Description

My Living Room System 1 is a continual work in progress . . . latest upgrade was switching to the Phase Tech cartridge from a Zu DL103. The difference was so dramatic I could envision the new stylus making better contact with the grooves. Can't imagine how spending over $1K to upgrade from Blue Jeans and DH Labs cables could compete with this difference. I'm sure I've overspent time and money in some aspects of this system (who hasn't?), but isn't the true challenge identifying the weakest links?
BTW I have four other less ambitious systems to post about later . . . 
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Room Details

Dimensions: 25’ × 15’  Large
Ceiling: 9’


Components Toggle details

    • Quad ESL-57 One Thing Audio rebuilds
    • (hand built and designed by yours truly) Custom multiply stands
    I designed and built custom stands that swivel and move on lockable casters so they can be easily positioned for the very small but unreal sweet-spot these speakers are known for- if it's not easy to set them up for this, it's just not worth bothering with 57's. Lifting them up also helped tighten up the bass.
    • Rogue Audio Atlas Magnum
    Installed KT120 tubes after switching to the custom speaker stands- their bass is more robust than that from KT88's, which work better when the 57's are closer to the floor.
    • Precision Fidelity CA-7a revised
    • Lenco L78
    Heavily (and heavy!) modified by yours truly. I used Peter Reinders' PTP Solid design as a reference, with his PTP top plate as the motor mount, and his ruby bearing to house the spindle. Instead of Corian, I experimented with phenolic resin countertop material, which required a waterjet to make the cutouts (one suppled as a CAD file by Peter, others drawn by yours truly). Oval armboard cut-out can accommodate either 9/10" or 12" arms, unlike the PTP Solid. Internal wiring was completed by Brooks Berdan. Can't remember the supplier of the adjustable stainless steel feet, except that they came from the UK.
    • Ortofon AS309
    Alfred Bokrand modified 12" tonearm
    • Phase Tech P3 Alexandrine
    MC Cartridge
    • Audio Interface CST-80 SUT
    • Thomas Schick Graphite Headshell

Comments 8

Showing all comments by douglas_schroeder.

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Nice, creative setup; kudos! 

Don't sell short the benefit of a holistic cabling scheme, including power cords.  You might appreciate the affordable line of Iconoclast Cables. I reviewed their top line for Dagogo.com, but the design/geometry follows through the three tiers of Iconoclast Cables. 

All links in an audio system are weak links potentially. The weakness is shown when the link is upgraded. The amount of upgrading is nearly infinite. You select how far you wish to take it. There are dozens of levels of significant improvement to be achieved in an audio system if so desired, many for each link, limited only by one's vision and resources.

The stands you built are an excellent enhancement to the Quad speaker, addressing a fundamental shortcoming, that being too low to the ground. You have achieved an effect similar to my Landscape Orientation method, seen in the image of the PureAudioProject Trio15 10" Coaxial Speakers in my virtual system.   :)

douglas_schroeder