Upgrades to the System

The blog has been on a bit of a vacation for a while now. There have been a few reasons for this. Part of the reason was my own procrastination and time. Then there was my working on a masters program for my job, family issues, and the the realities of the amount of time eaten up by my job in the new world of remote learning for my students. 

The other issue that started to get in my way of the growing desire and addiction that comes with building a new system. 

 I've always been known to be a bit of an opinionated person, and at times possibly snobbish about certain things in life. The opinionated is obvious, as I have been reviewing movies and music for 20+ years now, and even started my own fanzine because I thought my opinion mattered and people actually gave a toss about it. 

As for the snobbish side, that has always come down to music and movie preference, BBQ and popcorn. Now, I disagree about my snobbishness about music. People accuse me of this, but the only people I give a hard time about with their musical choices are those people who would understand the fun ribbing, and I welcome people giving me crap about mine. But, I rarely am serious when I give people a hard time about music. But, if you ask my opinion about something, I will tell you what I think and I will not sugarcoat it. 

Oddly enough, one area I have never been snobbish about is the sound quality of my music system. Now, this is not to say I have always accepted a terribly sound, but I have never gone for the audiophile mindset. I have also always questioned the veracity of the audiophile. Could there REALLY be such a huge difference between the nice sounding system (garbage according to audiophiles) I was using, and the insanely expensive systems these other people were using? How on earth could there really be such a large difference in sound?

So, as I have been moving on with my life I have decided to go ahead and start building a better system and find out for myself. I started with just a turntable I was given for free, a pre-amp, an old 90s Pioneer component receiver, and the Pioneer speakers from that same system. All of this garbage, according to the audiophiles. I read comments such as "I wouldn't take that stuff from a rummage sale if they paid ME to take it." I was also turned down from the few places I tried trading my equipment in to. There must be something to all of this! 

The first step was getting hold of a better receiver. So, my wife's aunt was getting rid of her old Pioneer SX-535. Maybe not top of the line, but from an era where the focus was on turntables and not 5.1 surround sound for your movies (as was pointed out to be recently). While the sound wasn't as loud, it did have a better sound. There was more clarity and it had a warmer sound.

Next was the turntable. I grabbed the Audio Technica LP120, the black version. Maybe not the top of the line, but one that gets a ton of respect and is an obvious "HEY! I'm going to start caring about what I am playing my records on!!!" statement. Even with this table, however, there are improvements to be made. I will get to those later.

I eventually upgraded the speakers to a set of ADS L780 speakers. I did my research on those, and had decided I was going to go the ADS route. I liked everything I read about them, and those had good word of mouth and would work well with my system. Plus, the guy I bought them from gave me a deal that I was super happy with, and ADS are his favorite speakers. Plus, he topped it off with the deal that once I am ready to upgrade again, he will buy them back at the price he sold them to me for. This fact would eventually become a moot point.

With those speakers I started to believe there was a difference. The sound was better. How? I think the separation was better, and the clarity was ridiculous. I ran the speakers A-B with the old Pioneer speakers. Flipping back and firth between the two. Acoustic guitars jumped out in the mix that were buried by the electrics on certain recordings, vocals were more forward, snare drums had more "crack" to them.

While enjoying my new speakers, I was suddenly facing the next step in the process, as the tone arm/stylus went flying across a brand new record as the needle blew out. Yes, suddenly I was faced with the fact that now I would have to buy a new needle/stylus/cartridge. It was time to do a bunch of research. 

Ortofon is the name you you hear and read the most. It seems that is where everybody goes right away. But, I decided to do a little more research and find the cartridge that would benefit my system the best. The more I read, the more I learned that high quality cartridges are NOT recommended for every system, and in some cases it could go against the system you have running. So, pairing up the proper cartridge is a crucial move. 

I eventually decided to go with the Audio-Technica VM540ML. It got amazing reviews and in many cases was considered superior to the Ortofon of equal price, and often times compared to be more in competition with the higher priced Ortofon. As I researched, I found many cases where there are many choices for the consumer. As with many things, there is no clear cut "best" product. There is a sea of worthy options. Research what people are saying each one excels in, and pair it with what type of music you like to listen to. The one I got has a reputation for string middle levels, which paired well with the ADS speakers I am running. This became the focus on the system. 

Before I knew it, I was suddenly leaving the shop with a Cary tube amp. How that was happening, I had no idea. My wife wasn't too crazy to see me suddenly walking through the front door with a bunch of glass objects exposed to everything, and then a $3000 price tag also exposed. 

This one, luckily, had issues and had to go back. But, the seed was planted to start trying out new receivers. 

I started where I think most everybody starts, Marantz. You read about them enough, hear about them enough, and they look cool as hell. But, they also cost a ton. 

