Intrada Soundtrack Forum

Ok so I have loved film scores for a long time, or so I thought.... Until recently my means of playback was a little panasonic mini hifi system that I bought years ago. I thought it was pretty good, the sound quality was great so I thought. Then I inherited a rather posher hifi system with a NAD amp, cd player and a pair of Tannoy floor standing speakers. To say I was speechless is an understatement...... l still cannot quite believe the difference in the listening experience. Some scores that I thought were ok now sound sublime as I can now hear the full range of the orchestra and the subtle nuances I never knew were there. It is like I am listening to my score collection for the first time!!!! On at the moment is The Ghost and the Darkness and quite frankly I am almost in tears....It is like the orchestra is in my room...... It just got me wondering what do you guys listen on? Im sure to some of you it will seem ridiculous to have taken so long to discover the difference a half decent sound system makes and the system I have is lower end of the vast hifi spectrum. So what do you guys n gals listen on? Is there a system that is particularly good with soundtracks?

Speaker Setup
B&W CM8 S2 Floorstanders
Outlaw Audio Model 2200 Monoblocks
B&W ASW610 Subwoofer with low-pass filter set to 50Hz

Headphone Setup
Sennheiser HD650
Denon PMA-50 DAC/Amp connected to music server via USB

i use a Marantz amp and cd player, a Pro-Ject turntable, and Monitor Audio speakers.

for those that play their music off a computer, how do you tackle the noise of computer hum?
because that used to drive me crazy.

Cool topic! I love learning stuff like this.

In my case, I'm not much of an example because somewhere down the line I decided to invest in our own studio and get the gear needed to make our albums... and that led to having Meyer come in and build their monitors inside our studio specifically with my own personal tastes in mind. Those were pretty much being able to reproduce the sounds of a full orchestra - including all of the depth of the basses and cellos up through the highest overtones possible in the piccolos and violins - as realistically as could be done. At loud levels. Without tiring the ears. It took several hit releases to make the investment possible.

But if anyone is so interested in going down that road - Meyer makes absolutely incredible speakers. Especially the X-10 series. And during assembly and installation, they'll build into the room a complex Galileo computer system that controls every algorithm and whatnot of the room itself. Whatever. But when I put on something as crisply recorded as The Ghost And The Darkness it certainly knocks my socks off.
--Doug

I have a Pioneer 5.1 DTS HD capable receiver, a Pioneer Blu-ray audio/SACD/DVD-A reader and 5 Mission speakers

Blu-ray reader Pioneer BDP-440
Pioneer receiver VSX-520
Mission speakers 733/73C/761

This equipment is quite exceptionnal when it comes to play surround and high definition soundtracks like those listed on this page :
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=3725&p=52166

It's been headphones since the sixties, & my hearing is OK so far. The last few years I've gotten very lazy & have been listening to everything on my ipod, but in the last nine months I dusted down one of my CD players & my very good headphones, & have been using that a lot. That started when Our Man Flint/In Like Flint arrived, I thought the first time I listen to this is not going to be on the ipod.

Oh Doug!!!!! I wanna play round your gaff! That sounds like quite a setup. Am only a bit jealous though as im so chuffed with my new system. For me it has been a significant step up in listening pleasure. I still can't believe how different my cd's sound. I feel like I am discovering gems I was unaware of.

I understand I am resurrecting a rather "ancient" thread but I thought it was a great topic.

The system I use and needless to say, one with which I am very happy consists of:

Quad 303 power amplifier,
Quad 33 preamp,
JVC 5 disc cd changer,
B&O Beovox 5700 loudspeakers.

The system has a great sound!

Very nice, Dave.

Mine has changed a bit over the years. I now mostly listen via headphones.

Beyerdynamic Amiron Home with fully balanced connectivity
SMSL SU-8 DAC connected to PC through USB
SMSL SH-8 Amp
Music stored as FLAC on a 2TB SSD
Bit-perfect passthrough with foobar2000 player (tried some others, but foobar allows the most advanced customization with least overhead)

I've just changed my Pioneer Blu-ray reader for an Oppo BDP-93, a more audiophile reader ! It's too bad Oppo doesn't make those anymore, it's a terrific piece of tech !

Thanks again Doug for sharing the Intrada setup - it sounds divine!

At home I listen between a small Sony bookshelf stereo, and my preferred setup which is Yamaha Receiver, a Panasonic 5 Disc DVD player that supports DVD audio, and I have that it hooked up digital coaxial cable. For my speakers i have some Canadian made Paradigm Titan v.2 bookshelf speakers. I also have those connected via banana plugs, and some crazy Monster Ultra II speaker cable I bought at cost when I worked for Future Shop in 2005.