I am now officially a DiVA!!! (56k)

[Butuz]

A nice chap came and gave me this:



So i unplugged this:



Then plugged in this:



Then plugged in this:



And OMFG if i aint gobsmacked at the difference.

I thought with my low end B&W DM601 speakers, and low end Marantz CD5000 spinner, that a low end amp was fine and dandy, and to get a noticable increase in quality i would have to upgrade source, amp, and speakers.

BUT!

Once i plugged in my home made passive pre amp, and the Arcam DiVA P75, i noticed the difference straight away. Far more detail, far more authoritative. More powerful. More.... more more more.

Wow!

So.. After seing what a mere amp upgrade can do. I am afraid the next thing on the list is speakers (Quad 21/22L). And then, maybe just maybe CD player (some kind of valve jobby).

Butuz has just been amazed.

Butuz

[Jonny M]

Very very nice.

/jealous

[Butuz]

Butuz has just been amazed.

Butuz's credit card is siting there shivering unable to utter even he slightest of squeaks. Oh dear

Butuz

[iMc]

So.. After seing what a mere amp upgrade can do. I am afraid the next thing on the list is speakers (Quad 21/22L). And then, maybe just maybe CD player (some kind of valve jobby).

Butuz has just been amazed.

Butuz

I thought it was best to get a better source (CD player) before you get better speakers. At least I think thats what I was reading somewhere else...

[Moby-Dick]

oi Wheres the RB25 ?

funny looking Engine chap

nice kit though - must have a clean sound to it.

( I must get round to doing a Shiny Kit Post for all the bits that are piling up under my desk )

[schmunk]

And then, maybe just maybe CD player (some kind of valve jobby).

And what, pray tell, are valves supposed to do in a CD player? Keep it warm?

[Butuz]

Shmunk - Use lightbulbs in the output stage instead of solid state rubbish. Also, they keep your room warm too, save on heating costs

Moby - Keeping an eye out for a nice one that wont need a rebuild, no rush

iMc - its true that no matter what speakers and amp you have, the CD player is probably the most important link as if you have a crap cd player, then it doesnt matter what you plug into it, you will still be listening to crap. Crap in crap out innit.

But its also the case that there is no point in having a £20,000 cd player that sounds better than anything else in the world, if your running an aiwa amp and aiwa lo-fi speakers. Your magic cd player will not be able to get any of its magic sound through the airwaves into your ears!

Its a fine balancing act, and you can always have a weak link that could be improved. In this case it seems my amp was the weak link.

Butuz

[Howard]

/me thinks we need a stickied "post your av / hifi kit" thread


I've always liked Arcam stuff... My dad's older Delta Pre/Power combi sounds fantastic with his Linn speakers.

Did you make that preamp yourself? Any links? How much did it cost? How long did it take, etc?



The source is indeed hte most important bit... The DAC inside the CD player will be the most important bit infact... Garbage In Garbage Out High end amps will only make crappy sounding sources more aparent. They'll only amplify what they're given. Hook up a PC to a £200 Argos mini system and play a 96kbps MP3, chances are it'll sound "normal". Hook it up to a proper hifi and you'll soon hear the compression

[Butuz]

Yep the passive preamp is easy and sounds superb. All it is really, is 2 phono input jacks wired to a good quality POT to give volume control, and then wire that to a 6 way rotary switch to give input selection, then wire that to the output photo connectors. And thats a passive pre amp! Just a small amount of wire to interfere with the pure signal coming from the source. No ariticial gubbins, or equalisation, or colouring that you can get from active pre's.

Ive got photos somewhere ill have to find them.

Butuz

[Howard]

I suppose it doesn't need to be any more complicated than that! Lol

Did you machine the casing yourself or buy it?

[tillyoubreakit]

Looking good there
But be warned, before you know it you will spend all your money on High End. I started with a 500$ Onkyo Receiver and 5 years later i spend 7K on a power amp .....But this hobby is tooo cooool . Have fun !!

[Butuz]

I suppose it doesn't need to be any more complicated than that! Lol

Did you machine the casing yourself or buy it?

Bought it from maplins, and then drilled holes in the right places



It cost approximatly 3/5ths of bugger all. Unlike the passive pre's you see in certain magazines and shops

Butuz

[Butuz]

Oh dear. Bye Bye B&W....

Butuz

[Howard]

THey sound better??

[Butuz]

Dunno mate i only plugged them in at 11:30 last night

I'll let you know

Butuz

[tillyoubreakit]

Since most of you guys are from england, how about Rega ? I have some Rega electronics and they are quite nice. Far better (detail, acuracy, musicality) than the overpriced garbage (my opinion) that B&W and Rotel sells. Check them out too www.rega.co.uk

-T