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Any component in
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DAVID ROBINSON'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Evolution Audio MM2 loudspeakers;
Nova Rendition II loudspeakers outfitted with Walker Audio Reference HDLs on the
upper and lower bi-wires, and Townshend Audio Super Tweeters, all contacts
treated with Walker Audio Extreme SST Contact Enhancer.
ELECTRONICS
darTZeel NHB-458 prototype monoblocks; darTZeel NHB-18NS reference preamplifier
with dual MC phono sections; LAMM L2 reference preamplifier;
LAMM M1.2
hybrid monoblock amplifiers; Walker Audio Reference Phono Amplifier with mods
(as of 11/06/11).
SOURCES
Digital: Playback Designs MPS-5 SACD/CD player and DAC (latest firmware) with
USB-X interface for DSD and PCM files via USB, and Toshiba L755 i3 notebook
(Windows 7) with external 2 TB Western Digital HD;
Oppo BDP-95
Universal Player (optimized for audio); Oppo BDP-83 Special Edition Blu
Ray/Universal Player; Alesis ML-9600 Master Disk Recorder; Panasonic
SV-3900 DAT player; Furutech Esprit 192kHz/24 converter/preamp.
Analog:
Walker Audio
Proscenium Black Diamond Level III reference turntable system (upgraded to full
Level III as of 11/06/11) with the Black Diamond Arm, Micromagic Magic Diamond
MC cartridge, and direct connection to the Walker Audio Reference Phono Amp
(upgraded to the latest version, with the Walker Audio Power Supply, Second
Edition, also upgraded to the latest revision, both as of 10/24/06); Wave
Kinetics NVS Turntable with Durand Telos 12" Tonearm and Ortofon A90 MC
cartridge; Townshend Rock 7 turntable with Helius Omega tonearm outfitted with
Dynavector XV-1s stereo and XV-1s mono MC cartridges; ATR Services Ampex ATR102
open reel tape deck; UHA Phase9 open reel tape recorder with Unity9 playback and
record preamps;
Technics RS-1700 15ips reel-to-reel tape recorder; Revox
B-77 Mk. II 15 ips half-track reel-to-reel tape recorder; Pioneer RT-707 7.5 ips
quarter track reel-to-reel tape recorder; Nakamichi Dragon reference cassette
deck.
SonoruS ATR 10 tape deck.
HEADPHONES
Sennheiser HD800 headphones (balanced);
Cardas Clear
Headphone Cable (2 meter) with Cardas Sennheiser connectors and Cardas Balanced
connectors; Cardas Clear Balanced-to-1/4" stereo jack adapter; HeadRoom Ultra
Desktop, Dac and Amp with Desktop Power Supply; JH Audio JH16 Pro In-Ear
Monitor System; Beyer Dynamic DT-990 headphones.
CABLES
Interconnects by Kubala-Sosna Research, Cardas, JENA Labs, Silent
Source, Evolution Acoustics, Burmester, Harmonic Technology, Empirical Audio,
Stereovox, Black Cat (digital), and Linn. Speaker cables by Kubala-Sosna
Research, JENA Labs, Cardas, Silent Source, and Linn. Power cables by
Kubala-Sosna Research, JENA Labs, Cardas, Evolution Acoustics, First
Impression Music, Silent Source, DH Labs, First Impression Music, and
VansEvers.
ACCESSORIES
Walker Audio Prologue Rack; Walker Audio Prologue Turntable Stand; Walker Audio
Prologue Amplifier Stands; Critical Mass Systems Grandmaster Black Rack System;
Walker Audio Valid Points and Valid Points tuning kits; two Walker Audio
Velocitor SS Power Line Enhancers on Velocitor Stands; one Walker Audio
Velocitor Power Line Enhancer on a Velocitor Stand (line conditioning for Walker
Audio Proscenium turntable system); Furutech DFV-1 LP flattener; AirTight
DT-01 Orb Disc (LP) Flattener; Vibraplane turntable isolation platform;
Black Diamond Racing "The Shelf" and cones; Gryphon Exorcist system
demagnetizer; Dedicated Audio Cable Tower cable supports; additional
equipment racks by Michael Green; Shakti Stones and Shakti Onlines; VansEvers
Clean Line; Audio Desk Systeme Gläss Ultrasonic LP Cleaning System; VPI
17F LP cleaning system with the latest Walker Prelude Record Cleaning System
(11/2011 edition); Walker Audio Extreme SST Contact Enhancer (2011); Walker
Audio Ultra Vivid SACD/DVD/CD enhancer (improved formulation, 06/2009); Walker
Audio Talisman LP/disc De-static device; Audio Desk Systeme Glass Ultrasonic
Vinyl Cleaner: Furutech DeStat II static neutralizer; Furutech RD-2 SACD/DVD/CD
demagnetizer; FurutechDeMag LP/SACD/DVD/CD degausser; Furutech SK-II
Electrostatic Brush; Audioquest Anti-Static Record Cleaning Brush; Cen-Tech
Analog Sound Level Meter; KAB Speed Strobe turntable strobe measurement system;
hifi4music Digistrobo turntable strobe measurement system; acoustical
treatments by ASC, NuCore, VansEvers, and Michael Green; PS Audio PerfectWave
Power Plant P10. Stein Music Harmonizers.
My listening room is of irregular shape, being 12.5' wide x 13.5' long in the
right section, and 18' long in the left (equipment) section, with a ceiling
height of 8'. It is cambered left and right, with no perpendicular edge on the
sidewalls to ceiling transition. Construction was done with 2" x 6" studs,
wall-within-a-wall on the left and right sides (media storage in a room to the
left, equipment storage in a room to the right). The room is on the second
floor, directly over the garage—no competing sounds! The neighborhood is quiet,
being located on top of a hill some 500 feet above the valley below, the
listening room faces south, away from the main access road.
Power to components in the listening room is fully dedicated. 10 gauge Romex was
pulled directly from the panel, all from the same pole to avoid ground loops.
Four 20 amp runs were done, and Hubble hospital-grade plugs were installed. All
lights and peripheral components are on separate circuits. Circuits have been
tested for proper ground and polarity.
Robinson's Home Theater System
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Cary Audio Cinema
12 home theater/surround sound processor
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Cary Audio 7.250
7.1 channel amplifier
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Linn Kisto
Controller
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Linn 5125 5.1
channel amplifiers (x 2, 5 channel bi-amped configuration)
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Linn Akurate 242
L/R front channel speakers
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Linn Akurate 225
center channel speaker
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Linn Akurate 212
L/R rear channel speakers
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Linn Melodik
subwoofer
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Marantz UD9004
Blu Ray/Universal Player
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Paradigm SUB 25
reference subwoofer
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All HDMI cables
by Furutech
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Theta Digital
Data III Laserdisc transport
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Mitsubishi
SD-HD2000U D-VHS/S-VHS digital HD VCR
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Panasonic
TH-65PX600U 65" plasma HD TV (1080p)
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Furutech Daytona
303 AC Line Filter
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Furutech 20 amp
duplex AC receptacles (x2)
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Cables by
Furutech, DH Labs, Cardas, Linn, and JENA Labs
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Teac Esoteric
DV-60 Universal Player
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Oppo BDP-93 Blu
Ray/Universal Player (optimized for video)
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Oppo HM-31 3x1
Advanced HDMI Switch
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Walker Audio
E-SST Contact Enhancer
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Walker Audio
Ultra Vivid DVD/SACD/CD Enhancer (06/2009 formulation)
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Black Cat cables
The home theater system is housed in our great room. The dimensions are 18' wide
by 24' long, with a peaked and vaulted ceiling that's 16' high at the center of
the lengthwise room line. The fireplace forces a "shift left" of the High
Definition TV and the L/C/R playback, a necessary compromise that skews the
sound somewhat, but still allows for a satisfying home theater/surround sound
experience.
Robinson's Computer/Internet based Music System
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Home Network has been upgraded to 105 mbps for maximum Internet performance via
Comcast
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Dell Precision T7400 workstation, Windows Vista Ultimate, Sound Blaster X-Fi
XtremeMusic (D), Intel Xeon Quad Core, 4 GB ECC RAM, 300 GB 15K RPM SAS RAID1
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HP
Pavilion DV8t notebook computer, Windows 7 Ultimate, nVidia+Altec Lansing Sound,
Intel i7 processor, 8 GB RAM, 640 GB 7200 RPM SATA HD,
18.4" 16x9 display supporting 1080p (true Blu Ray), Blu Ray, DVD+/-RW, and CD-RW
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Music Server is HP EX-495 with Intel Core 2 Duo processor and 2 GB RAM, running
Microsoft Home Server 2003, 1.5 TB HD, with expansion HD bays for three more HDs
and up to 17 TB storage space.
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Bel Canto DAC 3.5 VB MkII with the VBS1
power supply and REF 150S amplifier;
Benchmark DAC1
HDR processor/headphone amp, Benchmark ADC1 USB A/D processor; Furutech
GT-40 USB DAC
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Nova Audio Ovation (two-way Scanspeak) speakers
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Cary Audio Xciter USB DAC
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Oppo BDP-95 Blu Ray/Universal Player (optimized for audio)
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Furutech Daytona 303 Line Conditioner
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Furutech GTX-D 20A high-end Duplex AC Receptacle
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Furutech GTX Wall Plate
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Furutech Duplex AC Cover Plate 104-D
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Furutech Fl-20 Power Cable
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Audioquest Diamond USB 2.0 cable
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Nordost Blue Heaven USB 2.0 data cable
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Cynosure USB reference cable by Locus Design
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Furutech
deStat
- Cary
Audio MS-1 Music Server
- Mytek
Stereo 192-DSD DAC
- Seatagte 3TB USB hard disc.
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DAVE AND CAROL CLARK'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Reimer Speaker Systems Tetons (with the Hi-Vi Isodynamic Planar tweeters and
series crossovers) heavily treated with Marigo VTS Dots, with Townshend Audio
super-tweeters.
ELECTRONICS Clayton Audio M200 monoblock amplifiers (with Hi-Fi Tuning
and Furutech fuses), Heed Quasar phonostage, and a Cary Audio SLP-05 preamplifier w/Pope 6SN7s
(with Hi-Fi Tuning fuses).
SOURCES Digital: Playback Design MPS-5 player
(with a Furutech fuse). Analog: Transrotor 25/25/60 Leonardo turntable with a
Shelter 901 MC cartridge w/Marigo dot. Sennheiser HD540 headphones and Heed
Audio headphone amplifier. Computer Based System (main system):
MacBook (Snow Leopard, Intel 2 Core Duo 2.4/4GB ram with iTunes 10, Pure
Music 1.6, or Amarra 3203) to a Sonicweld
Diverter HR via either the Locus Design Nucleus or Cynosure V2, Cardas Clear, or Furutech USB cables (or direct to the DAC via a van den Hul
Optocoupler II Toslink cable). Purist Audio Contego S/PDIF
RCA or AES/EBU, von Gaylord Chinchilla AES/EBU, Locus
Design Core S/PDIF
RCA or AES/EBU, or DH Labs D-75
AES/EBU digital cables feeding the digital inputs on the
Playback MPS-5. Drobo FS with three WD Green 1TB drives. Shakti Stones and Onlines. Cat 6 and Netgear
gigabit switch.
CABLES Locus Design Vision, Kubala-Sosna Emotion, Purist Audio Proteus Provectus
Revised,
and/or Soundstring interconnects. Kubala-Sosna Emotion or Purist Audio Proteus Provectus
Revised speaker cables. Kubala-Sosna
Emotion, Kaplan GS MKll, Dynamic Design Spirit-C Digital (CD player), Tel-Wire, and Luminous Audio Power Lynx Mega (amps
and preamps) AC
cords.
ACCESSORIES
Stein H2 Harmonizers, Nordost Qv2, Qx2, and Qx4, Bybee Power Purifier v 2.0 AC Conditioner, Nanotec Nespa #1, Furutech RD-2 demagnitizer,
Acoustic Revive RR-77 with KingRex DC power supply, Golden Goddess Super Effect Speaker Bullets, Blue Circle BC86 Noise Hound (office
system)
and Audio Prism QuietLines (throughout the house). Dedicated 20 (amplifiers) and 15 amp (everything
else) AC circuits. Tons of Shakti Stones and On-Lines, and Original Cable Jackets (frig's
AC and telephone line). Various Marigo VTS Dots used extensively throughout the system
and room (window behind listening seat). EchoBuster acoustical treatments and Shakti
Hallographs. Black Raviolis under Bybee, Heed, Mac, Playback, Cary, and
Claytons, (1, 2, and 3 versions). BDR cones and board (turntable), BDR cones and Jumbos (under
speakers), and even more BDR cones and Composite discs under whatever else is
left. Mondo racks and stands. Walker Audio Ultimate High Definition Links,
Talisman, and SST, and Furutech Nano Liquid. Clever
Little Clock. Various hard woods placed here and
there along with numerous Peter Belt treatments.
audioexcellence az AudioDharma Cable Cooker for all cables.
Our listening room is about 18' long x 14' wide and has 9' coved
ceilings. All walls are lathe and plaster with suspended wood floors
(construction is 1928 Spanish) which have been reinforced directly under the speakers with concrete pillars.
While this is our living room, it has become dedicated more to audio than to casual
conversation. As such we have employed a fair amount of room treatments (EchoBuster,
Marigo, and Shakti products), as well as two dedicated AC lines. Speakers and equipment
have been painstakingly measured and set up to offer the best presentation possible. Our
musical tastes are pretty much all over the map, but we do prefer music that is more
slanted and "alternative" to the accepted normregardless
of the genre. I should add that in my room, the Reimer Tetons are pretty much flat to
21Hz.
When we listen to music, Carol and I prefer a full-range sound that places the
performers out into the room. We like a more "in-your-face" sound as opposed one
where the soundstage sits well behind the speakers. Additionally, we like our music with a
bit more "syrup" than most so our current system is slanted towards the richer
and warmer side of things. Another thing we do like is detail and imaging. Yes, a
well-defined soundfield that offers a well-lit stage is what we are afterthough one
that stresses musicality over sterile neutrality. Not lush mind you, but a bit perhaps a
touch darker than most. Secondary System
LOUDSPEAKERS Chario Hyper Reference 2000.
ELECTRONICS Kora Explorer 90 SI integrated.
SOURCES EAD T-1000 transport and DSP-1000 II DAC.
CABLES Interconnects are DH Labs Revelations,
Audience, or Kubala-Sosna. Speaker cables are JPS Ultraconductors.
ACCESSORIES Blue Circle BC86
Noise Hound, dedicated 20 amp circuit, and Vibrapods.
Computer Based System (home office)
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Dell W7 Desktops (audio is direct
out via USB).
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iTunes, FooBar, JRiver, etc.
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Benchmark DAC 1, DAC 1 Pre (USB), and
Centrance DacPort,.
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Audioengine P4 and N22 amplifier.
- Audioengine 2 loudspeakers.
- Drobo FS with three 1TB WD Green drives.
- Shakti Stones and Onlines.
- Zu interconnects.
- Kimber, Cardas, Furutech, Wireworld USB cables.
- DH Labs Power Plus AC cord.
- Cat 6 and Netgear gigabit switch.
Home Theater System
LOUDSPEAKERS Paradigm LCR350 fronts and center, 250 surrounds, and a Velodyne DSP12
subwoofer.
ELECTRONICS Pioneer VSX-90TXV receiver.
SOURCES Sony Grand Wega 42" LCD HDTV television,
Oppo BD95, and a
Hitachi Hi-Fi VCR.
CABLES Luminous Audio speaker cables, Cardas S-video cable, Cardas component video cables, Silver Sonic
HDMI 1.3 cable, and DH Labs Deluxe Toslink cables. Bybee Golden Goddess TV
Enhancer AC tail, Kubala-Sosna, DH Labs Red Wave, Luminous, and JPS AC cords.
ACCESSORIES Equi-Tech 1.5Q balanced power, Gingko Cloud 10 platform, Shakti Stones and
On-lines, and an Electra-Clear EAU-1 parallel AC unit.
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MYLES B. ASTOR'S
SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Martin-Logan Summit X.
ELECTRONICS
Conrad-Johnson ART amplifier, conrad-johnson GAT
preamplifier, TEAL 1bc phono section,
PASS Labs Xono phonostage,
Avid HIFI Pulsare phonostage and Allnic 3000V phonostage,
Bottlehead Repro tape preamplifier (with Telefunken ECC88 and EF806 tubes) and King/Cello tape preamplifier.
SOURCES
Digital: Altis Audio CDT-III transport and 24/96 Reference DAC (with Telefunken
ECC82 tubes) and Sony SCD-1 SACD player. Analog: VPI Reference Superscoutmaster
turntable with 10.5 inch arm, rim drive and SDS, ZYX Omega S Gold LO, Lyra Titan
i, and
Haniwa cartridges; Reel to reel: J-corder and Bottlehead modded
Technics RS-1500US reel to reel tape machine.
CABLES
Audioquest Amazon interconnects (Bill Low Signatures), K2, and Everest speaker
cables, Cable Research Labs Gold interconnect, bi-wired Gold speaker cable
and Mk. II AC cords, Phoenix Gold Arx 300 Series Bronze Level interconnects,
Transparent Audio Reference MM2 speaker, Reference MM2 interconnect cables, and
AES/EBU digital interconnect cable, MIT Oracle interconnect cables and phono
cable, Cardas Golden Reference interconnects, Asterope interconnect cables,
Dynastrand interconnect cables, ESP Reference Essence AC cords, and Kubala-Sosna Emotion IC, speaker and AC power cords, Kubala-Sosna Elation AC
power cord.
ACCESSORIES
VPI
16.5 record cleaning machine, Sound Application AC outlets, Goldmund cones,
Silent Running Audio VR Series IsoBases under amplifiers, phono section and
turntable, Silent Running Audio Craz equipment stand, Symposium Acoustics Isis
Stand for Technics reel to reel, Audio Physics cartridge demagnetizer, Thor
Audio Phono burn-in, audiodharma cable burn-in, Lyra SPT, Kontak,
AudioIntelligent RCF, MoFi Super Vinyl wash and Super Deep Cleaner, MoFi Stylus
cleaning fluid, Marigo Labs Window damping dots, Dedicated Audio Cable Towers,
Darklab hubs, Cathedral Sound panels and Hi-Fi Tuning fuses (for cj amplifiers).
