Post your latest AV purchase(s)......

[General_sound]

The Rotel Pre amp is RC -1572 MK-II and not RB- 1552 MK II.

 

[General_sound]

Very nice greetings

Hi. You must actually come and listen to the system. In this system right from the source to speakers , the synergy is not only heard , but felt. Also the preamp is extremely versatile, with a range of inputs and a very linear volume control, which enables good low volume listening. Regards

 

[Yogesh]

Hey @Yogesh, yes that is due from my end, waiting for @General_sound to visit the place next week and share his views - he has far better knowledge and way of expression for anything audio in my view.

But in a gist - Yes, the amplification really made a lot of difference - will share the detailed story in a couple of weeks, especially for the support I got from Indiq's team.

What are the upgrades done to Speakers?

Also, if you could share cost of Pre-Power.

 

[sandeeprao]

What are the upgrades done to Speakers?

Also, if you could share cost of Pre-Power.

Hey Yogesh,

The following changes were made: Crossovers (bi-wiring to a single pair of terminals), bass drivers, and bass chamber length.

The pre & power cost me around 2.5L +-

 

[Sean de Silva]

ATH-M40X for late night critical and casual listening. The synergy and sound signature between the VM540ML and these monitor headphones is exceptional to my ears.

 

[Sean de Silva]

LHY LPS-15 (5V, 2A) for Zen Phono 3

 

[DB1989]

The one speaker (or brand) i always wanted.

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

View attachment 95867

The one speaker (or brand) i always wanted.

Very poor light photography . Thats an injustice to what looks like a pair of B&W 805 D3's or D4's. They deserve better for the meticulous care given in their build and finish. And iam convinced they sound great

And I must add, that I loved your room. Absolutely beautiful

 

[reignofchaos]

Very poor light photography . Thats an injustice to what looks like a pair of B&W 805 D3's or D4's. They deserve better for the meticulous care given in their build and finish. And iam convinced they sound great

And I must add, that I loved your room. Absolutely beautiful

It's a 7 series not 8. 805 has a curved cabinet.

 

[DB1989]

Very poor light photography .

That wasn't by accident...

Thats an injustice to what looks like a pair of B&W 805 D3's or D4's.

and perhaps it was to insinuate that it was indeed an 8xx series

They deserve better for the meticulous care given in their build and finish. And iam convinced they sound great

Yes, they are beautifully finished; they being the 705 S2 Signature. They come in a lovely piano finish rosewood veneer but the piece de resistance is the Tweeter pod on top - simply exquisite if i may say so myself.

And I must add, that I loved your room. Absolutely beautiful

Much appreciated. This is where aesthetics take primacy over sound but i've tried to do the best i can with a humble Marantz M1 powering the speaks. Honestly, the 705 Signature sounds lovely with the M1 despite what the latter's compact dimensions, Class D amplification or price mismatch would suggest - Marantz surely tested the amp with B&W speakers and tried to ensure it plays well with most if not all of them. Curiosly, they play almost twice as loud at the same volume with the M1 as the Spendor Classic 2/3 though their sensitivity figures don't suggest as such.

P.S. - Front pics of the setup coming soon.

 

[reignofchaos]

That wasn't by accident...

and perhaps it was to insinuate that it was indeed an 8xx series

Yes, they are beautifully finished; they being the 705 S2 Signature. They come in a lovely piano finish rosewood veneer but the piece de resistance is the Tweeter pod on top - simply exquisite if i may say so myself.

Much appreciated. This is where aesthetics take primacy over sound but i've tried to do the best i can with a humble Marantz M1 powering the speaks. Honestly, the 705 Signature sounds lovely with the M1 despite what the latter's compact dimensions, Class D amplification or price mismatch would suggest - Marantz surely tested the amp with B&W speakers and tried to ensure it plays well with most if not all of them. Curiosly, they play almost twice as loud at the same volume with the M1 as the Spendor Classic 2/3 though their sensitivity figures don't suggest as such.

