Don't like my cambridge audio system very much, what should I change?

I have this system at the moment, I've had it for about 5 years now, but I've often lived away from the house where I keep it.

Cambridge Audio Azure 340A Amp
Cambridge Audio Azure 340C CD Player
Cambridge Audio S30 Speakers
Dual CS 503 II Turntable with a light ortofon cartridge
Pro-ject phono stage pre amp thing
Good speaker stands (which aren't currently being used with the system and I will have to say that has caused a notable drop in the experience)

Basically, I find the music to sound unnatural and very electronic sounding, if you know what I mean. The vinyl sound isn't really all that great either, I think I'm going to upgrade to a 505, maybe putting in my new cartridge if the one it comes with looks inappropriate.

I'm thinking the Amp is probably the main thing / issue. Friends have suggested upgrading up the cambridge audio line, but I don't really have such a great love for the sound really. I want to know which brand sounds a lot more natural than C.A. Ideally, finding a good value vintage amp would be cool, perhaps keeping both.

Speakers. Osiris stands?

Welcome to AK.

Speakers.
Cartridge.
Turntable.
(in that order)

just my opinion(s)

the stands are some unknown ones, but they are pretty good. they're not osiris ones though, but i don't think i need to upgrade them, i just need to use them.

what speakers and cartridge do you recommend then?

How much are you willing to spend? What do you listen to? How big is your room?

Classical, Classic rock, some heavy metal, not much in the way of jazz or electronic music.

I can spend just over $800. I'm not sure about the room size exactly, small, 5 x 4 meters maybe.

mhardy6647 said:

Speakers.
Cartridge.
Turntable.
(in that order)

just my opinion(s)

Click to expand...

This. :thmbsp:

The sonic differences between good amps are much smaller than between different speakers and different cartridges...and even between different CD players. Of course, your amp must be appropriate for the load your speakers present, and must have adequate power to drive the speakers to the volume you desire, with minimal clipping.

While many people will be glad to suggest speakers to you (usually ones that they own!), sound quality is highly subjective. Speakers you like I might hate, and vise versa. The best way to choose speakers is to demo them in your listening environment, with your equipment and with the music you like. If there is a brick and mortar audio store near you, many allow for in-home trials. Even quite a few internet-based suppliers allow a free return period (although you will have to pay for return shipping).

AKers can make suggestions for speakers to try, if you provide more information about room size, listening habits, favorite musical genres, etc...also, try to provide more info regarding what it is you don't like about the sound of your current speakers, and the make/model of speakers that you may have heard and liked. These suggestions may then help you to narrow down your choices. And yes, get those speakers on to your stands.

mhardy6647 said:

Speakers.
Cartridge.
Turntable.
(in that order)

just my opinion(s)

Click to expand...

I second this! whoops...I 3rd this (didn't read all the way down)

Osiris said:

I have this system at the moment, I've had it for about 5 years now, but I've often lived away from the house where I keep it.

Cambridge Audio Azure 340A Amp
Cambridge Audio Azure 340C CD Player
Cambridge Audio S30 Speakers
Dual CS 503 II Turntable with a light ortofon cartridge
Pro-ject phono stage pre amp thing
Good speaker stands (which aren't currently being used with the system and I will have to say that has caused a notable drop in the experience)

Basically, I find the music to sound unnatural and very electronic sounding, if you know what I mean. The vinyl sound isn't really all that great either, I think I'm going to upgrade to a 505, maybe putting in my new cartridge if the one it comes with looks inappropriate.

I'm thinking the Amp is probably the main thing / issue. Friends have suggested upgrading up the cambridge audio line, but I don't really have such a great love for the sound really. I want to know which brand sounds a lot more natural than C.A. Ideally, finding a good value vintage amp would be cool, perhaps keeping both.

Click to expand...

Do you have a photo of the room with the gear in it you can post, and the dimensions of the room.

I've steered several of my friends to Klipsch Heresy speakers, they are on Rev 3 and have been well received for approx 40 years, horn loaded, 12 inch woofers. You can add a sub later if you think you need more base. On 5 watts they will run you out of the room, detailed, clear easy to listen to all day long. Used Heresy 2s can be had off of Criagslist if you are patient, only buy mint units. Check the prices, but I think $450 for mint might be the going rate. If you don't like them, they wont be hard to sell.

Instead of stands a couple of inexpensive Ikea coffee tables with sticky shelf liner should work very well, they were on sale last week for $5 ea. Or leave them on the slant feet........I like the horns at head level.....

Bubo said:

Do you have a photo of the room with the gear in it you can post, and the dimensions of the room.

