System Pics 2022

Thanks HH greatly appreciated

Those were the days when Sony made equipment to covet, even if it maybe did not perform as well as it looked.

My CDPXA555ES is still going strong, and I have my DVPS9000ES DVD player as a backup (and for playing my solitary SACD), although my STD777ES is boxed up and in the loft.

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Compared to all the austere NAIM stuff on here, that is a right good old button-fest. I can almost hear ‘Beverley Hills Cop’ on on the background! Great system!

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Is it due to aesthetic reasons that you haven’t chosen bigger speakers? I’ve read many chowing Harbeth P3 over their bigger ones since they simply cannot be beaten on some areas.

I wanted something both discreet and high quality. That’s why I chose open frame stands, as you can see the wall through them. That said if my hearing hadn’t gone wrong I’d doubtless still have the SL2s. While they are quite large I always loved how they look. So in changing I went for something different. If I was going small I wanted really small. I’d always liked the look of the ProAc 10 ever since I saw them in @GraemeH’s room. I owned Linn Kans for over 10 years and these remind us so much of them in terms of size and overall looks. They are simply brilliant speakers regardless of their size. With three good sources and a decent amp they just sound great, and it’s all the more impressive when they are smaller than a shoebox.

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New this year, speaker stands from Audio Chic for my SCM7s.

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Thanks for replying HH. I’m so sorry to learn of your hearing problem. That was a rotten bit of luck for sure, but I’m relieved that it isn’t spoiling your enjoyment of your system and music.

I often sit in a similar position myself which was what made me curious. Like you I’ve long believed that a good hi-fi system should be able to be enjoyed from anywhere in the room. The notion of having to sit in a particular spot or area in order to fully enjoy it is to me by default unrealistic. I’ve never heard a convincingly pin-point stereo image from any system, and I’ve never experienced a stereo image at any musical event - simply because in real life it doesn’t exist!

I like to decide where to sit for comfort to enjoy my music rather than letting my system tell me where to sit!

Have fun and continue to enjoy your music to the full.

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Of course it does. Have you never heard acoustic instruments live and unamplified? Go and listen to a string quartet, close your eyes and you’ll be able to tell where each instrument is positioned. That’s stereo image.

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Very nice system and room. Love them.

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Love the bold lamp shade Chris :+1:t3: Best Peter

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Well of course I’ve done that - and no, I can’t tell where each instrument is positioned at all. Unless listening from just a few feet away, ie. virtually standing with the performers. At any normal listening distance as would be the case at a concert all I can perceive is that the sound is coming vaguely from ‘over there’ somewhere. It is an amorphous wall of sound with no suggestion as to where each instrument is positioned.

Those stands are great. Is that the ash finish that we discussed? It certainly matches beautifully.

Thanks. After discussing it with James at Audio Chic, I went with the cherry that I had originally thought of. A very helpful guy.

Very nice stands. Are the speakers mounted to the stands or just sitting on top?

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Thank you. They are just sitting on the top, though Audio Chic have supplied eight little self-adhesive silicone pads. I’ve yet to get round to them.

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Thanks, I thought it looked a little dark for any ash. It certainly goes well. I’d get the silicone pads in place. You don’t want the speakers just sitting on a flat base, as nothing is ever entirely flat.

Sorry Pete1 I agree with Clive

I’ve been to live performances and closed my eyes

Pin point accuracy for instruments is certainly there let me tell you

Having said that many albums are so poorly recorded it gets lost

But I don’t dwell on it but it’s nice when you hear it in the home

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I probably should have said when I posted the pic, the Audio Chic stands are 70cm tall, and in cherry. Loads of heights are available and other woods. In my case the top plate is shaped to match the 30cm tall ATC SCM7. This helps give them the right look :slight_smile:

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Thanks but can you ever just let a man have his pleasure Nigel?!

They currently make some excruciating high end speakers. I suspect they don’t get a look in because they’re Sony.