The All Purpose Advice Thread - Part 2

I have a pair of 25 year old Mirage Omnipolar OM-9 tower speakers which actually sound quite good. A Sony STR-DN 1080 receiver, a Fluance turntable with an Ortofon Blue stylus, Klipsch R-34C center speaker and Klipsch SPL-120 subwoofer. Also 2 Klipsch surrounds. I play mostly albums these days, also home theater. I am more interested in music than tv.
Simple question, what would be the best way to upgrade for music under 3 grand or so? Thanks!
I just want to hear the best out of my albums. TV is secondary. I use the two Mirages and the sub for listening to music.

 

I'm thinking about a similar upgrade. My reasoning - my even older Sony RX-A1080 has an ES90x8 DAC; and all inputs go through the DAC even if analog. Bleh. I have a Crown 2 channel power amp. I could use SE out from my Bifrost 2 for my headphone amp and the balanced out for the Crown. I'd have to get switches to allow both the Crown & the Sony to feed the speakers.

I also use a sub. Mine is a Rythmik, and it already has 2 separate inputs so it will work with either input. I'd put a high pass filter on the connection from the Bifrost to the Crown; the Sony does that for multi-channel TV & movies.

If you only use a turntable, you could connect it to a phono pre-amp > amplifier and do the speaker switch setup to use the Mirage speakers for both. It looks like your sub also has 2 inputs, so you're probably OK there. Up to you if you want to throw a high-pass filter in there or not. They're cheap & easy to make.

$3k could get you into a really nice phono pre-amp + amplifier

 

Does anyone happen to know what size screws Schiit typically uses? I appropriated 2 screws from my Asgard 2 for my Modi Multibit that I lost the screws to.

I'm also looking to find a replacement Modi Multibit top cover. I jacked mine up pretty good getting a screw with stripped threads out. I was doing the opamp upgrade when I damaged it. I'm not looking to sell, I just want it to look nice. If anybody has an old broken down Modi Multibit, I'd buy it for the case.

 

https://www.schiit.com/contact

 

I think this is the correct thread for me to get some advice.

I have a decent system that I pieced together as a PhD student circa 2015 with the idea that I would have a lot more money when I graduated. Which I guess I do … but not really for audio systems. Funny how that works.

I stored everything in boxes while we did some remodeling, so it didn’t get dusty. Now wife wants the audio chain to be used or sold, she’s tired of it “not having a home” (thanks Marie Kondo).

System was Gungnir Multibit A2 -> Saga OG -> Threshold Stasis II -> modded 6-screw HE-6

I thought I bought the OG 4-screw HE-6, but it was the 6 screw version. Still modded out like @ohhhrigomi with vegan pads, grill removal, and blue tac.

I sold the Gungnir Multibit A2 when I put the rest in storage. It was more resolving than the Theta Pro Basic III but too bright compared. I must have gotten one of the first ones, before the A2 was known because I remember thinking “this doesn’t sound at all like a Gungnir A1 is supposed to sound.”

I still have a Theta Pro Basic III and IIIa, just collected them from my folks. I just tried to set it all up, but my old XMOS transport doesn’t play nice with my new computer. I’d really like to get the laptop out of the chain and go with a streamer that outputs AES or S/PDIF (that I can control tidal/Spotify with my phone).

I bought the Stasis II based on a head-fi review that said the First Watt stuff was too polite for the HE-6. I was young & dumb. No more buying arcane, hard to sell equipment. It sounds pretty good at high volumes, especially with the “transformer mod” to move the transformer away from the other electronics. But the noise floor is clearly way too high for headphones. Noticable hum at silent. Stupid choice.

Overall, I think this is a decent system but it’s missing low level detail retrieval. Amp is definitely the weakness in the chain. I also had this idea that I’d combine speakers and headphones with the same system/amp, but I don’t think that makes sense any more.

