Description

I'm very happy with the system as is....BUT i'm always keeping an eye out for the next piece of the puzzle.

I'm considering a power supply for the turntable (VPI or other) and potentially a new amp. I'd like to try triodes. I'm looking for a stand/rack for the gear. Solid Steel probably.

I'm also going to build a set of open baffle speakers using Electro-Voice 12 inch full range drivers. But these will just be for "playing" as I'm sure my wife would not want them in our living room. Maybe a good excuse to set up another system in the basement!
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Components Toggle details

    • VPI Industries Scout
    Simple suspensionless belt drive.
    • VPI Industries VPI JMW-9
    Unipivot...I have four armwands for various carts.
    • Dynavector 17-D2 mkII
    Classic Dyna with diamond cantilever.
    • Audio Technica AT33-ev
    Latest in a long line of classics.
    • Zu/Denon DL-103
    Perfect dl-103 for lighter tonearms.
    • Shure M97he Encore
    The first cart I ever owned....with a newer cantilever/stylus...I keep it around for older abused records.
    • Eastern Electric Minimax Phono
    All tube, transformer inputs for MC.
    • Nelson Image SE-8
    Single-ended pentode integrated amplifier. 10 watts per channel. It is really just a power amp with a volume control and two switched inputs. There is no pre-amp to speak of.
    • ProAc Studio 140
    Two-way floorstanding. 91 db/w 8 Ohms.
    • Speltz Anti-IC
    with Eichmann Bullet Plugs
    • Speltz Anticables
    used in bare-wire configuration....no spades, bananas etc.
    • Stillpoints isolation cones.
    used under speakers.
    • IsoTek Sirius
    Power bar/conditioner.
    • Grant Fidelity PC 1.5
    power cable with built in RF filtering. Use them on TT and phono stage.
    • Pangea AC-9
    Power cables feeding the IsoTek power bar and amp.

Comments 17

Howdy.  Love the simple set up, and the tt to phono pre to amp in line visual.  Great aesthetics all around, and I'm sure those tubes make for some beautiful music.

subterranean6

I realize it was three years ago that you posted about looking for another amplifier, possibly triodes. Don't know where you currently are in this madness we do, but I've found the greatest amplifier I've ever owned in the Clones Audio 25i integrated. It's 25w into 8 ohms and 50 into 4. Your speakers are 2db more efficient than mine. I've had tube amps from EAR, Kora and Dynaco. SS from Job (Goldmund), McCormack, a few digital amps and a battery amp from Red Wine. This Clones integrated is the most natural, organic and just plain REAL sounding amp of them all. It made every other amp sound like I was listening to HiFi.
Just had to let you know about this wonderful amp.

devilboy

Thought you might want to read this article. Musical Affairs speaker article on hand built speakers:

http://www.sorasound.com/products/musical-affairs/

lapierre

Hey, nicely done, sweet system. Aftermarket footers were brought up, so you may want to see the Edensound Bear Paws on my Scout. They kind of take the concept of added mass to its ultimate conclusion.

Regards,
Dan

islandmandan

Mapleshade has a great TT maple/brass footer/cork and rubber combo that not only looks great but for my rega P5 did amazing things.

jimbojrjb

Owner
Wow! Thanks for all the compliments! I will take everyones advice seriously and skip on the rack/stand. I'll look into an isolation platform for the turntable and maybe some fancy footers for the rest of the gear and leave it at that. Does anybody have any advice in that direction? (feet/platforms)?

As far as the ProAcs...they're a great speaker. They are quite efficient/sensitive for a ProAc design and can be driven quite well with my 10 wpc single-ended tube amp. I've tried them with 4 different amps and have had no issues with tube or solid-state. They have the traditional "beautiful" ProAc sound (lush vocals and out of the box sound) but are also fast and quite dynamic. I've had quality mini-monitors my whole audio life and could never find a floorstanding speaker that is as quick and detailed as minis. The ProAcs were the first large speaker I've heard that can also sound speedy while having great bass extension. They essentially sound like mini-monitors with great bass!

Thanks again to all who've commented.

fullnine

One last thought...........having your gear off to the side and not smack dab in the middle of your amazing speakers is a major plus, both visually and sonically.

jimbojrjb

Well done, Fullnine. I enjoy seeing the systems that, like mine, are part of funcional living rooms. Tell us about the strengths and weaknesses of the ProAcs in your system.

cymbop

the only transformation will be to your bank accout............trust me. Spinaker is right...2% at best. It's not like you have a horrible situation for your TT. Enjoy my friend!

jimbojrjb

Very nice Fullnine. I like your aesthetics of the room.

highend64

Owner
Thanks to Jimbo & Spinaker for the complements. I do like having a good looking set-up as well as a good sounding one. Hiding all the cables, power supplies etc behind the cabinet certainly helps with the neat & tidy look. I guess I'm just an easy sale because when I read a review of a stand/rack and the author describes how it "transforms" his system, I start getting all hot and itchy to try one. I've tried home-made iso platforms under my TT so I know that they can have an effect. I'm curious to try an "engineered" solution.

fullnine

Not many rooms/systems are as well integrated asthis one appears to be. I live alone but having my system in my main living room means at least trying to keep it all from looking either like a friggin man-cave or some recording studio from the seventies. Unless the TT is picking up resonances from the cabinet, leave well enough alone and enjoy. A rack may increase the sound pleasure 2% but will ruin the "room" look by 50%.

spinaker01

Dude, don't get too hung up on a so called "high end" audio rack........I've had both and it's not that big of a deal. You've done an outstanding job of integrating some great hi fi gear into a real world home and it looks amazing!! My suggestion?? For what it's worth........sit back, throw some records on that amazing TT and enjoy!

Well done my freind!

jimbojrjb

Owner
There are lotsa different plans for open baffles on the net, and most are easy enough to build even for a non-carpenter like myself. I heard a set of open baffles many years ago and the sound has been locked in my brain ever since. They sound very different from box speakers, more like plannars or stats. I've got the drivers already...a set of Electro-Voice SP-12b. Now I just need a piece of plywood with a 12" hole cut in it!

As far as amps...I'm thinking about an Audio Note something like that. Anything integrated and burnin' 300b's.

fullnine


ProAcs look cool. Building open baffle speakers sounds like fun. Will that be from a kit? Also, in the future, what amp are you considering?

lapierre

Owner
Ask and ye shall receive....

fullnine

Nicely done!

How about some more pictures showing the ProAcs.

lapierre

Showing all 17 posts