P.S. - Front pics of the setup coming soon.

That speaker deserves far better amps than a basic class D - I had heard it with a pair of DIY Pass F7 monos and it sounded very very good for a B&W.

 

[gurujee]

705 Signature sounds lovely with the M1

does the M1 have that classic Marantz Warm laid-back sound?

 

[rwnano]

Congratulations DB 1989...

Please do compare the bowers wilkins to other speakers you have heard in the same room....?

 

[DB1989]

does the M1 have that classic Marantz Warm laid-back sound?

it is an easy going sound teetering on laidback but to call it warm may be a stretch, unless matched with inherently warm speakers like the Spendor Classic 2/3.

That speaker deserves far better amps than a basic class D - I had heard it with a pair of DIY Pass F7 monos and it sounded very very good for a B&W.

The real question to me is or was, would a big bulky amp or amps such as the DIY Pass F7 deserve to take centerstage in my living room.

This was down to ease of use (for family usage), aesthetics and budget (not exceeding 2L), in that order.

Leaving aesthetics aside, the Pass F7 and its ilk simply wouldn't cut the mustard w.r.t convenience/ease of use.

These criteria/constraints indicated an All-In-One seemed to be the best fit. As a sequitur, HDMI ARC also assumed importance if the amp was to be used with a TV. The fact that the M1 Powers On and Off with the TV and its volume and other features can be tweaked with my TV remote is a BIG boon for my family who struggled with even powering on the system when my main setup was in my living room. If my family needs to stream without the TV, there's the App or Spotify/Tidal/Qobuz connect. It comes with DIRAC too, convenient since placement is not at will and the room is untreated.

Then came the question of aesthetics - very few below the 2L mark are lookers and fewer still which met the brief for convenience. Therefore, it had to be inconspicuous enough to be tucked away out of sight and the M1 serves the intended brief perfectly - its stacked vertically and one can't spot it unless pointed out.

Then comes the question of SQ. There's something to be said about synergy, which can be a result of (1) a happy coincidence, (2) good matching of speaker and amp characteristics at the user's end, or (3) good matching of speaker and amp characteristics at the designer's end (mostly seen in active speakers).

The M1 satisfied all of the 3 criteria above as well - good matching of speaker and amp characteristics at the designer's end because i suspect, as earlier alluded to, that Marantz tested their amps to be a matching solution for B&W loudspeakers, not surprising in the least as they are house brands.

It was a happy coincidence because i happened to chance upon and listen to this very same combo in the winter of 2024 in, as i later found out, Tokyo's largest audio store (the number of brands and dedicated listening rooms under one roof was mind boggling) and it sounded lovely,

Which brings me to good matching of speaker and amp characteristics at the user's end, which can be either by taking an educated guess by looking at various specifications of amp/loudspeaker or through the process of audition, which is the ultimate proof in the pudding. Since I'd already auditioned the combo as a result of aforementioned happy coincidence and it sounded great, going on a wild goose chase to identify another amp which did justice was going to be just that, a wild goose chase.

It does sound better with more talented amplification but that's missing the point in my use case scenario for the living room.

If that still leaves you troubled or anxious, which comes with the territory of being an audiophile, despair not for I fully intend to play the B&W with other amps and dedicated DACs, what have you, including some Singled Ended Class A 805 300B tubes. To further allay concerns, I can confirm it sounds fantastic with the Kinki Studio EX M1+ in my dedicated treated room.

 

[DB1989]

My current living room setup:

Always on system:
TV (Sony X9500G)>(over HDMI)>Marantz M1(Source+Amp+DAC)>>Spendor Classic 2/3 or Wharfedale Evo 4.2 (Speakers) + Mission QX-12 (Subwoofer)

For occasional jaunts:
1. Allo Digione Signature(Source)>>Chord Mojo(DAC)>>Willsenton R8(Amp)>>Spendor Classic 2/3 or Wharfedale Evo 4.2 (Speakers)

2. Rega Planar 1>>Ifi Zen Phono+Allo Shanti LPSU>>Willsenton R8(Amp)>>Spendor Classic 2/3 or Wharfedale Evo 4.2 (Speakers)

Parked:

Definitive Technology D9

P.S.:- simply couldn't resist the temptation so the B&Ws are currently playing in my main setup.

