Hi all,

I have bought the following system based on a review from what-hifi

Roksan Kandy MKIII amplifier

Arcam CD73 CD player

Quad 11L speakers

QED silver aniversary bi-wire speaker cable.

Merlin Chopin interconnects

Partington Dreadnought Speaker stands.

OK so I was expecting miracles. but the whole thing just
seems....Uninspiring.... I have heard review stating that the
combination is great, the bass and detail should be excellent. But it
all seems a little drab.

Now I know that the Quads do pump garbadge out if thats what they are
fed so perhaps Im expecting too much. I like rock, india, that kind of
stuff but read that this setup, despite the size, would cope well.

The speakers are about 3 meters apart, angled in so that they are about
20 degrees. They are about 30 cms back from the wall and stood next to
a pair of shelves , one newxt to each speaker.

What I am thinking is...

What direction to the interconnects go there is an arrow on the cables
.. I have put this pointing towards the cd from amp, is this correct, i
assume so as thats the direction which the music goes.

Are the qeds directional again I have the writing of the cable going
towards the speaker. There are no arrows....

Im after overall advice really. does all the stuff really match...are
the cables correctly wired. what must i change to get this working.

many thanks in advance,

james

wrote in message
ups.com
Hi all,

I have bought the following system based on a review from
what-hifi

Roksan Kandy MKIII amplifier

Arcam CD73 CD player

Quad 11L speakers

QED silver aniversary bi-wire speaker cable.

Merlin Chopin interconnects

Partington Dreadnought Speaker stands.

OK so I was expecting miracles. but the whole thing just
seems....Uninspiring.... I have heard review stating that
the combination is great, the bass and detail should be
excellent. But it all seems a little drab.

Now I know that the Quads do pump garbadge out if thats
what they are fed so perhaps Im expecting too much. I
like rock, india, that kind of stuff but read that this
setup, despite the size, would cope well.

The speakers are about 3 meters apart, angled in so that
they are about 20 degrees. They are about 30 cms back
from the wall and stood next to a pair of shelves , one
newxt to each speaker.

What I am thinking is...

What direction to the interconnects go there is an arrow
on the cables . I have put this pointing towards the cd
from amp, is this correct, i assume so as thats the
direction which the music goes.

Are the qeds directional again I have the writing of the
cable going towards the speaker. There are no arrows....

Im after overall advice really. does all the stuff really
match...are the cables correctly wired. what must i
change to get this working.

First look at how you've located the speakers in the room, and consider
alternative locations. If that doesn't give you the results you desire,
consider investing in improving the acoustics of the room with products like
these:

http://www.realtraps.com/

wrote:

Hi all,

I have bought the following system based on a review from what-hifi

Roksan Kandy MKIII amplifier

Arcam CD73 CD player

Quad 11L speakers

QED silver aniversary bi-wire speaker cable.

Merlin Chopin interconnects

Partington Dreadnought Speaker stands.

OK so I was expecting miracles. but the whole thing just
seems....Uninspiring.... I have heard review stating that the
combination is great, the bass and detail should be excellent. But it
all seems a little drab.

Now I know that the Quads do pump garbadge out if thats what they are
fed so perhaps Im expecting too much. I like rock, india, that kind of
stuff but read that this setup, despite the size, would cope well.

The speakers are about 3 meters apart, angled in so that they are about
20 degrees. They are about 30 cms back from the wall and stood next to
a pair of shelves , one newxt to each speaker.

What I am thinking is...

What direction to the interconnects go there is an arrow on the cables
. I have put this pointing towards the cd from amp, is this correct, i
assume so as thats the direction which the music goes.

Are the qeds directional again I have the writing of the cable going
towards the speaker. There are no arrows....

Im after overall advice really. does all the stuff really match...are
the cables correctly wired. what must i change to get this working.

many thanks in advance,

james

Please excuse the rude response from the last idiot, shouting at you.
He's a serious rageaholic mental case, with problems that include but
are not limited to giving people stupid, impractical or otherwise
worthless advice.

First, the arrow on your ICs should follow the flow of the signal. So
if they're connected to the output jacks on your CD player, the
arrows should point towards the amp. It won't hurt to connect your
QED wire in the same fashion, where the direction of the writing
follows the flow of the signal (I always do this as a matter of
practice, just in case the wire is directional). Ignore anyone who
comes along and tells you "direction doesn't matter". It means
they're friends of Trevor, and don't have a clue about audio. If
you have any equipment in the system that has a mains plug that can be
reversed, you might try reversing it and listening to see if the
polarity is more correct one way or the other (this assumes of course
correct polarity is already established for the loudspeakers).

