All:
Some of you already know me.. and my joy of this hobby and forums and meeting kind, intelligent new people who all share the same interest: Music!
Here is my dilemma; I could really use suggestions...
I only started "serious" listening a few months ago and have the following components, and I am extremely happy with nearly every facet of the sound I am getting and *music* I am getting except with depth of sound stage... comparing to what others have posted and formal reviews, I now know I can achieve a deeper soundstage. Here is my current setup:
Epos Epic 2 Speakers on Epos Elan 15 Stands, AudioQuest Rocket 33 cables, Creek Evolution 50A Integrated Amp, AudioQuest King Cobra XLR 1m interconnects, PS Audio NuWave DAC, MacBook Air 2014 with Audirvana playing digital files from 44.1 up to 192/24. off-the-shelf USB cable from MacBook to DAC. I am leaving my vinyl equipment OUT; as I am happy with it. I would also kindly request to leave suggestions out regarding USB cable and power cables; as I believe those as candidates LATER in my personal process and budget.
For DACS, I also have an AudioQuest Dragonfly, and I am sending back but enjoyed a Musical Fidelity V90 in a decision to upgrade to the PS Audio NuWave recently.
As I learn more about this hobby, I have come to the conclusion again that my SOUNDSTAGE could stand to be deeper. I currently have the speakers 7 feet apart, and 1 foot from rear wall. I sit in the typical triangle again 7 feet apart from the speakers. I have found through significant trial and error this to be optimal for my current room and equipment. The room measures 10' wide by 14' deep by 7.5' high. It is carpeted, and open on the left side with three walls on remaining sides. The soundstage I am able to achieve with good recordings can extend side-to-side beyond my speakers about 2 feet, can go "behind" the speakers as deep as 4 feet, and can image in front of speakers a smidgen...sometimes a few feet with vocals, but my soundstage is usually "flat" front to back. I think my side-to-side imaging is excellent....
SO... Any recommendations to get the 3D soundstage? I am thinking upgrade DAC again, but at $1,000, not sure how much further I could gain with the rest of my equipment. Maybe this just isn't realistic unless I increase budget by thousands... I am instead looking for possible tweaks or suggestions of where I "went wrong" with my equipment. The DAC is still returnable.. but I am invested in everything else and I do like it very much. Of important note, the system plays back vinyl much to my liking, so again I am narrowing down to most likely the DAC....As for budget, I can still return the DAC, and I have to put an upper limit of $2,000 for a new DAC if that is what someone recommends.
Back to my current enjoyment of music: The upper, lower, and midrange I have achieved are *excellent* to my liking. I can also discern brass, woodwinds, different Bass guitars, can get a great slam on kick drum, excellent arias and vocals... I really am pleased with EVERY FACET except this bizarre lacking of depth of soundstage. Maybe I just have to wait a year when I can allocate many more thousands of dollars...maybe this is all I can achieve at this level???
HELP!!!!!!
I am starting to get frustrated at this soundstage issue and it is hampering my ability to just enjoy my music...As for music, I particularly enjoy rock, jazz, some classical, opera, pipe organ, r&b, rap, electronic, house/trance/techno/dub step, acoustic, '70's, classic rock, pop, dance music...pretty much any kind of music!!!
ANY feedback/suggestions are welcome. Again, please no comments regarding power conditioning or cables... I think those are worthy, but they are not blocking my soundstage at this time.
I really am reaching out to the community after having provided significant feedback to others already..hoping I can get "good karma" back to me. I could really use the help and I am really stuck on this soundstage thing.
All:
Some of you already know me.. and my joy of this hobby and forums and meeting kind, intelligent new people who all share the same interest: Music!
Here is my dilemma; I could really use suggestions...
I only started "serious" listening a few months ago and have the following components, and I am extremely happy with nearly every facet of the sound I am getting and *music* I am getting except with depth of sound stage... comparing to what others have posted and formal reviews, I now know I can achieve a deeper soundstage. Here is my current setup:
Epos Epic 2 Speakers on Epos Elan 15 Stands, AudioQuest Rocket 33 cables, Creek Evolution 50A Integrated Amp, AudioQuest King Cobra XLR 1m interconnects, PS Audio NuWave DAC, MacBook Air 2014 with Audirvana playing digital files from 44.1 up to 192/24. off-the-shelf USB cable from MacBook to DAC. I am leaving my vinyl equipment OUT; as I am happy with it. I would also kindly request to leave suggestions out regarding USB cable and power cables; as I believe those as candidates LATER in my personal process and budget.
For DACS, I also have an AudioQuest Dragonfly, and I am sending back but enjoyed a Musical Fidelity V90 in a decision to upgrade to the PS Audio NuWave recently.
As I learn more about this hobby, I have come to the conclusion again that my SOUNDSTAGE could stand to be deeper. I currently have the speakers 7 feet apart, and 1 foot from rear wall. I sit in the typical triangle again 7 feet apart from the speakers. I have found through significant trial and error this to be optimal for my current room and equipment. The room measures 10' wide by 14' deep by 7.5' high. It is carpeted, and open on the left side with three walls on remaining sides. The soundstage I am able to achieve with good recordings can extend side-to-side beyond my speakers about 2 feet, can go "behind" the speakers as deep as 4 feet, and can image in front of speakers a smidgen...sometimes a few feet with vocals, but my soundstage is usually "flat" front to back. I think my side-to-side imaging is excellent....
SO... Any recommendations to get the 3D soundstage? I am thinking upgrade DAC again, but at $1,000, not sure how much further I could gain with the rest of my equipment. Maybe this just isn't realistic unless I increase budget by thousands... I am instead looking for possible tweaks or suggestions of where I "went wrong" with my equipment. The DAC is still returnable.. but I am invested in everything else and I do like it very much. Of important note, the system plays back vinyl much to my liking, so again I am narrowing down to most likely the DAC....As for budget, I can still return the DAC, and I have to put an upper limit of $2,000 for a new DAC if that is what someone recommends.
Back to my current enjoyment of music: The upper, lower, and midrange I have achieved are *excellent* to my liking. I can also discern brass, woodwinds, different Bass guitars, can get a great slam on kick drum, excellent arias and vocals... I really am pleased with EVERY FACET except this bizarre lacking of depth of soundstage. Maybe I just have to wait a year when I can allocate many more thousands of dollars...maybe this is all I can achieve at this level???
HELP!!!!!!
I am starting to get frustrated at this soundstage issue and it is hampering my ability to just enjoy my music...As for music, I particularly enjoy rock, jazz, some classical, opera, pipe organ, r&b, rap, electronic, house/trance/techno/dub step, acoustic, '70's, classic rock, pop, dance music...pretty much any kind of music!!!
ANY feedback/suggestions are welcome. Again, please no comments regarding power conditioning or cables... I think those are worthy, but they are not blocking my soundstage at this time.
I really am reaching out to the community after having provided significant feedback to others already..hoping I can get "good karma" back to me. I could really use the help and I am really stuck on this soundstage thing.