the highs are better. I highly recommend taking a listen to the Klipsch KSP-400 if you find this rare beast.
I was about to buy a pair of 4000 dollar Focals myself when I saw this video. I went back to the showroom and heard the Klipsch. He is right. The difference in sound cannot justify the difference in price. Let's just say the showroom manager was not very happy with my decision, having lost 9/10 of the price in sales...I live in the UK but if I am ever at Brooklyn I need to buy this guy a beer.
Wow! I also bought a Technics full auto turntable (SL-1300) with a faulty auto start (which I knew about, but I haven’t fixed that yet). I was intending to have to replace the cartridge, but when I got it home found that it ALSO came with a Shure V15 Type III with an original VN35MR stylus in great shape. It sounds amazing. Best of luck in your audio journey!
Fun episode and Rich is right, you can get nice things (not just audio equipment) by keeping your eyes open and being patient. People don't like to ship heavy audio equipment so being quick in the local game is vital. Facebook marketplace is a good place to watch and also befriend your local audiophiles because they are usually unhappy with some part of their system and you can often get their leftovers for a good price!
I came to the same conclusion some years ago though I have spent a fair bit assembling a pro-audio-based system with active analogue crossovers. Though it's 2-channel only, I have essentially 2 systems integrated into one (including large conical horns) that has tremendous presence. I like Steve; he genuinely loves music and reviews even humble systems.
Small good quality bookshelf speakers often have a dynamic sound which I personally prefer. I have recently changed from some large KEF floor standers to B&W 607s. They also seem disappear in the room. I have a very large 12 sub to fill in the bottom end.
Amp wise I stopped buying stuff and started building stuff 20 years ago. Currently running a Naim NAP140 clone as a power amp and a AD815 preamp I build 15 years ago with a resistor ladder volume control.
Sounds amazing
re: previous floor-standers vs. his new stand mounts;
His perspective of those differences is absolutely dominated by his listening room's acoustics.
Every audio component in Rich's system is routed through his "Speaker/Room Interface" before he experiences it. That "overlay" impacts everything. This overly, the room's transfer function, distorts every listening session.
In addition to the reverberant energy that time smears bass detail and transients, an impulse response would reveal high level arrivals msec after direct sound. Those latent arrivals skew the freq resp into a peak/null mess, obscure soundstage info and blur image detail.
I enjoy your channel Steve.
Rich, I dig the system and good interview... certainly no disrespect intended.
The acoustic distortions of the room are the single biggest factor of sound quality.
Merely tending to a couple of the simple low hanging fruit issues is a powerful force multiplier towards greater enjoyment. It's not subtle.
All the best
Nah! I think his perspective of those differences is absolutely dominated by his wife!!!!!😡
@@Turtleback8024
I like that!
I'm a fortunate man. My wife loves my Magnepans and she wouldn't care what audio system that I brought home. Sometimes we humans stress over the wrong things. I want me a pair of those 600's, though.
Excellent interview! Thanks for sharing Rich. Just goes to show you, you don't have to spend a ton of money to get really good sound!
This is the most honest interview I've ever seen...
I did the same with headphones and ended up with a pair of 150 dollars Senn HD58X that get me 95% of performance - I am happy
@WoundrousMindTrick Sony Z1r, Diana V1, hifiman Edition X V2.
I love your Seiko skx007
Watches and hifi stuff its very cool
Thanks nice catch! Also have an SBDC033 Sumo that I like even more.
I don't believe in absolute sound: recordings vary wildly, room layout, etc. But you can have a lot of fun tailoring relatively cheap gear to your space and when it works, that's hi-fi heaven.
I do have this quirk about hi-fi gear though, I don't find black to be appealing; wood and silver for me.
Maybe not accuracy but I want tons of detail, at low volume.
A 3 way will do it better than a 2 way cos the med driver is smaller and lighter, than with a 2 way. Or use a small (expensive) FR driver and a woofer. I have a way of getting more khz from the cheaper FR drivers (cheap but tedious).
