Speaker Possibilities

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Originally Posted by cma29

+1 on the Kimber 12TCs. I have a pair and they sound very good at a great price point.

Agreed. The only other option I would think of is the Transparent MusicWave speaker cable at a bit more than twice the cost of the Kimber. I like the MusicLink Plus interconnect I have going from preamp to power amps, and flirted with the idea of going over to all Transparent, but the Kimber Hero does a nice job with the sources-to-preamp connections and my non-audiophile half (not to mention my wallet) balked at spending the money to overhaul the interconnects.

I like the bananas on the 12TC also. The Mirage M-3si manual specifies banana plugs for the connection, though you can use spades of course. I found spades to slip over time, perhaps due to the stiffness of the Tara Labs RSC cables I had before. Four feet is a short run, and that can be problematic. The 12TC is much more flexible. It's time to clean the Mirages' binding posts, I've noticed, and even there disconnecting and reconnecting will be a snap. Very good.

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My hope is to retire in ten years, and thus I've done yet more thinking.

In another thread I talk about my MCD301 being out for repair (since Feb. 8!!!). The worst-case scenario, as I understand it, is that the drive needs replacing, which would cost over $800. After some thought, it might be a good idea to start saving money against the possibility of repair or replacement of other components, including speakers.

The Mirages had their 21st birthday recently; my turntable is approaching 22. While I'm thinking that if my turntable goes down in the next 5 years I'd replace it, after that I'm inclined to let it go and downsize. That would clear four shelves (current configuration), not to mention the space gained by getting rid of my LPs. But speakers would have to be replaced. There won't be a lot of money to work with regardless of what I can save (NY is expensive), but I'm hoping to have reasonable alternatives when the time comes. So in a way, I have decided to replace my M-3sis. Just not now.

The other factor is a probable need to relocate upon retiring, so spending a bunch of money on speakers would be unwise. At this point, I keep an eye on Def Tech, Mirage's OMD-28, Focus Signature SE, Bryston Model T (I may have to think Middle T by the time I'd have to buy something, though), and the Axiom LFR1100. I'll surely want something with comparable specs to my M-3sis. My Mirages perform so well I can't imagine just dumping them, and listening to ELP's Tarkus last night, though with a substitute CD player, confirms that notion. However, I don't think I will try to fix them if they go down.

So, this is where I am.

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Yesterday afternoon I went to the John Varvatos store in downtown Manhattan. I knew there was audio equipment and LPs in there. Also JV is a Mac fan.

I bought a couple of LPs, Inner Secrets by Santana and Moving Waves by Focus. The Santana is an original 1st pressing, sealed, unplayed mint copy, and sounded like it. No noise, clicks or pops. I got it beacuse I wanted the original version of One Chain (Don't Make No Prison); mine was lost in a fire a long time ago and the copy I later bought has the disco-fied version of this track; I always preferred the original. The Focus LP isn't sealed but is marked as unplayed. I don't know. It's a bit noisy in the early going on the one side I played, and even skipped once during Hocus Pocus.

But the bigger event: I was confronted with the McIntosh XR200s, my main fantasy speaker. This is the first time I've seen them in person. They weren't playing; they stood there looking good, if a bit smaller than photos and measurements suggest. They're part of Mac's Soho 1 collection, which was on display. More, Varvatos actually sells this system and the other gear in the store as well (vintage Marantz, Sansui and a few other things). My mind began to swirl, and a brief chat with the sales clerk had it swirling a bit more. Could I actually save the money to get them? If I pull out the plastic could I manage the payments without relegating myself to peanut butter sandwiches, beans and rice and cereal for the next two years? If I want to retire in 10 years and I'd be tied up for two, maybe three years does this even make sense (rhetorical question)? I don't think it does, but starting to save more does in any case. The consideration of possibilities continues.

By the way, of the components in the Soho 1 collection the clerk said the biggest seller is the MT10 turntable.

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I have just come back from the commencement service of the New York Theological Seminary, held at Riverside Church in Manhattan. One of my former Sunday school students invited me to come; she received her MA in Pastoral Care and Counseling, a nice achievement. There was also one other person from my church who received this degree, whom I don't know that well and didn't know was a seminary student. The ceremony began on time and ended a bit earlier than I expected, but it was still a 1:45 affair.

A major highlight was the church organ. I didn't actually see it because of where I sat, only from behind, but it looked and sounded like a monster (in a good sense). It was told me that it has four rows of foot pedals. The sound was clean, clear, warm, smooth, any audiophile jargon you want to use. Bravo to the organist (Christopher Johnson), and the church's sound system and acoustics. My mother, who played organ and sometimes piano for the senior choir at church, would have liked the music greatly. Few things stir my spirit like the sound of a major-class organ playing classic hymns. I stuck around until the postlude was finished, even though the ceremony was over.

