Help a newbie, please

[Brubacca]

Hello,

I have been following Bottlehead since Foreplay 1.  I have always been concerned that my soldering skills (haven't done it in 22 years) wouldn't allow me to build something usable.

I am here because I am desperate and I am thinking that a quickie may help me actually enjoy listening to my music.

That is the rub, I just don't really enjoy listening to much of my music.  I miss the tempo and pace.  I called it swing on another board and got pretty much laughed at.  I miss the toe tapping enjoyment of listening to some tunes.  some artists that I am hoping to enjoy again are: Diana Krall, Norah Jones, Sting, Dave Matthews Band, Peter Gabriel, Louis Armstrong, James Taylor, Van Halen, Pink Floyd.......

I am thinking about pairing a quickie with a Parasound z.amp3, a pair of Soliloquy 5.0 bookshelf speakers (possibly a Era Design 4).  As a source I have a Emotiva XDA-1 DAC for use with my Squeezebox and my Toshiba HD-A1 HD-DVD player (as transport). 

I have tried to use my NAD c340, B&K Ref 10 Pre-Amp and an Outlaw Audio 970 as my Pre-Amps, but none of those combinations have worked.  I did also try a tube buffer, I think that it made the sound better, but still not there.  i do also have a B&K amp that I could try.

Anybody here think that I am barking up the right tree?

I have read over the years that the Soliloquy Speakers like tubes and also the same about the XDA-1.

Any advice would be appreciated.  I have even considered going the turntable route, but I only have about 10 albums and lack the funds to get the TT, Phono Stage, then music. 

Thanks for reading.

Charlie

[earwaxxer]

Hey Charlie - welcome! - I think you have some great kit for the Quickie! I dont think your are barking up the wrong tree at all.

What I found with the Quickie, is that I got soul as well as dynamics. Sound quality improved in several aspects, but the most important one was 'engagement'. The music had life. Tubes can do that. I must also say that I modded my Quickie right off the bat. From what I can remember, the stock Quickie has the same qualities, but to a greater extent with the mods.

I think you will find the Quickie will give you what you are looking for! For $99 its a no brainer. Best grab it before Dan hops it up and starts asking for more coin! - Eric

[Paul Birkeland]

Hello Charlie,

Boy do I miss my 5.0's!  I had the matching stands and everything, and ran them with Bottlehead Paramours (back when they were monoblocks) and 300 B-glows (a predecessor to the Paramount).  The snap and smoothness of these speakers paired with the 300B's sure was fun to listen to, and yes, I did have a Foreplay and a Seduction in there at the time too.

You'll certainly get some warmth out of the Quickie, but you probably won't stop there!

-PB

[Brubacca]

Thanks for the thoughts.

I actually got the 5.0s with the thought of adding a Foreplay/ ASL Wave 8 combo.  I ended up getting the C-3 Center and never got to the tubes.  Later on I almost got a  8W SET int amp from Tecon Audio, but once again never pulled the trigger.

I found myself considering a Rogue Metis Pre-Amp or Jolida FX10 amp recently, but a combination of family obligations (a 2 and 4 year old) plus an expensive car repair have ended those thoughts.

 

Regards,

Charlie