I've had my speakers (M60,VP150,QS8s) for one week. Last night I sat in the family room with my wife listening to the music channels on Direct TV for a few hours. I can honestly say, I have NEVER sat in the family room just listening to music. I was in a trance, listening to the music sound so incredible. I also find myself playing CDs I haven't played in years.
I'm looooooving it!!!!
Hopefully I'll post pics soon.
Wow, the more I see these posts the more I just want to pull the trigger and go. No point yet as I want to be able to audition my setup in my finished room (6 weeks away). I ordered my VTF-3 Mk2 last night as Hsu are saying end of March for next deliveries. My 3803 is upstairs in the spare bedroom hooked up to some cheesy sounding Yamaha bookshelves with no sub. Oh well, 6 weeks and counting!
In reply to:
No point yet as I want to be able to audition my setup in my finished room (6 weeks away).
I can relate to your situation. A buddy and I spent 2 nights in a row working until 3AM on my living room in a race to finish it before my speakers arrived. As it turns out, that might not have been the best plan. I am in the process of removing and replacing 1/2 of the moldings around 2 doors. They must have been the ones we installed at 2:30 and 2:45AM. Moral of the story: Don't play with nail guns at 3AM! My speakers arrived before I could get the ceiling painted. So, for the last week the furnishings have been moved around quite a few times. I really should have left the speakers boxed up until I finished the room 100%, but you know...
The amount and configuration of furniture in the room makes a huge difference in how your system sounds. I have a sofa and a loveseat. If both of them are in the room the system sounds incredible. Remove either one and it sounds like you've turned on some poorly done DSP mode on a no name receiver. Fortunately, my normal layout is the good one.
Enjoy!
JSkip, it will get worse; there is a conspiracy at work here that is nefarious. I've had my speakers for 3 weeks now and I started listening to more music for unknown resons just like you did. Then I realized that 'The Best of 3 Dog Night " just didn't have the same appeal as it used to.
After numerous trips to the CD store and several borrow/audition trips to the neighbors (they've started to turn their lights out when they see me coming up the driveway), we're listening to (gasp) jazz, flamenco, celtic, classical and zydecko. I have even come across some interesting music played by a fellow named Ottmar Liebert . CDs are beginning to cost me a fortune.
I am also in the process of setting up the Denon 3803 I picked up yesterday. It replaces a perfectly good 1803 that is 13 months old. (Yes Ajax - UPGRADEITIS got me!). As soon as I figure out how to use the On Screen Display for the 3803, I am sure my listening pleasure wil be greatly enhanced!!!!!!
OH, WHERE WILL IT END???
Hmmmm, let's see, the 3803 can act as a pre/pro, so I can take a look the those 200W Outlaw monoblocks or the Odessey Stratos. Yeah, yeah - that's the ticket.
My God, somebody please STOP ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Told Ya! Told Ya! Nyah Nyah Nyah Nyah Nyah!
Ray3, I am listening to CDs I didn't remember owning. Today's artists included REM, Tears for Fears, Paul Simon and old Genesis.
I've randomly selecting artists and loading up the CD player.
My wife was listening to show tunes on D-TV. That is where I draw the line!!!
I have a Denon 1802 AVR. It'll do for a while as I am saving and looking into the sub. I'm curious, do you listen to music in stereo or 5 CH stereo?
John (JSkip)
John, I'm pretty much feeding every CD I own into the player. I've even played a couple of Christmas CDs. Everything is revealing enhanced performance. What a remarkable thing these speakers are providing.
Your question about listening habits is timely. To this point, I generally listen to music in 5CH. One of the reasons I moved up to the 3803 (just finished installing it) is because it offers "Pure Direct". That is stereo where the Receiver turns off the sub, shifts the Fl/FR to "large" and shuts off the other speakers.
The 1803 didn't do all of that. Since I've got speakers that can do the job, this Pure Direct piece has my interest piqued. I plan to break in the 3803, calibrate the speakers again and go stereo hunting.
You sub comment is interesting. Most of my research led me to HSU or SVS. Once I concentrated on those two, my sense was that there was a leaning towards SVS. I picked up a 20-39 PCi in January and it is a tremendous addition to my setup. Take a look at both; a coin toss leaves you a winner.
Ray
JSkip: Right there with you, buddy.
Ray3: The Denon 3805 is supposed to be coming out early next month. I, too, got the 3803 less than 30 days ago and am planning on returning it for the 05. Not sure if you got a sweet deal on the 03 since it is getting phased out but just thought I should let you know
Thanks for pointing that out Ockham, but the 3803 was a conscious decision. I looked at the 3805 and it really only adds auto calibration, Denon link and another audio decoder. It would have been much more expensive for me than the 3803. Plus, the 3803 is pretty special in it's own right.
I essentially traded a 13 month old 1803 for full value and got the 3803 at a few $$ above cost, so it was a sweet deal. I suspected I might be able to pull this off since they want to get the 3803 out of the pipeline.
The 3803 gives me some things I wanted - Pure Direct (stereo), the SHARC processing, 7 channel capability, better DACs and video upconversion. Additionally, it can be used as a pre/pro and I can add an amp or mono blocks later.
Since I got what I needed and I saved a few hundred $$ in the process, I'm pretty happy with the 3803.