21-May-2015, 07:57
(This post was last modified: 21-May-2015, 07:59 by Rufus McDufus.)
I have C-1.1s with a D200. I think they're a great match. They do need a fair amount of power and the D200 is probably at the lower limit in terms of reserves, but also my listening room is small which helps.
SAM - to be honest my opinion has been a little bit mixed, but improved lately. When they were first SAM'ed I found the bass a little overwhelming. My speakers are also not well-positioned - to close to the wall and towards the centre, as opposed to some feet away away and biased towards the sides as per Raidho's recommendation. This is not helping the bass (or imaging either) but I can live with it.
With firmware updates, starting with 7.1.3, I've found they sound more refined and the SAM'ed bass better integrating with the rest of the frequency range, and also a lot cleaner and better resolving. 8.0 seems better still in that respect and once or twice I've actually found myself actually missing that bottom-heavy sound of previous firmwares! Play a bass-heavy track though and wow, these things can go seriously low for a small speaker. Playing one or two 'torture tracks' I've worried they were going to survive!
With SAM off they're still excellent but a little thinner-sounding. The difference is less marked now but there's definitely greater coherence with SAM on.
If you don't have the C-1.1s already and know their foibles, they are a bit quirky and it can be a bit challenging getting them set up properly. Floor surface is important and if you have a suspended thin wooden floor like I do then things get difficult. I think they must have been tested on a solid floor... I have some Entreq Vibb-eaters on the bottom of the stands which seem to compensate quite well, and look ludicrous. Others use granite slabs which apparently work well too. Carpet is OK and dampens them a little.
SAM - to be honest my opinion has been a little bit mixed, but improved lately. When they were first SAM'ed I found the bass a little overwhelming. My speakers are also not well-positioned - to close to the wall and towards the centre, as opposed to some feet away away and biased towards the sides as per Raidho's recommendation. This is not helping the bass (or imaging either) but I can live with it.
With firmware updates, starting with 7.1.3, I've found they sound more refined and the SAM'ed bass better integrating with the rest of the frequency range, and also a lot cleaner and better resolving. 8.0 seems better still in that respect and once or twice I've actually found myself actually missing that bottom-heavy sound of previous firmwares! Play a bass-heavy track though and wow, these things can go seriously low for a small speaker. Playing one or two 'torture tracks' I've worried they were going to survive!
With SAM off they're still excellent but a little thinner-sounding. The difference is less marked now but there's definitely greater coherence with SAM on.
If you don't have the C-1.1s already and know their foibles, they are a bit quirky and it can be a bit challenging getting them set up properly. Floor surface is important and if you have a suspended thin wooden floor like I do then things get difficult. I think they must have been tested on a solid floor... I have some Entreq Vibb-eaters on the bottom of the stands which seem to compensate quite well, and look ludicrous. Others use granite slabs which apparently work well too. Carpet is OK and dampens them a little.