Room: Although my new city listening room is
similar in size to my long time Bronx digs, (18 x 12 x 8 vs the old
19 x 13 x 8 ft.), the speakers now fire along the long instead of short wall
resulting in a significantly different presentation. Instead of the
verrrryyy…. wide soundstage and musically rich sound of yesteryear, my new
listening room remains musical but significantly less colored and more
transparent with a narrower but deeper soundstage. And I'm not finished
experimenting with and tuning the room's acoustics, so I expect even better
things out of the frequency extremes (not to mention that the new VPI HRX
should shore up other areas!).
Software: My musical library currently numbers
approximately 8000 LPs (considerably thinned out before last summer's move)
and 700 SACDs, DVDs and CDs. Musically this breaks down into roughly 85%
classical (Consisting of the original Mercury, RCA, Lyrita, Harmonia Mundi,
EMI, Decca/London, Argo and many other wonderful labels), 5% jazz, 5% rock
and 5% assorted (world music, soundtracks, country, etc.).
Select Stereo Spectaculars
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Yasukaza Amemiya: Summer Prayer RCA RVC-2154
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Malcolm Arnold: Sarabande and Polka EMI ASD 3823
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Benjamin Britten: Rejoice in the Lamb Argo ZRG
5440
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Kimio Eto: Art of the Koto Elektra EKS-734
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Bill Evans Trio at Shelly's Manne-Hole OJC 263
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Gil Evans: Out of the Cool Impulse Stereo A4 (or
Alto Edition)
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Picaflor: Latin American Music for Guitar and
Mandolin Titanic Mn-5
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Rashomon Carlton Deluxe Stereo STLPX 5000
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Songs from the Fayrfax Manuscript Musical
Heritage Society MHS 4649
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Mel Torme: I Dig the Duke, I Dig the Count Verve V6 8491
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Edgar Varese: Arcana, Integrales, Ionisation
Decca SXL 6550
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Sarah Vaughn: Send in the Clowns Pablo 2312-130
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Charles Wuorinen: Percussion Symphony Nonesuch
H-71353
Listening habits: In a nutshell, the system must
first and foremost, sound musical, not mechanical. The system should in
those oh-so-rare rare, but precious moments, transcend the mechanical and
recreate the illusion of the real event. At the same time, this musicality
shouldn't result from gross colorations or distortions, such as that
displayed by bad single-ended amplifier designs.
Though I can appreciate the diversity of approaches and
paths to attaining audio nirvana, I absolutely loathe upper midrange
aberrations. Specifically, that upper midrange brightness (note that what
many think is a rising top end is in actuality traceable to problems in the
upper midrange area as defined by HP). This upper midrange brightness
results in part from non-linearity, not the frequency domain distortions
(for more on this, see the early seminal papers on capacitor design by Curl
and Marsh.) Another reason for this upper midrange distortion(s), although
far less common in current equipment, is the presence of ferromagnetic
leads/material in the signal path.
Other than that, I'm highly partial to systems that
create a realistic soundstage (in other words, a quartet sounds like a
quartet and not a symphony or vice versa) and imaging (I've
never heard an orchestra sound, even in the worst musical venue, err Avery
Fisher Hall, sound like amorphous, ill-defined blobs of sound), a wide
frequency response, and musically consonant, not over-etched, low-level resolution.
That said, I'm probably a bit more tolerant than some
to a slight loss of macrodynamics (the type one might have to sacrifice with
the best electrostatic, though not anemic like early Quad speakers, that
despite all their attributes, just couldn't overcome one of their most
significant weaknesses). Maybe I'd be less tolerant of this flaw if large
symphonic works were a listening staple in the Astor musical repertoire. Or
possibly it's because I place more value on microdynamics (damn those
tradeoffs!), or what musicians term dynamic shadings. Dynamics shading,
along with the unspoken element, musical silence, are probably two of the
most important components of music that receive little or no attention from
many audiophiles.
Listening Panel: Tiger (a 2½ year old, male
Tawny Spotted Bengal cat) and Sweet Pea (a 1 year old, female, Snow Bengal
cat).
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DR. SARDONICUS' SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Piega P-10, VMPS, and ACI Sapphire XL w\subs
ELECTRONICS BAT VK-600-SE power amplifier, BAT VK-P-10 SE tube phonostage and a BAT VK-51-SE (modified) tube line stage.
SOURCES EMM Labs CDSA SE. Custom
made Jena Labs/Technics SP-10 turntable with SME-10 arm, and a Cardas Heart MC
Cartridge.
CABLES Mostly
Jena Labs Pathfinder, Dream Dancer, and Valkyrie level interconnect,
speaker, and AC cables.
ACCESSORIES Critical Mass Racks, Critical Mass Grand Master, Reference and
Amplifier Filters (update review pending), Billy Bags Pro 23 Amplifier Stands
(under review), and Jena Labs Ez
One, and The One, power conditioners.
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GREG WEAVER'S
SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS >Von Schweikert
Audio VR-5 Anniversary, Escalante Designs Fremont, Von Schweikert Audio Vortex
VR-33, Buggtussel Somu, Buggtussel Circa.
ELECTRONICS
ModWright SL 100 Tube Preamplifier (rolled out with a vintage f32 Mullard GZ34
and a matched pair of 6SN7GT CBS/Hytron dual triodes), Channel Islands Audio
PLC●1 MkII passive preamplifier with VAC●1 power supply. Channel Islands Audio
D●200 MkII Monoblocks (Putzeys based Class D), Channel Islands Audio VMB●1
Monoblocks (gain-clone), DSA Phono ONE phono preamplifier.
SOURCES
Redpoint Audio Design Model D, Tri-Planar Mk VII Precision tonearm,
Transfiguration Temper V MC Cartridge, Clearaudio Virtuoso Mk II Moving Magnet
Cartridge, Denon 103- (with vdHul Mods) MC Cartridge, McCormack UDP-1 Beyond
Deluxe (many more mods – over and above those offered by the factory).
CABLES
Von Schweikert Master Built Signature biwires, Audience Au24 biwires, Stealth
Hybrid MLT, Acoustic Zen Hologram II, SoundString Gen II Platinum Edition Biwire
speaker cables. Stealth Śakra , Stealth Indra, Stealth Nanofiber, Stealth PGS,
Audience Au24e interconnects, Acoustic Zen Absolute, and Acoustic Zen Silver
Reverence II interconnects. Acoustic Zen Absolute and Gargantua II power cables,
Audience Au 24 powerChords, Audience powerChords, SoundString High-Output 30
amp Gen II power cables.
ACCESSORIES
Grand Prix Audio Monaco Modular Isolation System equipment stand (with Apex
Footers and Formula Shelves), a pair of Grand Prix Audio Monaco Amp stands,
Audience adeptResponse aR-12-TS with Audience Au 24 powerChord, Furutech eTP-80,
Monster Cable HTS 800, a pair of Quantum Products, Inc. Symphony Pro's, and a
liberal application of HiFi-Tuning Supreme3 fuses. Magico QPods,
Grand Prix Audio Apex Footers, Aurios 1.2 MIB, VPI HQ-16.5, Nitty Gritty
Mini-Pro, Audio Intelligent Vinyl Solutions, Buggtussel Vinyl-Zime, the full
gamut of LAST record care products, Disc Dr. Miracle Record Cleaner and Quick
Wash, Audio Dharma Cable Cooker 2.5 EFS, KAB Channel Balancer, KAB Speed Strobe,
Mint LP Solutions Best Tractor, Onzow ZeroDust, AudioQuest DM-100 demagnetizer,
CornerTunes, Shakti Hallographs, Furutech RD-2 demagnetizer (now branded
Acoustic-Revive), Digital Systems & Solutions UltraBit Platinum-Plus™, Digital
Systems & Solutions TruVoice Dampers™, Audience Auric Illuminator optical disc
treatments.
My music room occupies a
dedicated 11' 9" X 23' 9" x 7' 4" space. The walls are block and have been
sealed, insulation, then dry walled, and the floor is a poured slab. The ceiling
is suspended acoustic tile hung under the sub-flooring and HVAC ducting above
it. The center of the ScanSpeak Revelator in my Von Schweikert Audio VR-5
Anniversary is 79" from the rear walls and 24" from their respective side walls,
positioning them some 7' 8" apart, tweeter center to tweeter center. My
listening seat is centered between and roughly 10' back from the plane of the
tweeters.
Room taming is achieved through the use RoomTunes Corner Tunes and the
stunningly effective Shakti Innovations Hallographs.
I also have employed two very large plants behind the speakers to afford a very
effective diffraction/diffusion field in those rear corners. Further, the
floor-to-ceiling shelving housing all LPs and optical media situated along the
right wall of the room provides a diffraction/diffusion field along that wall to
balance the openness native to the left side of the room. The left side boundary
of the room is not a solid wall; it is a hanging room divider comprised of
hundreds of thin strips, hung together in blind fashion, suspended from the
ceiling.
Power to
components in the listening room is fully dedicated, with a pair of 20 amps runs
for amplification (one for each monoblock), and another separate single 15 amp
circuit for the source components. All other items (lights, printers, computers,
etc.) are powered from yet another entirely separate circuit. All circuits have
been tested for proper ground and polarity, and grounding for this room has been
dedicated.
Those who
know me or have read my work over the years know that my system MUST be tonally
accurate, strikingly neutral, stunningly transparent, and jubilantly musical.
However, open, detailed, and layered soundstaging, combined with realistically
sized and spatially accurate images, are every bit as important to me as
truthful timbre and musical bloom. With the right recording, this system whisks
you back to the venue or hall of the original performance for a spooky-real
recreation of that event in the here and now.
I have had
any number of audiophile and musician visitors' remark on the power of the
listening experience as witnessed from my chair. Musicians from any number of
genres of music, from Salsa to Rock ‘n' Roll to Classical, have actually wept
after a listening session. Audiophiles of many years have remarked things like,
"What more could you ask for," and "I've never heard a rig sound ANY BETTER than
this."
While that is encouraging to hear and indicates I'm doing the right things with
component and cable selection and room set up, it must be seen as an ongoing
project. Every once in a while, the addition of some new piece, be it a source,
a cable, or an accessory, allows me to move just a little closer to that actual
musical event. The journey continues…
Multi-channel music and Home Theatre system
Housed in a separate dedicated 12' x 22" by 7' 4" space, the theater has two
dedicated rows of seating, with the second row elevated. For times when I really
need more than 5 or 6 seats, as there is some 12 plus feet of open space behind
the second row of seats, extra temporary seating is easily added.
MONITORS Mitsubishi WD-62527 1080p/720p 62" hi-def monitor.
LOUDSPEAKERS
Von Schweikert Vortex VR-33, Mirage MC-3 center, Optimus LX-4 rears, Mirage
FRx-S10 subwoofer.
ELECTRONICS Emotiva LMC-1 7 channel
preamp/processor, Emotiva LPA-1 seven-channel amplifier.
SOURCES
McCormack UDP-1 Beyond Deluxe Universal player, Samsung BD-P1590 BluRay Player,
DirecTV R-10 HD receiver, Hughes HDVR2 DirecTV TiVo Digital Receiver, JVC
HR-S3600U S-VHS.
CABLES
Audience Au24 speaker cables, Audience Au24e interconnects, SoundString Gen II
Platinum Edition HDMI v1.4 cables.
ACCESSORIES
DIY Equipment Stands, Monster Cable HTS 800, Quantum Symphony Pro, Aurios 1.2
MIB, Furutech RD-2 demagnetizer (now branded Acoustic-Revive), Digital Systems &
Solutions UltraBit Platinum-Plus™, Digital Systems & Solutions TruVoice
Dampers™, Audience Auric Illuminator optical disc treatments.
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CHIP STERN'S
SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Dynaudio
Confidence C1, Acoustic Zen Adagio, Meadowlark Swallows, Epos ELS-3, Alon/Nola
Li'l Rascals, Audioengine 2.
ELECTRONICS
VTL 5.5
Vacuum Tube Preamp, Rogue Audio M180 Vacuum Tube Monoblocks, Manley Massive
Passive Vacuum Tube Parametric Equalizer, Rogue Audio Stealth Phono Preamp,
Rogue Audio Cronus Magnum Integrated Amp, Luxman G-120A Graphic Frequency
Equalizer, Music Hall Trio CD Receiver, Furutech GT40 24Bit/96KHz USB Audio
Interface.
SOURCES
Oppo BDP-95 Blu-Ray
Universal, Lexicon RT-20 Universal Player, Upscale Audio Ah! Njoe Tjoeb 4000
Vacuum Tube CD Player (in 24/192 Super Tjoeb configuration), Rega Planar 25
turntable with Rega RB600 tone-arm and Grado Statement Master cartridge, Kyocera
D-801 Cassette Deck, Marantz PMD430 Portable Cassette Recorder, Korg MR-1000
Digital Mobile Recorder, Zoom H1 Digital Recorder, Zoom Q3HD Digital Audio/Video
Recorder, Panasonic Viera TC-P42G25 1080p Plasma HDTV
CABLES
Acoustic Zen
Silver Reference II interconnects, Audioquest Panther interconnects and CV-6
speaker cables, Monster Cable Sigma Retro Gold interconnects and speaker cables,
JPS Labs Superconductor 3 interconnects and speaker cables, JPS Labs Aluminata
Interconnects (in between pre-amp and digital front end), JPS Labs Aluminata,
Kaptovator, Digital and Analog AC, Acoustic Zen Gargantua II and Absolute AC.
ACCESSORIES
Two PolyCrystal
equipment racks, a PolyCrystal amp stand and PolyCrystal speaker stands. Power
line conditioning: Equi=Tech Q650 and 2Q Balanced Power Isolation Transformers,
Monster Cable AVS 2000 Automatic Voltage Stabilizer. JPS Labs Kaptovator outlet
centers, Ringmat 330 and Signal Guard II isolation stand (turntable), Shakti
Stones (electromagnetic stabilizers), PolyCrystal cones, Argent Room Lens, Echo
Busters' Bass Busters absorptive and diffusive panels, Grado RS-1 Stereo
Headphones.
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ROBERT H. LEVI'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Marten Bird Loudspeakers, Marten Duke Loudspeakers, and REL Stadium III
subwoofer
ELECTRONICS
E.A.R. 324 phono preamplifier,
[2] E.A.R. 890 amplifiers (run as monos), E.A.R. 534 Stereo
Amplifier, E.A.R. 912 Professional Preamplifier, E.A.R. 834L Tube Line Stage,
E.A.R. HP4 Headphone Amplifier, Grado Battery Headphone Amplifier, and KingRex
Headphone Amplifier.
SOURCES
Analog: E.A.R. Disk Master Turntable with two Helius Omega Tonearms. Digital:
E.A.R. Acute III CD player, E.A.R. Acute 1 CD Player, ModWright Sony 9100ES SACD/CD/DVD
Player with Signature Truth Modifications, Mod/Bybee Filters and Revelation Cryo
Silver Umbilical. ModWright Sony 999ES CD/SACD/DVD Player with signature Truth
Mod and Tube Power Supply, and Alesis Masterlink 24/96 Recorder/Playback Deck.
Cartridges: Koetsu Rosewood Signature Phono Cartridge, London Reference Phono
Cartridge, and Grado Statement1 Phono Cartridge. LD: Pioneer DVL 919 CD/LD/DVD
Player. Tuners: Magnum Dynalab MD-108 Reference Tuner, Marantz 10B FM Tuner, Day
Sequerra Reference FM1 Tuner, McIntosh MR71 FM Tuner, Dynaco AF6 FM Tuner, and
Marantz ST17 FM Tuner. Headphones: Stax 7t Electrostatic headphones, Grado RS1
headphones, Grado PS 1000 Headphones, Ultrasone Edition 8 Headphones,and Koss
ESP950 Electrostatic Headphones.
CABLES
Kubala-Sosna Elation Interconnects, Speaker Cables, and Power Cords.
Kubala-Sosna Emotion and Expression Interconnects and power cords, Jorma Design
Origo Interconnects and Speaker Cables. Harmonic Technology Magic 2
Interconnects, Magic 1&2 Power Cords, Fantasy Power Cords, Kimber D-60 Digital
Interconnects, Kimber Select 3038 Silver and Silver/Copper Interconnects, CRL
Silver Interconnects and Custom WyWires Interconnects.
ACCESSORIES
Monster Reference 350 Mark II v2 Power Conditioner, World Power Wing Revised
Power Conditioner, Tice Power Block, Tice Clock, and Audio Prism Quiet Line IIs.
Anniversary Edition Cable Cooker 2.5, Winds Stylus Pressure Gage, Bedini Ultra
Clarifier, VPI Record Cleaning Machine 16.5. Audio Magic's Quantum Physics Noise
Disrupters, Marigo Mystery Feet, Townshend Seismic Sinks, Furutech Demag, RSC
Sound Panels and 16 inch Bass Trap, and Shunyata Cable Lifters.
Secondary System
LOUDSPEAKERS JM Labs Cobalt Monitors.
ELECTRONICS Cary AE-1 300B SET amplifier modifed by
Dennis Had with EAT 300B tubes, E.A.R. 834L Deluxe preamplifier, and a Dyna
Stereo 70 modified by Sam Papadas with RAM KT88s.
SOURCES ModWright Sony 999 CD/CACD/DVD player, Marantz ST6000 FM tuner, Marantz ST
17 FM tuner, and Parasound Broadcast Reference FM tuner. Denon 2200 DVD/SACD/DVDA
Player
CABLES Kimber Hero, Harmonic Technology Pro Silway 3
and MagicLink 2 interconnects with Kimber Select Silver speaker cables. Harmonic
Technology CyberLight interconnects between preamp and amp. Kimber Palladium AC,
Harmonic Technology Magic and Fantasy AC, and Soundstring Pro AC cables used
throughout system. Tara Decade power cord used on PS9.0 ModWright Power Supply
to CD/SACD player. HT Battery Pack 4 for Cyberlights.
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LARRY COX'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
ATC SCM 20-2A powered (active equalization and
amplification is built-in) speakers.
ELECTRONICS E.A.R. 864 preamplifier both with a mix of
NOS tubes.
SOURCE CEC TL1 and Denon 2200 DVD players as
transports to a Twisted Pear Audio Buffalo 32s DAC. Amazon Model 2 turntable
sitting on a Townshend Seismic Sink, with a Moerch DP6 arm and Dynavector
XX2MkII cartridge and Audiopath 4 tonearm cable.