You have good quality components. Although I have a Roksan tt and an
Arcam CD player (and even some QED cable lying around), I'm not
familiar with the sound of your particular components. So they may not
necessarily "synergize" together, but I think that hardly matters. I
could nevertheless make miracles with a system of that calibre. Most
people only get about 15% of the quality their systems are able to
deliver. So I don't think you're expecting too much, you're just
getting too little from your system. But from here, I'm not exactly
sure what's lacking, and what you're expecting. When you say "it
sounds drab and uninspiring", that speaks to me of a system that lacks
musicality. If you read my post entitled "Advanced Tweak For OPEN
MINDED Audiophiles", you'll see that the components in the system I
worked on are far more humble than yours, and yet I can tell that you I
am enthralled every time I listen to it. I never want for musicality
(although you can never have enough!). When every song you put on is
able to keep you interested at least to a minimal degree, than you can
say you have a musical system of sufficient resolution.

Changing the direction of wire is highly unlikely to produce
satisfaction, if there is something seriously lacking in the sound. It
won't transform the sound of your system. Following the tweaks I
posted is an initial step to a way to get what you already have working
for you, as you would like it. If improving what you already have is
too much bother, than the traditional way is "upgradeitis"; which means
constantly switching components around, and hoping they work well in
your system. I've spent way too many years and way too many dollars
on hifi equipment to care for going that traditional route. Especially
since most dealers won't let you bring compoments home to try, and
even if they did, who's to say its not the other dealer (perhaps the
one who won't let you try at home) that has the better component you
require. So I prefer to refine what I already have until I achieve
exactly the sound I am looking for, either with products (accessories)
or ideas that allow me to do that. My specialty is "removing the drab",
and leaving the music in its place.

On 22 Mar 2006 11:02:57 -0800, "
wrote:

Im after overall advice really. does all the stuff really match...are
the cables correctly wired. what must i change to get this working.

Take the simplest thing first and make sure that your speakers are
wired with the correct polarity. Make sure that you have positive to
positive and negative to negative. In the heat of setting up a system,
it's possible for someone to inadvertantly swap leads.

The reason I say start with that is because incorrect polarity will
throw the output out-of-phase and cause a vagueness and a lack of
bass.

Check that first before you go further. If that's correct, then try
moving your speakers around a bit. If you tell us a bit more about the
dimensions of your room and how you have the system set up, we can
probably help you more.

Oh yeah, if you can borrow a pair of speakers that you KNOW you like,
see if you can audition them for an afternoon and see if maybe you
just don't like the sound of the Quads in that room.

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi all,

I have bought the following system based on a review from what-hifi

Roksan Kandy MKIII amplifier

Arcam CD73 CD player

Quad 11L speakers

QED silver aniversary bi-wire speaker cable.

Merlin Chopin interconnects

Partington Dreadnought Speaker stands.

OK so I was expecting miracles. but the whole thing just
seems....Uninspiring.... I have heard review stating that the
combination is great, the bass and detail should be excellent. But it
all seems a little drab.

Now I know that the Quads do pump garbadge out if thats what they are
fed so perhaps Im expecting too much. I like rock, india, that kind of
stuff but read that this setup, despite the size, would cope well.

The speakers are about 3 meters apart, angled in so that they are about
20 degrees. They are about 30 cms back from the wall and stood next to
a pair of shelves , one newxt to each speaker.

What I am thinking is...

What direction to the interconnects go there is an arrow on the cables
. I have put this pointing towards the cd from amp, is this correct, i
assume so as thats the direction which the music goes.

Are the qeds directional again I have the writing of the cable going
towards the speaker. There are no arrows....

Im after overall advice really. does all the stuff really match...are
the cables correctly wired. what must i change to get this working.

many thanks in advance,

Since everything is easily good to overkill the problem is almost certainly
going to be with speaker placement or room treatment.

Your speakers are of high repute, but that doesn't mean they may be the
right ones for you and in any system speakers are always the weakest link.

Try moving them 1/4 of the width from each wall and about the same distance
from the rear wall as a starting point and work from there. Make sure they
are exactly the same distance from each wall, because a little bit can do a
lot in terms of making things sound bad.

Next time you don't need to worry about spending extra money on
interconnects as there is zero relaible evidence that they make any
difference. Also anybody who tells you there is cable directionality is a
loon. Tis has also been tested and no evidence supported the idea of
directionality.

wrote:

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi all,

I have bought the following system based on a review from what-hifi

Roksan Kandy MKIII amplifier

Arcam CD73 CD player

Quad 11L speakers

QED silver aniversary bi-wire speaker cable.

Merlin Chopin interconnects

Partington Dreadnought Speaker stands.

OK so I was expecting miracles. but the whole thing just
seems....Uninspiring.... I have heard review stating that the
combination is great, the bass and detail should be excellent. But it
all seems a little drab.

Now I know that the Quads do pump garbadge out if thats what they are
fed so perhaps Im expecting too much. I like rock, india, that kind of
stuff but read that this setup, despite the size, would cope well.

The speakers are about 3 meters apart, angled in so that they are about
20 degrees. They are about 30 cms back from the wall and stood next to
a pair of shelves , one newxt to each speaker.

What I am thinking is...

What direction to the interconnects go there is an arrow on the cables
. I have put this pointing towards the cd from amp, is this correct, i
assume so as thats the direction which the music goes.

Are the qeds directional again I have the writing of the cable going
towards the speaker. There are no arrows....