Or try the Magipan panel speakers, only like $600.
@@Justwantahover can I ask what's ur favorite 3 way bookshelf...under 2000$...would this solve the loss of midbase he was talking about...
Thanks in advance👍
@@justingriffin2546 Having lots of med bass without sounding "boomy" and "bonky" is like...well impossible. It makes a speaker sound "warm" with too much med bass and too "cold" with not enough med bass. I make speakers and have experienced both. But having just the right amount of med bass makes speakers sound great, like with house music the low bass and the upper bass of the different synthesizer sounds really stands out against each other and sounds so "separate" to the low bass instrument, with 3D holographic effect and sounds fucking awesome.
Buy any bookshelf speaker with a time aligned coaxial driver, either + woofer or just the coaxial driver itself in a small bookshelf speaker (and a good sub with variable crossover frequency). KEF make bookshelf coaxials and so do ELAC. The KEF bookshelf speakers cost between $800 and $3,000 a pair. REL brand subs start at about a grand and are recommended by PS Audio (who makes way hi-end stuff). If the bookshelf speakers sound "cold" use the higher crossover frequency on the sub and if the bookshelfs are "warm" use the lower crossover frequency. This should give the best med bass level.
Why coaxials? With time aligned coaxials, the VOWELS and CONSONANTS (in the voice sound) are coming from the same point instead of a foot apart. And you get a way better sound image (way more holographic). Extra hifi just by the placement of the drivers. Neat! I deny normal 2-way and 3-ways. lol With them you can hear the "whizzy" sound from the tweeter and the "muffly" sound from the woofer (just that little bit). Yuck!
But with point source speakers you don't hear that at all and the treble is more natural, not as obvious cos it's mixed better with the med (like reality) but many "tinkly" surprizes too (like reality). But that's just my opinion (and many others) but there are speakers out there for a half a mill and with drivers all across the board. Be careful, not all coaxials are time aligned (like some car speakers) and the tweeter is coaxial but mounted in front of the woofer. And not right in the core like the KEFs and ELACs are. Tannoys and Klipsch coaxial speakers aren't time aligned either, they have a horn tweeter behind the woofer.
If you can swing a pair of used Quad 57s... IMFs (which were built in the UK through the 70s and early 80s) are Amazing at low levels. If you can find some.
I own a pair of the RP-8000F. I find them amazing and lucky that my wife can live with them. For the price, I feel like a true audiophile.
my "vintage " system consist of Kenwood KA 7300 amp and tuner, JBL E 80 speakers and a Pro-ject TT with a small Pro-ject tube phone amp...the only new piece is the turntable. This is more "fun" to listen to a lot of the time, compared to my newer system in the living room. Great video!
That's so funny I have Focal for my car audio and Klipsch RF 7 system for the house.
Holy #%@! I've had my Denon DP-59L since 1986 and it's still running strong.
Interesting that some things are actually cheaper in NYC, than elsewhere.
An enjoyable guy, good on him!
Great theme here. Did you hear the echo in that room? Lots of hard surfaces. Some room treatment would really help the sound of those amazing little stand mounted Klipsch speakers. I have a pair thanks to Mr. Guttenberg and his inspirational reviews with expert knowledge.
Ebay is my best friend, after a divorce and three sons dosen't leave much money for enjoyment. Carver av705x power amp, Infinity Interlude IL50s, Il10, and Il25c and rotel tuner pre amp processor for under $1200 . 2 years ago my sons bought me a Marantz av7005 preamp to replace the Rotel which I sold for $75. And I am very happy with the sound I get
I think I might start heading in this direction as well. I started off with very modest gear, and as I moved up it became difficult to get the sound I knew the gear was capable of. At the end of the day the room is the biggest bottleneck and until that's solved spending more is a waste of money.
Great interview. What a great system. That Denon turntable is beautiful! You can buy a nice, vintage turntable on eBay!