CABLES
Interconnects: Ensemble Dynaflux,
AudioQuest Emerald, and Silver Audio Silver Bullet 4.0's. Power cords, self made
DIY, Supra Lo-Rad Mains. A full complement of Kubala Sosna Emotion power
cords for all equipment requiring power, S/PDIF, interconnects, including
tonearm cable; Kubala Sosna Anticipation power cords for all equipment
requiring, S/PDIF, and interconnects (no phono cable).
ACCESSORIES
Sound Application power conditioner; A
Lovan Classic Rack, Townshend Seismic Sink, assorted Vibrapods, Final Labs
Daruma III isolation bearings, Black Diamond #3 and #4 cones, with Black Diamond
Whatchamacallit's, DH Cones, Discsolution, ASC Tube Trap Bass Trap and assorted
other stuff.
WHAT I LISTEN FOR
I listen to music to hear a realistic timbre with
a natural scale to music, i.e. uncompressed dynamics are important to me. I
listen at medium to louder levels - live music isn't played at the level you go
to sleep at; I cannot have an experience of realistic dynamic contrasts when
everything is less audible, let alone lacks the visceral impact and scale of
live levels of percussion. Imaging is nice, but not important until timbre has
been rendered realistically first.
While it is nifty to hear a vivid portrayal of
music's attack and decay, it isn't often a part of the original event in my
listening seat. Often, what some listeners love about transient attack and decay
can occur to these ears as an exaggeration and part and parcel of a lean and/or
bright character.
WHY I LISTEN AND WRITE
I like music and pleasure. My reviews will point
you to stuff I liked that I think you'll like. I'm not a fly searching for doors
with moons on it; if I find one, I turn away and spend time on something I like.
People that hunt out problems belong in an asylum. Naturally then, my reviews
are more likely to be positive. Every component I've ever listened to was
connected to another component—so I've never heard a single component and can
only guess what it sounds like; I just know how it performed for me in my
system with my tastes. Proclamations that "x" component is "the best" or what
have you are delusional for the writer and foolishness for a reader to rely
upon. My reviews attempt to describe what I heard and how I felt about its role
in my system so that you can get a sense of what it might sound like in
your system or that of another's. There are no audio gods, especially the
self-proclaimed ones. Use my reviews, and really everyone else's, as a place to
start.
MY PREFERENCES
If a component doesn't produce the timbre or tone
of the original instrument, everything else is unimportant. If timbre is
handled, then I want a dynamic performance so that I think I'm hearing the loud
and soft range of the original instrument. Next, I would like frequency
extension, down to 40Hz in a medium sized room is important. If I get these
three, together, I'll tend to like the component and write enthusiastically.
After those three, imaging is nice; the performance on attack and decay are like
cloth napkins at a dinner, nice to have but not terribly important.
I've preferred vinyl and the body to music that
tubes provide. However, in a perfect world, my system would operate from a
remote without tubes (pesky tube failures are a bane) or what the signal is
delivered by (analog, CD/SACD/DVD, whatever). I would prefer owning solid state
gear so that I could dispense with the NOS tube nonsense, but tubes still sound
better to me, and unfortunately, so do some of the NOS tubes, but not enough to
give up what tubes and vinyl provide, at least so far. As far as music goes, I
want a realistic rendering of the music I would listen to if pressings and
format didn't matter, rather than collecting really well recorded versions of
listless, vapid music.
WHERE MY SYSTEM IS SHORT
I would love to have a bit deeper bass. My
speakers go to 40Hz with no problems, but deeper bass "settles" a system's
performance in a way that more resolution won't. My dream speaker would be
powered ATC SCM 100s, but they're financially out of reach, especially since
we're planning a move to better digs. A subwoofer would be nice to provide what
the 100s do that my 20s don't, but I have no present plans for that, either.
It's easy to get my system to sound a bit bright or hard, and as I occasionally
hunt for more resolution, and I find that brighter sometimes masquerades as more
resolution. There are better systems out there, sure, but I'm quite happy with
my system and what it does.
My tastes are fairly catholic: I like some roots
and pop music. I find movie sound tracks a great source of new music and
artists. I enjoy classical music and Spanish (acoustic) guitar. I do not want to
get the "nothing but beat" (not rhythm), angry misogynist "sound" with no melody
or beauty in it that is so popular now. I'll leave that to the flies above.
While I'm open to new experiences, I don't need or want to experience
everything.
What I'd wish for you is that you find reviews
that allow you to enjoy your system and music and to dispense with finding nits
to pick in their performance. Critical listening is an important part of getting
your system and you to a condition where music reproduction is good. I remind
myself, and you can remind yourself with my comments here, that the point of a
high fidelity system is to enjoy music, not to enable a "Where's Waldo" game of
finding the hidden error. Of course, it's your system and your hobby so you get
to make the rules for yourself and if finding Waldo/problems or critiquing your
system is what you love, disregard this note.
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DANNY KAEY'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Zu
Audio Definition Pro Lautsprecher.
ELECTRONICS Nomad Audio Niagara
amplifier, Yamamoto AS-08 amplifier, Quad II (original)
amplifier, Brinkmann
Vollverstärker, Brinkmann Fein phono, and a Rane PEQ55.
SOURCE Slimdevices Squeezebox, ZeroOne Ti48 HD Transport/CD player, ZeroOne Ar38 DAC, Technics 1210 M5G, Zu DL-103 cartridge, Denon TU-460 tuner, Lector CDP-6 CD
player w/ RCA Blackplates, ReVox H-1 cassette
tape deck, Technics RS-1700
reel to reel w/ custom Tim d.P. electronics, Dolby 330
professional Dolby B noise reduction - custom Tim d.P. modification, and an AEG/Telefunken
M15A reel to reel.
CABLES Full compliment of
Kubala-Sosna Emotion and Fascination cables. Full compliment of
Audio-Magic Sorcerer and Clairvoyant cables.
ACCESSORIES Townshend 5 tier seismic
rack, Townshend seismic sinks
(1x component sink, 2x Lautsprecher sink), Grand Prix Audio 5 tier
Monaco Modular rack.
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JOHN ZUREK'S
SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Magnepan 1.6, JL
Fathom 112
ELECTRONICS deHavailland
Ultraverve remote, Jolida JD 1000RC, Aqvox Phono 2ci, Ray Samuels
F-117 Nighthawk.
SOURCES VPI
Scoutmaster/JMW9 Tonearm /Shelter 501 Mk II, Cary 303/200 CD player, Sony
DVP-NS755 SACD, and a Marantz CDR 630.
CABLES Acoustic Zen
Silver Reference, Acoustic Zen Matrix Reference, Dunlavy Reference, Acoustic Zen
MC2 digital, and PS Audio Xtreme interconnects, Cardas Cross Bi-wire, PS Audio
Xtreme, and Acoustic Zen Satori speaker cables, Aqvox Connections phono cable,
PS Audio Xtreme power cables.
ACCESSORIES Ginko Cloud 9,
Equarack Multi-Mount Footers and Spike Adapters, Standesign and Boltz racks,
Argent Room Lenses, VPI HW-16.5 Record Cleaner, Monster HTS 200 power
conditioner, PS Audio Duet, Vibrapods, Sonex panels, and AudioPrism Quiet Line
filters, Auric Illuminator, Pandafeet, Herbie's Grungebuster CD mat, Superior
Carpet Spikes, and Iso-cups.
Office System
Apple Ipod
Classic 80, Sennheiser CX 300.
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MARSHALL NACK'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS YG
Acoustics Anat Studio III.
ELECTRONICS
mbl 6010D preamplifier, mbl 9008A
monoblocks and Soulution 710 stereo amp. ASR Basis Exclusive phono preamp.
SOURCES Dr.
Feickert Blackbird turntable, Shelter Harmony cartridge, ModWright SONY
SCD-XA5400ES SACD player
CABLES
Interconnects are Kubala-Sosna Elation! and Kharma Enigma. Digital cables
are Kubala-Sosna Elation! and Kharma Enigma. Speaker wires are
Kubala-Sosna Elation! and Kharma Enigma. AC power cords are Kubala-Sosna
Elation! and Tara Labs Gold.
ACCESSORIES
TAOC Rack and TITE-35S component footers,
edenSound TerraStone footers, CORE Designs amp stands, Vibraplane ELpF Isolation
Platforms, Acoustic System Resonators and Sugar Cubes, Argent Room Lenses, Echo
Buster & Sonex acoustic panels, TARA Labs PM/2 and IDAT power conditioners.
I have a LONG, rectangular listening room—32' long x
12' wide x 8' high—ideally suited for the rule of thirds: speakers are
positioned one third into the room and about 24" from the sidewalls, facing
straight ahead, the listener sits another third into the room. Two dedicated
15-amp lines power the system.
After years of trial and error, I've pared down room treatment to: Harmonix RFA
78i Room Tuning Discs, 4" Sonex panels at the first reflection points on the
sidewalls, an Echo Buster Bass Buster, three Argent Room Lenses and a quartet of
Acoustic System Resonators. The speaker placement in tandem with these room
treatments gives me an amazing amount of layered depth and good image height,
but a somewhat compromised width.
Most often you'll hear Baroque music in our home, followed by other classical
repertoire and a bit of jazz. The system is voiced for harmonic richness and
musical involvement over accuracy and detail.
My secret weapon is my wife, Lynn, who provides invaluable musical insight. With
decades of training as an oboist, and now serving as VP of a community
orchestra, she knows what sounds natural and what doesn't. Many are the times
she's pulled me back from the brink after a multi-day audio binge.
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ARNIS BALGALVIS'S
SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Avalon Eidolon
Diamond.
ELECTRONICS Jeff Roland Design Group Synergy IIi with BPS-1 Battery Power Supply preamplifier.
Jeff Roland Design Group
Model 12 and Mark Levinson ML332 amplifiers.
SOURCES Sony SCD-1, Esoteric P-03 transport (review sample), Esoteric D-03
(review sample), and a MSB Technology Corporation Platinum DAC III.
CABLES Interconnects are TARA Labs ISM OnBoard 0.8 2m XLR, and TARA Labs ISM
OnBoard 0.8 1.5m XLRs. Speaker cables are TARA Labs OMEGA 10 foot long. Digital
cables are TARA Labs AES/EBU, Cardas Audio AES/EBU, and Acoustic Zen AES/EBU.
Power cords are Purist Audio Auctorita (for ML 332).
ACCESSORIES Echo Buster Panels, RSC Tube Traps. Installed dedicated AC power line
using 8 GA wiring.
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BOB NEILL'S
SYSTEM
Primary System
LOUDSPEAKERS
JM Reynaud Orféo Supremes on Symposium Sveltes. JM Reynaud Offrande
Supreme, V2's. JMR Bliss and Bliss Silvers on JMR Magic Stands. Audio Note E/SPe HE's on lead & sand filled Audio Note stands.
ELECTRONICS
Crimson CS710 solid state preamp and CDS640 solid state monoblocks Audio
Note M6/ Phono - tubed, single-ended preamplifier, Audio Note P3 Silver
Signature - 9 watt, SET stereo amp with 300B's. Audio Note OTO SE Signature 10
watt single ended EL84 integrated amp; Blue Circle BC 30000 II GZpz tubed
preamp; BC 204-KQ hybrid 150 watt stereo amplifier. Blue Circle FtTH 2 KQ 100
watt hybrid integrated.
SOURCES
Audio Note CDT 4 transport. Blue
Circle BC 501ob LOC dac. Audio Note Dac 4.1x Balanced Signature; Audio Note TT3
Half reference turntable, Audio Note AN-1s/Sogon arm, lOGold MC cartridge and L4
step-up transformer. Blue Circle BC 703 phonostage.
CABLES
Crimson interconnects and speaker cable. Audio Note Sogon and Sootto
interconnects, Audio Note Sogon 40/40 speaker cable.
ACCESSORIES
Mapleshade Samson equipment rack and amp slabs.
Room: 18 feet x 29 feet. Ceiling slopes from 11 feet at speaker end to 8 feet at
the other. Floor is concrete slab covered by oak with an 8 x 10 area rug in
front of the speakers. Brick wall on the listener's left, floor to ceiling books
on the right. Wall behind speakers is floor to ceiling glass, with (seldom used)
drapes. AN Speakers are in corners toed in to meet one meter in front of
listener. Reynauds sit 3.5 feet from wall behind them, 4.5 feet from side walls,
and 9 feet apart, pointed directly at listener
Room: 12 x 12 "study" with 8 foot ceiling. Books floor to ceiling on listener's
right, drywall on listener's left. Laminate flooring over concrete slab. Area
rugs. Windows behind speakers covered by drapes.
Secondary System
LOUDSPEAKERS JM
Reynaud Duets on JMR Magic Stands; Reynaud
Offrande Supremes.
ELECTRONICS Blue
Circle FtTH - 95 watt hybrid integrated amplifier.
Blue Circle SBT - tubed preamp/SBM 50 watt solid state monoblocks.
SOURCES Same as
Primary System, but with Audio Note CD4.1x planned.
CABLES Audio Note
AN-Vx interconnects, Lexus speaker cable.
ACCESSORIES Samson equipment rack.
Room: 12 x 12 "study" with 8 foot ceiling. Books
floor to ceiling on listener's right, drywall on listener's left. Laminate
flooring over concrete slab. Area rugs. Windows behind speakers covered by
drapes. |
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BRUCE KINCH'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Amphion Xenon.
ELECTRONICS Herron VTPH-1 tube phono and VTSP-1/166
preamplifier, and a Michael Yee PA-2 amplifier. Aqvox 2 Ci Mk II phono
stage , Bent Audio TAP Transformer Volume Control, Bel Canto e.One M300
monoblock amplifiers.
SOURCES Nottingham Analogue Spacedeck, Rega Planar 3,
Thorens 121, and Logic turntables. Lyra Lydian Beta, van den Hul MC-10,
and Grado Sonata cartridges. Modified Denon 2910 CD/SACD/DVD player.
CABLES JPS, van den Hul, Nordost Heimdahl, and
Reality Cable interconnects. Eichmann Express 6 II, Nordost Red Dawn II
speaker cables.
ACCESSORIES An
accumulation of the usual bricks, mats, cones and pucks.
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GARY L. BEARD'S SYSTEM
Main System
LOUDSPEAKERS Omega Super HempTone speakers
and custom Skylan speakers stands (in for
review), and an REL Strata III Subwoofer.
ELECTRONICS Larry Moore 300B Monoblock amps, Updated Eico HF-86 amp, AudioTropic
Moebius preamplifier, and a George Wright WPP100C phono-stage.
SOURCES Music Hall MMF-9 Turntable with Project Carbon arm and Maestro MC
Cartridge,
George Wright Step-up Transformer, and a Marantz CC65SE 5 disk CD player. Squeezebox and Red Wine Audio modified Squeezebox2 music servers.
CABLES Kimber 4TC speaker cables, Kimber Silver Streak and Hero
interconnects, Final Labs interconnects, and Shunyata Sidewinder and homebrew Belden/Hubbell/Marinco power cords.
ACCESSORIES Richard Gray Power Station 400 power conditioner, Final Labs Daruma 3II
isolation, Vibrapods, Lovan Classic equipment rack, DIY points, ceramic
cable supports, and various homebrew isolation tweaks.
Multi-channel Computer Room System
LOUDSPEAKERS Hsu VT-12 Ventriloquist
Speaker System, and a Hsu SFT-2 Subwoofer.
ELECTRONICS Panasonic SA-XR50 Digital
Receiver.
SOURCES Pioneer 578A UDP.
CABLES Acoustic Research IC's and
West Penn commercial speaker cabling. Monster Toslink digital cable.
PC running XP
Pro playing Apple Lossless files from a Maxtor 300 gig HDD through a
Terratec 6Fire DMX Soundcard via
Toslink digital connection to the Panasonic
receiver, or streaming wirelessly to a remote Slim Devices Squeezebox
connected via Coax to the Yamaha DSP-A1 through a Niles speaker switcher for
whole house sound. Pretty cool!
Home Theater and Whole House System
LOUDSPEAKERS Mix and Match Mini-monitor
Speaker systems: Infinity SAT/SUB, PSB, Polk Audio, Mirage
Omnisats, Phase Technology SAT/SUB.
ELECTRONICS Yamaha DSP-A1 receiver and a
Yamaha TX-950 tuner.
SOURCES Sony DVP-S7700ES DVD player
CABLES Radio Shack IC's and
Belden oxygen-free speaker cabling
ACCESSORIES Monster Power Strip
My main system is located on the short wall of a 19' x 11.5' family room. In
2006, I had Vinnie Rossi of Red Wine Audio modify my Squeezebox 2 and it is
now my main digital source. Also in 2006, I saw my first serious action with a soldering iron, as I took on the challenge to rebuild a 1959 Eico HF-86
with the help of Jim McShane (http://pages.prodigy.net/jimmcshane/) and
Jay
Waxler (Harmony Audio of Bloomington, Indiana). The Eico's body is a bit
ugly, but it sounds terrific driving my Omega Superhemps!
I am truly excited to now own a pair of Larry Moore 300B amps. Quite
unfortunately, they are currently being reworked by yours truly due to a
serious mishap with a certain shipping company. They will recover from their
injuries soon and be back on the playing field in time for next season. My
limited, yet fulfilling entry into DIY really has piqued my interest and I
am really looking forward to building an amp from ground up at some point.
When I do, you can be sure I will document my journey.
The little multi-channel system that resides in my office has really opened
my eyes to the potential of the format, whether it is SACD, DVD-A, or some
other high quality form. My three-year experiment with music servers, has
shown me the true potential of that method of playback and I believe
strongly that most audiophiles will eventually use some form of
computer-driven digital playback media in the not-too-distant future.
Listening to music is really my first audio love and I enjoy the majority of
musical genres, especially bluegrass, American roots, western swing, jazz,
classical, and folk music. However, good old rock and roll is still my first
love. I appreciate your support as I endeavor to write entertaining prose
about my experiences with audio. Thanks and rock on!
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JIM MEROD'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Acoustic Zen Crescendos, Genesis G7.2Ps, Tetra Manhattans (also: Apogee
Stages, SP Tech Time Piece 1.2s, Vandersteen 2Ce-modified, Acoustic Zen Adagios,
von Schweikert VCL-15 monitor reference and sub), Silverline Minuets.
