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Post by lurch on Nov 26, 2022 17:15:47 GMT
They're not particularly good, also stay away from QED XT and silver anniversary unless you'd enjoy listening to a flock of demented chickens. If you want Audio Quest then as a minimum look at Rocket 11. However as I said earlier grab some 4mm² VD hifi series it really is a very good budget cable, excellent SQ for the price, but stay away from the VD Blue or Black as that to my ears produces a pretty muddy sound. If you really want a named brand cable then I've always had good results with Chord, plenty of used Silverscreen, Carnival, Clearway & Odyssey on fleabay.
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,398
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Post by Bigman80 on Nov 26, 2022 17:25:08 GMT
I've just found some Audioquest F18 cables going cheap any good ? as I can't find any info What's your budget? |
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Post by dwaindibly on Nov 26, 2022 18:07:50 GMT
My budget is best quality for as cheap as possible!!! Not bothered about brand I'm not sure if I want 14 or 12 gauge tho is thicker better? I Only need about 6m
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Post by jandl100 on Nov 26, 2022 18:37:06 GMT
My budget is best quality for as cheap as possible!!! That's a bit over optimistic. What I think you really want is decent low cost cable. You can pay £thousands for what some folks think is "best quality" . I guess you don't want to do that. The Van Damme as recommended previously is decent. There are not a few cables which are not decent and would significantly hold your system back. Having tried many speaker cables, some (embarrassingly) exceeding £1k, my own recommendation for a cable that would never need upgrading is Van den Hul CS122. But even 2nd hand that will set you back quite a few tens of £. To get you off to a good start, just follow John's (lurch) advice above with the Van Damme Hifi Series cable. |
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Post by dwaindibly on Nov 26, 2022 20:18:39 GMT
I'll take all your advice thank you😁 I've found some of the van dam (loving the name lol ) for £5 per metre for the 4mm
And some Nakamichi angled plugs for £10 so I'll tip up the sofa and collect some more coin till I have enough. shame I can't post any before and after pics as the room is bear at the mo while I re decorate and collect stuff to put in it
Many thanks to all I'll keep you posted 👍
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Post by dwaindibly on Nov 26, 2022 20:48:10 GMT
How do I post a picture?
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Post by dwaindibly on Nov 26, 2022 21:11:49 GMT
Done it !! as you can see it's a bit small  |
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Post by lurch on Nov 26, 2022 21:16:45 GMT
Use a hosting site and copy the BBcode so you end up ![]() the photo url[/img] Or put the brackets + img both ends as above then paste the photo url in between. |
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Post by dwaindibly on Nov 26, 2022 21:19:27 GMT
I've used Tapatalk
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Post by jandl100 on Nov 26, 2022 21:45:40 GMT
Done it !! as you can see it's a bit small Now that's an interesting listening space! 9.4ft wide. Which way round did you intend to arrange the system? I'd be tempted to put the speakers up against the far end wall, so they would be pointing toward the camera. It's a bit asymmetric right to left, but probably / possibly not too much so. I think that could work quite well. I think it might feel a bit cramped firing across the space, left to right in the photo. |
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Post by dwaindibly on Nov 26, 2022 22:22:45 GMT
One last question then I will leave you all in peace for a bit
I've decided the carpet has to go as it's a bit smelly and it's a horrible shade of 80s green ☹️ I'm going all Scandinavian with bare varnished chipboard floor with some rugs what's the best combination of slab etc to put my stands on the bare wood is the cork coaster method still good ?
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Post by brian2957 on Nov 26, 2022 22:23:45 GMT
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Post by dwaindibly on Nov 26, 2022 22:25:17 GMT
Done it !! as you can see it's a bit small Now that's an interesting listening space! 9.4ft wide. Which way round did you intend to arrange the system? I'd be tempted to put the speakers up against the far end wall, so they would be pointing toward the camera. It's a bit asymmetric right to left, but probably / possibly not too much so. I think that could work quite well. I think it might feel a bit cramped firing across the space, left to right in the photo. Yup you are correct I'm putting my set up at the end wall facing the camera definitely challenging hence all my questions about speaker position etc |
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Post by lurch on Nov 26, 2022 23:19:36 GMT
Cork coaster will still work or you could use felt pads (poundland or eBay) leave the spikes on the stands then use either the small spikes provided on the top plate or if no top spikes then felt pads or small pieces of Blutak. If you going bare varnished floor then use the largest rug you can otherwise you will get a lot of reflections and a rather forward sound. Other soft stuff in the room will also help dampen things down so the likes of cushions and beanbags will help even if dotted around the floor near the walls.
