mars73

Oh I think I know who you're talking about =) I was confused cos I also have the same speakers but the floorstander versions =D

I got the Oppo from Audio Iconic (2nd hand), or where you referring to my Focals =P

Hi I would second the Oppo 83SE if you are not into 3D. I'm using it myself. I must say that the CD playback is pretty good for a bluray player. I'm however using it for bluray and SACD playback as I have a separate dedicated CD player (which is better for CD playback but not by a huge amount). As for having a separate DAC, I'm not sure if it makes a huge difference at this level. Cos alot depends on how good your speakers are. Otherwise, even if the quality of input is good you might not be able to hear it. If your budget is $2-3k, my suggestion is to get a used Oppo 83SE.

I've gotten a pair of focal electra 1027be, used =)

It's about S$2.1k. Can also consider a single bookshelf (active) for $1.5k. Only difference is that only 1 tweeter and woofer in the bookshelf. The 'original' matching centre for my fronts (passive) costs close to $3k I think. Pretty ex, but very intriguing... maybe if I get an extra bonus sometime soon... haha

I think I may have found the perfect centre speaker for me.... http://www.focalprofessional.com/en/sm6-line/twin6-be.php Drivers are exactly the same size as my floorstanders, plus built-in amps matched to the drivers. However, supposed to be for near field listening use. Very interesting. Still trying to read up on the feasibility of this though.

This is embarassing cos I can't remember the movie's name for the life of me... It's a Bruce Willis movie, could be the latest Die Hard, scene was where Willis was driving a truck and being chased down by a fighter jet ordered to blast him into bits. The jet pretty ended up blasting up half the city trying to get him =) Funny you should say this. When Jack (KEC) and I were testing the SB12, the room was shaking so much, one of the covers of the ProCinema satellites dropped off the speaker in front of us. We just turned to each other and grinned. Priceless moment I have the series too. But I think my current HTIB can't bring out the oomph in that scene. So for the YPAO, you just let it auto setup and no tweaks thereafter?

I also went to KEC for a quick test of the SVS spl800i, SB12-NSD, and velo 10q. The 800i had barely any effect. The velo (ported) was loud, but in an eardrum pressing sort of way. Quite uncomfortable imo, and i feel it detracts from the sonic experience as it interferes with my enjoyment of the other sounds. The SB12-NSD was WOW. Tight and deep. Don't quite 'hear' it, but more of 'feeling' it in the chest and pants sort of way. Superb. After this test, I am convinced of the merits of a sealed design vs ported. Saw the cylinder SVS but didnt bother trying, no point, will never get past the wife with that. So it looks like the SB12 for me. Now I just have to tell my ID to customise a space at my tv console to accommodate the sub. Also tried out the new Onkyo 709 vs Yamaha 667. Surprisingly, I found the Yamaha comparable to the Onkyo. Onkyo was slightly more visceral in terms of impact, but I feel Yamaha was smoother, esp with dialogue. Onkyo runs HOT, can feel the heat after a few min of playing. One thing that bugs me is the Yamaha YPAO vs the Audyssey Multeq XT in Onkyo. The former looks rather 'basic', can only adjust speakers to large or small. Only other way to fine tune it further is through this frequency curve thingy which I have no confidence in getting right. The latter (Audyssey) can set specific crossover frequencies for each speaker. General feedback online seems to favour Audyssey vs YPAO.

The Rotel has built in high/ low pass filter? Thats nice, didn't know that. Does it have balanced XLR inputs?

I was told by KEC that stocks just came in but no confirmed pricing yet. You may want to call to check

Thanks. By the way, congrats on the Rotels? So no more bi-amping your fronts?

Interesting, this antimode. Not sure if it works with Audyssey though.

Oh yeah, just to add, the XPA runs pretty cool even on extended playing. Compared to my Audiolab 8200 CDQ which gets abit hot, as I believe it's a Class A. Managed to spend some time listening to my old CDs. Nice.

Yeah, saw the antimode on sale, though not sure what it does lol I got the XPA-3. Not bad. Quite fast and tight in terms of bass and transients. Had a nice time at the seller's place, listened to some cables he was auditioning. Some of the forumers had a cable shootout yesterday but alas last minute family commitments kept me away. My new speakers came in over the weekend too. Gonna get me some shoes for the speakers, as the original spikes look kinda dangerous with a young kid around. It's now sitting on its 'bare feet'. Heard that the spikies will improve the sound.

Mine are too And I've got news that will might add to your bills - the 709 is already here