ELECTRONICS
McCormack 125 Platinum Full-Rev Edition, plus McCormack VRE-1 preamplifier Nuforce
P-9 mono blocks, Birdland Odeon-Ag 24-192/SACD Upsampling DAC, Audio Research
SP-8 (Dahong Seeto version) preamplifier, Nuforce P-9 mono blocks, KR VT600-MK
tube mono blocks, McCormack 0.5 high-mod amplifier.
SOURCES
Tascam HR-45 eight channel portable recording unit, Alesis 9600 MasterLink
24-96 digital mastering recorder, Tascam RA1000 DSD hard disc recorder, LINN
LP-12 turntable (Grado Sonata cartridge) with modified Audio Research PH-1 phono
stage NuForce Edition OPPO BDP-93 universal disc player, OPPO DV 970HD, Denon
1650-AR, Pioneer Elite DV-45A, Samsung DVD R135, Tascam RW750 Pro CD Recorder.
CABLES
Acoustic Zen MC-Squared, Magnan digital RCA, Silverline Alan Yun Special
Edition balanced digital, Stealth Varidig, Stealth power cord, Acoustic Zen
Absolute, Gargantua, Krakatoa, and Tsunami power cords, VH Audio Flavor 4, Kubala-Sosna
Elation, Emotion and Studio Reference, Stealth Meta-carbon and Stealth Indra
limited edition, Genesis Absolute Fidelity, van den Hull Two carbon and van den
Hul The Rock, hybrid, Acoustic Zen Matrix and Silver Reference, Duende,
Soundstring Gen II XLR, RCA, & speaker cables, Magnan Silver-Bronze, Silversmith
Silver, Analysis Plus Ultra Plus, Wireworld Eclipse III, Bogdan Silver Spirit,
Silverline Alan Yun Special Edition balanced digital, Stealth Varidig,
Kubala-Sosna Elation and Emotion speaker cables, Acoustic Zen Absolute speaker
cables, Stealth Dream speaker cables.
HEADPHONES
Grado GS1000 headphones, Sennheiser 650s, AKG 1000 and AKG 701.
ACCESSORIES
Audience AdeptResponse 12 outlet power conditioner and Magnan ultra power
strip.
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SASHA MATSON'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS PMC FB1i.
ELECTRONICS Cary Audio CAD 805 Anniversary Edition Triode monoblock amplifiers, Cary Audio SLP98P preamplifier.
SOURCES
VPI
Scoutmaster w/ Dynavector Karat 17D3 moving coil cartridge and a Cary Audio 308T
CD Player. Victor Model V/IV internal horn one-spring Victrola
record player- model year 1914.
CABLES AudioQuest Mont Blanc DBS Speaker cables, AudioQuest Sky DBS
interconnects, and Hudson Audio Technology power cords.
ACCESSORIES VPI HW-16.5 record cleaning machine, VPI Magic Brick, Custom
equipment racks by Michael Green Audio, Monster Power Reference Center, Gingko
Cloud 10 & 11 isolation platform, Stillpoint isolation cones. Cable Elevators.
Ringmat. Hop Kiln Zinfandel, Hendricks Gin, Knob Creek Bourbon.
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ALBERT PORTER'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Dali Megaline with custom crossover
(above). (Two) JL Audio Fathom F212 buffered by JFET Trans Audio Design from XLR
out of Alnic preamp. JL is set for 30Hz at 24 DB per octave so they are active
in the region where the Dali bass rolls off.
ELECTRONICS Allnic L400 line stage and Allnic
H3000 phono stage. Trans Audio Design custom tube crossover for Dali Megaline,
replacing the original solid state factory unit. Two pairs of the VTL 750 Ref mono
blocks powering the four sections of the Dali Megaline.
SOURCES Technics SP10 MK3 with my
(co-designed) Rosewood Panzerholz plinth and twin tonearms. One is SME 312S
with Koetsu Coralstone, second is Micro Seiki MAX 282 with Air Tight Supreme. I
also have a Shure V15VxMR and I have the new Lyra Atlas on order. Wave Kinetics
NVS turntable fitted with Talea II tone arm and Air Tight Supreme cartridge
sitting on NVS isolation platform. MK3 turntables is fitted with Stillpoints SS
Ultras and sits on Vibraplane 2212-01 supported by custom built 6061 aircraft
alloy stand I designed and had built by Bob at Sound Anchor. Open reel tape via
Studer A810 custom rebuild at Studer USA, Nashville and has it’s own Vibraplane
2212-01. Movies via Oppo BDP 95 into Panasonic 65” Plasma. Digital via Mach
2Music (Mac Mini) with solid state drive into Ayre QB-9 DAC. Audioquest Diamond
USB and Firewire cables. Software is Amarra Pro and Pure Music. Controlled
from iPad 2 and iPhone using Apple Remote.
CABLES Purist Audio Design 25th
Anniversary 100% silver for all interconnect, speaker and AC cables.
ACCESSORIES Stillpoints Ultras under crossover,
preamp, VTL 750s and Technics MK3. Two record cleaning machines. A pair of Audio
Desk ultrasonic with Audio Desk cleaning solution in one and lab grade water
(rinse only) in the other.
Home Theatre System
Dali Ikon
Vocal 2 for dialogue, B&W Signature 7 Nautilus (in wall) for side channels
with Sony Grand Wega 55" HDTV moved between Megalines (ONLY) for movies.
Construction by Advanced Environmental Concepts from
plans by Russ Burger Design Group. Acoustical treatment applied to all vertical
surfaces, including ceiling where it vaults to second story level. Walls are 5
layers thick, floor is lam beams with double tongue and groove epoxy laminate
plus 1" of concrete and then finished with Multicolor Indian Slate. Special wire
trays for all cables are under the pier and beam and accessible from panels
behind my equipment when swaps are necessary.
I have two utility company electrical transformers
feeding my home. I am wired for 3 phase 240 and have 14 dedicated circuits fed
from a 750 amp trans-socket commercial meter for the audio system alone. Also
have provision for European equipment via three dedicated 240 volt runs at front
and amp positions in the room.
There is full floor to ceiling RPG diffusers on the
walls behind the speakers. Acoustical fiberglass treatment an all surfaces
except rear wall, finished by DesignTex acoustical cloth locked into place with
Whisper Walls rail system.
My finished room passes for a traditional
(untreated) living room with lightly textured, painted sheetrock walls. Happily,
it retains the appearance of a traditional living room rather than an "alter to
hi fi" design.
Although my degree's in fine art, the only work I
could find after graduation was neither creative nor rewarding. A high end audio store that I visited almost every
week seemed like paradise to me. I loved listening to music on their tube
electronics and learning about each system they had set up. One day while
speaking with the owner I remarked that working there would be a dream job, and
to my surprise they offered me a sales position. That high end audio store and the three that
followed exposed me to every major product in high end audio. The last store was
mine, supported by an investment group with me controlling buying and day to day
operation.
Discussion came up from a major rep firm about me
representing them in a five state area. I accepted the job calling on high
end audio stores, offering technical support for Infinity Systems, ESS,
Sennheiser, MB of Germany, Ampex, JBL Commercial, Crown International and
Yamaha. I found relief during the long hours on the road
experimenting with my camera. I captured images of people, the stores I visited
and interesting scenery I discovered along the way.
When calling on a high end audio store in Dallas, a
fellow graduate from my university recognized me. He was the creative director
for a local advertising agency. After much discussion over the next few weeks, I
was offered a position as their in house photographer. This agency and photography received all my devotion
for two years, and suddenly my work became recognized. The owner of the best
photo studio in Dallas, offered me a position shooting for the Neiman Marcus
Christmas Book and Dr. Pepper catalogues.
Soon my freelance work was blooming, including into
a multi year contract with Southland Corp., providing people, real estate and
annual report images. I spent 11 years doing the in flight magazine for
Southwest Airlines, and well as advertising photography for Interstate Battery,
Exxon/Mobil, Quest Medical, Bank of America, Redman Industries, GAP, Raytheon,
Fidelity Investments and Texas Instruments.
I never lost my passion for audio, soliciting
assignments from audio manufacturers at CES . To date, my advertising images
have appeared in print and magazines representing Atma-Sphere, Audioquest,
Purist Audio, PSE, Versa Dynamics, Sound-Lab, Counterpoint, Aria Audio,
Sound-Lab, Essence, Musical Fidelity, Aesthetix, Benz, Basis, Graham, Sound
Anchor, McCormack and Maxxhorn.
My wife and I have been together for thirty five
years and have one son, John who is the love of my life. I host a group of music
loving friends that meet at my home every Tuesday night to spin LPs and
CDs. I've hosted this without fail, for 29 years and I have learned much from
visitors that I share music with. Most in my group are audiophiles and all are
music lovers. Some are solid state guys, some are tube guys. This leads to
diversity in equipment testing and keeps me experimenting with new ideas.
My photography website:
http://www.albertporterphoto.com
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FRANCISCO DURAN'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Tonian Labs TL-D1 Loudspeakers with custom cabinet with real wood Bamboo
finish.
ELECTRONICS Margules U280SC Class A tube amplifier (new Version), Marantz PM-15S1G
Reference Series Integrated amplifier ("Signature
Edition" upgraded by The Upgrade Company), Antique Sound Labs MG-SPM25DT SE mono
block tube amplifiers modified by Response Audio, Monarchy Audio SM-70 Class-A
amplifier.
SOURCES Marantz SA-15S2 Reference Series SACD/CD player
("Signature Edition" upgraded by The Upgrade Company), Kuzma Stabi S
turntable, Stogi arm, Audioquest 4004i cartridge modified by van den Hul, Sony
BDP-S350 Blue Ray Player, Onkyo Model T4 Servo Locked Stereo tuner. Stock MM/MC
Phono preamplifier in Marantz SA-15S2.
CABLES JPS Labs Superconductor Q Series interconnects and speaker cables, Power
AC+ , GPA2, and Digital AC power cords, Analysis Plus Solo Crystal Oval
interconnects, Oval 12 speaker cables, Soundstring Tricormaxiel speaker cable,
PC 30A and 10A power cords, and Octaphase "Alpha Series and Omega Pro Line"
interconnects. Oyaide power cord, PS Audio C-4 power cord., Monster Cable M
Series HDMI 1.3 cable, Parts Express HDMI cable.
ACCESSORIES Can't Live Without's; Gingko Audio Cloud Ten (2), Vibrapod Isolators
(various sizes), and Cones, Ultra Systems' Hi-Fi Tuning Fuses, (various sizes
peppered throughout my gear), Ultra Systems Cathedral Sound Panels, (4), Custom
made gear racks for turntable and gear. Support staff;
Balanced Power Technologies BPT 4SE power unit, Brick Wall Series Mode Surge
filter (2 outlet), Quiet Line Parallel Power Line Filters, Bybee filters (inside
ASL amps), Nitty Gritty record cleaning machine, PS Audio Zero Static record
brush, Flitz Metal Polish, Caig ProGold, and Deoxit, Mondial Antenna Ground
Isolation Circuit (for incoming Time Warner cable), Walker SST Extreme,
Mapleshade Mikro-smooth CD polishing kit and Ionoclast Ion Generator, Bright
Star Isonodes, EAT Cool Dampers, Hal O Rings, Cardas, Clearaudio, Hi-Fi News
Test LP's, Smoke On The Water, Senor Coconut and his Orchestra used as test LP,
generic ferrite rings, ERS paper, Custom made wooden cable lifters by Mr. Clark
senior, Ceramic Insulator cable lifters, J&J, EI, Sovtek/Electro Harmonix, Ruby,
SED, Jan Phillips, Sylvania Electron Tubes, Amoeba Music Store record bag!
Shamelessly good and cheap music system
Fatman iTube
integrated amplifier, Sony Play Station 1, Panasonic DVD S53 DVD Player, PS
Audio Digital Link III, (soon to be used with my PC) LAT International digital
cable, Supra Line 2.5 speaker wire, Kimber Cable Hero interconnects, Insignia
NS-B2111 loudspeakers, Lovan speaker stands, Sony NWZ-E438F Digital Media Player
(MP-3, 8Gig), Original Master Headphone Amplifier (not shown), AKG K300
headphones (not shown), Ikea Expedit rack.
OK there it is and not too soon. I offer a thousand
apologies for not updating this sooner. I have lived with the excellent Margules
tube amp for over three years and it has never appeared in these pages other
than mentioning it in reviews. It is my best amp and my workhorse. Shame on me!
It will soon be replaced by the latest version Margules has to offer. Other gear
have come and gone sadly without much fanfare. In the past several years I have
vowed to pare down my system to a couple of integrated amplifiers and leave it
at that. Ever since my review of the excellent Tonian Labs TL-D1 speakers, my
attitude towards gear and recordings in general has changed significantly. I'm
getting there. But boy does this hardware suck you in like the preverbal black
hole! Therefore it would be real hard for me to sit here and go on and on about
how much I love music. We are gear heads! We love gear! We review gear! OK we
love music too.
Wife's System
Monitor Audio iDeck with a hand me down iPod
loaded with R&B.
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JEFF DAY'S SYSTEMS
SYSTEM 1
System 1 is my primary system for Hi-Fi reviews and
tends to morph over time. This is certainly the best system I have ever owned,
and I like it better than any other system I have heard, ever. For the very
latest configuration see my blog. I live in a rather small & modest nuevo
bungalow home, with my living room area serving as my primary listening room (it
is 27'6'' inches long by 20'4'' inches wide, and with variable ceiling height
from 9 to 20 feet). Room construction consists of sheet rock walls and a partial
cathedral ceiling, and a concrete slab floor (carpeted). The rear of the living
room behind the listening position opens to a combination kitchen/dining room,
and is also open to an entryway on the right side wall. The electrical grid here
provides clean and plentifully cheap power, much to the delight of local Hi-Fi
buffs.
LOUDSPEAKERS
Tannoy Westminster Royal Special Editions.
ELECTRONICS
Sophia Electric 91-01 300B mono amplifiers (SE Royal Princess 300B tubes,
NOS JAN Ken Rad 6SN7GT 'Black Glass'), Leben RS-100 line preamplifier, NVO
SPA-II phono equalizer.
SOURCE
VPI Classic turntable with an EMT TSD-15 moving coil phono cartridge.
CABLES
Auditorium 23 bi-wire speaker cables, Sablon Audio Panatela interconnects,
Acoustic Revive Single Core interconnects, Tom Evans Audio Design interconnects,
Acoustic Revive Power Reference power cords, and Sablon Audio Robusto & Gran
Corona power cords.
ACCESSORIES
Acoustic Revive RCI-3 Cable Insulator, RGC-24 Ground Conditioner, Ultra
Low-Frequency Pulse Generator R-77, Acoustic Conditioner RWL-3, Pure Smokey
Quartz Insulator RIQ-5010 and Pure Quartz Insulator RIQ-5010W, Shorting Plugs
SIP-8F, RPT-2 Ultimate and RPT-4 Ultimate Power Supply Boxes, CB-1DB Receptacle
Base Plate, CFRP-1F Carbon Fiber Receptacle Plate, CS-2F Outlet Stabilizer,
RST-38 & TB-38 quartz under-boards, RAF-48 air floating board; VPI 16.5 Record
Cleaner.
SYSTEM 2
For those who have been following my audio writing
for a while, this is the system that I put together for the 'Music Lovers'
series of articles way back when at 6Moons. It is a truly wonderful system to
which I have now added modest video capability for both music & film fun. This
'Music Lovers' system is my benchmark for a semi-affordable system that really
gets the music right, and it is a great choice for those who want to drop out of
the audio equipment wars and just have fun listening to music and watching a few
good movies from time-to-time. Variations on this system have won numerous
mentions for superior sound & music performance at Hi-Fi shows: A
Robert Deutsch favorite at Festival Sound and Image Show 2008; A
John Atkinson 'Best Sound' at FSI 2008; A
Stephen Mejias "Best Music of the Show" at 2009 Salon Son and Image Show;
and from
John Atkinson at 2009 Salon Son and Image Show; as well as quite a few more.
The winning combination of Leben CS-600 and Leben CS-30EQ just keeps on winning
praise, and you can read more about it
here.
My 'Music Lovers' system lives in a smallish 11' L x
11' W x 9' H room, which is incidentally almost the same size as the room that
Alan Shaw uses to voice his Harbeth loudspeakers in (Harbeth's may be the King
of the Small Room loudspeaker). It's a really cozy little space for me to hole
up in while watching a movie, or while listening to a little music, or while
reading a good book. The construction is sheet rock walls, with a flat ceiling,
and a concrete slab floor (carpeted). The room does double duty for reviewing to
see how well equipment in for review can perform with different equipment than
the main system, and in a smaller room context, which is becoming a more
important consideration for many people in these days of globalization and the
rising prices of living spaces.
LOUDSPEAKERS
Harbeth Super HL5 loudspeakers, Skylan SHL5 speaker stands.
ELECTRONICS
Leben CS600 vacuum tube integrated amplifier, Leben RS-30EQ phono equalizer.
SOURCES
|OPPO BDP-83 Blu-ray Player, 42-inch Philips 1080P LCD television. MacBook Air,
Mhdt Labs Havana USB DAC. In the near future I am planning on adding a new
entry-level turntable; perhaps the new announced VPI Traveller when it becomes
available, mounted with my Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood MM phono cartridge.
CABLES
Acoustic Revive Single Core loudspeaker cables, White Lightning Moonshine DIY
interconnects, Sablon Audio 'The Robusto' AC power cords.
ACCESSORIES
Acoustic Revive RD-3 Demagnetizer, RIO-5 II Minus Ion Generator.
LISTENING BIASES
I thought a thumbnail sketch of my listening biases
might be helpful for interpreting and decoding my reviews. Just to alert you, my
perspective is somewhat one of a minority alternate opinion in the Hi-Fi
community. My hierarchy of importance is aligned more closely to how well a Hi-Fi
rig plays the musical content of recordings, rather than how it 'sounds' in the
more traditional audiophile 'sonic' sense.
To this end I look for timbral realism at the band
level (the band's signature 'sound') and at the individual instrument level (the
unique 'voices' of instruments). I want them to sound recognizably like
themselves in tone and texture, so that their full tone color can develop, which
I think helps lend a feeling of beauty and expressiveness to the music. I like
the melody (the tune you 'whistle while you work'), harmony (treble & bass
accompaniments to the melody) and rhythm (the steady beat that determines the
tempo) to have a life-like flow and connectedness in how the musicians
interact—just like in real life. I want dynamics (variations in loudness) to
evoke that which I hear in life for an emotional connection to the melody and
rhythm. Finally, I want tempo portrayed so that both the mood and speed of the
music are conveyed through it, just like with music in real life.