I've steered several of my friends to Klipsch Heresy speakers, they are on Rev 3 and have been well received for approx 40 years, horn loaded, 12 inch woofers. You can add a sub later if you think you need more base. On 5 watts they will run you out of the room, detailed, clear easy to listen to all day long. Used Heresy 2s can be had off of Criagslist if you are patient, only buy mint units. Check the prices, but I think $450 for mint might be the going rate. If you don't like them, they wont be hard to sell.

Instead of stands a couple of inexpensive Ikea coffee tables with sticky shelf liner should work very well, they were on sale last week for $5 ea. Or leave them on the slant feet........I like the horns at head level.....

Click to expand...

"While many people will be glad to suggest speakers to you (usually ones that they own!), sound quality is highly subjective. Speakers you like I might hate, and vise versa."

Apparently I can predict the future! I'm heading out to buy some lottery tickets. Note to the OP....while I'm not generally a big fan of Klipsch speakers, I do agree that you will be served by seeking speakers with a relatively high sensitivity rating - at least 90-92dB, and ideally a bit higher. Doing so will help assure adequate headroom in the amp,which in turn will help to minimize clipping, which in turn will assure you of the best possible dynamics in your sound. One other thought is that if you do replace your speakers with another set of smaller ones, you might find that a powered subwoofer fills out the sound of your system and takes away some of the "electronic" edge you mentioned.

Osiris said:

Ideally, finding a good value vintage amp would be cool, perhaps keeping both.

Click to expand...

Vintage Yamaha are excellent, in the showroom I couldn't tell them apart from McIntosh with my back to the wall of test gear. My friend ran the top selling high end store in a chain of high end stores, so I got to hear everything.

Vintage integrated amp might work for you. Plan on taking them to be recapped and bench tested at a good repair shop. Most of the parts on vintage Yamaha can be purchased from any electronics components supplier. Clearly the knobs and enclosure can't be, so mint exterior is critical. If you are on a budget skip the wood enclosure CA integrateds, 2x to 3x the price. Yamaha sold huge amounts of high end gear, so its available and affordable.

A-1000 Integrated amp 1983-85 re-cap purchase plus service $500

A-1020 integrated amp 1985-1987 re-cap $500

AX-700 or 900 integrated amp 1987-1990 dirt cheap to buy $100. May be fine as is.

DSP A1 5.1 surround receiver approx 1998-2000 surround with excellent specs. Read the manual on line, pretty sure you can use this a 2.0 stereo that was the TOTL $2000 new. Can be had for $150-250. Can be found locally on craigslist. Plenty passing through e-bay. If e-bay use Paypal the can and will claw your money back if he unit is not as advertised. Have the UPS store double box and insure the unit, I usually talk to the manager at the remote store and pay with my credit card.

Naked A-1000 Class A and AB

Speakers for sure. They always have the greatest impact on your sound quality. There's a LOT of speakers in your price range, new and slightly used, from KEF to B&W to PSB to Vienna Acoustic...those are just a few I like.

Find a couple of shops that have some resonably nice brands and listen, listen listen. You will undoubtedly find a pair you like, maybe in or out of your price range.

Once AK get a feeling for what you like, you'll be surprised how much great guidance you can get here.

Osiris said:

I have this system at the moment, I've had it for about 5 years now, but I've often lived away from the house where I keep it.

Cambridge Audio Azure 340A Amp
Cambridge Audio Azure 340C CD Player
Cambridge Audio S30 Speakers
Dual CS 503 II Turntable with a light ortofon cartridge
Pro-ject phono stage pre amp thing
Good speaker stands (which aren't currently being used with the system and I will have to say that has caused a notable drop in the experience)

Basically, I find the music to sound unnatural and very electronic sounding, if you know what I mean. The vinyl sound isn't really all that great either, I think I'm going to upgrade to a 505, maybe putting in my new cartridge if the one it comes with looks inappropriate.

I'm thinking the Amp is probably the main thing / issue. Friends have suggested upgrading up the cambridge audio line, but I don't really have such a great love for the sound really. I want to know which brand sounds a lot more natural than C.A. Ideally, finding a good value vintage amp would be cool, perhaps keeping both.

Click to expand...

I once owned a Cambridge Audio A640 and there was a lot of electronic noise and hash. My Onkyo A9555 and Krell S-300i were more musical with less hash.

Get a tube amp or a better solid state amp like a NAD or Rega or something similar.

I'm going against the grain here because to my ears the biggest offenders would be the CA electronics.

Replace the amp and CD player first and then the speakers and lastly the analog rig.

How you describe the sound of your system is how I describe the sound of CA electronics.