Some amazing vintage turntables you can find, much better quality than new ones for the same price, just need to be aware there's a big chance they won't work as advertised and you'll need to tinker with it to get it working 100%
Thank you for the words of caution. I guess I’m always “lurking” for a vintage turntable. If I ever see one as nice as the Denon in this video, I would take a chance at the right price.
What an honest guy and talk, great system and super interview!
I think often we just like the sound of different speakers because we are so used to ours.
My personal philosophy is retail is for suckers. I've bought numerous turntables, receivers, cd decks, cassette decks, reel-to-reel decks, and speakers from eBay sellers or from various thrift stores. Even when I factored in shipping charges and import charges to Canada if I purchased electronics from America, I still saved a fortune.
Facinating video Steve. Like Rich I'm also trying to build the best system I can for the money. Limiting my budget at around 500€ for each piece of gear. I've just picked up some Triangle compete ez and a Musical Paradise md-1 DAC both for less than my budget. I've also inherited a Meridian power amp and at the moment I'm blown away by the sound. I've had more expensive gear in the past but if you do your homework and match the gear well you can build an amazing system for a wife friendly budget.
This guy really know how to find bargains. I've mentioned this in the comments several times to buy used and vintage gear because you always tell everyone to buy new. Sorry Steve but this is where the bargains really are. It can take some work and time but the bargains blow the doors off buying retail.
“ welcome .. to the desert.. of the real”
Another woke Audiophile:)
Thanks Rich
Doug G is this an Art Bell reference?
Nope it’s from The Matrix
@@Audiofreak71 it's actually originally from Baudrillard and then later employed by Zizek.
Topophobia well I guess it all depends on which one the OP was referring to then lol so we could all be right 😉
Great video he goes from $4000 speakers to $400 speakers and he's happy wow now I'm really happy that I bought the RP6OO'S
Man what a beautiful turntable at such a great price lucky guy.
Excellent, nice guy. Bet that all sounds superb.
DP59L looks impressive. Wow $350!!! Searching for audiophile deals is half the fun.
If you're willing to travel to pick stuff up there are some amazing deals on eBay. It always surprises me how many sellers are unwilling to pack things up to ship them, especially considering that it really doesn't add that much to the shipping cost to have the shipper collect the parcel from your home. The net result is that they put an item up for sale as collect-only and no-one is interested, so you can come in with an offer that's a lot less than they'd get if they were willing to ship.
I had the Shure V15 type 3, 40 years ago... it was great back then
I'm still using my Shure V15 Vx
I'm using a stock V15 mk3. Likely from the late 70s and it really sounds great, compares favorably with several new, expensive carts I've heard. Played through Schiit Mani.
Steve, love your work and reviews as always. But wanted to share one request, for these videos, specially this one, I'd be way more interested in looking at the equipment than the person. I think such small portion of the video shows the actual gear and mostly just the person, we can have him talk as you show the audio gear. Whole point of watching a TH-cam video.
Rythmic makes a servo sub with 2 8" drivers that is intended to play up into the midbass. It is special order, but having heard a similar approach in a custom speaker system I think it would work very well with this system in this room.
Fantastic well done Sir 👍
About subwoofers, I find I prefer the sound of my Usher BE10 floorstanders crossed at 60hz with a sub than without. I've been using subs for the last 10 years, through different bookshelf speakers (Proac Response 1S, B&W Signature 805) and I find I've been enjoying all sorts of music through them.
This is the smart way to audiophile. Let someone else take the depreciation hit. Lots of older equipment sounds great. Sounded great back then and carries forward. If you want to be a review chaser, do it at your financial peril. Check out US Audio Mart. Hundreds of great pieces of equipment that are just waiting for an offer.
Great system. Interesting comment about his seating position and bass. Hard to fix that when it's a dip in the response - dips cannot really be fixed, only crests via eq/dsp. Only solution I can think of is change the sitting position.
Or add a second sub situated in a different location.