 

[Sean de Silva]

My current living room setup:

Always on system:
TV (Sony X9500G)>(over HDMI)>Marantz M1(Source+Amp+DAC)>>Spendor Classic 2/3 or Wharfedale Evo 4.2 (Speakers) + Mission QX-12 (Subwoofer)

For occasional jaunts:
1. Allo Digione Signature(Source)>>Chord Mojo(DAC)>>Willsenton R8(Amp)>>Spendor Classic 2/3 or Wharfedale Evo 4.2 (Speakers)

2. Rega Planar 1>>Ifi Zen Phono+Allo Shanti LPSU>>Willsenton R8(Amp)>>Spendor Classic 2/3 or Wharfedale Evo 4.2 (Speakers)

Parked:

Definitive Technology D9

P.S.:- simply couldn't resist the temptation so the B&Ws are currently playing in my main setup.

Your home feels so thoughtfully curated. The soft diffusion and warm colour temp brings out the richness of the furniture

 

[Yelamanchili manohar]

That wasn't by accident...

and perhaps it was to insinuate that it was indeed an 8xx series

Yes, they are beautifully finished; they being the 705 S2 Signature. They come in a lovely piano finish rosewood veneer but the piece de resistance is the Tweeter pod on top - simply exquisite if i may say so myself.

Much appreciated. This is where aesthetics take primacy over sound but i've tried to do the best i can with a humble Marantz M1 powering the speaks. Honestly, the 705 Signature sounds lovely with the M1 despite what the latter's compact dimensions, Class D amplification or price mismatch would suggest - Marantz surely tested the amp with B&W speakers and tried to ensure it plays well with most if not all of them. Curiosly, they play almost twice as loud at the same volume with the M1 as the Spendor Classic 2/3 though their sensitivity figures don't suggest as such.

P.S. - Front pics of the setup coming soon.

haha..very happy to hear this. The magic is always in synergy

The whole point of this hobby is enjoyment.....as long as your goodselves are enjoying it, Nothing else matters. Not even those who are telling you need a better amp

 

[DB1989]

Your home feels so thoughtfully curated. The soft diffusion and warm colour temp brings out the richness of the furniture

Much appreciated! The furniture is mostly vintage, between 50-80 years old and handed down over a couple of generations.

The couch is new but one deliberated upon over such a painstakingly long period that it'd turned vintage by the time we finalised - talk about analysis paralysis! It's no looker but doesn't detract from the rest of the furniture and the comfort is superlative.

haha..very happy to hear this. The magic is always in synergy

Indeed! I've stumbled upon some great combos that sound simply magical and destroyed many a preconceived notion of mine, and many others.

The whole point of this hobby is enjoyment.....as long as your goodselves are enjoying it, Nothing else matters. Not even those who are telling you need a better amp

The best of us need reassurance once in a while and i'm always one to oblige.

Please do compare the bowers wilkins to other speakers you have heard in the same room....?

The only speakers i've compared it to so far are the Spendor Classic 2/3 in my living room setup. They could't be more different and it is stark - the B&W sounds exciting, exuberant and a performance highlighted (and dominated unless setup right) by its treble but one that also (surprisingly) impresses with the depth in its midrange and a punchy midbass; it is by all measure a performance that obliges you to listen as if it was indeed one.

Sitting at the other end of the spectrum, the Spendor sounds easy going, warm and laidback, a very linear midbass response but one that digs very deep, perfect for having music playing in the background but one that preserves enough verve to snap into focus when you do.