Im after overall advice really. does all the stuff really match...are
the cables correctly wired. what must i change to get this working.

many thanks in advance,

Since everything is easily good to overkill the problem is almost certainly
going to be with speaker placement or room treatment.

Your speakers are of high repute, but that doesn't mean they may be the
right ones for you and in any system speakers are always the weakest link.

Try moving them 1/4 of the width from each wall and about the same distance
from the rear wall as a starting point and work from there. Make sure they
are exactly the same distance from each wall, because a little bit can do a
lot in terms of making things sound bad.

Next time you don't need to worry about spending extra money on
interconnects as there is zero relaible evidence that they make any
difference. Also anybody who tells you there is cable directionality is a
loon. Tis has also been tested and no evidence supported the idea of
directionality.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating: about the best thing
anyone can do to help improve their system, is the exact opposite of
whatever "nyob" (Mike McKelvy) advises. Arny Krueger as well, it goes
without saying. (Apparently, there isn't a problem on earth that
these two yobs think can't be solved by speaker placement and room
treatments).

wrote in message
oups.com...

wrote:

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi all,

I have bought the following system based on a review from what-hifi

Roksan Kandy MKIII amplifier

Arcam CD73 CD player

Quad 11L speakers

QED silver aniversary bi-wire speaker cable.

Merlin Chopin interconnects

Partington Dreadnought Speaker stands.

OK so I was expecting miracles. but the whole thing just
seems....Uninspiring.... I have heard review stating that the
combination is great, the bass and detail should be excellent. But it
all seems a little drab.

Now I know that the Quads do pump garbadge out if thats what they are
fed so perhaps Im expecting too much. I like rock, india, that kind of
stuff but read that this setup, despite the size, would cope well.

The speakers are about 3 meters apart, angled in so that they are about
20 degrees. They are about 30 cms back from the wall and stood next to
a pair of shelves , one newxt to each speaker.

What I am thinking is...

What direction to the interconnects go there is an arrow on the cables
. I have put this pointing towards the cd from amp, is this correct, i
assume so as thats the direction which the music goes.

Are the qeds directional again I have the writing of the cable going
towards the speaker. There are no arrows....

Im after overall advice really. does all the stuff really match...are
the cables correctly wired. what must i change to get this working.

many thanks in advance,

Since everything is easily good to overkill the problem is almost
certainly
going to be with speaker placement or room treatment.

Your speakers are of high repute, but that doesn't mean they may be the
right ones for you and in any system speakers are always the weakest
link.

Try moving them 1/4 of the width from each wall and about the same
distance
from the rear wall as a starting point and work from there. Make sure
they
are exactly the same distance from each wall, because a little bit can do
a
lot in terms of making things sound bad.

Next time you don't need to worry about spending extra money on
interconnects as there is zero relaible evidence that they make any
difference. Also anybody who tells you there is cable directionality is
a
loon. Tis has also been tested and no evidence supported the idea of
directionality.

I've said this before, but it bears repeating: about the best thing
anyone can do to help improve their system, is the exact opposite of
whatever "nyob" (Mike McKelvy) advises. Arny Krueger as well, it goes
without saying. (Apparently, there isn't a problem on earth that
these two yobs think can't be solved by speaker placement and room
treatments).

That;s not true, but it is true that there is no problem that can be solved
in an audio system RCA cables claiming to have directionality.

Since there is little reliable evidence that changing anything else other
than speakers, and room treatments is going to make much difference, that is
the logical place to work on.

If you have reliable evidence to the contrary, please let us know.

Dear James,

First off, I want to tell you a little about my background. I have been an
audiophile and music lover for about 25 years -regularly experimenting with
many different set-ups. I am also a high-end audio dealer, and have been so
for 10 years (I love this job!).

Okay, all that being said, I wanted to share my thoughts and experience with
you and hopefully it may help you with your system.

I always believe in trying everything at least once, and if it makes a
difference (i.e. sounds better) to you or not, at least YOU know and will
have that experience beneath your belt for any future reference.

Regarding your cables. If the manufacturer recommends a specific direction
to connect your cables to your system, that's what I would do -besides
whoelse would know better about their product that the one whom builds it?
It sounds like you have your speaker cables set up correctly. However, your
interconnects should have the arrows on them reflect the path of the audio
signal. So, the direction of the arrows on the ICs should point from the CD
player to the amp (or preamp).

Example: CD player --- Preamp --- Amp --- Speakers

Keep in mind to, many believe that most components and cables, etc. need
time to burn in (i.e. break-in period), and that time varries from component
to component. Some may not need a break-in period, some may only need 10-20
hours, some may only need about 100 hours, and some may need as much as
1,000 hours. Regardless, during this time the sound may be less than what
it's supposed to be. To give you a reference, almost all professional
reviewers either use a burn in device or just play a signal (music or just
plain white noise) through the system they will be reviewing before they do
any critical listening.

Experimenting with speaker placement and room treatment is also definitely
something to consider, but the aforementioned may also play an important
role as well in getting the sound where you want it.