@@gurdyman1 The room bass modes are exclusively related to the geometry of the room. Moving a sub will allow the sub to excite some modes more than others, but if the listening position is at a "node" (where some modes have "zeros") then there is nothing you can do about it other than: 1- moving the listening spot or 2- changing the effective dimensions of the room (eg room treatment, a large bookcase, etc). The worst possible listening position is the center of the room, and that's possibly what's happening here. In my case I also sit roughly at the center, but it is a relatively non-symmetrical and large room so I don't really have a node there. Bottomline: Try to move the listening spot.
@@miguelbarrio Thanks Miguel, the sub also has full 0-180 degree phase adjustment, so I need to play with that and see if it translates to fuller bass from the listening position. On another note, It was fun to see your last video with Steve about the CXC mods. I had actually done the same mods to the Sony SACD player I showed on the video with Dynamat and moving around the signal wiring, so it was really cool watching someone else doing the same tinkering, haven't gone so far as replacing caps or similar parts. I'm probably going to try some mods to my phono stage and see how that can improve. Hope to see some similar stuff in the future.
Richel H Hi Rich! The phase adjustment is useful for the transition region between the main speaker and the sub - you don’t want each to be at opposing phases thus cancelling each other for example - but it won’t help the lower bass modes of the room (which is what I understood was your problem, maybe I misunderstood). As for phono stage mods, I think the biggest thing is a clean power supply since the gain is ~40dB (at 1KHz) for the moving magnets you are using (and ~60dB for MC), so clean power is very important.
@@miguelbarrio Gotcha, yeah I understood wanting to be in phase with the rest of the speakers. Just logically to me I thought perhaps some small phase shift would allow the sound wave to hit my listening position a little more directly. I'll need to do some more research on how to properly get the phase alignment synced with the main speakers. I'm with you on the first step is clean power, but right now I'm using the amps internal phono stage so that should have proper power. But I am going to get an MC cart soon to compare and for that I'll need an external MC phono stage where a good LPS will certainly come into play. Thanks for the advice!
Did you get to try a subwoofer? I’m curious what crossover frequency to use with the RP-600m’s
I never found it! I use a Klipsch sub with my RP’s. I set the gain at lowest level and slightly increased volume. I can’t hear the sub. At least that’s what’s I thought until I turned it off. I would like to test the REL entry level sub. Anyway, very happy with my setup as a budget system. My ex wife kept my Dali column speakers :-)
I bought a pair of ADS L400 speakers with stand at a yard sale for $10...yes that’s right ten dollars. They are working perfectly fine.
Any suggestion for a matching subwoofer?
Very cool, thats how I buy almost everything I own :-) . It allows me to buy way better products and keeps me from bouncing all over the place in search of the holy grail that you can never quite find.
I've been saying for years there are some great deals if you take the time to look. After my divorce I decided to put together a good HT system. Started doing my homework. Saw Pair of Infinity interlude towers on Harman audio Ebay site put in a bid of $468 , retail was $1700 never thought I'd get it. Won the bid and that was whipped. Next 5 channel amp saw great reviews on Carver Av705x, $450 when I got it a channel was out. Contacted the seller. He gave me the option refund or send for repair. Opted to send it to a Carver service center. That was in 2003, the Amp is still kicking ass in 2020. Then I recently upgraded my HT preamp. Got a Marantz av7005 $1500 preamp processor for $350. Cant beat that
That's what it boils down, what you could live it. No need to spend a truckload of money.
Given the outside background noise (and dog) and what looks like a highly reflective room (with bare windows, floors, and walls), I think that it would be a waste to spend a lot on a system. It would only be an exercise of frustration. If you really want something that sounds good, you first need to deal with the sonic environment. However, most people just don't care about sound quality. It is only the very small percentage who are willing to pay a truckload of money to get the very best experience. I guess that I would fall into that very small percentage.
@@matthewbarrow3727 I do need some room treatment, we just moved in a few months ago so it's still a work in progress, but I actually like a bit how the acoustics sound with the small echo.
