So listen to new speakers it is then .I called Mod N Sound and they had a pair of Paradigm Esprit speakers that fitted my budget just right. "Bring your CD's and come early" was the advice from Andre.
So I rock up at Mod 'n Sound with Tracy Chapman's Crossroads, Phil Collins' But Seriously, Byran Adams' Unplugged and Santana's Black Magic Woman in hand. I waited for ten minutes and then get seated in the listening room. Andre got the speakers, showed me how to work the cd-player and left. WOW, they actually trusted that I wouldn't break any of their nice shiny equipment..
The amplifier is a Marantz , the cd player is a Harmon Kardon and Tracy Chapman's "I am sorry" was the track of choice. First impression of the Esprit , the sound is much clearer and cleaner, but where did the bass go. Perhaps I have gotten accustomed to the Sony's being a bit boomy (and having a Pioneer 12" in the boot of my car doesn't help matters). Listened to the song again, yip, it does sound much better and I am hearing instruments that I haven't heard before. And so I went through the rest of the CD's. The sound seemed more realistic but still lacking bass. Santana sounded awful , the CD was recorded badly. It was all going well, and then I asked salesman if I could listen to the Paradigm Reference speakers that were already in the listening room....
I wasn't blown away, but they did sound cleaner and clearer than the Esprit's, and some of the instruments that were dull with the Esprit's became brighter. (LOL, I wonder if I am using the right terms with regards to how they sound). Personally, I didn't feel that they justified the R12 500 more I would need to pay to buy them. I then ask the salesperson if there are speakers that are a bit more expensive than the Esprit's , as I don't want to make the mistake that I made when buying my initial setup. And he plays the Paradigm Monitor 7's. Now these I like, they sound clean and punchy and are not all that expensive. Nice
So in order to make my decision simpler by listening, I actually end up leaving the store more confused, and asking myself the following questions
1. Am I listening to the correct CD's ? the CD choice was music that I normally listen to
2. Have I got my criteria right in terms of what I want to hear when listening ? This question sounds weird
3. Seeing that the kit was good, the room is designed for sound, the speakers are placed optimally and I wasn't really blown away by the sound, should I even upgrade?
4. Is my concept of bass all wrong?
5. How do you "remember" what you have heard, so you use that information at your next audition?
So I go home , turn down the bass on my amp and turn up the treble.. It sounds better, but still not as clear...
I am hoping to visit Audio Excellence this weekend..
And a REALLLY BEEEEG thank you to the team at Mod 'n Sound. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, you guys were unbelievably accommodating. I felt really bad for not buying anything when I left.
So I rock up at Mod 'n Sound with Tracy Chapman's Crossroads, Phil Collins' But Seriously, Byran Adams' Unplugged and Santana's Black Magic Woman in hand. I waited for ten minutes and then get seated in the listening room. Andre got the speakers, showed me how to work the cd-player and left. WOW, they actually trusted that I wouldn't break any of their nice shiny equipment..
The amplifier is a Marantz , the cd player is a Harmon Kardon and Tracy Chapman's "I am sorry" was the track of choice. First impression of the Esprit , the sound is much clearer and cleaner, but where did the bass go. Perhaps I have gotten accustomed to the Sony's being a bit boomy (and having a Pioneer 12" in the boot of my car doesn't help matters). Listened to the song again, yip, it does sound much better and I am hearing instruments that I haven't heard before. And so I went through the rest of the CD's. The sound seemed more realistic but still lacking bass. Santana sounded awful , the CD was recorded badly. It was all going well, and then I asked salesman if I could listen to the Paradigm Reference speakers that were already in the listening room....
I wasn't blown away, but they did sound cleaner and clearer than the Esprit's, and some of the instruments that were dull with the Esprit's became brighter. (LOL, I wonder if I am using the right terms with regards to how they sound). Personally, I didn't feel that they justified the R12 500 more I would need to pay to buy them. I then ask the salesperson if there are speakers that are a bit more expensive than the Esprit's , as I don't want to make the mistake that I made when buying my initial setup. And he plays the Paradigm Monitor 7's. Now these I like, they sound clean and punchy and are not all that expensive. Nice
So in order to make my decision simpler by listening, I actually end up leaving the store more confused, and asking myself the following questions
1. Am I listening to the correct CD's ? the CD choice was music that I normally listen to
2. Have I got my criteria right in terms of what I want to hear when listening ? This question sounds weird
3. Seeing that the kit was good, the room is designed for sound, the speakers are placed optimally and I wasn't really blown away by the sound, should I even upgrade?
4. Is my concept of bass all wrong?
5. How do you "remember" what you have heard, so you use that information at your next audition?
So I go home , turn down the bass on my amp and turn up the treble.. It sounds better, but still not as clear...
I am hoping to visit Audio Excellence this weekend..
And a REALLLY BEEEEG thank you to the team at Mod 'n Sound. I thoroughly enjoyed my time there, you guys were unbelievably accommodating. I felt really bad for not buying anything when I left.