Okay, so I’m looking for advice on where to go from here. My musical tastes are generally indie and folk-style rock, which range from loud to pretty delicate stringed instruments and vocals. I’ve spent quite a lot of time at small live venues and I grew up playing violin in an orchestra so I have a strong preference for “natural-sounding vocals (male and female) and stringed instruments. I realize no chain will be neutral, and I’m fine with different color but I don’t really know how to describe when something doesn’t sound right, I just know it doesn’t sound quite right. It’s not emotionally engaging.

The system I pieced together is the only one I’ve heard that sounds natural, puts me in a room with the artist. But the treble on the HE-6 is a little fatiguing (despite the mods) and the noise floor on the amp is definitely a major problem.

Option 1.
Sell/trash everything. I have some nice cables so I’ll keep those. Then start over with ??? Bifrost 2 -> Crack + Speedball -> HD6xx?
At least it would fit on the desktop.

Or wait a bit to save money and go Holo Red -> used Yggdrasil A1 -> MJ3 -> ZMF (maybe Auteur?)

Option 2.
Keep one Theta DAC, and sell everything else. Maybe end up with a Pi2AES or something for the Theta. Then idk, something like Crack + HD6XXX.

Option 3.
Sell the amp, keep the HE-6. Then I’m back to speaker amp recommendations for the HE-6. Anyone have an F1J they want to sell for cheap, lol?

Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

 

Cut out a circle of soft felt and insert under the earpads. That will soften a lot of that extra treble energy. Do that first then come back and evaluate how it sounds. Doing a complete overhaul is just, well, it's fun in its own way, but then you're just throwing darts at a moving board.

 

if you generally like your stasis ii I would suggest it might be worth having it serviced by someone before you dump your whole chain if you can find a tech you like in your area and they don't charge something outrageous, I don't think the pass amps generally have terrible issues with noise (none of the ones I've heard at least) so I would suspect it might just need a tune-up - they're a pretty common amp to rebuild now that they're getting older and given how hot they run

 

Hiya, I am total noob for speakers.My friend lend me his KEFQ300 and I am enjoying it so far!

I only have a $20 Tripath amp from AliExpress, my question is will something like Schiit Rekr improve the sounds?

My source is Pi2AES -> A2 Yggdrasil

Thanks!

 

Dude, the Rekr is a fleawatt power amp that's barely going to scratch the low sensitivity of the Q300 which is at 87 dB / 1W. Do yourself a favour and at least set your sights higher on the Gjallarhorn or Vidar/Aegir unless all you do is nearfield quiet listening.

That all said, Tripath can sound decent and I've owned a few in the past, buuuuut aliexpress is a crapshoot.

 

You don't say what your phono amp is? Is it part of the Sony?

This review is very favorable towards your Mirages: https://www.soundstagexperience.com/equipment/mirage_om9_omc2_omr2_lf150_speaker.htm

I think getting good clean power to your speakers is achievable for under 3 grand.

Maybe a pair of Schiit Tyrs or the like if you have the space? Tho, that's a little over your limit, especially if you don't have a preamp.

 

Anyone need to get knobby before the holidays?

 

My old eyes reading this on my phone definitely thought “BOGNER” said something else there.

Also “ribbed” (Butthead laugh)

 

My teenage self does not like being called out like this.

 

And I'm guilty of wondering what the cossack music knob does... or is it actually this?

 

Run a Valhalla 2 with a Modi Multibit and Eitr behind it.

Would a Bifrost 1 with a unison card it be an upgrade over the Modi?

 

Great more nervosa!

 

@Azimuth ?

 

Yes if you mostly if you use USB.

The bass is also a bit cleaner and more detailed on the BF1 simply because it has a better PSU and less mains noise. Most don't even notice this.

 

Thanks

All I use us USB hence the need for the Eitr with my current setup.

Next and final question, would BF2 be a step above the OG BF? The BF1 on the site is a decent deal but I think I can find a used BF2 for a little bit more if I try too.

 

Im grabbing one, worst case I can sell it when a decent priced BF2 comes along. I can cover a decent portion of the cost selling my MMB and Eitr.