My room was purpose build using the ratio described by Floyd Toole from the Canadian Research council.
Have 20 dedicated 15 amp circuits, 4x20 amp circuits and 2 220 volt 60 amp circuits. The wall construction is 12" thick ,made up of a double wall of 2x4 studs at 16 oc with the studs staggered ,insulation (rock wool), t&g 3/4 plywood glued and screwed, then the drywall is glued with a v notch trowel. This room is so quiet the music can flow with absolutely no distractions. This is a great way to enjoy the music at the end of long day of work.
Many many changes have taken place since posting my system here.
Decided to repaint the room a much lighter colour to lighten things up for reading in the room.
Using the darTZeel pre amp with two different amps. The first amp in this system is the Wyetech Topaz 211 and second one is the darTZeel amp.
Both bring forth tremendous musical enjoyment albeit different presentations.
Mike L turned my focus back to vinyl after being at his home many years ago. Had my Lp and gear packed up until Mike opened up my eyes/ears.
Now LP playback is 90% vinyl and 10% digital.
Steve Dobbins came by last weekend to deliver and set up the KODO the Beat.
Tonearm on the BEAT is the Reed P3 along with the Kuzma Airline. Room for one more.......
Second table is my Verdier which I bought after visiting Mike L's place.
Using a FR 64s and purchased an ET-2 which will be upgraded to a 2.5 in the next month pending Bruce's schedule.
Studer Tape deck plays a role too but is limited due to lack of tapes. Having spent funds on vinyl rigs and arm/cartridges leaves the deck out side of the music room.
Custom build direct drive turntable by Steve Dobbins. Has a separate power supply and speed controller. Can accommodate three tonearms.
JC Verdier La Platine
Great turntable
Technics SP-10 MKII
Direct drive from the late 70s. This one is in mint condition. Will start building different types of plinths for the turntables that I have recently purchased. They will be made out of combinations of slate, alloys and homebrew plywood using veneers and an 80 ton press.
Kuzma Airline
Airline
Fidelity Research FR 64S
With VTA adjuster
Fidelity Research FR 24 MK II
One Ikeda's early arms. Looking for an copy of the original manual of this arm.
Reed 3P
12
Eminent Technology ET-2
ET 2 will be shipped to Bruce Thigpen to get updated to a 2.5 version and get a full check over.
Dynavector XV-1S
Great sounding cartridge
Ortofon A90
Their latest top flight cartridge.
Lyra Kleos SL1
Low output moving coil Kleos. SL stands for single layer
Empire 4000 DIII GOLD
MM Cartridge from the golden era
Grace F9-E
Had this one on my first Rega 3
Denon 103 R
Denon MC
Denon 103
Second moving coil that I purchased after buying the Kuzma Airline.
Allnic H-3000V
Phono stage which allows the use of two MM and two MC
Loricraft PRC-3
Lp cleaner
Audio Research CD7.5
Reference CD player
Aural Symphonics Magic Gem v2t
Very good power best that I have heard in my system. Powering the Audio Research CD-7.
McIntosh MR-78
Great sounding FM
Wilson Audio Maxx II
Great sounding full range speaker
Wilson Audio Puppy 5.1
Wilson Watt Puppies
Wilson Audio Watch Center
Center
Wilson Audio Watch Dog
Wilson Watch Dog
Nordost Valhalla
Nordost Valhalla Have this as my interconnect through out the system excapt for the zeel connect between darTZeel preamp and darTZeel amp.
Nordost Valhalla Speaker cable
High resolution speaker cable
Stillpoints Dampers and Risers
Isolation device
Theta Digital Casablanca max
Casablanca III with Extreme Dacs
Sony VPL-VW100 Ruby
Great looking projector and stunning picture
Stewart Screen 110
Luxus Delux Gey Hawk
Slim Devices Transporter
Computer based server with with its own DA
Balanced Audio Technologies VK-6200
200 watt five channel Home Theater amp
Toshiba HD-XA2
High definition HD DVD player with great upscaling on SD DVD
Dartzeel 18 NHB-18S
Solid state preamp purchased and hoping for a Xmas delivery. Ordered with two phono stages.
darTZeel NHB-108 model one Version B
Solid state amp made in Switzerland.
AUDIENCE ar12
Top notch ac filtering 20 amp unit made for Wally of Wally Tractor fame.
Audience aR6-T
Used for the amps at the front of the room.
Wyetech TOPAZ 211 A
18 watt SET with the gold plated Audio Note Transformers.
Studer A810
Vintage 1/4 inch 1/2 track. You have to hear it to believe it. Makes great vinyl sound like MP3.
Studer A810
My second Studer. This will be used in another system.
Nordost Brahma
Power cord for the Aestehtix IO
HOMEBUILD Amp Stand
4 inch thick Jatoba ( Brazilian Cherry) wood
Sutherland TIMELINE
Strobe light to check turntable speed. Two speeds only 33 1/3 and 45 RPM. Very accurate and easy to use.
