General Asylum: I agree that giant-killer systems can be constructed at different price points. (long) by whiteowl General audio topics that don't fit into specific categories.

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Posted by whiteowl (A ) on August 14, 2003 at 20:00:59

In Reply to: Re: Makes sense to me. posted by Don T on August 14, 2003 at 17:52:47:

In fact, before I began this search for a new CD-based bedroom system (necessitated by space issues;my main rig is vinyl-based) I figured that the best way to approach the task was to choose a budget figure first (I choose $3-4K) and try to find the best value components that could fit within that budget. My first thought was that the Totem Ones had impressed me very much every time I had heard them and they might be a good choice to start with. Not having the funds to buy them right away I decided to get something to tide me over, and after significant research I decided to give the Ascends a try. They impressed me very much, but they didn't go down low enough for me. I bought a Sound Dynamics sub and that was good enough for a while. Because the Ascends were so neutral and smooth above 100 Hz. it occured to me that if I could find a subwoofer that was effective up to 100 Hz. (and was inexpensive) I could use two of them to create a very good nearly full-range speaker. I thought it would be best, for my purposes, to look at 8"-driver units. I initially tried a Yamaha that someone suggested at audiocircle.com, but that was awful. I then tried one of the Energy subs and that turned out to be a super match, good enough that I was confident that this was the speaker system I needed, and the cost was only $880 (much less that the Totems would have been). At that point I started thinking that I could do very well on a reduced budget. The ART DI/O looked promising, so I got one and was very pleased with it. At this point I was still using a Classe CAP-150 that I had bought used some time ago, but now it was somehow out of place using something that expensive in this system. I felt the urge to find a giant-killer integrated amp. Fortuitously, Todd Kreiger starting posting about the Samson Servo 260, which most people didn't seem to pick up on. This seemed to be perfect for me, particularly since Todd said he had discovered it in a system that also used an ART DI/O. It only cost $195, so I took a flyer on it. It took a looong time to break in, but after that I started to think that my search might be done. The last piece of the puzzle came when I saw Merle's post about the Sony DVD/CD player. I thought that even if it wasn't as good as the ART DI/O, at the price it would make a good back-up unit for when my transport dies. I added the Sony to the system, and after a sufficient break-in I would have to say I was floored. The improvement from the ART DI/O was not subtle. Everything happened to coallesce; I was just lucky. I don't have much in the way of tweaks, and the speakers can only be used in one location (due to space limitations). After everything settles and I get a good handle on what I've got I'm thinking about demonstrating this system at the S.F.-area audio society (whatever it is called). I think that would be the acid test that I'm not somehow deluding myself. In the meantime, I'm going to lay back and enjoy the finest music I've ever had in my house. I wish you well.

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