Description

The system as a whole is smooth, detailed, and really gets the musical point across. Extension in both directions could be improved, but the midrange is so glorious that I hardly care. Imaging is decent, but could be more pinpoint. My guess is that more careful positioning could improve my lot here. Soundstaging is good. Next upgrade will be a new cartridge. Suggestions welcome!
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Components Toggle details

    • Red Wine Audio iMod
    Modified 60GB iPod. Amp and volume control are bypassed. Sound is routed from the internal Wolfson DAC through Black Gate caps, and the headphone jack becomes an inredibly clean line out. AMAZING sound.
    • Nottingham Analog Horizon SE
    Ultra quiet, with extremely low powered motor. Very heavy platter as well.
    • Rega RB-300
    Needs no introduction!
    • Grado Gold
    Great midrange...
    • Unico Unison
    Sweet, powerful, accurate hybrid amp. Using Raytheon 12au7 tubes. Great piece.
    • Silverline Audio SR-15
    Smooth and beautiful monitors. Great bass, great imaging, and unbelievable midrange.
    • Audiopath Silver iMod cable
    Real sleeper. Brings out the great detail and sweetness of the iMod.
    • Analysis Plus Oval 9
    Solid all-around cable.
    • Zu Bok
    Very smooth.
    • Shunyata Guardian
    Gets the job done.
    • Atlantis Pro
    Great, sand-filled stands.

Comments 15

Nice system, have you considered the Dynavector DV20x low output cartridge. Im using one on the same table as yours and its works very well. I've also added the Technoweight to mine and the difference was huge.

guystp

BENZ Glide cartridge

vernneal

What are your thoughts on this table?

brownsanandy

Lousyreeds I, Why, oh, why not trade your speakers for a pair of Magneplanar 1.6's? And, were it up to me, sometime in the future, buy a sweet,oh so sweet, Supratek tube preamp, in particular the Chenin model, with a by-pass feature. This is a world class preamp that compares to $10,000 and over preamps, and new it is only $2900. I just got one for my maggies, and whaaoooo, is it so glorious!

waltchristensen

waltcertain

Lousyreeds1

Are you speaker the same distance into the room? It may seem like splitting hairs, but accuracy in speaker placement is very important.

Also, record your speaker placement in a journal or on your computer for future referance.

Your speaker place in picture looks to be about as wide as you can place them without losing your center image. You might even try to place them closer together than you think you need to. I did & it does make quite a difference to the soundstage. I know will help the firsr reflection points to have your speakers as far as practical away from windows.

It looks like a barristers bookcase behind right speaker with glass fronts on the bookcase. You might try to move to the side. I think that is playing around with you soundstage. And it won't cost anything but sweat & time to play around with it.

BTW, your harwood floors look awesome.

beavis

Owner
Hi Timrhu,

Thanks for the post. Honestly, I've just never felt the need for a sub. The bass is full and clear. I think I've made some progress on the speaker placement, though I still haven't regained the earlier magic. I'm moving in two weeks, though, so I'm not going to put more effort into this room. Let's hope for the best in the new house!

lousyreeds1

Wonderful looking system. Have you relocated your sweetspot since your last post. How about a small sub to extend the bass. I'm listening to a pair of Soliloquy Sat 5s now and can't imagine not using a sub. Although the SR-15s go much deeper, the sub just adds that little extra.
My main reason for posting to your system is I just paid for, but haven't recvd. a pair of SR-15s. Really looking forward to getting them and hooking them up. They'll run with a Velodyne SPL-800II.

timrhu

Sorry about that.. get some blue painters tape and always mark the floor where your original placement was or where each improvement occurred.

As you move them out into the room there is a point where they reflect off the back wall behind you. Might have to see about moving your seating positiong and then adjust angle again... this is where things get confusing.. constantly moving forward and back trying to listen to the imaging.. Good to hear that your speakers are minimizing side reflections...

We are all chasing the white rabbit.....of Audiophiledom..

cytocycle

Owner
Hi,

Tried some absorption on the glass wall. No change to speak of. I tried moving the speakers out a bit. Imaging became fuzzy, and the tonality was REALLY hollow. What gives? The sad thing is, I haven't been able to find the sweet spot again. Imaging is all over the place, detail has dropped of severely, and the music just isn't engaging anymore. I can't believe there can be this kind of a change based on an inch or two of movement. This is after, with the introduction of my burned in iMod, the system was sounding STUNNING. I want my sweetspot back!

lousyreeds1

No problem on the no wall on the right side.... if you put up some absorbtion on the glass wall when listening.. pull it down and put it in a closet when your not listening.. The imaging and focus will improve.. you can all try aiming the speakers directly at your listening position, but some speakers don't work with this wilson setup suggestions because of a different housing design.

cytocycle

Owner
Hi Cytocycle,

Thanks for the suggestions. One huge problem that I failed to mention is that there is no side wall on the right hand side of the system at all. This probably wacks out the whole system.

Stands are sand-filled and blutacked.

Also, I don't think the housemates would appreciate acoustic material on that glass wall :/ Worth a try though, just to see how it changes things...

lousyreeds1

Fair enough.. if you are concerned about bass then make sure those speaker stands are lead shot filled/or sand. and that there are spikes on the top of the stand to attach to the monitors. If there are not spikes get some BlueTack (for hanging posters) and put that on the top of the stand. This will discolor the bottom of the speaker and make a little oily mark but the sound improvement will benifit.

So a search for the WASP.. Wilson Audio Speaker setup or placement method which will place the speakers as close to your back wall and corners as possible. Otherwise the Cardas method will pull them out more.

Also since you have glass on the side walls getting some cheap Aurlex at a local guitar shop to rest up against the 1st order reflection point on the side walls will do amazing things for you... also put some down in front of the speakers on the floor (since you probably can't put it on the ceiling).. you can try some comforters or towels to get some idea of the improvement.

cytocycle

Owner
Thanks, guys. I'm worried that if I move the speakers away from the walls, bass will suffer. And they're already at least 2 ft away. But the bookshelves and records may necessitate moving them even closer towards me. I'll try this and let you know what happens.

Best,
Oliver

lousyreeds1

Nice Setup! Try moving the speakers out into the room to expand the soundstage and help with imaging.

cytocycle

It looks great! I do agree that you could try different speaker placements for soundstaging. I have a hard time so I employ the help of my great audio buddies to help place my speakers, but the improvements that can be had by just moving the speakers a few inches, or in some cases fractions of a inch, are great. I can't imagine why your housemates would hate you? (My roomates are always wondering what I am doing in my room with all that music going though.) Happy listening.
R

rushbattle

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