@@richelh Yep. I heard the echo in the video. Some echo can create a fuller sound, and is used by recording artists to do just that (amongst other things). What this means is that we select the right speaker that fits the room. We try to figure out what we can achieve given the situation that we are in. Living in a city could certainly add some challenges. I am lucky in that I am in the suburbs of a smaller city, where triple glazed windows pretty much removes almost all outside noise. Even fire engine sirens can hardly be heard. This allows for more options, which meant that I was able to go right up the audiophile range and still get significant benefit. There are systems that are absolutely amazing to listen to. It's hard to describe and the only way to get a sense of what is possible is to actually listen to them. I recently got such a system. I have had various friends around to listen, and they have been amazed by what they experience, even though they aren't audiophiles. However, the experience of such sound quality is not something that is a priority for them. While one doesn't "need" to spend a truckload of money, there are certain experiences which can only be obtained by spending a truckload of money.
@@richelh Guessing with the wife factor, furniture and placement is the only room treatment you'll be allowed to manage haha. A calibrated mic and room correction (REW & minidsp is your best bet) will go a long way if you can't do much else.
@@mohamedahmed1023 The systems in our nicer living room so whatever I do I'd like to keep it aesthetically pleasing. I'll definitely look into room correction.
Gotta love the sound of Winston brawling with his toy in the background! 😂
😂...🍖🐶
Dude lucked out on the Sony sacd player! Looks like an excellent set up for the price. 10% improvement on better gear based on the space and that everybody is happy? Probably in any married household need to add in a set of headphones!
Steve,I stumbled upon your review of the Klipsch Heresy lV last week.it's so refreshing to hear a follow audiophile who has discovered the truth about great sound rather than buying the stereophile party line,even though you wrote for them.i cancelled my subscription after purchasing a Krell KSA 250 that was raved about in stereophile reviews.i had at the time Apogee Mini Grands,and Alon lV's.it was on of the worst sounding amps I ever heard! Equalization was built into the amp to give it that deep soundstage.but it was no near accurate.(bumped up bass,recessed mid-range.) I sold it on audiomart in less than a month.the Theshhold 400A blew it away.i still own that 400A.the problem with Audiophile magazines was they had the power to make or break a company based on the product reviews.i learned that truth 20yrs ago.you don't have to spend a lot of money to achieve great sound.
Well done Rich! You should try using two sealed subs located next to each of the stand mount speakers. Make sure the subs will go up to around 120Hz.
Thanks, will have to check that out.
A 4K set of speakers is very very entry level you've just got your foot on the first step of a very long ladder
Except for Magnepans. 1.7i's are $2200. Incredible value and sound.
They'd sound a heck of a lot better as part of a $10-20k (retail) system.
@@louisperlman8030 The Maggies? No need to spend that kind of money to make them sound fabulous. I was responding to the $4000 entry level speaker comment. 1.7i's are roughly half that. LRS's are way less than that. There are many "audiophile" speakers that are much less than 4 grand. You don't have to have Master Chronosonics to have marvelous music.
I was referring to the Focals, which should not be expected to sound good in that system.
@@ghawk78 They are Greg but they are still entry level you just have to go to Magnepans top of the range to understand and they are an awful lot better yet still 1/2 way up the ladder. If I can compare this to the motor industry you don't buy a top end Ferrari on cost you buy it on performance and somewhat stigma and you'd hardly compare it to a standard Ford or Japanese car as good as they are on cost..!!!
Rich is just like me though I'm probably a little worse but then I can build and repair most of it it's fun to see that I'm not alone.
Don't waste your time with traditional sub's, get a REL as they are in a league of their own, it will absolutely enhance your missing mid bass as well as every other aspect of the sound, a truly special product. Good luck!
He's using a Rythmik, which are servo-controlled and considered very very good.
