Category: Music

I decided to end the search and confusion by buying the system I liked two days ago. I went to the store to listen to it again and make sure this is what I wanted. I even got a chance to compare it again against other amplifiers and speakers. It still sounded like the best option for me.

So the specs are:

• Focal JMlab 716 Chorus speakers
• NAD C355BEE amplifier
• NAD C515BEE CD component

I’m very excited and hoping I will be able to take it home from the store before the weekend.

Yesterday, for the sake of being a good consumer, I went to see another stereo demo at another store. My audiophile friend from work talked me into it. He’s helping me a lot but eventually I got really confused. It turns out in this market the sellers make huge margins, so basically you can get a lot of discounts if you bargain a lot. Unfortunately I’m not the type to bargain.

But my friend told me the first offer I got was too high and I should keep looking, even just for the sake of finding something I like even more. In the second store from yesterday I got to listen to Cambridge Audio amplifier with Mordaunt-Short speakers, both presumably better than what I liked a day earlier in the first demo. But I was a little underwhelmed – the demo was inside a very big store space, so the acoustics weren’t great, and I didn’t get that kick I like so much from the music.

I did get warned by the saleseman that getting front stage speakers can be tiresome for the ears after a while. The salesman from the first demo also warned me about that. So now I’m conflicted. The worst that can happen is that I’ll take the system home and then realize I made a bad choice.

I don’t like when things get complicated. Like I said before, I hate shopping.

As part of my search for a stereo system I went yesterday to hear 4 different sets of speakers playing my music. It was an amazing experience. For almost two hours I was engulfed by the same music I’ve heard thousands of times before, only I couldn’t believe the way it sounded. It was so much fun I completely forgot about the outside world for the entire demonstration.

Eventually I had to choose between two sets of speakers: The DALI Ikon 6 and the Focal JMlab 716 Chorus. Both considered good speakers but produce entirely different sound. I eventually picked the Focal pair as my favorite because their output for The Prodigy’s music was the way I like it. Specifically, the bass (at the right volume) can make your body vibrate. I actually brought specific bass-loaded tracks to test that :)

To complement the speakers a NAD C355BEE amplifier and a NAD C515BEE CD component were chosen. Cabling is also important – cables made from different materials can be used to tweak the way the music sound… I heard it with my own ears.

By the time the demonstration ended I was ready and willing to buy everything, but following my audiophile friend’s advice I decided to give it a few more days. I doubt I’ll go to another demonstration because I think it will just confuse me – how will I be able to remember what a specific set of speakers sounded like compared to a new set I’ll be listening to? But we’ll see what my friend suggests.

The Mars Volta published their entire new album, Octahedron, on their MySpace page.

On each of their albums The Mars Volta had a quiet song or two. But this time it’s an entire quiet album except for one song – Cotopaxi (video here.) The Mars Volta claims this to be their version of an acoustic album. But don’t get them wrong – it’s far from being acoustic in the traditional sense. Being quiet, I didn’t have to listen to album 20 times to like it – I liked it immediately.

Those of you who know my music listening habits also know what this means – I’m playing Octahedron in an endless loop :)

It’s strange that a person like me, who enjoys music so much, has a very poor way of listening to it at home – I’m ashamed to say that I currently use my computer’s speakers to listen to music.

But that’s all about to change. I’ve started the hunt for a proper stereo system. At first I wanted a receiver that will fit a home theater (for “the future” when I get a TV) but quickly learned that if I care only for music I better get a dedicated stereo amplifier. I also learned that I would have to spend about double the amount I had in mind to get decent sound. It took me a day or so to get used to the thought of spending so much money but now I’m OK with it.

I went to a stereo shop and in a week I’ll go there again to get a tailor-made 2-hour demonstration of different speakers. After listening to what the sales manager at the shop told me I’m actually looking forward to it – I get to bring my own music and listen to it like never before. Should be fun.

You know how sometimes when you’re in a certain mood, songs seem to be written exactly for you, reflecting the way you feel? Separate Ways by Teddy Thompson from the soundtrack for My Best Friend’s Girl is kind of speaking to me right now:

Two thoughts occured to me as I was watching this video:

The first thought was “I wish I was there.”

And right after came “wow… I’m old.”