One last thing that I would recommend considering... Many areas have lots
of interferrence from their AC power and this can significantly affect the
sound in a bad way. Poor AC current coming from your wall outlets can put
more noise into your sound system, which can also affect many things with
the sound including clarity and focus. You may want to consider a audio
grade powerline filter/conditioner for your high-end audio system. If
you're not sure, see if you can borrow one from a local high-end store, or
buy one from a high-end dealer that offers a return policy.

My overall recommendation for you is to experiment (i.e. swapping out
different components, cables, and/or speakers) with all that you have and
all that you know because there are so many variables and opinions with
high-end gear matching that you have to try a host of different things for
yourself to what works for you and what doesn't. In my opinion, this is the
most productive way to get the sound to where you want it.

If you have any questions or comments or just want to chat about high-end
audio in general, please feel free to e-mail me anytime.


Best regards,

-Donald

W ENTERPRISES NORTHWEST
http://wenwaudio.4t.com


wrote in message
oups.com...
Hmm, thanks for all the advice.

As for the initial response by Trevor. Yes I did buy it without
auditioning in my room.

I live in Madrid and you be very suprised how bad the general quality
of HIFI is in Spain. I had to import the speaker and the amplifier as
the only thing I could actually buy from Madrid was the Arcam CD player
(I even had to order the speaker stands direct !). As you csan
understand, I cannot exactly go to the UK just to audition the
components so brought the "system" based on a what hifi review of "all"
the components tested together in one go.

So not ideal certainly but better than buying a system made by pioneer
which is about all the is availbe from the Madrid "HI-FI" shops. And
"recommended" as a whole by what-hifi, for what thats worth.

The speakers are definately wired up right as this is something i have
checked out many times.

The room is certainly not ideal as it is effectivly a living
room/american kitchen which is not square to start with, not good.

In terms of siting the speakers I would say that again its less that
ideal. I always read that they should be away from corners, well one is
in a corner and the other not. Again difficult to resolve considering
the room and conditions. I'm moving house soon so perhaps this will be
resolved though. I was looking for some inspiration hopefully from hifi
enthusiasts and I have recieved many replies, thanks.

If theres anyone out there with this setup, who is happy, please let me
know how its set up.

Thanks everyone,

James.

wrote:
Hmm, thanks for all the advice.

As for the initial response by Trevor. Yes I did buy it without
auditioning in my room.

I live in Madrid and you be very suprised how bad the general quality
of HIFI is in Spain. I had to import the speaker and the amplifier as
the only thing I could actually buy from Madrid was the Arcam CD player
(I even had to order the speaker stands direct !). As you csan
understand, I cannot exactly go to the UK just to audition the
components so brought the "system" based on a what hifi review of "all"
the components tested together in one go.

So not ideal certainly but better than buying a system made by pioneer
which is about all the is availbe from the Madrid "HI-FI" shops. And
"recommended" as a whole by what-hifi, for what thats worth.

The speakers are definately wired up right as this is something i have
checked out many times.

The room is certainly not ideal as it is effectivly a living
room/american kitchen which is not square to start with, not good.

In terms of siting the speakers I would say that again its less that
ideal. I always read that they should be away from corners, well one is
in a corner and the other not. Again difficult to resolve considering
the room and conditions. I'm moving house soon so perhaps this will be
resolved though. I was looking for some inspiration hopefully from hifi
enthusiasts and I have recieved many replies, thanks.

If theres anyone out there with this setup, who is happy, please let me
know how its set up.

Thanks everyone,

James.

Hi, room shape does play a large part of the sound reproduction.
If the system sounds good in the headphones, then speaker placement
would be the next place to make adjustments. If you have a curved wall
place the speakers with their back to that wall. Start with a listening
point
that is 1 meter back from the speakers with the speakers 3 meters
apart.
Low volume, if that sounds OK, increase volume, if the sound starts to
get
muddy at louder volumes, the reflections off the walls are too great.
Get soft objects to aborb some of the reflected sound and see if that
is an improvement at the same volume level.
If you read the posts of some other threads your contributors have made
you'll figure out who the technically competent ones are.
Good luck !!

duh!

Since everything is easily good to overkill the problem is almost certainly
going to be with speaker placement or room treatment.

Mickey, you got a Krooglish license. Congrats!




--
NewsGuy.Com 30Gb $9.95 Carry Forward and On Demand Bandwidth

"George M. Middius" cmndr [underscore] george [at] comcast
[dot] net wrote in message

duh!

Since everything is easily good to overkill the problem
is almost certainly going to be with speaker placement
or room treatment.

Mickey, you got a Krooglish license. Congrats!

A typical childish subjectivist name-calling post.

wrote in message
oups.com...
Hmm, thanks for all the advice.

As for the initial response by Trevor. Yes I did buy it without
auditioning in my room.

I live in Madrid and you be very suprised how bad the general quality
of HIFI is in Spain. I had to import the speaker and the amplifier as
the only thing I could actually buy from Madrid was the Arcam CD player
(I even had to order the speaker stands direct !). As you csan
understand, I cannot exactly go to the UK just to audition the
components so brought the "system" based on a what hifi review of "all"
the components tested together in one go.