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Post by antonio on Nov 27, 2022 8:37:53 GMT
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Post by jandl100 on Nov 27, 2022 9:10:15 GMT
Wow, VdH Cs122 at a great price. That would be my choice. |
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Post by macca on Nov 27, 2022 9:44:13 GMT
I knocked up a quick diagram (on the back of an envelope ofc) of how I would lay out that room:  get three bookcases, the one on the back wall should be as tall as possible, the others should reach up to where the side walls begin to slope. Fill them with books. This will give you a combination of absorption and diffusion to the rear and sides. Set equipment up on one of them, doesn't matter which. Speakers can back right onto the rear bookshelf. Deploy rug as shown - use the thickest rug you can find. Do not use one of those rugs that are fashionable today but which looks like a 1970s bath mat, because they look horrible. At listening end the area I have shaded needs to be filled with absorption. Thick curtain pinned to the wall. Or splash out on some acoustic tiles www.studiospares.com/acoustics/acoustic-tiles.htmListening chair should ideally be a couch, heavily padded. For speaker siting I would go with cork tile, slab on top, speaker stand blu-takked to slab, speaker blu takked to top of stand. By all means try spikes, you might prefer, I don't like them personally. The most important thing is to get the speaker at the right height. The acoustic centre of the speaker should be level with your ears when seated. Check the manual to see where the acoustic centre is for your speaker (usually between the tweeter and woofer but sometimes not). If sound is too bright/ has glare you may need some acoustic tiles on the sloping areas of the side walls too. Don't worry about making the room too dead, that will be pretty much impossible. Do not worry about speaker cable, there's some weird ones out there (e.g Chord), the one you linked to on eBay will be fine. Expensive speaker cable does not improve the sound and it does not make any difference how much it costs except to your bank balance. Spend the money on those bookshelves which won't need to cost more than £20 each. Plenty of s/h furniture available these days for next to nothing. Or free on freecycle etc. Books can be had for nothing too if you don't have any already. Make sure listening position is a couple of feet from rear wall, don't jam your chair right up against it. |
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Post by jandl100 on Nov 27, 2022 10:23:07 GMT
^ That looks like good advice.
Except I'd buy the VdH CS122 speaker cables for £45. Money well spent imo.
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Post by macca on Nov 27, 2022 12:13:48 GMT
^ That looks like good advice. Except I'd buy the VdH CS122 speaker cables for £45. Money well spent imo. For that price yeah why not? |
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Post by dwaindibly on Nov 27, 2022 17:38:09 GMT
Nice one macca!!! 😜👍 that's more or less like the picture in my head !!! I'm going for bookshelves at the back tho and do I really need anything behind the couch? as the room is 18ft long so I'll be a good distance away. I've been pricing up the hexagonal panels off Amazon to add later and scouring the ads for cheap/free rugs and furniture I've got enough to start off with for now but I can keep adding as I go along
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Post by macca on Nov 27, 2022 17:46:42 GMT
you are going to have a right cosy little space there  Bit of sensible treatment and it will sound better than fancy systems that are just plonked down in a contemporary living room with their bare floors and walls and a bit of brutalist Scandi furniture. |
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Post by robbiegong on Nov 27, 2022 18:30:40 GMT
you are going to have a right cosy little space there Bit of sensible treatment and it will sound better than fancy systems that are just plonked down in a contemporary living room with their bare floors and walls and a bit of brutalist Scandi furniture. Ay!, steady on cocka! I almost resemble that remark  |
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Post by dwaindibly on Nov 27, 2022 18:35:00 GMT
I have to be careful with the books and furniture due to the weight as it's not a suspended floor!!! I don't want to go through the ceiling 🤣 so I'm going for the tiles and make a design feature out of them in the apex roof bit when I get the cash. I think I can make a good guess where they should be placed but I'll see how it all sounds first then Start fine tuning
And with the knowledge advice and experience from you guys I should have a good little set up who needs to spend big money so far it's cost me 160 quid Inc my amp
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Post by dwaindibly on Nov 27, 2022 21:38:46 GMT
Found some old newspapers stuffed in for draft proofing while working in the loft today hifi was just as expensive in 1983 tomorrows hifi today !!!  |
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Post by lurch on Nov 27, 2022 22:02:14 GMT
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Post by Pigmy Pony on Nov 28, 2022 7:49:52 GMT
I have to be careful with the books and furniture due to the weight as it's not a suspended floor!!! I don't want to go through the ceiling 🤣 so I'm going for the tiles and make a design feature out of them in the apex roof bit when I get the cash. I think I can make a good guess where they should be placed but I'll see how it all sounds first then Start fine tuning And with the knowledge advice and experience from you guys I should have a good little set up who needs to spend big money so far it's cost me 160 quid Inc my amp Ah you say that now, but just you wait |
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Post by dwaindibly on Nov 28, 2022 12:37:28 GMT
Lol you may well be right there !!! 😲
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Post by hifinutt on Nov 28, 2022 19:02:27 GMT
One last question then I will leave you all in peace for a bit I've decided the carpet has to go as it's a bit smelly and it's a horrible shade of 80s green ☹️ I'm going all Scandinavian with bare varnished chipboard floor with some rugs what's the best combination of slab etc to put my stands on the bare wood is the cork coaster method still good ? shame you dont live near brum ... i am somewhat overwhelmed with carpet offcuts and its quality stuff !!! |
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Post by rexton on Nov 28, 2022 20:37:02 GMT
Done it !! as you can see it's a bit small Small but perfectly formed, I could have some real fun setting a system up in that room. |
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Post by dwaindibly on Nov 30, 2022 20:12:02 GMT
Done!! Just need to tweek it and get some more bits n bobs 😜 bass is better near the wall It sounds a bit bright tho but I'll get some tiles and I think mission speakers can be a bit bright. speakers are shooting straight down the room 7ft apart I'm sat 7ft away it sounds ok for now  |
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Bit of sensible treatment and it will sound better than fancy systems that are just plonked down in a contemporary living room with their bare floors and walls and a bit of brutalist Scandi furniture.