@@gurdyman1 We have played with the Rythmlk's, sorry its not a REL
I'd definitely like to try a REL, compare between them and SVS also.
scott satren rel dosent hold a candle to rythmik subs. Wayyy more performance for the money. Rel and jl audio are wayyyy overpriced
@@Ctripp2448 Well, I have been at this for more then 40 years so apparently you have more experience. BTW the money issue wasn't as it may pertane to value a consideration
Very nice 'bargain' hunting system for sure. BUT, I could not help noting the very fine woodwork in that older home ! Arched top doorcase and doors!, then the pillared window cases with inner shutters! WOW ((O:
Yup, nice catch, it's a 100 year old Brooklyn Brownstone with original woodwork.
@@richelh Thanks for the reply, yes and to think that no one decided to PAINT it thank goodness. Enjoy your system...
Yes the cheapskate does have dough.
If this is his listening room, it needs acoustic taming...lots of reverb which will as we all know, not do anything for us audiophiles.... a live room might be fun for a while but really overall not enjoyable. If you had a sofa curtains rugs etc and got used to a more accurate presentation you would not want to go back to the live reverberant room again !!! I have after a year of having my home studio and drums treated with some acoustic tiles found that the difference in listening to music, monitoring and mixing/mastering my stuff is so much more enjoyable and easier, I can really tell whats going on, and I already had carpet curtains and a sofa....just some tiles on the walls and wow....just a idea in that those bright Focals may have sounded a lot better than they did!!!! Cheers Steve for all your enthusiasm in your daily shows......
this guy exactly like me about hifi, especially about original recording sound.
Good video
Now I know how I sound when I get multiple good deals and I call my buddies up to tell them.
Yes, great interview. Steve, please reccomend a REL sub for him with a good dealer that will let him audition it before he buys it. REL may give him that full sound and integration with his amp via their proprietary cable.
I've read about REL, still a good option. In terms of specs, the Rythmik has better low frequency extension and also uses servo controlled woofer. But not sure what that means for real listening.
The rythmik will destroy the rel. rel is just like jl and SVS subs. Wayyy overpriced for performance
I would prefer Klipsch to Focal as well and I'm not even a Klipsch fan.
Those Focal high order crossovers always make the sound feel reigned in, as if in a straightjacket. No bloom, no splash.
Question is will he go Klipsch Classic say Cornwalls once he has a flare of the dreaded audio nervosa virus.But glad he is experiencing a period of remission for now
Well he is obviously vulnerable but the WAF again would be an issue.
@@bruss529 Yeah but who knows she might have a handbag fetish.These sicko can be co-dependent and run in packs
I'd really like to try some Forte III's!
Two subs would probably take care of Rich’s null and fatten up that upper bass.
Most definitely. Two subs is a must nowadays IMO. Well it always was really but now more are doing it.
Round Earth Shill I had a null issue in my room with a single sub. When I added the second (set up as a stereo pair) and using the subs’ high impedance inputs the sound was unrecognizable. Best upgrade I ever did.
Where are all the Shure M 91ED cartridges? They used to say it was a $50 cartridge back in 1970. (The wholesale price was nine dollars!) It was included on every hundred dollar turntable you could buy… Dual, BIC, Yamaha, AR, pioneer… Everything. I would think that half of the moderate priced turntables (1 to $200) included that cartridge. It was a very nice cartridge but if you had a nicer turntable, you bought the V 15 type three and it did cost $100. With all of the used turntables/cartridge sold today, I would think those cartridges would be an upgrade to what some people purchase used?
Goes to show, you don't need expensive speakers when you have a good source and a descent amp! Cheers.
Great system Rich!!! Where did you get the record table where you have the sub? That would be perfect in my music room. Thx!
It was left out on the sidewalk for someone to take for free, I just luckily passed by before someone else took it. Unfortunately it has no markings to tell who made it.
Used to love Sam Telling column.
Cool system, but the woodwork in that apartment(?) is amazing.
It's a 100 year old brownstone with original woodwork, a very nice touch.
It's the Jerry Seinfeld of stereo.
The Rythmik I have and it is incredible. It's a servo sub and it's a phenomenal performer.
10" driver in a 1 sq ft sealed box would work wonders here.
Made a mistake, the sub is actually and L12, so a 12" driver in a tight sealed box.