So not ideal certainly but better than buying a system made by pioneer
which is about all the is availbe from the Madrid "HI-FI" shops.

Don't underestimate Pioneer, I have a friend who owns one of their receivers
for HT and it is excellent. Take a look
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pn...etailComponent

And
"recommended" as a whole by what-hifi, for what thats worth.

It's worth whatever you think it is, so long as they don;t recomend junk,
which is increasingly hard to find, given that for solid state equipment,
it's pretty tough to make crap.

The speakers are definately wired up right as this is something i have
checked out many times.

The room is certainly not ideal as it is effectivly a living
room/american kitchen which is not square to start with, not good.

Not always bad, after all how many venues for live music are square?

In terms of siting the speakers I would say that again its less that
ideal. I always read that they should be away from corners, well one is
in a corner and the other not. Again difficult to resolve considering
the room and conditions. I'm moving house soon so perhaps this will be
resolved though. I was looking for some inspiration hopefully from hifi
enthusiasts and I have recieved many replies, thanks.

If theres anyone out there with this setup, who is happy, please let me
know how its set up.

Without proper speaker setup it's pretty hard to get anything like inspiring
sound from an audio system. Hang in there until you move and I'm sure you
will find that what you have is a lot better than it seems at present.

wrote in message
ups.com...
Hi all,

I have bought the following system based on a review from what-hifi

Roksan Kandy MKIII amplifier

Arcam CD73 CD player

Quad 11L speakers

QED silver aniversary bi-wire speaker cable.

Merlin Chopin interconnects

Partington Dreadnought Speaker stands.

OK so I was expecting miracles. but the whole thing just
seems....Uninspiring.... I have heard review stating that the
combination is great, the bass and detail should be excellent. But it
all seems a little drab.

You have chosen the worst possible system for rock music. If your interests
were in string quartets, you might be happy. Return the entire system, if
possible, and tell the salesman you listen to loud rock music. Maybe he can
suggest something more suitable.

Norm Strong

wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

That;s not true, but it is true that there is no problem that can be solved
in an audio system RCA cables claiming to have directionality.

Wrong again, yob. There is a problem that can be solved. The problem of
directionality.

Since there is little reliable evidence that changing anything else other
than speakers, and room treatments is going to make much difference, that is
the logical place to work on.

Hence the reason you have an audio system that sounds like pure crap.
I've no doubt you've spent 6 years working on the speaker positioning
though. Probably still are.

If you have reliable evidence to the contrary, please let us know.

Try reading an audio magazine at some point in your life. There are
plenty of audiophile magazines that feature professional reviewers that
review ICs and have noted differences in the directionality. Of course,
there will always be people like you, Krueger, Trevor Wilson, David
Weill, Steve Sullivan, ScottW, Westface, ad nauseum who are arrogant
ignorants, skeptical of everything, and think they know it all. And who
have all one thing in common: stereos that sound like pure crap.

Even the OPs system, faulty as it is, is no doubt leagues better than
yours. You and Westface are hardly in a position to be doling out audio
advice.

On 23 Mar 2006 08:55:54 -0800, wrote:


wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

That;s not true, but it is true that there is no problem that can be solved
in an audio system RCA cables claiming to have directionality.

Wrong again, yob. There is a problem that can be solved. The problem of
directionality.

Since there is little reliable evidence that changing anything else other
than speakers, and room treatments is going to make much difference, that is
the logical place to work on.

Hence the reason you have an audio system that sounds like pure crap.
I've no doubt you've spent 6 years working on the speaker positioning
though. Probably still are.

If you have reliable evidence to the contrary, please let us know.

Try reading an audio magazine at some point in your life. There are
plenty of audiophile magazines that feature professional reviewers that
review ICs and have noted differences in the directionality. Of course,
there will always be people like you, Krueger, Trevor Wilson, David
Weill, Steve Sullivan, ScottW, Westface, ad nauseum who are arrogant
ignorants, skeptical of everything, and think they know it all. And who
have all one thing in common: stereos that sound like pure crap.

Considering that you can't even spell my name correctly, you have
little to brag about. After all, I've got a system that sounds 100%
perfect while you struggle with faux-shamanesque laughable "tweaks".

Even the OPs system, faulty as it is, is no doubt leagues better than
yours. You and Westface are hardly in a position to be doling out audio
advice.

Since you can only improve your stereo by crossing your legs at the
ankles and folding oragami, I'd suggest that you take your Goodman's
boom box and toss it in the nearest moor.

Cheers to everyone for the opinion, much appreciated.

However, and pardon me if this seems out of line for a new member, but
I am not convinced that its helpful or necessary for members of this
group to start slanging
matches. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and although this can be
disagreed, I dont seee why it has to be done in this manner.