Inspired by what I was hearing, I had a real urge to come home and play some organ music. I haven't played any in a while, and have yet to on my stereo as constituted currently. The thought occurred that if the sound isn't satisfying, it could nudge me onto the path of a speaker replacement—even though my Mirages are working and sounding fine. The lowest organ notes (20Hz, I believe) are beyond them, but again, as long as things are satisfying replacing speakers will be put off for a while longer. This is a test I plan to do, but not now; I need to go to the gym and then run a couple of errands. I hope to get to it while the glow of that organ is with me; it'll probably wear off in a couple of days.

5/18: The organ music I played last night and today was gorgeous. the Mirages are safe for a while longer.

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As is my wont, I have been keeping up with what's out there in speakers in case I need to replace mine. I have begun to investigate the Bryston Model T in earnest. To my mild surprise, I even have begun to explore the possibility (and feasibility) of replacing my Mirages with Model Ts outright.

There is nothing wrong with the Mirages; this is probably the result of excessive exposure to the Brystons and to all the positive remarks about them. I have downloaded the brochure to study the specs more carefully (nice photos); I have been following the Model T thread and had an exchange or two with James Tanner; obtained a price list; and there is now a dealer in NYC, which is probably the main impetus for this.

To get the Model T I would have to pay installments. No one-lump sum this time, as that would leave too big a hole in the checking account. As I say, it's only an exploration at this point. I'd look at a standard Model T in black ash. The vinyl finish is cheaper, $1K less than wood I think, but I'd probably prefer the hardwood anyway.

Often the cure for these kinds of audio viruses is to go play music on my current system. That may give some perspective.

[Pider]

I, for one, am enjoying this meandering stream of thoughtful prose. Somehow, there's a kinship.....

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Originally Posted by Pider

I, for one, am enjoying this meandering stream of thoughtful prose. Somehow, there's a kinship.....

Well, I'm somewhere between hobbyist and joe average. I try to maintain a real-world perspective on things, despite being influenced heavily by this forum (let's be honest). End of the day, I still need to make thoughtful, intelligent decisions when we're talking about this kind of money. I can be pretty deliberate.

Everything I see about the Model T suggests it's better than my Mirages. "Better" is only one aspect of the question, though: the Brystons' 20-year warranty has powerful appeal, which takes me back to the reason I started this thread. To solicit perspectives and weigh pros and cons of a preemptive replacement of my M-3sis before retiring and retirement income forces me to aim lower (maybe much lower) if they wait until then to conk out. Retirement is 9 years and change away, ideally. Who knows what will happen?

[MtnHam]

Having auditioned numerous speakers in 1989 and then purchasing Mirage M-1's and enjoying them for many years in 3 different homes, I well know why you find them very satisfying. But, about 15 years ago, I came to believe I could do better, and started another search. Approaching retirement, I thought it was time to consider the best for the rest of my life.

After a through search and many auditions, I settled on and purchased a used pair of Sound Lab M-2's. They indeed surpassed everything I loved about the Mirages. Today's Sound Labs are even better, by several magnitudes. Today I own Sound Lab Ultimate U-1PX's, and they are IMO, without doubt, the absolute best, and surpass the Mirage speakers in every way, as well as providing the essence of what I loved about Mirage. There are very few dealers, and thus are not easily auditioned, but I suggest you make the effort.

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What I haven't made much of in this train of thought is the cold, hard, practical aspect of things. I live in a 1BR, second-floor walkup apartment and space is limited. When I consider that, the Focus SE is out due to its weight and the fact that I'd have nowhere to store the crates. The Sound Labs speakers look to be a good option with their audio specs but wouldn't fit in my living room and are even heavier. Whether the Bryston crates would be a problem in this area requires investigation.

When I retreat to cold practical factors, that can have a tendency to narrow things down. It doesn't help much with the philosophical question at hand, but can make it easier to pick a successor to the M-3si if I make a move while in my current living space.

ADDENDUM: While I don't have measurements of the Bryston boxes, they don't look to be much bigger than the speakers themselves. It seems I could accommodate them based upon the photo sent me by James Tanner. They could be the size of my M-3si boxes, roughly; speaker dimensions are certainly close. I'd still prefer the measurements, though.

[Jester]

I can relate to your predicament after retiring a much loved pair of speakers due to financial constraints, and with that rekindled my earlier speaker building efforts in a part cost saving part " best sound for the money" adventure, a little while later feeling happy with my creations I returned to listening to speaker demo's with friends, doing the rounds of Hifi shows etc, mainly to gauge how I was doing against the current fare on offer,
Then came the big Hifi show with gear running from a few hundred dollars to more than my house is worth, and in the scheme of things my creations were mid range..... Not too bad I thought ..... And then it happened, just like meeting that special girl all those years ago .... I fell in love .... With a speaker this time ... Just in my price range if I didn't eat for a year or so, but there it was,
Clincher came 6 months later when a local dealer had them for 30% off retail and a deal was done! being as close or closer than yourself to retirement it could be " till death us do part" too .... Lol
Maybe instead of looking at suitable replacements on size, or reviews, warranty etc just put yourself out there and listen to as much as you are able,
Who knows, you may just fall in love too.....