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I think the system sounds fabulous.


That's all that really matters

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1. Amp: Soundstage One Hybrid Tube Integrated Amp (25 wpc, Chinese knock-off), which I'm keeping.


I've never owned a tube amp, but for some reason they fascinate me. You might get some 'digital dirty looks' around here for using it, but I say that if you like the way it sounds then go for it.

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2. M60's - that's a no-brainer.


Welcome to the club!

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3. 1985 Philips & 1990 Sony CPDs - I need to upgrade.

Um, probably not a bad idea! The 1990 Sony might not be *that* bad, but the 1985 is really reaching back to the early days of CD's. You might want to take a look at an Oppo player. While I don't own one, they're pretty popular universal players that are highly regarded and are not very expensive. Even Stereophile thought the $249 one was a steal.

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4. Speaker Wire - I've read so much on speaker wire that I'm ready to buy a reel of it and hang myself.



Few topics will 'stir the pot' as much as speaker wire. I'm of the 'middle-road' camp. I use wire (Canare 4S11 and Belden from Blue Jeans Cable) that fits my budget and application but that is more expensive than lamp cord. I can't objectively say that it sounds any better, but I like the asthetics of the thicker, more solid wire.

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5. Speaker/Amp Interconnects - I have always used raw sanded copper for the speaker/amp interconnect, which I resand if I ever remove them.


I have a couple of pairs of Monster Cable interconnects that were like $40 each. Nice, but they're just cables. I have several pairs of the 'premium' RCA interconnects from Monoprice.com that cost like $5 each. I can tell no difference what-so-ever in SQ. I quite like them.

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6. Sub-woofer - I play at moderate home levels in a multi-use small room (20' x 20' x8'), and obviously don't expect nor do I want to, shake windows or walls. With the M60's should I consider a sub, and would it improve my system performance if I did get one?


I have M80's and listen to mostly classical and jazz music too, and they are greatly helped by my SVS PCI+ 20-39. I would say that your M60's would certainly benefit too. The 'company line' around here will be, for obvious reasons, to check out an EP500 or EP600. I've not experienced either, but they are supposed to be monster subs. Monster in terms of output and quality. But you're not talking about needing a sub that can re-arrange furniture nor strip paint from the walls. You're listening to classical and jazz music, which isn't usually bass-heavy music. I don't know if you need such a monster sub. I would definitely take a good look at SVS and HSU's subs. The VTF line of HSU's are especially popular, and offer a whole lot of sub for less money than the 'bad-boy' EP500/600. Not to take anything away from the EP500/600, but they might be overkill for your application.

Last edited by PeterChenoweth; 06/22/07 07:25 PM.
M80v2 | VP150v2 | QS8v2
SVS Pci+ 20-39
Emotiva UMC-1 & LPA-1
M22ti + T-Amp, in the Office