I consider the sonic performance of a Hi-Fi rig on
the non-musical artifacts of the recording process to be of value, but of less
importance to me than the performance on the musical content of recordings (as
above). So things like transparency (being able to 'see' into the recording),
soundstage (the three dimensions of the recorded space in width, height and
depth), soundspace (the acoustic 'space' of the soundstage), and imaging (the
feeling of solidity and localization of instruments & musicians on the
soundstage) have some importance for me, but they are not my primary focus. The
musical content is.
So I like my cake (the musical content of
recordings) with a little frosting (the non-musical artifacts of recordings) for
a balanced taste treat. Too much frosting and not enough cake put me off. So
that's me, and you might be different, but at least now you know how.
HOW I REVIEW
Given my personal take (above) on what's important
to my music listening sensibilities, there's a few variables I like to keep in
mind, listen for, and comment on when reviewing Hi-Fi equipment:
-
How does a piece of equipment handle musical
content attributes like pitch, harmony, melody, rhythm, tempo, beat, etc.,
(e.g. Western-style music listening attributes)?
-
How does a piece of equipment handle timbral
textures and colors, etc., (Eastern-style timbral listening attributes. You
can learn more
here.)?
-
How does a piece of equipment handle detail
recovery, transparency, soundspace, soundstage, imaging, layering, etc.,
(audiophile-style listening to non-musical recording artifacts)?
-
How do the 3 categories of attributes mentioned
above interact with each other to affect the overall musicality of a
component or system in the sense of the music's emotional impact and level
of musical involvement?
It is my hope that by offering my impressions of Hi-Fi
gear performance related to these various categories of musical & sonic
attributes, that you get the most comprehensive information about a component's
strength & weaknesses across the spectrum of audio performance possible, and
that it will help you in your own journey of attaining a musically satisfying
Hi-Fi system.
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ANDRE MARC'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Thiel CS2.4 and Harbeth Compact 7ES3.
ELECTRONICS
Audio Research SP16 and VS55, Belles Soloist 3 and Soloist 5,
McIntosh
MA6600, and a Revox A722.
SOURCES
Musical Fidelity M1CDT
Transport, Marantz CD5003, Squeezebox Touch with CIA VDC-SB external power
supply, connected via Ethernet by Gen II Mac Mini
running Snow Leopard, Western Digital and Seagate drive. Bryston
BDA-1, Musical Fidelity V-DAC II, Revox A77, Kenwood KX-W8010 Cassette Deck.
CABLES
Stager Silver Solids, Kimber
KCTG and Silver Streak, Transparent MM2 Plus and Super, Element Cable Silver Serenade, DH
Labs White Lightening, Transparent
MM2 Plus (speaker), QED Genesis Silver Spiral, Acoustic Zen Tsunami II,
Transparent PowerLink, Shunyata Venom, Pangea AC-9, DH Labs Encore, ELement
Cable Red Storm, PS Audio (C7), DH Labs
TosLink, AES/EBU, Coax, and BNC. Kimber OPT-1 TosLink.
ACCESSORIES
Symposium Rollerblocks, Shakti Stone, Sound Anchors stands, Audience Adept
Response aR6 power conditioner, Cable Pro Noisetrapper, Salamander rack.
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COOKIE MARENCO'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Jean Marie Reynaud - Offrande
(specially modified) Stereo Pair. Jean Marie Reynaud - Offrande Surround Sound
Set Plus Furioso Sub Woofer (not currently set up). Jean Marie Reynaud - Orfeos
(specially modified) Stereo Pair. NHT - M60 Stereo Pair. Auratone - 5C Super
sound Cube Stereo Pair. Meyers Sound - 833 Studio Reference Monitor Stereo Pair. Tannoy - SRM12B Stereo Pair (Little Reds). (not setup -- self powered Genelecs and many others that we have no room for).
ELECTRONICS Nelson Pass - X150 (for the Stereo
Offrandes and Surrounds). Nelson Pass - X3 (for the Stereo Orfeos and Offrandes
in Surround). NHT - XDA (for the NHT M60's). (2) McIntosh - MC 2300 (for the
Meyer's, Auratones, Tannoys). Meyer Sound - 833 Studio Monitor Pre-Amp. Emm Labs
- Meitner A/D - ADC8 Converters. Emm Labs - Meitner D/A - DAC8 Mk IV Converters. Studer ADDA
2 channel Tube Converter. Emm Labs Speakerswitcher. Couple of Furman Power Conditioner.
SOURCES 24 track Analog 2" Tape Recorder - Otari MTR-90 Mk2. 24 channel Dolby SR - XP Series. Dolby SR Power supply - PS3.
½" 2 channel Analog Tape Recorder - Otari MTR-10 Modified. ¼" 2 channel
Analog Tape Recorder - Otari 5050B. Sonoma Systems DSD Digital Recording System. Samplitude PCM Digital Recording System for mastering. 24 track
digital recorder - Tascam MX-2424 w/ Glyph Drives. Korg - MR2000 DSD Recorder. Sony DAT - PCM-R500.
Vintage Sanyo mp3 player from 1998. Marantz DV8300 CD Player. HHB BurnIT Plus - CDR 830. Sony - XA5400ES DSD Disc/SACD/ CD player. Sony Playstation 3.;
CABLES We make our own using JMR Silver-Copper
Alloy and Neutrix Ends. Bybee Bullets in the recording/mastering chain. Lots of
old Mogami studio quality cable laying around that we don't use anymore.
ACCESSORIES Sound Workshop 48 input analog
console - Series 34CMF. Many vintage microphones. Millennia Media, Manley
and Neve microphone preamps. Vintage efx. 3 assistants who learned how to
operate the digital media and back it up.. A food dehydrator for restoration
work. A french press for critical coffee making.
Room
The main listening system is my commercial recording studio. We're normally
setup for stereo and occasionally surround. We move gear around to create
alternate listening environments to check mixes. The Control room is 22' (long)
x 16' (wide) x 12' (height). Best feature-- the view overlooking the San
Francisco Bay while listening to mixes.
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ART SHAPIRO'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Consensus
Audio Conspiracy and REL Stadium II subwoofer.
ELECTRONICS E.A.R. 868 preamplifier and and
Manley Labs Neo 250-Classic 250 monoblocks.
SOURCES VPI HW-19 IV turntable, Graham 1.5 arm, and Grado Master Reference cartridge. Wadia WT3200
transport and Kora Hermes II DAC, Revox A77 open reel deck, Nakamichi 480 cassette deck,
and a Sansui TU-919 tuner.
CABLES Dynamic
Design THB Nebula cable. Monster Sigma Retro and Monster Sigma 2000
interconnects and
Kubala-Sosna Emotion> speaker cables. Tiff, Marigo, Gutwire G-Clef,
Gutwire C-Clef, and Gutwire
Power Clef AC, and MIT Z II power cords.
ACCESSORIES Brickwall PW8R15AUD power filter and dedicated AC lines.
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VICTOR CHAVIRA'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Marten Design Miles II.
ELECTRONICS Magnum Dynalab MD-209 receiver and a
EAR 834P phonostage.
SOURCES
Oppo BDP-83,
Apple Mini-Mac and a LINN Axiss turntable with the Adikt cartridge.
CABLES Nordost Quattro-Fil interconnects, Analysis Plus Oval 9 speaker cables,
Locus Design Group Axis USB cable, and El
Dorado power cords.
ACCESSORIES Pi Audio UberBUSS power
conditioner, Vibrapods, Townshend 3D sink Table,
and Echo Busters.
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JOHN BRAZIER'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Verity Audio Parsifal Ovations.
ELECTRONICS
Bryston 28B-SST2
and Sonic Frontiers Power 2 amplifiers, and Pass Labs X1 preamplifier.
SOURCES
iTunes, MacBook, Licie Ex. HD, Locus Designs Nucleus USB, Sonicweld USB
Converter, Cary 306 Pro CD/SACD/DAC.
CABLES Full compliment of Crystal Cables CrystalConnect Reference cables,
power cords, interconnects and speaker wire.
ACCESSORIES Configured Zirconia by
Audiav, Audio Magic, Mini Stealth.
Secondary System
LOUDSPEAKERS Sennhieser HD600 Headphones with Cardas replacement cable.
ELECTRONICS Consonance Cyber-20 Tube Headphone Amplifier.
SOURCES Rega Planet as transport, Perpetual
Technologies P-3A DAC.
CABLES Custom Spec'd 75ohm silver digital Cable from Acoustic Zen.
ACCESSORIES Audio Selection Cones under CDT,
bag of Maine's Finest Oatmeal
on top of CDT.
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TOM CAMPBELL'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Reynaud Orfeo; Harbeth Compact
7-ES
ELECTRONICS Coda/Continuum Unison integrated amplifier, EAR 834P tube phone preamplifier.
SOURCES Nottingham Spacedeck turntable and tonearm,
Grado Reference Statement cartridge, Bel canto PL-2 universal digital player, vintage Luxman AM/FM
tuner.
CABLES Audio Note Lexus speaker
cables; MAC interconnects and power cords
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KARL LOZIER'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Genesis G-6.1 with integral
dual Servo controlled 12" subwoofers each cabinet.
ELECTRONICS Herron VTSP-3A preamplifier. Pair of Herron M1 (solid-state) amplifiers. Herron
VTPH-1MM phonostage.
SOURCES Allen Wright's SACD/CD
Players VSEI upgraded SCD-1 Sony, level 7+Uber Clock; Sony SCD777-ES Level
5+, Sony XA5400 ES VSEI upgrade +Lite Clock.
Turntable:
VPI-MKll with SME IV Tonearm + Grado Reference cartridge.
CABLES Interconnects: Kimber Select KS-1030, KS-1021, Herron
Special. AC Power cords: Audio Purist Design's 20th Anniversary, Kimber
PK-10. Loudspeaker cables:Kimber Select KS-3038.
ACCESSORIES IsoNodes, SSC pucks, Iso-Blocks, Denon
CDR-W1500 CD/HDCD player/recorder,
Front-end components fed by Shunyata Hydra 8 power conditioner and FIM 880 AC
power receptacle. Welborne Labs X1 Gatekeepers.
BACKUP SYSTEM 106 year old mono only system:
Edison Home Phonograph cylinder player model CH16002.
The listening room
allows only one possible setup arrangement. The area allows use of a 10-foot
wall to backup the loudspeakers, though that end of the room is 15 feet wide
with 5 feet being the entrance area. The first nine feet of the room therefore
is 15 feet wide and then expands to well over 20 feet wide and 34 feet long
(total). Therefore the loudspeakers "see" more than 700 square feet. Walls are
old time lathe and plaster, concrete floor with Berber type carpeting. The room
supports extended deep bass response and the response is electronically limited
by manufacturing design to 16 Hertz, and extends fully and solidly to just below
20 Hertz in this room and is adjustable in all-important aspects including
phase. They are rather svelte appearing and top off at only 42 inches tall and
11 inches wide with above average sensitivity. They are basically dipole
radiators. Later models, such as the 500, 501 and so on contain one less bass
driver per side while maintaining the almost unmatched (for its size) bass
response and have eliminated the expensive titanium dome midrange driver, going
to a more conventional cone. The Herron electronics, together and separately,
come very close to being neutral. The solid-state units have no hint of common
transistor edginess and the tubed units have seemingly no added bass fullness or
bloom. The Cary player correctly decodes the under appreciated HDCD recordings
by Reference Recordings and Dorian. I often question if the best SACDs and
DVD-As surpass the better HDCDs by Reference Recordings comparing in stereo
only, the HDCDs are not multichannel. Because I usually do a great deal of music
reviewing, and most truly new recordings are digital, I find myself listening
far more to CDs, HDCDs, SACDs and DVD-As than vinyl. I usually agree with those
who believe that a great LP played on a fine-tubed system can almost magically
envelope the listener with unsurpassed musical enjoyment. The very finest and in
general the most recent digital efforts, are quite excellent and I could easily
believe that in most measurable ways, are actually more accurately reproducing
the microphones' outputs.
As time goes on, I
become more convinced that to have an excellent recording and front-end
components allows some moderately priced amplifiers and loudspeakers to be
surprisingly satisfying. Please, make every effort to support the truly new
recording efforts by companies such as RR, Dorian, Telarc, Chesky, AIX, Delos
and others. Without them, improvements in source material will become scarce and
the huge corporations will not be stimulated to record and release much of any
significance for our musical enjoyment.
HOME THEATER SYSTEM (Multi-channel in a separate room)
LOUDSPEAKERS Nola Minis, Napoleons,
and T-Bolt III subwoofer.
ELECTRONICS Denon AVR 3805 Receiver.
SOURCES Esoteric DV50 Universal player
and Toshiba SD9200 DVD player. JVC HD-52G rear projection and D-ILA (LCoS) 1280x720 pixels.
CABLES Interconnects by Kimber, Harmonic Technology, and DiMarzio. Loudspeaker cables
are mainly Kimber's Monocle X. AC power
cords by DiMarzio, Harmonic Technology, and Kimber.
ACCESSORIES Isolation platform and feet by Bright Star Audio. FM
only system: McIntosh MR 77 FM tuner and McIntosh MA 6100 preamplifier plus NHT SuperOne loudspeakers.
Welborne Labs Gatekeeper X1 and PS Audio Ultimate Outlet.
BACKUP SYSTEM Gramaphone Company's 80 year old
His Master's Voice record player family model with large horn and crank.
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JOHN ACTON'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Monitor Audio Gold GX50.
ELECTRONICS
Cayin A-55T integrated amplifier.
SOURCES
Simaudio MOON CD5.3 CD player.
CABLES
Kimber Kable Hero AG interconnect,
Kimber Kable 4TC speaker cables, Audience powerChord 'e' power cords.
ACCESSORIES
Audience aR2p-TO power conditioner,
ASC Panel Traps, Solidsteel 6.2 Audio Table, Sanus Granite Foundation speaker
stands.
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ED KOBESKY'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Spendor
S5e
ELECTRONICS PrimaLuna ProLogue Two integrated
amplifier, Rotel RQ-970 phonostage.
SOURCES Rega Planar 3 turntable with Linn
Basik LVV tonearm and Denon DL-110 cartridge, Rega Planet CD player, Sony
DVP-NC875V DVD/SACD player, Pioneer DV-563A universal player.
CABLES MonsterCable Interlink 400, 250 and 200 interconnects, AudioQuest
Alpha Snake interconnects, MonsterCable XP speaker wire, others.
ACCESSORIES Record Doctor II record cleaning
machine with Disc Doctor brushes, Sennheiser
HD580 headphones, Rotel RLC-900 line conditioner.
My main listening room is approximately 9' x 9' with 8' ceilings. It occupies a
spare bedroom on the second floor of my rented townhouse, which is located in a
quiet suburban neighborhood. Shared walls necessitated the placement of my
rear-ported speakers nearest an interior wall. By coincidence, it's a
load-bearing wall, allowing for unusually stable equipment placement. I can walk
around while an LP is playing, leading me to believe above-average construction
standards were applied.
Given the square-shaped room layout, setup by the
'rule of thirds' is
impossible. As a compromise, I selected 10' speaker cables to allow plenty of
flexibility with on-the-fly speaker placement. Depending on the electronics and
music, I may place the speakers closer to the rear walls or farther away, but
usually toed in to some degree. (My long, rectangular living room— equipped
with an overachieving Denon stereo receiver and DVD player—is also used to
audition speakers when they can't be properly accommodated in the main listening
room.)
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ROGER S. GORDON'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS VMPS RM 30 floor
standing speakers (-3dB at 37Hz) with VMPS Large subwoofer upgraded to VSS
specifications (-0dB at 20Hz).
VMPS Ambiance
Tweeters.
ELECTRONICS deHavilland Aries 845-G single
ended triode mono block amplifiers on main speakers with two Dayton Loudspeaker
500 watt plate amps (class AB) with variable crossover and single band
parametric equalizer on dual voice coil subwoofer. Herron Audio VTPH-2
phonostage and VTSP-3 preamplifier, VacuumState JLTI phonostage, and H.H. Scott
130 stereo preamp with selectable phono equalization.
SOURCES Turntables: Nakamichi TX-1000 and
Garrard 401 with skeletal plinth. Tonearms: Schroeder Reference, Moerch DP-6
with Teres Audio VTA Adapter and red dot and blue dot 12" armwands, and VPI 12.5
with two armwands. Stereo MC cartridges: Van den Hul Colibri Mk.2 XPW and Condor
XGM, Miyajime Shilabe, Nakamichi MC1000, ZYX UNIverse S-SB, and three Audio
Technica OC9/II cartridges. Stereo MM cartridges: Empire ERD-9 and Empire 750
LTD. Mono MC cartridges: ZYX R1000 AiryM-X-SB and Denon 102. Sony SCD-1 with
Modwright Absolute Truth Mod, plus SuperClock II, Superclock II Power Supply,
and Richard Kern's Transport Mod.
CABLES Bent Audio phono cable that includes
terminal box for swapping resistors to change cartridge loading, Purist Audio
Venustas and Audio Magic Sorcerer interconnects for connecting equipment to
preamp, Harmonic Technology Cyberlight P2A with battery Pack IV for connecting
preamp to amps, and Audio Magic Sorcerer bi-wire loudspeaker cables.
LINE CONDITIONERS AND AC Sound Application
XE-12 cryoed with Elrod Power Systems 3 Signature power cord and Audio Magic
Stealth Matrix with Audio Magic Illusion 4D power cord. Power cords: Audio Magic
Excalibur and Illusion 4D, Coincident, Purist Audio Design Venustas, Silent
Source, and Wireworld Electra III+.
ACCESSORIES Room Treatment: Listening room
designed by Rives Audio utilizing materials from RPG, Inc. and self constructed
ceiling panels designed by Rives Audio (See PFO Issue 21). Acoustic Science
Corporation Tube Traps used to control bass and diffusion (See PFO Issue 32).
Acoustic Revive RR-77 with King Rex power supply. Vibration Control: Nakamichi
Turntable - Lead Balloon stand with the legs filled with a mixture of kitty
litter, sand, and lead shot, with 3" maple butcher-block, and Stillpoints
supporting turntable plus Harmonix TU-812Mk2 record weight and TU-800EX
turntable mat. Garrard 401 - Polycrystal Rack with Herbies Audio Lab
Grunge-Buster platter mat. Electronics - Black Diamond Racing Cones under
phonostage and pre-amp; Silent Running Audio 3" VR isolation stands under Sony
SCD-1 and deHavilland tube amps. Tubes - Herbies Audio Lab HAL-O tube dampers on
all vacuum tubes. EMI and RFI Control: Bybee speaker filters, two pairs.
