Made the switch to all tube gear around November 2009. Never going back to solid state! This system can get very loud, even with "only" 8wpc from the Coincident Frankenstein monoblocks. Nice match with the Zu Essence speakers. Subwoofer adds a lot in a large listening space. Any changes you would recommend?
Combo tube preamp/CD player. Computer audio ready via USB port.
Clearaudio Champion Limited SE
Only 1000 made; clear acrylic plinth, separate outboard motor, Unify 9" carbon fiber tonearm, Talismann MC cartridge.
Zu Audio Essence
Full range driver augmented with ribbon tweeter, 97 db/watt/m efficiency, custom jet black gloss finish.
Aliante Pininfarina One
Accurate and detailed Italian made monitor.
Aliante Pininfarina Vela
Custom made for the Pininfarina One.
Moon M-1 Monitors
Upgraded LSA-1 monitors, Auri caps, Cardas posts, new crossover. Back up rig right now. With optional stands ($500 extra)
JL Fathom F-112
12 inch driver with three inch travel, self-contained 1500 wpc Class D amplifier
Clearaudio Smart Matrix
Automatic record cleaner. 25 year and older vinyl needs all the help it can get. Works very well.
Adcom GTP-400
Older solid state unit. Emergency backup rig in case the house is destroyed.
Jeff Rowland Model 102
100 wpc Class D amp. Largely relegated to backup duty now. But as it gets dog hot in the summer, may find more usage. Not a huge step down from the MastersounD at all.
LG Electronics LE5400
55" LED-LCD HDTV wall mounted. No surround system; use as two channel video set up.
LG Electronics BD590
Blu-Ray DVD player with wireless connectivity
Zu Audio Libtec
10 foot pair for the Essence
Zu Audio Mission LS cables
10 foot pair, 5/16" spades
Nordost Blue Heaven
Bi-wired 3m pair
Signal Cable Ultra
9 ft bi-wired pair
Zu Audio Mission IC
15 foot XLR pair for the subwoofer.
Zu Audio Mission XLR
5 foot IC
Coincident Speaker Tech Extreme IC's
2 meter RCA pair specifically for the Frankensteins.
Audio Metallurgy GA-0 Interconnect
1.25 meter pair, terminated with NextGen Signature RCA plugs
Audio Metallurgy GA-2 interconnect
1.5m XLR pair
Discovery Plus 4
3 meter XLR pair
Signal Cable Analog Two
Custom made 6'/10' splitter IC to run both the MastersounD and JL Fathom off the Ayon CD5 preamp.
Black Mountain Cable Pinnacle Gold Interconnect
2m RCA pair
Coincident Speaker Tech CST PC Power Cords
6' pair for the Frankensteins.
Balanced Power Technologies BP-1 Ultra
Power conditioner with three high quality power cables, upgraded 15 amp wall outlets. Thanks to my Audio Guy for setting me up.
Steve Blinn Designs Three shelf extra wide rack
Black anodized aluminum frame, walnut stained shelves. Superb isolation. No feedback at all from TT.
Steve Blinn Designs Amp stands
Custom sized for the Frankenstein monoblocks, black anodized aluminum finish and walnut stained maple platforms to match main rack
Rack just arrived; new 55" flat screen LED-LCD HDTV gets wall mounted next week. Vernneal will be pleased to see the old relic TV gone. Room rearranged, sub moved to a corner position, lot of junk gone now. Pics coming soon when everything set up properly. Analog rig coming soon. Going with a VPI Aries 3 with the JMW 10.5i tonearm. Need a cartridge....any suggestions?
After some lengthy listening sessions, I actually prefer the 868 to the CD5 as a one box solution. More dynamic, better bass, just sounds fuller. It's nice that the CD5 has allowed me to get into computer audio. I have a ton of music stored on my hard drive that I don't have on CD or vinyl (not that the vinyl matters- yet), and it's great to be able to listen to that stuff other than in my car. Just a simple USB cable hook up to the CD5, and off you go. Sound quality of the downloaded mp3 files isn't as good as CD, but I expected that.