Allnic Speednic
Strobe for Turntable to check speed accuracy.
HARMONIC RESOLUTION SYSTEM ANALOG DISC CLAMP
Record clamp/weight
Unknown Ebony LP weight
Ebony disc weight
Custom LP racks Apple plywood
Never enough room for LP storage, so I took over the front entrance with my wife's permission of course.
Modified IKEA shelving Walnut gables
Wanted a storage area with sliding doors to hide various tapes, LPs Blue rays and misc.
Modified IKEA shelving Walnut gables part II
Picture of sliding doors open
Canadian Tire Tool Chest
Hold all of tubes,cartridges, footers, set up tools.
TEL WIRE HC Power cord 8 feet
TEL WIRE HC Great synergy in my system. Beautifully finished and the Oyaide connectors are of the best quality. Extremely happy with them.
Acoustical-systems P2S
Direct measuring and marking system made by Dertonarm. Quality is very high and very easy to use.
I ordered the Dart`s Preamp and now seeking for amp to go with it. What amp would you recommend for the Maxx2 with the Dart 18NS? Does the Dart 108B has enough grip and power to drive the Maxx`s as they need a high current amp to shine or would it be better with something like the Ayre MXR or rather big tubes? Did you try some other amps than the amps you already own now ?
Purchased the 50 Ohm zeel-connect for my pre to amp. Long run of 11M so that I can use it in my new listening room that should be ready (finger crossed) in two years.
On another note, will be going to the Roger Waters "THE WALL Concert" on Friday. Anyone else going in Vancouver, BC ?? Should bring back lots of memories.
Hi Papaya You have a very nice system which must sound great. Where about are you located ? Unfortunately there is no ARC dealer here in Vancouver, BC. Therefore I cannot comment on the dart vs ARC preamp. I can tell you that the phono stage in the dart is very good. My other phono stage which is my reference, the Aesthetix IO Mk II is very good, but the one in the dart is what gets used the most.
To answer your question of the dart SS pre loosing wide stage and grandeur presentation of tube preamp, I can answer no. I am thrilled with the dart's presentation. My three previous tube preamps that I have owned were ARC LS1, Cat Signature MKIII with phono and the Supratek which also had a build in phono stage. The Supratek was the last one that I owned.
I`m using the Maxx 2 with Arc Ref 3 and Playback Design Mps-5 player. I`m looking for new pre and I was thinking of the Dartzeel 18NS. I see that you enjoy Dart combo very much with the Maxx`es. I was wondering if you tried any of the ARC gear and if so what do think of the ARC Ref 5 compared to the Dart pre. As a SS pre do you loose some of the wide stage and grandeur presentation of tube preamp ? Also I`m curios to know if you compared the Dart`s phono to any other phono or even the ARC Ref 2 phono stage, and actually how do you appreciate the Darts phono.
Rugyboogie, you went the right way building your own room. I see very good equipment. must sound perfect. wenn Du nach Munich kommst bitte melde Dich. Bin auf dem Weg nach Denver eckart
System edited: System update. TEL Wire HC cord added to my system for my two for my power amps. Astonishing resolution and great dynamics right out of the box. Have them on my dart as well as the Topaz. Highly recommended. Also took delivery of a SME 312 that will be used on my Technics SP 10 mkII turntable. Getting close to being finished, too many things to do and just not enough time.
Long time no talk. Have been watching the changes in your system as well Belated congrats on your Wilson Alexandrias.
Had my first chance to listen to the Alexandrias on a recent road trip that we made in August on our way to San Diego. They sounded great at Oneobgyn's. On the road trip we also stopped by C1ferrari and Mike Lavigne's.
The changes that I have made were procured by not wanting to have all of my gear at the front of the room. The ASR Emitter required me to have five long sets of interconnects running to the ASR. Have long length's of Valhalla (3x 30') interconnect and honestly did not want to buy more. Using the other long runs of interconnects did not do the system justice. For a while I kept changing the Valhalla interconnects between all of my sources. Some are single ended some balanced, just too big of a hassle changing cables and mounting XLR to rca adaptors back and forth. Sounds lazy but when I wanted to switch from LP to CD and then to Tape....... you get the idea.
The question of having a SET 211 amp and the ASR* was more for a comparison between solid state and tube. So many people get into the debate of Tubes vs Solid State. By having both in house I could hear for myself and have the best of both worlds this way. The acquisition was also the first step into getting my system back to the my preferred setup, which is sources at the side of the room and amps at the front. The Supratek Chenin is the preamp that I was using to mate with the Wyetech in order to do a the Solid vs Tube comparison. After having had the ASR solid state and the Wyetech setups for almost 8 months it was time to make a decision. My personal preference was that I enjoyed the music for longer periods of time with the SET 211 based amp. It felt more alive, more soul to the music and dynamics were better as well. Soundstage was better too.. But the trade off was that I rolled tubes, almost becoming an obsession. Finally received some NOS tubes from Andy at Vintage tube services which have remained in their respective positions and have not had to touch the tubes since then.
