I recently bought a pair of Triton 7s (huge upgrade from a pair of Klipsch bookshelfs!), which are being powered by a Harmon Kardon 3490 and Pro-Ject turntable. So just a 2-channel system. I listen to mostly alternative, folk, latin, electronic and jazz.

The Tritons sound amazing, but, like audiophile fever, the desire to upgrade everything else spreads quickly. I’ll try as best to explain what I’m hearing, or not.

Generally speaking, I don’t think there’s enough sound clarity. Some soft recordings just have too much hiss. You hear it most with classical music. Is this more the amplifier or the turntable? What amplifier would pair well with the Tritons? Budget is about $750, new or used.

There’s not enough bass range. It’s not that I’m looking for punchy bass, or to reproduce something that isn’t there, I’m simply looking for a fuller sound where the recording will offer it. Is there a subwoofer that anyone would recommend as an ideal pairing? Should I be looking at woofer size or frequency range, or both?

Finally, some recordings sound much livelier and open than others. I understand this has to do with the way the record is mastered. Will better equipment will improve that? Or is the gap between the lesser and better vinyl always going to be more or less the same, if that makes sense?

Thanks in advance

WOW, Isoarch, there is a lot to take in here.
Congrats on getting the Triton 7s.
If you are not getting a clear enough sound, then I agree you need to upgrade your associated equipment. Because the T7s are amazingly clear and open, awesome in my system.
Make sure your front end, whatever you are playing records or CDs on is of good quality, as that is where the signal comes from, it can never be better than it starts out being (the following components in your system can only carry that signal well or degrade it as it goes through your system).
Then make sure your Harmon Kardon is set up properly, it really should sound pretty well. It is a place you can upgrade, but maybe not the most important place to start.
IF you are having noise, then maybe something is wrong with your receiver. UNLESS you are talking about playing records, in which case, I doubt anybody can help you, they are just noisy, SORRY. Is your background noisy when you play a CD or music file?
Yes, records vary greatly in how well they were recorded, AND in their condition.
As to bass, well the T7s are great sounding and can play full range, but are not bass head speakers. A ForceField 5 added with them will do wonders for your sound system, and make things REALLY rock. That is what I would recommend as a good place to start your upgrades, add a good subwoofer, then work on your front end, sources, then amp (or receiver).
I hope this helps, enjoy the challenge of building the best sounding system you can for your ears, and on your budget.
Happy Listening,
God Bless,
Wayne

isoarch,

A couple of thoughts:

PS Audio Sprout
NAD D3020
Maranta PM8004 (refurbished for $750)

As for the sub, check out one of the ForceField subs at your GET dealer first. Price range is $500 to $1,000 depending on model and they will likely be easier to integrate than anothe brand. You could certainly check out other brands but I'd recommend a sealed design.

Let us know what you decide and how it sounds. Congrats on the purchase and welcome to the forum!

Cheers,

T Cobe

isoarch wrote: I recently bought a pair of Triton 7s (huge upgrade from a pair of Klipsch bookshelfs!), which are being powered by a Harmon Kardon 3490 and Pro-Ject turntable. So just a 2-channel system. I listen to mostly alternative, folk, latin, electronic and jazz.

The Tritons sound amazing, but, like audiophile fever, the desire to upgrade everything else spreads quickly. I’ll try as best to explain what I’m hearing, or not.

Generally speaking, I don’t think there’s enough sound clarity. Some soft recordings just have too much hiss. You hear it most with classical music. Is this more the amplifier or the turntable? What amplifier would pair well with the Tritons? Budget is about $750, new or used.

There’s not enough bass range. It’s not that I’m looking for punchy bass, or to reproduce something that isn’t there, I’m simply looking for a fuller sound where the recording will offer it. Is there a subwoofer that anyone would recommend as an ideal pairing? Should I be looking at woofer size or frequency range, or both?

Finally, some recordings sound much livelier and open than others. I understand this has to do with the way the record is mastered. Will better equipment will improve that? Or is the gap between the lesser and better vinyl always going to be more or less the same, if that makes sense?

Thanks in advance

Welcome to the revealing world of Golden Ear Audio. Here's my suggestion for upgrading your LPs.

Regarding hiss: You are now hearing things you might never have previously heard - revealed by the Triton Sevens. All of the Triton speakers have excellent high-end clarity. If you are listening exclusively to LPs, then you will probably hear more imperfections as you plow through your favorites.

But, don't throw those LPs away. instead, invest in some software which will assist you in "cleaning up" your LPs and then convert them to CDs. I use software called "Wave Corrector" and a device called InPort to record LPs into my computer. Then I use Wave Corrector to remove Pops, Hiss, Ticks, etc. from the music. Then, I use a CD Burner program to burn the corrected audio files to CDs. You would be amazed at the difference in sound. Somehow, the process of converting the LPs to CDs brings out additional detail and brings the music to life - not just a little difference, but very noticeable improvement. I have music I have transferred from 50+ year old LPs to CDs which, if you heard my finished CDs, you would think that they were commercially produced CDs. Wave Corrector and InPort are not expensive, so check them out.

Regarding bass, the Triton Sevens are very good at smooth bass, but they are passive. A good sub-woofer is needed for more deep bass punch. You can check out the subs offered by Golden Ear. But, I'll warn you - placing a single sub can be a challenge. Two subs are better than one. But, for the price of two Subs, you could also consider a pair of Triton Threes to augment your system.

I started with Golden Ear Supersat 3Cs, then added a pair of Triton Sevens (I already had a large active Paradigm subwoofer), and finally just bit the bullet and added a pair of Triton Ones. My system use is primarily music (classical, jazz, folk, and standards from the 1920s to the 1950s). All of my Golden Ear speakers are in use in my setup. The Triton Ones are Fronts, the Sevens serve as "Rear Fronts" and the Supersats are Center dialogue speakers for movies.

If you aren't currently CD equipped, I recommend you purchase a decent CD player, then get into the LP-CD conversion business and see where you are before throwing out any of your present gear. If you're going to add more bass, please consider the active Tritons before buying subs. The integrated sounds offered by the active Tritons are better in my opinion than trying to place separate subs.

Happy listening.

Art