The owner of one of my main record shops, who also sells equipment and which is where I got my speakers from, is a huge Sansui fan. With a little coaxing from him, I suddenly found myself bringing home a Sansui AU-717. I started to research what I had, and saw that it excels in bringing out a tube-like warmth with amazing mids. Well, this seemed like everything I could want! My system was more or less based around the mids, so let's keep this train rolling!

The 717 did have a few issues. There was a constant crackle, and Sansui's are known for a glue that breaks down and corrodes the inner electronics. Plus, any older piece usually needs new capacitors. Work was needed, but I could tell that I liked the unit. I had a vacation coming up, so I brought the unit back to the shop for a complete reworking of the insides, and when I got back into town I would give it another run through and see if it was going to be a keeper. But, before I dropped it off, I did do a quick "back to back" with my Pioneer receiver to see how much better it was. The Sansui was obviously louder, but it also carried a better soundstage and gave a better separation to the instruments. Everything was clearer and better spaced out(?). I knew there that I was definitely interested in the piece.

As I left out of town I decided it was also time to take care of another issue. The Audio-Technica LP-120 turntable has a pre-amp in the unit. While this is a nice feature for the person who just wants to hear the music on an affordable budget, it has never been used in my system. Quick research in the beginning told me to turn off the pre-amp and use a separate pre-amp (which I did at first) or buy a proper receiver or amp. Further research also told me that the pre-amp, even turned off on the turntable, gets in the way of sound quality. Many people have taken the time to by-pass the pre-amp, or even remove it from the unit. I asked my daughter's boyfriend (an electrical engineer), if he could by-pass the pre-amp while I was gone. He agreed to the task.

By the time I got back I had the turntable bypass done, the Sansui re-capped and cleaned up, and I had also taken my ADS speakers in for a work over as there was an oddity happening. Now the system was ready to rock!!!

I brought everything home and got ready to go. Threw it all together, and I can honestly say, some of the music I played sounded amazing. The whole "audiophile" mentality started to make sense. Some of what I played had never sounded better. Eloy's "Dawn" album had a clarity that was just amazing. Some albums were brilliant. I decided I wanted the Sansui. So, I went back to pay. When there a deal was struck. Not only did I leave with the Sansui AU-717, but for the cost of one of my guitars, the shop owner also threw in the matching tuner, the TU-717.

So, I was done! Right? 

Well . . . not quite. 

As I said, some of the music I played sounded mind-blowing. But, there was a slight problem. Some of what I played lacked a decent bottom end. Remember, the system was built all around perfect mids. Also, as I bought the amp, I also picked up a couple used Eloy albums that had been dropped off, one of which was their "Power and the Passion" album, and the bass on that thing almost killed the speakers.

I knew I wasn't finished. I had one more step for the time being. I needed a speaker to handle the bass. But, I didn't want to lose the clarity of the mids and highs that I had going on here. There was only one possibly solution. 

The ADS L-780 speakers I am running have a couple of "brother" ("sister"?) speakers. The L-710 and the L-810 speakers. The 710s are considered pretty much a perfect speaker, totally well rounded. The 810 is extremely similar, but many people complain that the speaker has too much low end. Too much bass. 

Considering my issue was coming down to a lack of bass, I became fairly interested in the 810. Plus, my shop-owner (Bill, his name is Bill, by the way) considered the 810 his favorite speaker. From everything I was reading and hearing about them, they became the ones I was after. 

After a short hunt, I found them for a pretty good price, and then proceeded to make an offer $100 less than they were on sale for. The seller took the money, and I got the speakers a week later. 

I hooked them up, and I prepared to be blown away by the amazing sound that was going to come through my speakers and change my music listening life forever!

What came out of my speakers was . . . well . . . fairly underwhelming. It sounded . . . O.K.? But, yeah, it was ALL bass. I had very weak mids, and almost no highs. High-hats were absent, acoustic guitars vanished. nothing was there if it was mid to higher range. 

I started researching. Everything I read spoke about how clear the highs and mids were. How beautiful everything sounded with the 810s. Even people who complained about the low bass even commented on how great the mids and highs were, just the bass was bothersome. 

I kept researching. I started to fear that the tweeters were blown out. Ugh, having to spend the money now on new tweeters!?! My wife would kill me!!!

Then, as I kept researching, I found an article that mentioned the fuses in the back of the speaker. The fuses I had seen when trying to figure this stuff out. The fuses that control the tweeters. The fuses that ADS was kind enough to give you spares of in the speakers. Yes, I had four fuses in my speakers, and they required two. Two of what I saw were spares. 

