Anthem,

I'll give it a whirl:

Emotiva ERC-3 CD Player (balanced, differential)- Red Dawn XLR $459, Heimdall 2 Power Cable $504
Emotiva XSP-1 balanced and differential analog pre-amp- Red Dawn XLR $459, Heimdall 2 Power Cable $504
Emotiva XPA-1L (2) monoblock balanced differential amplifiers- Red Dawn Power Cables $292, Belden 5T00UP 10 gauge speaker cables $25

Future upgrades will include speaker cables and power cords on the T1s. I'm debating between Blue Heaven and Red Dawn power cables for the Tritons. The Blue Heaven power Cords are around $200. So far, everything is in 1 meter lengths besides the speaker cables that are about 2.5 meters. I'm debating between the Red Dawn versus Heimdall 2 speaker cables. The Red Dawn would be around $1,000 and the Heimdall 2 would be around $1,800. I'm also considering upgrading my balanced connections to Heimdall 2 which would run about $800 each and them moving my Red Dawn XLRs to my HT setup on my AVM-60.

Normally, I would never recommend someone spend this much money on their cables, particularly with the total cost of the rest of my gear; however, I consider the cables a long term investment and if I upgrade my other gear, I should be able to use the cables. The problem is that I've auditioned McIntosh and Bryston systems that are probably both around the $15,000 price point for the pre-amp and two monoblock amps and I don't feel they are that much better than the Emotiva gear. Better, yes, but $15k better?!

The McIntosh is the only gear that comes close to the same functionality that I would need for my setup and the performance gap there is more narrow. The Bryston gear seemed significantly more detailed. Of course, that was with a full setup of the cables I'm purchasing now so once I have all the cables in place, the performance gap may be even more narrow. The other brand I am considering is Parasound. Their high end pre-amp and monoblocks look promising. The key is having programmable balanced inputs so that I can run my HT in with XLRs. Most pre-amps only have RCAs and my runs are around 30 feet.

Sorry for the ramblings but I'd be curious to hear your input. You've spent a considerable amount on your gear and cables and have gone through multiple evolutions. Having a good ear and similar taste in music, I value your feedback.

Cheers,

T Cobe

On a musical note, I picked up The Epic yesterday and was surprised it is 3 disks. That's quite a bit of music. I will be on the go today but I'm looking forward to listening later.

Cheers,

T Cobe

T Cobe: Thanks for the breakdown. If you are like me, your Emotiva gear will serve you well, for awhile, but as time goes by you'll grow weary of the sound and eventually upgrade to better quality amps and preamps. The McIntosh, Bryston, or Parasound amps/preamps would surely be long-term "stay in your system" amps/preamps for years to come. I believe you will eventually get there. Time and money will dictate how quickly that occurs. Your system will more than likely look much different, say 10 years from now, if you still have an interest for it. I've talked with numerous people who have lost interest in their systems mainly due to hearing loss, and others who have just lost interest...period. I've always had an interest, starting at about age 10. I think sometimes my wife wishes I would loose interest, and just be 100% happy with what I have, and right now I am. The Mullard tubes and Anti-Cable Reference PC'S are giving me a sound that quite simply "works". But, as you know, and as the days, months, and years go by, the upgrade bug hits. We are always looking for that last 5%. Good luck in your never ending search. Surely, some day, pure contentment will be yours...hopefully sooner than later.

Pit stop home for a bit. Listening to Volume 2, The Glorious Tale. The SQ on this one is good and it definitely sounds better at home than on the road. This is another hot master and I'm listening at about -6.5 from my normal playback level. This one is a bit more controlled than the previous post. The cymbals are fantastic on this one!

Thanks, Anthem. I have also loved music since childhood. Once I get the cables in place for my 2-channel setup, my focus will probably shift back to the home theater for a while. I want to upgrade my cables, add Atmos, and a SSXXL: not necessarily in that order. I'm sure you're correct and my gear will evolve with time. I'm glad I have the Tritons at the foundation. I don't see needing to update them for a long time!

Cheers,

T Cobe

T Cobe wrote: Anthem,

I'll give it a whirl:

Emotiva ERC-3 CD Player (balanced, differential)- Red Dawn XLR $459, Heimdall 2 Power Cable $504
Emotiva XSP-1 balanced and differential analog pre-amp- Red Dawn XLR $459, Heimdall 2 Power Cable $504
Emotiva XPA-1L (2) monoblock balanced differential amplifiers- Red Dawn Power Cables $292, Belden 5T00UP 10 gauge speaker cables $25

Future upgrades will include speaker cables and power cords on the T1s. I'm debating between Blue Heaven and Red Dawn power cables for the Tritons. The Blue Heaven power Cords are around $200. So far, everything is in 1 meter lengths besides the speaker cables that are about 2.5 meters. I'm debating between the Red Dawn versus Heimdall 2 speaker cables. The Red Dawn would be around $1,000 and the Heimdall 2 would be around $1,800. I'm also considering upgrading my balanced connections to Heimdall 2 which would run about $800 each and them moving my Red Dawn XLRs to my HT setup on my AVM-60.

Normally, I would never recommend someone spend this much money on their cables, particularly with the total cost of the rest of my gear; however, I consider the cables a long term investment and if I upgrade my other gear, I should be able to use the cables. The problem is that I've auditioned McIntosh and Bryston systems that are probably both around the $15,000 price point for the pre-amp and two monoblock amps and I don't feel they are that much better than the Emotiva gear. Better, yes, but $15k better?!

The McIntosh is the only gear that comes close to the same functionality that I would need for my setup and the performance gap there is more narrow. The Bryston gear seemed significantly more detailed. Of course, that was with a full setup of the cables I'm purchasing now so once I have all the cables in place, the performance gap may be even more narrow. The other brand I am considering is Parasound. Their high end pre-amp and monoblocks look promising. The key is having programmable balanced inputs so that I can run my HT in with XLRs. Most pre-amps only have RCAs and my runs are around 30 feet.

Sorry for the ramblings but I'd be curious to hear your input. You've spent a considerable amount on your gear and cables and have gone through multiple evolutions. Having a good ear and similar taste in music, I value your feedback.

Cheers,

T Cobe

Good for you, T Cobe!

You have found a power cord/interconnect combo that works for you, and that's what counts. Hearing that extra dynamic, that extra bit of clarity, that brings it all to be so much more real... that's what we all are looking for.

ENJOY!

Rick

Joshua Redman / Joshua Redman (1993) -- Trinkle Tinkle

Great cd...good sounding too.

Rick: Glad to see you finally got up. I hope you are having a Fantastic Sunday.