The darTZeel preamp interested me for the following reasons. Battery power for the preamp just like the ASR. Multiple phono stages, plus four more inputs for sources, remote control. Build quality and lots of favorable reviews for the preamp. Listening to darTZeel at Mike Lavigne's for four years and have always been impressed. Made the preamp my Xmas present/bonus.
The Wyetech and the Zeel preamp is a very good combo.
The darTZeel amp was ordered in April and delivered in June. The biggest concern that the dealer had was how it would pair with my Maxx II. Normal listening levels at my house typically is around to 80 to 86 db. Most of my listening is done after dinner when I want to relax and wind the day down. Of course there is the odd time that the juice does get to flow, but to date have never clipped the darTZeel amp.
I noticed that you have made some significant changes to your system. I had the ASR in my system for an extended demo back when I had Maxx 2's. I am curious as to what made you decide to change. I'm also curious as to your new choice of dartzeel as well as how you use the SET amp that you have acquired. I have been contemplating some changes in my own system and would appreciate your thoughts.
Sorry to say that I have no experience with the Sophia II, only listened to the original Sophia. Comparing it to the first from many years ago is not fair as it's been to long since I listened to them. My impression of the new Sophia is very favorable. Tight bass foundation, mids were sweet and the highs were extended without being shrill. Liked them in the set up. In a real world environment such as a living room they would do quite well. Remember that they need to be voiced as per the Wilson set up. This will take time but will pay off in Spades. They made great music in the 2 hrs demo and I am sure they would sing in just about any set up.
Typically Wilson improves their line of speakers with each generation.
Spent the afternoon listening to the Canadian debut of the Wilson Sophia III at the local Wilson dealer here in Vancouver BC. Met up with local Canadian Rich Teer who did the the 4 hour drive to Vancouver from the Okanagan. Rich publishes an online magazine called VinyLPhile.
Website is http://www.vinylphilemag.com/
The Sophia III was being demoed by none other than Peter Mc Grath of Wilson Audio. Peter had a great brought with him a great selection of music that the played for the crowd. The source was his Mac Book Pro using an external hard drive. Music was both Redbook standard and high rez formats as well. The room did not do justice to the speakers as the room being used is the store's high end room for their Video display. None the less the Sophia III was very impressive indeed. The newest tweeter and the mid from the Maxx III's has trickled down to the newest Sophia. The bottom end was tight and very well controlled.
After the event had Rich and his wife over for some music and some good conversation. The stay was much to short and we need to start earlier in the day next time.
Projector bulb expired which prompted for the whole room to be rearranged.
System update. The components for shelving system is now complete. All of the equipment and cables have been removed from the room. Speakers and amps remain in their locations. The assembly of the shelves should take a few nights, and then to get all of gear and cables back into the room.
The Vancouver International Jazz Festival is now on. Lots of great music in town. Will be taking in several concerts, which will delay the speed of the room getting back together.
That's great, Mikel! I really do want to get up your way, again :-) It would be cool to help you out on your Island project...actually, with my schedule this year, I return to teaching in about a month.
Hi Sam & Sonny Weather has been terrible, we had our summer during the Olympics. Having fun putting on the hours on the new amp. The new glow of two red eyes reminds me of the eyes of the "Iron Giant" movie. Should you make it up this way drop by, doors are always open for you. Architect is finished with the drawings for the Island project. Stop by in August and I will put you to work.......just kidding. See you guys soon, Mikel
I have to get up to BC to visit again, soon! How's your summer goin'? Sonny and I were contemplating Europe, but will probably travel there in Fall or Winter. Have fun with all the new stuff :-)
Yes the A90 with the Airline is a great combo. Your purchase of a second A90 is a good decision. This is one great cartridge.
System update. Bought a Yamaha PX3 turntable from a fellow Agon member. This I bought for my late night listening sessions. Have a tendency to fall asleep late at night and the PX3 has an auto lift which will save my cartridge. Tracking delivery of my new amp, which should arrive any day.
great tread. the Airline with A90 and La Platine is not just a good match. it is stunning. here comes my indepth review of A90: i'm gonna buy a second one. just in case ;-)
Agree with you that I should "spend a few buck on a quality stand."
Have been making shelving for my gear which has taken me close to 3 months to make on weekends. I will post the pictures when it's assembled . The amp stand is now in place for the Topaz
Raw Jatoba $1400 Stainless Steel Pipe $ 400 Brass feet/cones $ 500 Brass rod and hardware $ 300 Misc shop suplies $ 300 Paint shop supplies $ 200 Lead shot and sand $150 Sorbathane/ bushings $400 Yours truly time FREE
LOL ................................ Spent 63 hrs at the woodworking shop Spent 4 hrs at the metal shop. Spent 20 driving to shop and buying supplies.