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GREG MALTZ'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS B&W Nautilus 802 (L&R), B&W Nautilus HTM1 (center), B&W Nautilus 805
(rears).
ELECTRONICS VAC
Phi Beta 110i integrated amplifier, YBA Audio Refinement Multi-5 five channel
amplifier, Integra DTC-9.8 pre/pro, Pioneer KRP-600M plasma.
SOURCES VPI
Scout with JMW-9 tonearm and Aurum Beta S cartridge, Classe Omega SACD-2, Sony Playstation
3.
CABLES Alphacore Goertz MI2 bi-wire speaker cables from VAC amp to 802D speakers,
Alphacore Goertz MI1 bi-wire speaker cables from YBA amp to center and surround
speakers, Alphacore Goertz Silver Sapphire interconnects used between
preamplifier, each amplifiers, and front end, Monster Z optical HDMI cable from
PS3 to Integra preamplifier, Electraglide State of the Union power cords
ACCESSORIES PS
Audio Premier Power Plant, Black Diamond Racing kit for VPI Scout isolation,
Vistek Aurios Media Isolation Bearings under the SACD-2, Bellogetti AVS1000
rack, FS Nautilus 805 stands for side speakers, Svetlana KT-88 tubes for VAC Phi.
Without enough room to adequately indulge my hobbies, the goal with this system
is to achieve a home theater that sacrifices as little as possible in terms of
my criteria for high quality audio, whether two-channel, 5.1 or 7.1
multichannel. Those criteria are mainly oodles of detail and solid imaging and
sound staging, I like a forward, somewhat in-your-face presentation, but with
good front-to-back imaging that closely mirrors intimate, live listening
experiences. My favorite genre is small-ensemble jazz of the '60s, but I listen
to an incredibly wide variety of material, from Bach to the Beastie Boys to
Black Sabbath. My favorite composer is probably Mahler. I have a passion for
films as well as music—thus the plasma display—and sometimes indulge in video
games. So for the time being I'm using a Playstation 3 as a Blu-ray player. Even
on this modest source, I can achieve a seamless surround field controlled by
the Integra preamp, in which the VAC Phi amp, set to "home theater" mode and
decoupled from its internal preamp, drives the front L/R speakers and the YBA
five channel amp drives the center and surrounds. This way I can explore
multichannel SACD and the high-resolution flavors of PCM afforded by Blu-ray. |
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MICHAEL MERCER'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Zu Audio Omen Defs, Reference 3A Dulcets, System Audio SA2Ks
(master version – internally wired w/ Nordost Valhalla), Audioengine A2s
(powered desktop speakers), Audioengine A5+ (powered speakers), Nola
Thunderbolt IIIa subwoofer.
ELECTRONICS Benchmark
DAC1(on-loan), Acurus L10 Line-stage, Ray Samuels F-117 Nighthawk
Battery-Powered phonostage, Classe Audio DR-9 amplifier (w/ mods to power
supply, caps), Hafler DH-220 (back-up amp), Wadia 151PowerDACmini, CEntrance
Audiophile Desktop System.
SOURCES Macbook running Amarra 2.4,
Wadia i170Transport, Pioneer Elite BD27 Blu Ray (acting as CD transport, Luxman
TX-99 Turntable w/ Ortofon 2m Blue cartridge, Music Hall USB-1 Turntable w/
Ortofon Red 2m cartridge, AppleTV (used as media server – digital output to DAC),
Sonicweld Diverter (24/96) USB to SPDIF interface, CEntrance DACmini CX,
Audioengine D2 24-bit Wireless DAC, Music Hall DAC25.2 (w/ Sovtek tube),
StyleAudio CARAT-TOPAZ USB DAC/head amp, Audioengine D1 USB DAC/head amp.
CABLES Nordost Heimdall
interconnects, Nordost Heimdall speaker cables, Nordost Valhalla SPDIF, Nordost
Blue Heaven USB, Black Cat Cable XV-Ultra SPDIF, Black Cat Cable Morpheus
interconnects, Moon Audio Silver Dragon optical*, Moon Audio Silver Dragon IEM
cables* (for JHAudio JH-13 Pros), Locus Design CORE SPDIF, Locus Design Nucleus
USB, Locus Design AXIS USB, Nordost Vishnu Power cables, Nordost Magus Power
cables, Nordost Purple Flare Power Cables (Figure-8 for AppleTV & BD27),
Furutech Pure Transmission Power Cable (G-320ag-18 – Figure8).
ACCESSORIES Nordost Qb8 Power
Distribution System, Nordost Qx2, Nordost THOR Power Distribution System, Cryo-parts
Power Distribution Blocks (2), Silver Circle Audio Juice Box One, JHAudio
JH-13Pro in-ear monitors, Grado SR-80s. Sennheisser HD-490, Sony MDR-7506 (used
for DJing), Audioengine AW1 wireless audio adaptor, Bright Star Bases, Nordost
SORT KONES, Eben Cold Rays points, KAB iso pods, Black Ravioli's (Stickies),
Custom Equipment Racks by VisionaireFX (solid Oak, w/ MDF shelves?.
Project Studio
2
Numark TTX-1100s decks (temp –
Technics 1200’s in storage) w/ Ortofon P-mount cartridges, 1 Pioneer DJM-300 S
(2 channel ALL analog DJ Mixer). 20 channel TASCAM console. Melos Rack-mount
"Digital Drive Bitstream Processor". Nola Mini monitors. McIntosh MAC 1700
(refurbished—belonged to my grandfather). Bryston 4B amplifier. Eichmann Express
6 speaker cable and interconnects. Headroom Total Bithead. DAC/headphone
amplifier. Custom PC running Cubase, Wavelab, Reason, and other software and a
bunch of vintage studio outboard gear rackmounted.
We finally have a dedicated
listening room! We have been living with the same system for a while now
(excluding stuff that I've reviewed, that I loved so much I had to have it). Our system is the result of many searches and trial and error sessions. Once we
(my wifey and I) reach a point where we are constantly excited by our system we
stop shopping around all the time, and just bask in its magic. We have come to
love the sound of our system, and while I still listen to new stuff all the time
as part of the addiction (and the business), I'm usually just exploring to see
where the art is going. I also do a great deal of listening in the little office
space where I write, and that gear changes often.
We LOVE doing "jukebox"
nights at the house, where we invite friends to bring records. We all spend the
night getting loose and turning each other onto new music (or old, if we
discover something grand). We've been doing this since the nineties back when
we lived in New York. I'm a confessed Music Addict.
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TOM LYLE'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Sound Lab Dynastat and a Velodyne HGS-15b subwoofer.
ELECTRONICS Krell KAV-250a amplifier and a Balanced
Audio Technology VK-3iX (with remote control and MC phono stage
options), Black Cube SE phono stage.
SOURCES Basis Debut Mk. V turntable, Tri-planar VI
tonearm (with Discovery cable wired directly to preamp), Lyra
Helikon phono cartridge, NAD 4155 AM/FM tuner.
Digital sources vary, currently
use units by Arcam and Oppo.
CABLES Various models from Virtual Dynamics and
MIT.
ACCESSORIES PS Audio Power Plant A/C Regenerators:
P600 for front end, P300 for turntable, Chang Lightspeed ISO 9300
power conditioner, Arcici Suspense Rack, Winds stylus pressure
gauge, StaticMaster photo negative brush, Lyra SPT stylus cleaner,
Last stylus cleaner, Last Stylast stylus treatment, Nitty Gritty 3
record cleaning machine, Premier! vinyl pre-cleaner, Audioquest and
VPI record brushes to apply record cleaning fluid.
Tom Lyle's associated gear second system:
LOUDSPEAKERS
Dynaudio Focus 110.
ELECTRONICS PrimaLuna ProLogue 6 monoblocs and a
Balanced Audio Technology VK-3i/X, Jeff Roland Research Coherence One.
SOURCES AR FM Tuner.
CABLES Various models from Cardas, Monster, and Kimber.
ACCESSORIES Panamax 5510 power conditioner.
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ANDY SCHAUB'S SYSTEM
Audio
LOUDSPEAKERS Audio Note AN-E/SEC/SILVER
loudspeakers in Makassar wood piano-lacquer finish with silver-wired tweeters
and hemp woofers, all using ALNICO magnets plus muRata super tweeters
ELECTRONICS Triode Audio Corporation TRV-A300SER
remote-controlled 300B-based integrated amplifier with built in MM-level
phonostage. Woo WA22 headphone amplifier with upgraded tubes from the Woo
website.
SOURCES Rega P3-24 with slightly modified Rega TT-PSU
and RB-301 tonearm. Audio Note IQ3 moving magnet phonograph cartridge. Triode
Audio Corporation TRV-CD4SE tube CD player.
CABLES Kondo Sound Labs KSL-LP interconnects with
Eichmann Silver Bullet Plugs. Audio Note AN-Vz interconnects with Audio Note
AN-P connectors. Audio Note AN-SPx and AN-SPa speaker cable with Eichmann silver
"banana" connectors in a bi-wire configuration (for the SPx). "No name" silver
power cables, about 2" in diameter with high-quality AC and IEC connectors.
ACCESSORIES Gowan/Khambatta custom-designed stereo
stands (a matching pair). PS Audio Power Plant 10. Three (3) Equi=Tech Balanced
Transformers, feeding different subsystems.
Computer
- Recent-generation Mac mini with Intel
Core 2 Duo processor, 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, running headless with
Pure Music and iTunes.
- LaCie RAID and regular external drives,
connected via Locus Design Herald FireWire cable.
- Sonicweld Diverter HR USB-to-S/PDIF
converter.
- Original Berkeley Audio Design Alpha DAC.
- Manley Skipjack audio switcher. Kondo
Sounds Labs KSL-LP interconnects with silver Eichmann's.
- Locus Design Parable analog
interconnects (occasionally).
- Locus Design Keynote power cable (on the
Alpha).
- Locus Design Cynosure v2 USB cable.
- Locus Design Core S/PDIF cable with BNC
connectors.
- Quadraspire Q4EVO component stand.
Video
- Theta Compli Blu Universal Disc Player
(used as both a Blu-ray and an SACD player, among other formats).
- Comcast (Motorola) PVR and Internet
Modem.
- Apple Airport Extreme (latest version).
Apple TV (latest version).
- Sony KDL-40HX800 hybrid LCD/LED HDTV.
- Transparent High Performance HDMI
cables.
- Audio Note Lexus copper interconnect
cable (for Theta, 4.5 meters into Skipjack).
- Whiplash Audio Sapphire Pro
interconnects with Furutech FP-120 locking style filament RCA connectors
(used occasionally directly between Sony HDTV and Tri amplifier, 20
feet, completely silent); dubbed "The Marquis" by Lee Weiland.
- Audience powerChord "e" power cables,
with adapters.
- Generic wooden and glass TV stand.
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ROBERT YOUMAN'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Vienna Acoustics Klimt The Music
Speakers, Sonus Faber Amati Anniversario Speakers, and REL Studio III Subwoofer.
ELECTRONICS
Pass Labs INT-30A Integrated Amplifier, Pass Labs XP-15 Phono
Preamplifier, and a Marantz 2285B Receiver.
SOURCES VPI Industries Aries2 Extended TT w/HRX
Upgrades Turntable, VPI Industries Synchronous Drive System (SDS) AC Filter, VPI
Industries JWM 12.6 Tone Arm Tonearm, Van den Hul Frog High Output Cartridge
Cartridge. EMM Labs CDSA-SE SACD/CD Player (w/ Upgraded Transport & Footers),
Oppo BDP-95 Universal Player, and a Sony XA5400ES SACD/CD Player.
CABLES Kubala Sosna Elation Balanced
Interconnects, Kubala Sosna Elation Speaker Cable, Kubala Sosna Elation Power
Cords, TG Audio Lab HSR High Purity Balanced Interconnects, TG Audio Lab HSR
Speaker Cable, TG Audio Lab Silver Power Cords, Transparent Audio Power Link MM2
Power Cord (REL Subwoofer), and Synergistic Research REL SPEC Subwoofer
Reference Neutrik Cable.
ACCESSORIES Albert Porter Port Cryo Power
Outlets (Six Dedicated 20 Amp Circuits), Rix Rax Hoodoo Audio Rack System, SRA
VRA Isolation Platform – Custom Built For Aries2 Extended TT, DIY Isolation
Tweak – Racket Balls & Plumbing PVC Fittings, Precision Audio Cable Elevators,
Room Tune Bass Traps & Acoustic Corner Panels, Sansui TU-919 Tuner Tuner (Modified by Antennae Performance), Magnum Dynalab ST-2 Antenna.
Headphone System
- Sennheiser HD800 Headphones
-
Woo Audio WA22 Headphone
Amplifier
-
EMM Labs CDSA-SE SACD/CD
Player (w/ Upgraded Transport & Footers)
-
Oppo BDP-95 Universal
Player
-
Cardas Golden Reference
Balanced Interconnects
-
Cardas Golden Reference
Power Cords
-
ALO HD800 RW8-SC Headphone
Cable
-
DIY Isolation Tweak –
Racket Balls & Plumbing PVC Fittings
Listening Room
My finished basement listening room is dedicated to my
two-channel system. It is uniquely long and narrow with dimensions of 12 feet
by 22 feet. It has an 8 foot high drop ceiling with 10 inches of acoustic
insulation above the drop ceiling. The floor and three walls are concrete. The
fourth wall is a standard stud wall configuration. All three concrete walls and
the stud wall have two layers of sheetrock. Wall to wall carpet padding and
Berber carpeting and are used throughout. From an acoustic standpoint, the room
is somewhat of a "live end – dead end design. All equipment and speakers are
located at one of the short walls. Records and shelves are located behind this
equipment on this short wall. CDs and shelves are located at the long walls
adjacent to the records and record shelves. Acoustic treatment has been
implemented in all ceiling corners and bass traps are located in the short wall
corners. I have a single leather chair in a near field listening position. Check out the pictures for a better understanding of the layout.
What I Listen For
My listening priorities continue to evolve. After experiencing
several new products like the Woo Audio WES Electrostatic Headphone Amplifier,
the Kubala Sosna Elation Interconnects, and the Magico Q5 Speakers, it is clear
to me that speed, detail, transparency and sound stage are now higher on my list
than ever for musical enjoyment. In the past, I considered myself more on the
"musical" side of the fence rather than "analytical". Not any longer. I want it
all and I now know that I can have it all.
Don't get me wrong. Proper weight, timbre and pitch are still
critical requirements for excellent sound. This is important for both musical
instruments and the human voice. For me, digital always seems to have trouble in
these areas. If I can hear a very natural and musical presentation, I can still
be one very happy camper.
I was never a bass fanatic, but the addition of some superb
subwoofers to my system has me rethinking my priorities. I have been enjoying
some incredible slam and texture in the low end that I have never experienced
before. These subwoofers, when integrated correctly with the rest of the system,
can also provide a more extensive sound stage and improve the room ambience at
all frequencies. It can be very addictive.
Female voice, piano and reed instruments are my favorites for
general listening. I love all types of music, but lately I have been listening
primarily to small jazz quartets and female jazz vocalists. Don't try to pin me
down though. Recent concerts include Lyle Lovett, Roger Waters and the Chicago
Symphony Orchestra.
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ADAM GOLDFINE'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Wilson-Benesch A.C.T.
loudspeakers.
ELECTRONICS Music Reference RM-4+ phono stage, Primare Pre30 line level
preamplifier, Reference Line Preeminence One Series II (passive) preamplifier,
Music Reference RM-200 amplifier, Dynaco ST-70 (with Welborne Labs mod)
amplifier.
SOURCES DIGITAL:
Vacuum State Level 6 modified Sony DVP-S9000ES DVD/CD/SACD Player, Musical
Fidelity CR324 up sampling DAC.
ANALOG:
Music Hall MMF-7 turntable, Pro-ject 9 tonearm, Pro-Ject Speed Box Mk. II, Benz
Micro ACE H cartridge, Magnum Dynalab FT-101A Tuner.
CABLES Vacuum State Electronics Silver Wire interconnects
(balanced) Music Reference Pegasus and Majestic interconnects (single ended),
Vacuum State Electronics Copper Foil speaker cables (bi-wire), DH Labs Silver
Sonic power cord (amplifier).
ACCESSORIES Gingko Audio Cloud 11 Isolation Platform, Ringmat 330 MKII
XLR Anniversary, Radio Shack FM antenna, VPI 16.5 record cleaning machine,
Record Research Labs Power Cleaner, Record Research Labs Everyday Cleaner,
various LAST record cleaning products, Hunt E.D.A. Mark6 brush, miscellaneous
wet cleaning brushes, Zero Dust Stylus Cleaner, DB Systems alignment protractor,
PS Audio Noise Harvester, Tone Cones, Tip Toes, RPG BAD Arc diffusers, HiFi News
& Record Review Test LP, Cardas Test LP, XLO Test CD, Stereophile Test CD,
Chesky Test CD vols. I & II, Craftsman True RMS Multi-Meter, Philips PM3211
Oscilloscope, Panamax Max 5100 Power Center, Stabilant 22, Caig ProGold contact
enhancer.
My current
room is a 22' x 17' family room backed by a 24' x 10' kitchen, essential making
it a 22' x 27' room with plenty of bare walls, hard surfaces and vaulted
ceilings that start at 10' and slope upwards to 14' 9". It's not an easy room to
love.
The room
also does double duty as a two channel home theater as can be clearly seen from
the Toshiba 65" HDTV set back from and between the speakers. A heavy blanket
tossed over the screen mitigates the effect of the very reflective screen
surface during listening sessions. Rotating everything 45 degrees so that the
speakers fire diagonally across the room and placing the speakers well into the
room with no toe-in provides smooth tonal response and minimizes early
reflections to create a well balance, believable and detailed soundstage. Echo
Busters in the corners and along the ceilings minimize the horn effect and slap
echo.