I'll echo some of Art's comments - I had the CA 840A integrated and once I swapped it out I was blown away with the way my system came alive. It gets a little challenging in your situation since your speakers are also CA - they could be a big reason you're not happy with your sound right now, but I don't think the integrated is doing you any favors.

My advice: get rid of the CA integrated and speakers, but keep the CD player until funds allow. I actually like the "lower" end CA CD players better than their flagship 840C/851C CD players. If funds open up down the road, you could pick up one of the Marantz CD players, but that would be the last piece I would "upgrade".

After the integrated and speakers are upgraded, I would spend some time playing around with placement and room treatments (can be as simple as a rug on the floor or curtains on the wall). Both are inexpensive (sometimes free) things that can make a HUGE difference in sound! I've spent more money than I care to admit on gear (it is fun) but neglected the room for far too long. It might not be as fun as getting a shiny new piece of gear, but it has the potential to blow your mind. Post up some pics of your room and I'm sure you'll get some helpful suggestions from the friendly folks here

Bubo said:

Do you have a photo of the room with the gear in it you can post, and the dimensions of the room.

I've steered several of my friends to Klipsch Heresy speakers, they are on Rev 3 and have been well received for approx 40 years, horn loaded, 12 inch woofers. You can add a sub later if you think you need more base. On 5 watts they will run you out of the room, detailed, clear easy to listen to all day long. Used Heresy 2s can be had off of Criagslist if you are patient, only buy mint units. Check the prices, but I think $450 for mint might be the going rate. If you don't like them, they wont be hard to sell.

Instead of stands a couple of inexpensive Ikea coffee tables with sticky shelf liner should work very well, they were on sale last week for $5 ea. Or leave them on the slant feet........I like the horns at head level.....

Click to expand...

The system in the picture with the Audio Note I-Zero and CD player certainly don't hurt. I like the Heresy suggestion - for the money you can get them for it would be difficult to go too wrong BUT you need gear that avoid bright. Horns can be like nails on a chalkboard with bad gear in front of them (HE speakers tend to show up more warts with weak front ends).

The diagnosis problem is difficult here because I also tend to agree with ArtK on the CA gear. Back when I bought the overbuilt CD6 the company changed ranks and went to a new line of gear and for me it's just not been the same sound. Which was a shame because at the time of the CD6 (Cambridge Audio circa 1995) I thought they were going to be taking out the likes of Arcam and Rega. But then they kind of reverted. Indeed, so did Arcam. Meanwhile Rega arguably got better and better.

Speakers make the biggest overall change - that is true - but it's not necessarily the most important change. For instance while a speaker change may alter the sound 90% and a CD player change may only be 10% the 10% can actually be more important if for instance the change is in the treble band and goes from annoying to not annoying. IE; I can live with speakers that sound quite dramatically different but it's hard to live with slightly "off" sounding sources.

Hence the notion of source first. To put it another way - take the source disc - that is the first "source" and if the recording is great it can sound pretty darn good on relatively inexpensive stereo systems (or the car) or in your iPhone with modest headphones. But a bad "source" recording will be awful and no speaker no matter how expensive or wonderful is going to change that fact. Indeed, in some cases the better speaker will make it sound even worse.

The room is key and speaker positioning - get that right first. Then I'd probably go Source/Amp/speakers. I've not heard said speakers however so this is speaking in general terms not specific. Still I remember the speakers getting very good UK press as a very good budget speaker and doesn't use a metal driver.

Although you say both your sources are not sounding too great so I suppose blame could be put on the amp. If you go with the Klipsch and it IS the amp or source the Klipsh may actually wind up making things worse.

Well I'm no help - not a clue - best solution is to go out and do a bunch of listening at GOOD dealers and or audio shows and then audition a lot. Then find something that blows you away and say "that's the system" - then if it is ungodly expensive find out what the affordable models are (as it will likely have a house sound) and then buy the entire system.

I'm going to pretty much agree with this.

Art K. said:

I'm going against the grain here because to my ears the biggest offenders would be the CA electronics.

Replace the amp and CD player first and then the speakers and lastly the analog rig.

How you describe the sound of your system is how I describe the sound of CA electronics.

Click to expand...

Yes, what the OP really needs to do is buy a whole new system....spending at least $10K. Side note...if changing out his amp will make as much difference as some have suggested, it must be a truly terrible piece of equipment.

Osiris said:

Classical, Classic rock, some heavy metal, not much in the way of jazz or electronic music.

I can spend just over $800. I'm not sure about the room size exactly, small, 5 x 4 meters maybe.

Click to expand...

Given your taste in music I'd replace the speakers first. Your asking a lot of a 4 1/2 inch woofer.

cubdog