When I got home I ran to my system. I spun the speakers around, pulled the old fuses, threw in the spares, pulled out Back in Black put it on at an extremely quiet volume. I lined up "Shoot to Thrill," (a song that I was severely bummed out by with the 810 speakers, and one of my all-time favorite recordings for every reason under the sun) and lowered the needle. 

Very quietly I could almost hear it was all there! I then spun the volume up loud. Yes, it was ALL there!!! The mids were right there, in your face. The highs were crisp and bright, but not painful, and the bass was full and thudding, brining everything back down to Earth. 

The clarity was astonishing. The separation was amazing, the soundstage made you feel like you were sitting right there in the room. Vocals are right there in the room with you. I could almost stand up and shake hands with Brian Johnson. 

I went from album to album after that. No doubt, some albums sounded better than others (Leftovertures by Kansas is amazing), while others are just sort of "ho-hum." Basically, if a band really put the effort into a recording, you can tell. It is there. There care and money come pouring through your speakers. If a band just recorded and didn't put a lot of effort into the listening experience, other than writing a cool song, then it shows. Sometimes it shows more than others, with some recordings being almost painful to listen to. Case in point, the Dead Boys release "Younger, Louder and Snottyer." This is the "raw" mix of their debut album. The debut has always been accused of being too polished and not a good representation of the band. I had always loved both albums, but also agreed the more raw release was the better. 

With the current system, however, the sound is almost painful. To my ears it sounds like a poorly duped cassette version of the original recording (which, in a way, is what this is). By the time I got to the end of the album, I was extremely thankful to be through it all. I shelved the album with the thought of revisiting it once I get the EQ that matches the system, hoping that will tame the beast a bit. But, having very little desire to re-visit it any time soon. I started to understand those people who tear an album apart because of the poor recording and mastering (with the exception of the guy on Prog Archives who keeps tearing into Deluge Grander and their albums, as they actually sound fantastic on this system).

So, is my system finished? For the foreseeable future, yes. I do know that my turntable is not the best, and that can be improved. But, I am in no rush. As mentioned, there is an EQ that goes with this system, and a matching cassette deck. I do want those, just for completing, but I am not in a rush. In the next few years I will have this thing exactly where I want it to be. I did keep the ADS L-780 speakers, and I have no intention on trading them in, as they are perfect for some things and REALLY are amazing when running alongside the L-810s.

I should also stress, aside from my turntable and cartridge, the newest piece of equipment I am running is from 1978. My goal when building this system was to remain vintage. I like vintage. It was also mentioned to me that (as said above) when all of these pieces were being manufactured, they were being made with the intent of powering music. Not movies, not your phone, just music, and specifically, music coming from a turntable. This was also a time when things were built to last. The AU and Tu-717 units I am running look brand new. Every 717 I have seen has cleaned up to looking brand new. The speakers also look fantastic. It all also weights just under a ton. The Sansui is solid metal, while the speakers are not particle board or anything of the sort. They seem to be oak, or some other solid wood.

Do you need vintage? I believe this is a personal preference. There are a lot people who believe modern speakers are worlds better than the vintage. From everything I have read, if you spend $300 on vintage, and $300 on modern, the modern will be the better deal. If you start spending higher than that, the vintage speakers you will be getting will be of a higher quality and more of the audiophile realm. I do firmly believe that my ADS L-810 speakers will outlive a modern speaker, just due to the quality of the pieces inside. As I said, my ADS are solid wood and high quality parts. Most modern speakers are maid out of plastic casings. If you have ever tried to move a 20-30 year old TV, you know what happens to old plastic that has been exposed to the sun at all. It will usually shatter like glass.

In the end, I do understand the audiophile mentality. There is a definite, undeniable difference in a low-priced "just threw it together" system and one that has taken time and thought. The pieces I have in my system I paid a decent amount of money for, but that is also due to my not wanting to wait to stumble onto the pieces at a garage sale, but it does happen. I recently hit a sale and found an old Sansui receiver and paid $5 for it. It is much less the piece than the AU-717, but it is a great piece and proves that you can find them out there. I am still a little confused how a speaker can actually be worth $150,000 (they are out there), but I am not foolish enough to say "you can't hear the difference," as I am now sure that you can. But, is it worth that much to you? If your budget allows it, then who knows?

If you are considering building a new system, but are hesitant and wondering if it will make that much of a difference, I say "yes, go for it, you will be happy you did it!" What the correct order is in replacing pieces, I have no idea. Mine was dictated by chance and situation. I think you will notice the biggest difference with the speakers and the receiver/amp. I feel the cartridge will only really "shine" once the other aspects have been found. It is the final "tweak." I say that because I did not have the same "Holy shit!" moment with that as I did with the others. 

So, now, let's get back to checking out some tunes!!!