Still, a
room this size without extensive treatment is difficult to tame and its long
reverberation time adds a bit of smear and hardness to the sound and slightly
diminishes image localization. And while no room is perfect, this one is less
perfect than many. Rather than fight the power, I am currently working with
Rives Audio to modify another room in the house as a dedicated two channel home
theater/audio room. The emphasis will be on two channel audio with an electric
projection screen built into the ceiling so it can easily disappear for critical
listening. I expect to complete this project by July of 2007 and will provide
photos and details when it is complete.
In a sound
system, I listen for the sound of music. While it is possible to break what that
is down into its components, harmonic structure, sound staging, dynamics, etc.
ultimately it's either right or it isn't and like beauty, that can take many
forms. (If it didn't how else could different sounding systems all create a
believable illusion of music?) That being said one of the easiest ways to
destroy that illusion is with poor tonal accuracy and exaggerated or compressed
dynamics. To me, if these two elements are well executed, the illusion of
instruments and voices in the room is at least possible.
While
excellent sound staging is important it's hard to find a product these days that
doesn't produce at least a decent soundstage if properly set up. Even the cheap
no-name speakers that came as part of the package when I bought a computer
recently will create an image. Perhaps that is due to their small size. Of
course, they don't come close to matching the precise imaging of the Triangle
Zays' but it is a soundstage nonetheless and most of the high end products I
have heard in recent years do a pretty decent job in this area. And of course
there are varying degrees and expressions of this phenomenon and I will be
discussing this in my reviews.
Having
played the drums since the age of 8, I'm particularly attuned to the sound of
percussion and can easily distinguish an indistinct thump from the sound of a
wool beater striking a bass drum head followed by the nearly instantaneous
reaction of the outer head. The sound of a drum stick on cymbals is a dead give
away as to the overall harmonic structure of a system hence my preference for
tubes. And there probably isn't another acoustic instrument with the dynamic
range of percussion.
Musically I
enjoy most (but not all) genres. Having grown up in what I consider to be the
hey day of classic rock, I will always have a soft spot for those bands (Led
Zeppelin, The Who, Yes, Pink Floyd, Rush and so many more). I saw Led Zeppelin
at Madison Square Garden when I was 15 and to me the movie Almost Famous
captures that time better than any film yet made.
I listen to
rock, blues, big-band, jazz, folk, classical, R&B, rap and more. I think Adrian
Belew is a genius and in their own way, so are the Beastie Boys. (Just listen to
Paul's Boutique.) You probably won't hear any references to country or opera out
of me, but I can live with that. Happy listening!
My room is a 22' x 13' dedicated sound room designed by
Rives Audio. The vaulted ceiling slopes from 10' to 14' 9". It has three
dedicated, isolated ground 20 amp circuits feeding Hubble hospital grade
outlets. The first and second sidewall reflection points are treated with
absorption panels and RPG BAD Arc diffusion panels hang between them. A series
of angled diffusers hang from the ceiling to further scatter reflections and the
rear wall consists of angled bookcases to create a diffused surface behind the
listening position. Extensive bass trapping above and to the sides of the
bookcases helps tame room resonances. A 16:9, 100" diagonal Stewart Filmscreen
descends out of the ceiling for watching movies, but the room's main purpose is
music reproduction.
In a sound system, I look for sound that is emotionally
engaging. While it is possible to break what that is down into its components,
harmonic structure, sound staging, dynamics, etc. ultimately it's either right
or it isn't and like beauty, that can take many forms. (If it didn't how else
could different sounding systems all create a believable illusion of music?)
That being said one of the easiest ways to destroy that illusion is with poor
tonal accuracy and exaggerated or compressed dynamics. To me, if these two
elements are well executed, the illusion of real instruments and voices in the
room is at least possible. Having played the drums since the age of 8, I'm
particularly attuned to the sound of percussion.
Musically I enjoy most (but not all) genres. Having grown up
in what I consider to be the hey day of classic rock, I will always have a soft
spot for those bands (Led Zeppelin, The Who, Yes, Pink Floyd, Rush and so many
more). I saw Led Zeppelin at Madison Square Garden when I was 15 and to me the
movie Almost Famous captures that time better than any film yet made.
I listen to rock, blues, big-band, jazz, folk, classical,
R&B, rap and more. I think Adrian Belew is a genius and in their own way, so are
the Beastie Boys. (Just listen to Paul's Boutique.) I will probably never grow
to like country and much to my own surprise I can listen to opera in limited
doses. Happy listening!
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GARY LEA'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Von Schweikert VR4 MKIII, Odeon Elektra Horns, Compact WZSE
Collector's Edition, Usher 6311 and AAD Silver Reference 1.
ELECTRONICS Tube:
Jolida Music Envoy 211 tube monoblock amps and preamp (main reference).
Solid-State: ShengYa PSM-600 monoblock solid-state amps and matching CS6 tubed preamp.
SOURCES
Digital
Front End: Grant Fidelity Reference Tube 1000 CD player (main reference), Cary
Audio DVD 6 used as a CD, Wadia i170 iPod Deck and 160Gig iPod.
Analogue Front End: Consonance Droplet 5.2 MKII with ST600tonearm (main
reference) Nottingham Analogue Hyper Space and Arm with Wave Mechanic. Montegiro
Lusso
with DaVinci Noble and SME 5009 tonearms.
Cartridges - Koetsu Azule Platinum(main reference), Koetsu Urushi
Vermillion, Goldnote Baldinotti, Dynavector 17D3 cartridges. Phone Stages:
Goldnote Pamphili (main reference), Blue Circle Fon Lo Thingee, Musical
Fidelity V3, and Koetsu Step up
transformer.
CABLES XLO
Signature 3 interconnects speaker cables and power cords (main reference cables
currently). Furutech DIY interconnects. Kimber Kable Monocle XL speaker cables
and Select Interconnects. And a bunch of cables I am too lazy to list.
ACCESSORIES
Grant Fidelity RPF-120 MKII Reference Power Conditioner. Misc doodads and tweaks and loose parts
like all audiophiles.
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STEVE LEFKOWICZ'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Tekton Lore,
Direct Acoustics Silent Speaker,
Sound Dynamics 300ti, Linn Kan, and Loth-X Ion1.
ELECTRONICS
PS
Audio 4H preamplifier, B&K ST140 amplifier, Adcom 535, and a Antique Sound Labs MG-15DT-S.
SOURCES
Marantz SA8001 SACD player, IBM T42 Notebook (Win XP Pro, iTunes) 200 GB USB
Drive, DAC (tba), NAD 4155 AM/FM tuner,
CEntrance DACport LX, Linn LP12 (Valhalla), Ittok, Dynavector
19a (currently not hooked up).
CABLES
Nordost Solar Wind interconnects and Nordost Flatine or Solar Wind speaker
cables.
CEntrance Reserve Y cable.
ACCESSORIES
Sound Organization stand, Monster HTS2000 power-line conditioner, Bright Star
IsoNodes (under SACD player), lots of hockey pucks (under pretty much everything
else).
Portable/travel system - iPod Classic (160 GB), Headroom Total Bithead headphone
amp, Beyerdynamic DT770 Pro (600 ohm) headphones. Almost all music on the iPod
is ripped from CD at 320 kbps. This iTunes library resides on a separate
notebook from the one hooked up to the main system.
With the exception of the Linn and the IBM notebook, this is an extremely low
cost system, with no single piece having a list price over $1000. It
is eminently musical, and close enough to full range to be very satisfying on
all types of music. It does not make me choose music to fit its limitations or
characteristics.
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GUIDO CORONA'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Vienna Mahler V1.5 and Magnepan 3A (inactive)
ELECTRONICS Jeff Rowland
312 (reference),
Bel Canto Ref 1000M and Ref 500M, Jeff Rowland Criterion (reference), Audio Research Ref 3 (currently inactive).
SOURCES TEAC
Esoteric X-01 Limited.
CABLES Furutech Flux, Evolution II, and High End
Performance suites, Purist
Anniversary PC, Audioquest
Sky XLR ICs,
Cardas
Golden Ref PC,
Cardas
Golden Ref speaker wires.
Elrod Statement Gold and Signature Gold PCs, Audioquest
Sky XLR ICs.
ACCESSORIES
Furutech
Daytona ETR-309 (reference) and a Furutech ETP-303.
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JOHN HOFFMAN'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Sachiko Double Horn speakers with Fostex 208 Sigma drivers.
ELECTRONICS Electra Print Audio 300B Custom
amplifier Electra Print Audio PVA pre-amplifier, Hagerman Coronet II phono stage
with VCAP upgrades and a Hagerman Piccolo step up.
SOURCES EAD T-1000 transport, Audio Magic
Kukama DAC, Galibier Serac with graphite platter, Rega RB 251 with Incognito
rewire and Pete Riggle Audio Engineering 12" String Theory Tone Arm.
Accuphase AC3 cartridge.
CABLES Audio
Magic Illusion 4D interconnects, speaker cable, and digital cable and Audio
Magic Extreme series power cords.
Zu Audio Mission speaker
cables, Zu Audio Speaker wire, Zu Audio power cords.
ACCESSORIES Audio
Magic Mini Reference power conditioner.
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PETER DAVEY'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Apogee Scintilla - 1 ohm model with all new ribbons by Graz.
New steel stands fabricated by True Sound Works. Apogee Diva - 4 ohm model with all new ribbons by Graz. The tweeter
is the SLW model, for a faster sound.
ELECTRONICS Plinius SA-250mkIV amplifier and a BAT VK31-SE preamplifier.
SOURCES Apple iMac 24" running Leopard and Frontrow/iTunes.
Pop Pulse
Digital conversion device handling the USB to SP/DIF duties. Assemblage
D2D-I jitter reducer and up-sampler and an Assemblage DAC-3 fully balanced DAC.
CABLES Furutech Evolution Series Power Cables, Furutech Evolution Series Speaker
Cables (BiWire), Furutech Evolution Series XLR Balanced cables, PAD Contego
digital SP/DIF cable, and CyroParts USB cable.
ACCESSORIES PS Audio Premier power plant in Limited Edition black and PS Audio power
ports.
My listening room is about 20' long and 15' wide. My
ceilings are cathedral style starting at about 9' tall and about 15' tall at the
seating position. The Apogees are known to be amp killers but with the right
combination they product music more accurately than any cone based transducer
that I've listed to. When I hear traditional cone speakers I hear the driver
itself as the music hits it, with ribbons they are as light as air and the music
dances around them in a magnetic field.
The Scintillas place the instruments right in your face,
and the vocals right down the middle. They are a bit picky with placement,
needing to be about 5' from the rear walls, and about 6.5' from each other.
The Divas offer a much taller sound, and are a much more
efficient design using Kapton backed foil drivers. You could run these on tube
amplifiers if you prefer.
I sit about 10' from my speakers and prefer to have the
effect of being in the front row of a live concert. It is generalized that you
can not get any deep bass from a true dipole ribbon driver but that is not true,
with the Scintillas I've negated the need for any subwoofer.
Home Theatre System
LOUDSPEAKERS
NHT 2.1 3 way front towers with an 8" side loaded
sub-woofer. NHT 2.1 2 way surrounds and center channel NHT active 10" subwoofer
ELECTRONCS
Sony DA4-ES processor and 7 channel amplifier, Toshiba DVD player / recorder, Sony DVD player. XBOX 360 HD DVD player, Sharp Aquos 52" 1080P LCD monitor, Apple TV, PURE AV power conditioner, Nintendo Wii,
and a Playstation 2
CABLES
Blue Jeans component cables, Monster HDMI,
and Belden/Canare StarQuad speaker cables
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WILL WRIGHT'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Extensively modified (by me) Carver Amazing dipole
loudspeakers. The original four twelve inch woofers per side have
been replaced with Adire Audio dual voice coil DP12s. Additional
bracing and damping has been added to each panel. The original
passive crossovers have been removed and replaced by White
Instruments 24 bit digital Paramedic 26 XLR crossovers. All line
level connections are balanced. The four twelve inch woofers are
augmented with a DIY sub for each channel utilizing a fifteen inch
Adire dual voice coil Tempest driver in an eighteen inch ID by three
foot sealed sonotube enclosure. The subs are down firing and
located in the front corners behind the Carver panels. Each stereo
channel is tri-amped. Crossover points are sub to panel woofers @ 40Hz 3rd order, panel woofers to full range ribbon @ 300Hz
3rd order.
ELECTRONICS Subs are powered by Adcom monoblocks @ approximately 500 watts into 4
ohms, Panel woofers are powered by Hypex plate amplifiers built into the base of
the Carver panel @ 720 watts into 4 ohms, Carver full range ribbons are powered
by one channel each of two Krell KSA 200S. Line level preamp is the Alchemist
Tim de Paravicini Signature. The phono pre is the Sutherland PhD.
SOURCES Analog: Goldmund Studio turntable modified to run on batteries with the
T3 servo controlled tangential tracking arm and the Lyra Helikon moving coil
cartridge. Digital: Esoteric DV-50 universal disk player. Still on the
workbench but soon to be added is a dedicated "Home Theater Computer" built from
scratch and featuring dual Xeon CPUs. It is a silent, water-cooled (no fans)
design using a separate convection cooling tower. This will house acoustic
measurement software, CARA speaker location software, music database software,
LP digitizing software, digital crossover control software and double as a music
server and home theater controller.
CABLES Interconnects are all balanced Soundstring cables
except for turntable to phono pre and phono pre to line level pre which are
single ended Soundstring. Speaker cables are all DIY except for the Carver 60
inch ribbons which use Goertz flat copper. Power cords are all Soundstring.
ACCESSORIES The turntable and universal player are sitting on Critical Mass Systems
Grand Master isolation platforms atop Lovan equipment racks. The preamp and phono pre are sitting on a Halcyonics Micro 40 active isolation platform. All
other equipment is on Black Diamond racing shelves and/or cones and pucks,
including the speakers. Power filtration is via a Jack Bybee/John Curl
Signature purifier. Acoustic treatments are primarily DIY tube traps and
diffusers. Acoustic room measurements are done using a DIY computer based
Liberty Instruments IMPM MLS system. Parametric EQ, level matching and delay,
etc. are programmed into the digital crossovers based on the measurement
results.
My listening room is in the
basement and is underground to a level of about four feet. Floor is tile over
concrete slab. Walls are wood paneling. The room is squarish at approximately
23 feet on a side and ceiling height is 7.5 feet. Considering the room shape it
is surprisingly free of standing wave problems and I attribute this at least
partially to the way dipole speakers load the room and to the fact that the subs
in the front corners are crossed over at a point below the first room mode. CARA software was used to determine the panel speaker positions. They are about
six feet from the side walls, seven feet apart, three feet from the wall behind
them and toed in toward the listening position.
Power to components in the
listening room is via five fully dedicated lines. Front end components have a
dedicated 6-gauge line directly from the main panel. Amplifiers are located at
the speakers and each channel's amplification is on two separate dedicated lines
one utilizing 6-gauge and the other utilizing 10-gauge Romex connected to the
basement sub-panel. All dedicated lines use hospital grade or better duplex
outlets. All other power to the room is separate.
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ROSS WAGNER'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Prototype vertical line source: 56 1-inch silk dome tweeters on a
vertical stalk mounted 4 inches directly in front of 16 mid-range drivers. 92
inches high. 18-inch woofers mounted in a pair 19-inch diameter cylinders.
Electronic crossover to the woofers. Designer-Mark Porzilli, Hand built by Rod
Handley.
2 pair very early Pipedream prototypes with Pioneer ribbon
tweeters.
ELECTRONICS
Melos 333 Preamp (power supply, line stage, phono stage).
Antique Sound Labs Hurricane Amps; Balanced Audio Technology
VK-6200 4-channel Amp; Melos 402, 400 watt tube amps as modified by Will Guering.
SOURCES
Recently updated Nova Physics Memory Player (Versa Dynamics 2.3 Turntable.
Oppo 83.
CABLES
Valhalla Speaker Wires.
Tara .8 interconnects.
ACCESSORIES
Power cords by Vandenhull, Wireworld.
PS Audio Power Regulator.
Synergistic Research room treatments.
Various home-made tube traps.
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OLIVER AMNUAYPHOL'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Rethms the Third.
ELECTRONICS Fi X 2a3 integrated w/ Magnequest OPTs.
SOURCES Rega P25/RB600/Dynavector DV 10x5 combo and a Sony SCD-333es.
My system resides
in a room that is 19' x 12' x 7.5' and the Rethms are 4' out from the one of the
short walls and 6' apart. The long wall adjacent to the left speaker has three
tall windows covered in blinds and the opposing side opens into the dining room.
The listening couch is right up against the other short wall, but through
experimentation I've found a spot on the edge of the couch that's almost ideal
as far as sweetspots go: the Rethms just seem to 'gel' better if I'm
positioned some distance away from them. There's also a wide window that's
covered in blinds just above the couch, but the speakers seem far enough away
from any wall boundaries to cause any serious interactions. So, not an ideal
room, but I think I've made the most of it.
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ROBERT LEARNER'S SYSTEM
Primary System
LOUDSPEAKERS
Scaena
3.2s and two 2 JL Fathom 113s subwoofers.
ELECTRONICS Classe SSP800
, Dynavector phono
preamp. Audio
Research Reference 210 mono amps, 1 Llano
Trinity 200wpc 3 channel tube/solid-state hybrid amp (center, rears), 1 Rotel RB 1072 stereo amp
(sides).
SOURCES Squeezebox Touch using Apple Lossless, Oppo
980, Oppo BDP 83, Apple TV,
Hanns T20
TT on Gingko platform w/Dynavector
XX2mkII. Projector is a JVC RS2 with a Stewart Studiotek 130 110"
screen.
CABLES Signal Cable, Speltz Anti-cable, DH
Labs, Blue Jeans (Belden), Main speaker cable Supra Sword.
ACCESSORIES
Audiav Zirconia main rack and amp stands.
Shunyata Hydra 8.
Corner
bass traps, absorption panels at the point of first reflection and on the front
wall by GIK Acoustics, Cornertunes 'triangles' by Michael Green.
Secondary System
LOUDSPEAKERS
ATC 20-2 active monitors.
ELECTRONICS TacT Mini.
SOURCES Squeezebox using Apple Lossless.
CABLES Signal Cables.
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MICHAEL WECHSBERG'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS Marten Miles II.
ELECTRONICS E.A..R 890 amplifier and E.A.R. 868
preamplifier with a Townshend
Seismic Sink isolation platform.
SOURCES
Townshend Rock
7 Turntable with Helius Omega Tonearm and a London Reference cartridge. E.A.R. Acute
3 CD Player Music Hall
Maverick SACD Player.