I came here for advice as I was getting knowhere, and more than a
little frustrated, with a supposed highly rated combination of
equipment. The majority of you guys gave good advice. I'm have read
many hifi magazines so do have an awareness of how a hifi fits
together. However audiophil I am not. So I figured why not, lets give
it a go. To be honest this group is the first chance I have had after
many years,

One thing does seem certain is that my speakers are badly placed but,
on the other hand, my system is not a crock, which is a relief.

The speakers are, perhaps as stated, not rock speakers. However I do
value detail in my sound, of which apparently the quads, arcam and
roksan deliver in spades. However, as it is known this is not
happening.

I think, I hope, that my new house will be more kind to my setup !

Cheers all,

James.



dave weil wrote:
On 23 Mar 2006 08:55:54 -0800, wrote:


wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

That;s not true, but it is true that there is no problem that can be solved
in an audio system RCA cables claiming to have directionality.

Wrong again, yob. There is a problem that can be solved. The problem of
directionality.

Since there is little reliable evidence that changing anything else other
than speakers, and room treatments is going to make much difference, that is
the logical place to work on.

Hence the reason you have an audio system that sounds like pure crap.
I've no doubt you've spent 6 years working on the speaker positioning
though. Probably still are.

If you have reliable evidence to the contrary, please let us know.

Try reading an audio magazine at some point in your life. There are
plenty of audiophile magazines that feature professional reviewers that
review ICs and have noted differences in the directionality. Of course,
there will always be people like you, Krueger, Trevor Wilson, David
Weill, Steve Sullivan, ScottW, Westface, ad nauseum who are arrogant
ignorants, skeptical of everything, and think they know it all. And who
have all one thing in common: stereos that sound like pure crap.

Considering that you can't even spell my name correctly, you have
little to brag about. After all, I've got a system that sounds 100%
perfect while you struggle with faux-shamanesque laughable "tweaks".

Even the OPs system, faulty as it is, is no doubt leagues better than
yours. You and Westface are hardly in a position to be doling out audio
advice.

Since you can only improve your stereo by crossing your legs at the
ankles and folding oragami, I'd suggest that you take your Goodman's
boom box and toss it in the nearest moor.

Of course it is possible that you are all mates............

wrote

Partington Dreadnought Speaker stands.

How do you like these stands so far?

wrote:

Of course it is possible that you are all mates............

You got it! We are all mates from Croydon, and we gather here to play
out our llittle audio fantasies. I (aka "Shovels", because I "Shovel"
so much TRUTH in people's faces.... get it?) play the role of the
tweak freak audio guru witch doctor (who can take a $1,000 system and
turn it into a $10,000 system with about $10 worth of materials, and a
million dollars worth of audio magic). Mike McKelvy (aka "Nyob the
Yob", aka "duh-Mikey") plays the role of the spec-head (Who can take a
$10,000 system and turn it into a $500 system, with some careful
speaker positioning and room treatments). Westpase (aka "Westface" aka
"anonymous troll) plays Usenet's first and only "audio gunslinger".
He can shoot his six-gun cannons off as well as he shoots off his
ignorant mouth. And by gum, you best not disagree with him about any
audio point, because he'll fill you full of virtual buckshot, faster
than you can say "ABX comparator". Trevor Wilson (aka "Trevor The
Energizer Bunny Of Rage") plays the role of the maniacal rageaholic
Australian dimwit (actually, he's the only one not actually playing a
role). Dave Weill (aka "Garbage Boy") plays the role of the ignorant
clown troll who thinks he's a genius (IOW, entertainment value).
Arnold "Freddy" Krueger (aka "Arny Krapper") plays the role he was born
to play; the wanna-be engineer, who spent his life wishing he was an
engineer, and criticizing every audiophile engineer that ever was or
will be, on newsgroups which he has all but been banned from. George
Middius (aka "Mork From Ork").... well, Middius is our own little Buck
Rogers, who lives in a planet unto himself and doesn't even pretend
to know anything about audio. But he plays the role of your little
ankle-biting brother that's always hanging around being a pest, but
you have to take him with you, because your mother made you promise to
keep an eye on him. He doesn't really have any "bite" behind anything
he says but watch out... if you're not careful, he may gum you to
death, until your ankles are raw and swollen. Or at least gross you out
to mortification by way of drool and slobber.

dave weill kooked out a monkey fit:

Considering that you can't even spell my name correctly, you have
little to brag about. After all, I've got a system that sounds 100%
perfect while you struggle with faux-shamanesque laughable "tweaks".

Even the OPs system, faulty as it is, is no doubt leagues better than
yours. You and Westface are hardly in a position to be doling out audio
advice.

Since you can only improve your stereo by crossing your legs at the
ankles and folding oragami, I'd suggest that you take your Goodman's
boom box and toss it in the nearest moor.

Nice kook rant, Dave. Mite-y nice. I know you're upset that your
friend Trevor was nominated for the Usenet Kook Award this year but
don't worry, I don't think you have anything to worry about.

grabs beer and popcorn

alt.usenet.kooks & alt.fan.madonna snecked

wrote:
crap snipped

Bob,

Nice try, but no doughnought.