CABLES Kubala-Sosna
Elation Balanced interconnects and Kubala-Sosna Emotion power cords, Harmonic Technology Pro-9 Reference
speaker cables Harmonic Technology Magic Link Two and XLO Signature 3
interconnects Harmonic Technology Magic Reference 2 and XLO Signature 3 power
cords.
ACCESSORIES
Bybee
Speaker Bullets, Marigo Labs TXi and VXi Mystery Feet
for electronics PS Audio Power Plant Premier Power Conditioner.
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SCOTT ROBERTSON'S SYSTEM
Living Room
LOUDSPEAKERS
Magnepan 2.7
ELECTRONICS
Integra DTR 7.1, Accuphase C-3000 preamplifier, Accuphase
P-7000 amplifier
SOURCES
Oppo DV981HD, Halcro EC800
Home Theater
LOUDSPEAKERS
B&W 802D mains, B&W HTM2D center, RBH in-wall rears
ELECTRONICS
Rotel RSP-1068 Surround Sound Processor, Rotel RMB-1095 Power
Amplifier, Audyssey EQ Sound Equalizer, Accuphase C-3000 preamplifier, Accuphase P-7000
amplifier
SOURCE
Oppo DV981HD, Sony PS3, Halcro EC800
CABLES
Audioquest Diamond interconnects
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KENT JOHNSON'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Magneplanar MG10's in a bi-amplified set up using custom bass boxes for
frequencies below 80 Hertz.
ELECTRONICS
Dodd Audio Midline tube preamplifier. Wyred 4
Sound STI-500 Integrated. Rogue 90 Stereo tube amplifier for
the MG10s; a Hafler 9270 for the bass boxes. The crossover is a Dahlquist
DQ-LP1.
SOURCES
Sony SCD-XA5400ES SACD/CD player for SACD. The Sony feeds a Cullen
Circuits DL3 Stage III modded PS Audio DAC for CD replay.
CABLES
DH Labs
Revelation, Zentara Reference, and Supra
Sword 3.0, Zentara Reference. My digital cable is two meters of Belden 1694A video cable
terminated with Eichmann Bullet Plugs. It works great. Here is the article
that the information for making it came from: PFO Issue 14, "Why
longer is generally better for an S/PDIF Digital Cable," by Steve Nugent.
ACCESSORIES
Monster
3600 Mk II line conditioner, PS Audio Soloist Premier, AC cords from PS Audio,
Shunyata, and Zentara. I have four dedicated
circuits available to me, three twenty amp and one fifteen amp. The amps are each on their own twenty amp circuits. The
front-end equipment is on another. The fifteen amp circuit is not in use at
the moment. I have a pair of AKG K240 headphones.
I listen in a room approximately
23 by 28 feet with a 7.5 foot ceiling in my basement. The room was
purposely-built as a listening room within the realities of my budget. The room
is heavily insulated; resilient channel is used behind the ceiling drywall;
metal studs were used in the walls. It works very well.
SECOND SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Quad 21L 2 loudspeakers.
ELECTRONICS
Xindak
XA3200 MKII. PS Audio
A-100.
SOURCE
Sony SCD-C333ES SACD/CD player.
CABLES
DH Labs Revelations and Alpha Core Goertz Mi2. Supra
Ply 3.4/S
ACCESSORIES
Monster HTS 3600 MKII line conditioner. Shunyata
Diamondback Platinum AC cords. AC current comes from a
dedicated 20 amp circuit shared with the home theater set up in the family
room. They are never both on at the same time.
This system is in my living
room, an approximately twelve by fourteen foot space open to both a foyer and
dining room at either end.
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MARC PHILLIPS' SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Opera
Loudspeakers Grand Callas, Trenner & Friedl ART Monitors.
ELECTRONICS
Unison
Research Sinfonia integrated amplifier, Rega Brio3 integrated amplifier, Unison
Research Simply Phono phono preamplifier, Lehmann Audio Black Cube SE phono
preamplifier.
SOURCES
Digital: Unison Research CDE CD player.
Analog: Unison
Research Giro turntable with Unison Research UN1 cartridge; Rega P3-24 turntable
with Zu Audio DL-103 cartridge, TT-PSE power supply, GrooveTracer Reference
subplatter, Funk Firm Achroplat II platter and Acromat 2 mat.
CABLES
Cardas Audio Clear Light interconnects and speaker cables, Cardas Audio Golden
Reference power cables.
ACCESSORIES
Quadraspire QAVM equipment rack, Target equipment rack with Neuance shelves,
Quadraspire QV-60 speaker stands, Opera Loudspeakers Callas speaker stands,Nitty
Gritty 1.5 record cleaning machine, Walker Audio Prelude record cleaning system,
Black Diamond Racing cones, Echobusters room treatment, Wiremold power strips.
Since I am, along
with Colleen Cardas, the US distributor of Unison Research and Opera
Loudspeakers, my system can vary greatly from week to week. Unison has a very
extensive product line, and I'm trying to get plenty of seat time with every
piece so I can be "an expert." That said, the components listed above are mine,
all mine, and not demos or back stock.
My listening room is fairly small, about 11.5' by 14.5', but it has Texas-style
12' high ceilings. I live in a cul-de-sac in a secluded subdivision in the far
northwest corner of my sleepy Texas town (actually a growing suburb of Austin).
I only have to go a block or two before I hit beautiful natural Texas Hill
Country, with its copious bluebonnets, coyotes and rattlesnakes.
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TERESA GOODWIN'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Infinity
Reference Standard 7 Kappa, 12 inch woofer, 3 inch midrange, EMIT tweeter.
Sennheiser HD 580 and HD 265 Linear headphones.
ELECTRONICS AMC CVT
1030 Stereo Vacuum Tube preamplifier and
an
Adcom GFA-555II High Current amplifier.
SOURCES
Yamaha
Natural Sound DVD-S1800 DVD Audio/Video SA-CD player,
Yamaha
Natural Sound DVD-S1700 DVD Audio/Video SA-CD player, and a
Sanyo Flat Screen Color TV.
CABLES Monster
Cable Interlink 400MK II and M350i interconnects and Monster Cable Powerline 2
Plus speaker cables.
ACCESSORIES AudioPrism
CD Stoplight by Clear Image Audio™ Compact Disc Edge Treatment.
My
listening room is 14' wide x 12' long with a ceiling height of 8'. My speakers
are 8½' apart measured by their innermost point toed in slightly to get a more
realistic image of an orchestral shell. Even with my speakers placed this far
apart the phantom center image is solid and there is no hole in the middle. With
the best source material the image is huge expanding beyond the outer boundaries
of the speakers with excellent depth and height and ambiance in front of the
performers filling up the rest of the room. Visitors have commented that my
2-channel stereo has the spaciousness that surround sound aims for but seldom
achieves.
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DEAN SEISLOVE'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Nola Boxer standmount speakers. Tannoy Eyris 1
standmount speakers. Pioneer SP-BS21-LR bookshelf speakers. AudioEngine A5
powered speakers.
ELECTRONICS Peachtree Audio iNova integrated amplifier. Arcam A-80
integrated amplifier. Luxman LV-80 integrated amplifier.
SOURCES
Arcam CD 82 CD player.
Arcam DT61 tuner. MacBook (Snow Leopard, Intel 2 Core Duo 2.4/4GB ram with
iTunes 10.5.1, using Pure Music 1.82). Devilsound v2.1 DAC. CEntrance DACport.
CABLES Kubala-Sosna Imagination speaker
cables (on loan). Nordost SuperFlatline MKII speaker cables. Harmonic Technology
Magic Link Two interconnects. Stereolab Reference I-700 RX interconnects.
Kimber Hero interconnects.
ACCESSORIES Audioengine W1
wireless system, MIT Z Powerbar power conditioner, Balanced Power Technologies
Clean Power Center power conditioner.
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TOM GIBB'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Magneplanar MMGs, modded with custom-built stands and Peter Gunn's (of Audio
Asylum fame) outboard crossover mods; Definitive Technologies Powerfield 1500
Subwoofer.
ELECTRONICS
Emotiva XPA-2
amplifier; Acurus RL-11 preamplifier; Rolls Bellari VP130 tube phono preamp,
used interchangeably with Mullard new production, JJ Electronic and Sovtek 12AX7
tubes (depending upon my mood).
SOURCES
Digital:
Sony BDPs-780 BluRay/SACD player; Hewlett Packard s5703w computer: Windows
7/64-bit, 500 GB hard drive, 8 GB RAM, 1 TB Seagate external drive for storage,
using Foobar 2000 as my music player, via the High Resolution Technologies Music
Streamer II+ USB DAC.
Analog: Rega P2
turntable, with RB 250 arm, modded with Michell Technoweight and stub and glass
platter upgrade; Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge.
CABLES
Interconnects:
Audioquest Topaz, Blue Jeans Cable LC-1's, Monster 400i's. Speaker cables:
Monster M1. USB: DH Labs Silver Sonic.
ACCESSORIES
Bright Star Audio
Big Rock turntable base; Tiptoes and various isolation devices; ASC Tube Trap
panels; GIK Acoustics bass traps; Custom-built acoustic panels; Target stands;
Disc Doctor and LAST record cleaning supplies.
Home Theater
System
-
Sony STR-D3ES 6-channel receiver
-
Sony BDPs-780 BluRay/SACD/network player
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Epson 8350 1080p LCD projector
-
DaLite 108" grey hi-contrast screen
-
Mirage 1295is loudspeakers w/internal 400 watt powered subs, with Mirage center
and surrounds
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LYNN OLSON'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Ariel Mark 1.9 (similar to original article in PF Magazine in 1993).
External crossovers with Jupiter Caps for highpass filters, independent star
ground for each filter section, solid-core point-to-point wiring for signal
side, tinned stranded copper for ground side.
ELECTRONICS
Karna PP 300B monoblock amplifiers with external power supplies. All
triode, all transformer-coupled fully balanced circuitry with VR150 shunt
regulation. 5687/6900/7044/7119 input tube, vintage PP 45 driver tubes, and PP
meshplate 300B tubes. Fully independent choke-fed B+ power supplies for
input/driver and output section; all filtering by General Electric
polypropylene/oil motor-run capacitors, with additional Teflon bypass
capacitors. 1:1 input transformer by Tribute, interstage, output, and power
transformers by Bud Purvine's O-Netics.
A version of this amplifier may be available for sale in 2012 or 2013: design
pending. More info at the Nutshell High Fidelity site.
Custom-made JWN "Colorado Special" PP amplifier.
SOURCES
Digital: Monarchy M24 DAC/Linestage, with Burr-Brown PCM-63K DAC, passive
I/V conversion, and 6DJ8/6N1P in SRPP configuration analog amplification. The
integral linestage also uses a 6DJ8 or 6N1P in SRPP configuration. I still
prefer this DAC to modern DACs with delta-sigma converters and solid-state
electronics.
Behringer SRC2496 Ultramatch Pro, Sample Rate Conversion set to 88.2/24 mode,
internal clock ON, and dither at the 24th LSB set to ON. SRC and dither are
turned off for 96/24 sources but internal clock is set to ON. The Ultramatch Pro
has galvanic isolation for all inputs and outputs, isolating the grounds of the
DAC and the transport & music server.
Denon DV2900 CD/DVD/SACD/DVD-A transport with all Parts ConneXion mods,
including SuperClock III.
Mac Mini server with iTunes and Pure Music software. I will be evaluating the
Audiophilleo and Halide Bridge asynchronous USB/SPDIF converters in the near
future.
Analog: Technics RS1520 1/2 and 1/4 track semiprofessional tape deck, formerly
used by the Tektronix Calibration Lab. 4-head
stack, with switchable 1/4 and 1/2 track playback heads, and 1/2 track record
and erase heads. Simple modification
for external jack for external playback amplification. I may do this if I build
an RIAA preamp, which is trivially simple to switch between RIAA, 78 RPM, NAB,
and IEC equalization. (Equalization switching was a standard feature for quality
preamps in the Fifties, along with tone controls ... hmmm.
HEADPHONES
Beyer Dynamics DT-880M and Sennheiser HD580 headphones.
CABLES
Custom cables built by Bud Purvine of O-Netics, using industrial Litz
wire with 288 independently enameled strands and cotton-cloth insulation.
Interconnects are RCA-RCA (Radio Shack connectors), and speaker wires are
bi-wired from output jacks to crossovers. AudioPrism Ground Controls (designed
by Bud Purvine) are attached to high and lowpass filter sections of the Ariel
crossovers.
ACCESSORIES
Salamander rack systems for video (including TV mount) and audio
systems. Vibration isolation provided by Wal-Mart Stadium Seat Cushions.
Sound quality of the Karna amplifiers is degraded by power conditioners; not
recommended. The solid-state rectifiers (which feed very large electrolytic
caps) used by the digital sources are another matter; they generate so much
noise that power conditioning is beneficial to the device and other devices. I
use the Monarchy AC Regenerator to drive the digital sources.
VIDEO
Although the video and audio systems are in proximity to each other, the video
and audio systems are powered by separate AC outlets, and do not share any
interconnects or grounds (galvanic isolation). The Panasonic P58VT25 and Comcast
DVR are powered by a sine-wave, server-grade UPS so they can ride through power
surges and failures.
Panasonic P58VT25 3D plasma television, with THX certification and four HDMI
inputs.
Panasonic BD300 Blu-Ray player with separate audio and video HDMI outputs.
Supports full-resolution 1080P 24/60/96FPS 3D over HDMI. No DVD-A or SACD
support, though. Is there an OPPO in the future?
Comcast/Motorola DVR, with HDMI, SPDIF, and TOSLINK outputs. Vibration isolated.
Marantz AV8003 pre-pro and MM8003 8-channel power amplifier, with support for
DD, DTS, Blu-Ray audio formats, DVD-A, and SACD over HDMI.
Dynaudio Contour SC X. Pretty good Center speaker, but only a fair timbre match
for the Ariels. I found out the hard way that almost no commercial high-end
speaker matches the Ariels - nearly all Center speakers are quite bad on music
(listen to them in mono, and see what I mean), and only fair on dialog
intelligibility. The Dynaudios seem to be the best of the bunch as HT speakers
go. Still looking for a gently used pair of ME2's that a careful DIY constructor
may have built, at least the ME2 will have good integration with the Ariels,
since it uses the same drivers and cross-over.
REL Strata III subwoofer; one of the few that successfully integrates with the Ariels. Most HT subwoofers are not a good match for the Ariels, much too slow
and soggy-sounding. Also makes a good stand for the Technics RS-1520 tape deck.
Astro Gaming Mixamp 5.8 GHz wireless headphone transmitter-receiver with TOSLINK
input from the Panasonic television. Excellent sound quality with the Beyer and
Sennheiser headphones, and the Dolby Headphone synthesized surround gets the
sound out of your head and into the room. Just the thing for the those BBC
mysteries and Dr. Who episodes with mixed-down dialog and Mersey, Welsh and
Scots accents.
XBOX 360 Slim & Kinect controller, with 250GB drive, Ethernet interface, and
1080P HDMI output (although in-game resolution is 720P or less; limitation of
the 2007-vintage graphics chipset). Microsoft finally got power consumption down
to 60~70 watts, solving the heat-dissipation problems of earlier Xboxes, as well
as greatly reducing fan noise (the X360S is actually pretty quiet).
Zero interest in first-person shooters (FPS) like Call of Duty, but atmospheric
games like L.A. Noire, Child of Eden and Xbox Live Arcade downloads are a lot of
fun. The Kinect 3D motion sensor is a great way to liven up a party, since you
have to physically get up and control the game with your whole body.
Mac Mini with HDMI, TOSLINK and USB-audio output - convenient for watching
real-time international news on the Panasonic TV without US-market censorship
from the satellite and cable-company provider. I got this after being
exasperated with the very poor coverage from CNN, MSNBC, et al on the New
Zealand and Japan earthquakes, events at Fukushima, and the Arab Spring. I have
NO interest in the latest missing-blonde story, Hollywood gossip, or endless
Congressional shouting matches.
I'd rather see real news, and you to go to the Internet for that. The
international TV stations all have different protocols for streaming television,
and you need a computer to support these protocols - not the restricted
Hollywood-friendly protocols of Roku, Apple TV, Boxee Box, or other
media-consumption devices (which are essentially Netflix replacements from what
I see). The Mac Mini runs cool, is fanless and very quiet, and I'm used to the
Mac OS X operating system.
Internet connection is through in-house Cat 5e Ethernet wiring, D-Link DIR-655
Router, and 25~30 (measured) megabit Comcast cable modem. Wireless is too flaky
for stable streaming TV or high-definition audio transport.
View of complete audio and video systems. The video system has its own AC
outlet, and runs off a server-grade sine-wave UPS. The audio system is off to
the right, and has its own power outlet. All power conditioners tried so far
have degraded the sound of the Karna amplifiers, so they are not used for the
audio system.
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TIMOTHY ROTH'S SYSTEM
SOURCES
MacBook with iTunes, Play, and Max. The internal hardware is Intel High
Definition Audio (supports up to 96/24). Music reviews are based on 1411 kbps CD
rips via AIFF or better (e.g., HD Tracks files up to 96/24). Pioneer DV-563A
(5.1 SACD and DVD-A). iPhone. 2011 Mazda 3 standard CD system (with all speakers
other than the front two turned off).
HEADPHONES
Sennheiser
HD 650. Black Ops 5.1 Surround Sound headphones with four separate speakers in
each cup (1 center, 1 sub, L or R front, L or R rear).
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STEVE KOZLE'S SYSTEM
LOUDSPEAKERS
Axiom Audio
W22 In/.On Wall Speakers (titanium tweeters and aluminum woofers), Orb Audio
Super Eight Custom Sub (8" driver, 200W BASH hybrid digital amplifier and 12"
cabinet).
ELECTRONICS
Dayens
Ampino integrated amplifier - 25W per channel.
SOURCES
Recent-generation Mac mini with Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD,
running Pure Music and iTunes Applications. HRT Music Streamer II.
CABLES
Dayens
InVivo Silver RCA interconnects, Shunyata Venom 3 power cable, Axiom Audio 14AWG
Speaker Wire.
ACCESSORIES
Auralex
Subdude isolation platform, Vibrapods, Vibracones, Monster QuickLock MKII Gold
Banana Connectors, Innovolt Power Asset Manager PM-15.
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