Everyone else,

Watch your reply lines, folks. He's trying to troll us over to AUK.

//Walt

On 23 Mar 2006 12:51:33 -0800, wrote:

grabs beer and popcorn

That's the only tweak that you've mentioned that makes any sense
whatsoever.

Walt wrote:
alt.usenet.kooks & alt.fan.madonna snecked

wrote:
crap snipped

Bob,

Nice try, but no doughnought.

Everyone else,

Watch your reply lines, folks. He's trying to troll us over to AUK.

//Walt

wrote:
Cheers to everyone for the opinion, much appreciated.

However, and pardon me if this seems out of line for a new member, but
I am not convinced that its helpful or necessary for members of this
group to start slanging
matches. Everyone is entitled to their opinion and although this can be
disagreed, I dont seee why it has to be done in this manner.

I came here for advice as I was getting knowhere, and more than a
little frustrated, with a supposed highly rated combination of
equipment. The majority of you guys gave good advice. I'm have read
many hifi magazines so do have an awareness of how a hifi fits
together. However audiophil I am not. So I figured why not, lets give
it a go. To be honest this group is the first chance I have had after
many years,

One thing does seem certain is that my speakers are badly placed but,
on the other hand, my system is not a crock, which is a relief.

The speakers are, perhaps as stated, not rock speakers. However I do
value detail in my sound, of which apparently the quads, arcam and
roksan deliver in spades. However, as it is known this is not
happening.

I think, I hope, that my new house will be more kind to my setup !

Cheers all,

I believe you've got good sense, if your connected properly,
your power source is clean and to spec for your region,
gear set to correct mains power, you should be getting good
results. If your expecting a lot of bottom at loud levels, then
you might not have the best speakers for that.
You know your music best, play a couple different genres and
see if one is better for the system. If they all sound odd, something
is out of spec. Try substituting cables first, then source player,
then speakers if possible. You may get lucky and figure out where
your problem is. It may be the gear.
Good luck.
PS My reputation is greatly exaggerated by one individual

Hi James, I see a lot of people here don't seem to think that speaker
placement is important. It is imperitive. If the speakers are
positioned badly (such as too close to walls) the sound will be
horrible.
I have to admit that the choice of Quad 11L's for rock and roll is a
bit of a surprise. I use the Quad 22L's for jazz, and classical, but in
the days when I wanted to crank out rock, I used quite different
speakers. Surprisingly I found that Klipsch ( I know not true highend
anymore), though not the best for jazz and classical, were good
performers for rock.(I had a pair of Forte II's which can be had for a
good price used)
The one thing I haven't seen mentioned however, is the possibility
that you will need to reverse the polarity of your speaker cables. I
have a preamp that inverts phase, and due to this, I need to reverse
polarity at my speakers to have proper sound. This is pretty common in
better audio components, such as my conrad-johnson preamp.
There is also the possibility that the equipment, even though
reviewed favorably by someone else, really doesn't sound good together.
There are going to be a lot of people who will give you advice, some
good, but more often bad. Try things, and trust your ears. You might
also want to look up some of the forums on www.audiogon.com .
Good luck,
Joseph

wrote in message
ups.com...

wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

That;s not true, but it is true that there is no problem that can be
solved
in an audio system RCA cables claiming to have directionality.

Wrong again, yob. There is a problem that can be solved. The problem of
directionality.

Since there is little reliable evidence that changing anything else other
than speakers, and room treatments is going to make much difference, that
is
the logical place to work on.

Hence the reason you have an audio system that sounds like pure crap.

Incorrect. There's no way you would know anything about how my systme
sounds, since you've never been here to listen.

I've no doubt you've spent 6 years working on the speaker positioning
though. Probably still are.

Nope, it's been done for quite a while.

If you have reliable evidence to the contrary, please let us know.

Try reading an audio magazine at some point in your life. There are
plenty of audiophile magazines that feature professional reviewers that
review ICs and have noted differences in the directionality.

I said evidence not anecdotes.

Of course,
there will always be people like you, Krueger, Trevor Wilson, David
Weill, Steve Sullivan, ScottW, Westface, ad nauseum who are arrogant
ignorants, skeptical of everything, and think they know it all. And who
have all one thing in common: stereos that sound like pure crap.


I have no doubt that I don't know it all, but I do know that the idea of
directionality has been tested and found to be nothing. Just as nobody has
ever heard any difference in similarly constructed wire.

Even the OPs system, faulty as it is, is no doubt leagues better than
yours. You and Westface are hardly in a position to be doling out audio
advice.

And you are in no position to judge something you know nothing about.

wrote:

I've said this before, but it bears repeating:

I've said this before, but it bears repeating: Ignore this
"soundhaspriority" troll.

wrote:

That;s not true, but it is true that there is no problem that can be solved
in an audio system RCA cables claiming to have directionality.

Wrong again, yob. There is a problem that can be solved. The problem of
directionality.

Idiot.

wrote:

Nice kook rant, Dave.

LOL! The irony meter is off the scale!

wrote:

wrote in message
ups.com...

wrote:
wrote in message
oups.com...

Hence the reason you have an audio system that sounds like pure crap.

Incorrect. There's no way you would know anything about how my systme
sounds, since you've never been here to listen.

Wrong again, yob. 2+2 makes 4. I can know a lot of things about you and
others, by what you say. And I don't have to pull stuff out of my
arse as you and others do about me. The difference is, the difference
between stupid deductions and intelligent ones. But you don't have to
be a Rhodes scholar to figure you out. You're the shallow end of the
pool. You talk with loving fondness of Pioneer and QSC amps, you shout
your ignroance to the rooftops about how just about everything in audio
sounds the same, and each and every single opinion you've ever
offered about audio is, as I have noticed, always the WRONG one. For
you to have a good sounding stereo from the wrong-headed philosophy
that you maintain about audio, would have to be the world's greatest
accident. It would be impossible in fact, for you to have a good
sounding stereo whilst still adhereing to your pig-ignorant religious
beliefs about audio.

So that's the story of how I don't need to fly down to your hovel
to listen to the box of horse crap you call an audio system. But keep
in mind: everyone has different standards. Mine are so far above yours,
you'd need an observatory to see them. So I have no doubt you "think"
you have a good sounding stereo. Trust me, you don't.


I've no doubt you've spent 6 years working on the speaker positioning
though. Probably still are.

Nope, it's been done for quite a while.

If you have reliable evidence to the contrary, please let us know.

Try reading an audio magazine at some point in your life. There are
plenty of audiophile magazines that feature professional reviewers that
review ICs and have noted differences in the directionality.

I said evidence not anecdotes.

Then listen for yourself, and that will tell you all you need to know.
I can hear directionality in cables in about 3 or 4 seconds. If you
can't hear it in 3 or 4 weeks, then that means it doesn't work for
you. That is ALL it means. Don't continue to be a jackass and annoy
people with the opinion that if your deaf ass can't hear cable
directionality, it must not exist. It only makes you look stupider, if
that's at all possible.


Of course,
there will always be people like you, Krueger, Trevor Wilson, David
Weill, Steve Sullivan, ScottW, Westface, ad nauseum who are arrogant
ignorants, skeptical of everything, and think they know it all. And who
have all one thing in common: stereos that sound like pure crap.


I have no doubt that I don't know it all, but I do know that the idea of
directionality has been tested and found to be nothing. Just as nobody has
ever heard any difference in similarly constructed wire.

Maybe nobody that YOU know. Millions of audiophiles have heard
differences in wire. Stop being an ignorant swine, McKelvy.

Even the OPs system, faulty as it is, is no doubt leagues better than
yours. You and Westface are hardly in a position to be doling out audio
advice.

And you are in no position to judge something you know nothing about.

False. I know a lot about ignorant swine, from dealing with people like
you.

James,I also forgot to mention. If your room is even remotely large,
these speakers just will not fill it with sound, no matter what you
have them hooked up to. You can place them closer to the walls for some
reinforcement, but the trade off is likely to be pretty ugly. My
experience with quads dynamic speakers is that they absolutely hate to
be close to walls.
Later,
Joseph

Cheers all for the advice...and entertainment..Hav'nt seen so much
bitching since I saw a couple of women knock seven bells out of each
other in my local bar...And that was when i was 18.....

Hi Powell,

Well first off they are superbly constructed, and very heavy.

Some might say that they look a little utilaterian but I like the
looks.

As for the influence on sound, to be honest hard to say as you know
that I have problems with my system. However these have been favourite
stands of What-hifi for years and constently have picked up awards.

I guess it really comes down to how much difference a good stand makes
to the speaker !

James.

wrote:
Cheers all for the advice...and entertainment..Hav'nt seen so much
bitching since I saw a couple of women knock seven bells out of each
other in my local bar...And that was when i was 18.....


Ok so you *were* a troll... I knew it! What with the directional
rca's and all. Enjoy!

wrote:

wrote in message
ups.com...

Hi all,

I have bought the following system based on a review from what-hifi

Roksan Kandy MKIII amplifier

Arcam CD73 CD player

Quad 11L speakers

QED silver aniversary bi-wire speaker cable.

Merlin Chopin interconnects

Partington Dreadnought Speaker stands.

OK so I was expecting miracles. but the whole thing just
seems....Uninspiring.... I have heard review stating that the
combination is great, the bass and detail should be excellent. But it
all seems a little drab.


You have chosen the worst possible system for rock music. If your interests
were in string quartets, you might be happy. Return the entire system, if
possible, and tell the salesman you listen to loud rock music. Maybe he can
suggest something more suitable.

As in cerviwn wega speakers, yamaha receiver and cd player.


Norm Strong

Or a pair of Jamos even........

And a troll is ?

wrote:

And a troll is ?



You just had to order all the way from england eh?

http://audiotools.com/dist_es.html

You live and learn Fella......

Still missing your troll explanation though....

wrote:


Still missing your troll explanation though....


Hmm... shivers... the heat ... the pressure...