The CD5 as a one box unit, to my ears, is not substantially different from the EAR 868. Good or bad? On one hand, maybe it should have blown the EAR away. On the other hand, I'm sitting on a 6900 dollar preamp that's now going to be used only as a phono stage when the analog rig arrives.
The difference is subtle but important and noticeable especially for those of us that have to live with carpets of various depths in the room. There is a certain amount you can do with keep the cables a couple inches apart and when and if they have to cross, making sure they cross at 90 degree angles however the cable elevators (of any form, mine are ugly but functional) do make a difference. The ones I utilize are inexpensive; there are others on the market which are supposed to be very good (Shunyata Dark Field Elevators) which of course are commensurately more expensive. Vibration is a true problem that a good rack and platforms will help solve; you'll hear the difference and benefit from better aesthetics as well!
No problem, Z. How did the cable elevators improve your sound? Were they worth it? As you can see from my set up pics, I've got curled up cables running all over the place. And no rack- if vibration is a true problem, then I've got a real big one. Those old wood tables ain't making it.
Afc...thanks for the impressions on the Essence; I'd love to hear a pair some day. Please let us know how the CD5 works as a one-box unit for you and how the Essence open up with more playing time.....enjoy!
Zephyr, the Zu's add a whole new dimension. Very different from the monitors, which is not surprising. The Moons and Aliantes are fairly similar, with the latter geared more for voice and mids, while the Moons are a bit more bass heavy. The Essence, though...wow. Superb detail. I can hear nuances on the recordings that I can't hear with either monitor. Not just bass stuff, either. Much more detailed and delicate in the treble. They can sound a bit "messy" for lack of a better term, in the midrange than either monitor, but that's more than made up for with the details, imaging and soundstaging the Essence provides. Didn't know how I'd like these, but after a cursory session sampling about 90 minutes worth of music at low/moderate volume, the Essence trumps both monitors easily. Will probably have some time to really turn them loose this weekend. But yes, with the combination of equipment, I can really tailor things to what I'm listening to. Each speaker and amp have their strong points. The NEW preamp isn't as versatile. The DC surge it produces precludes me from using it with the Rowland amp- a lesson I learned quite painfully. With the Signal Cable IC's arriving today, I now get a chance to use the CD5 as a "one box" piece. The preamp section is supposed to be excellent.
System edited: System Edit: The Zu Audio Essence arrived today. Great looking and sounding speakers. High WAF. Excellent detail, soundstage and imaging. Definitely a keeper piece.
Thanks. Don't know what I'm going to do with the Aliantes. Depends upon how I like the Essence. I've been waiting 10 weeks for them now- still haven't shipped. The Zu gear is kinda strange- people either seem to love it or just hate it. Very little middle ground. Zu, though, is quite proactive in their marketing strategy. Don't like them? Return for a full refund within 60 days. That's a can't miss deal in my mind. I like the Aliantes, but they just don't have the grunt I want sometimes. I'm hoping the Zu provides that. The Moon M-1 monitors I use as backup are actually quite good- they're highly modded LSA-1 monitors. They are a bit darker than the Aliantes, which I like, but at some midrange frequencies, I get an annoying rattle from one of them. I've replaced the woofer twice, with no success in getting rid of the rattle. They're a good enough monitor that I'd take them over the Aliante without the rattle. Funny you mention racks. I was just looking for one last night. Thing is, a really good one will suck up some of the funds I have penciled in for an analog setup. But I think they have to go hand in hand. Without some better isolation, I'm going to have serious feedback issues with a TT up there.
Afc...that's a great equipment list. You have many options for great listening combinations! How do you like the Aliante monitors, are you keeping them or transitioning fully the Zu speakers. Let us know how you like them once they arrive. If you can, you may wish to consider a rack that would provide good isolation and full frequency range coverage for that tube and other gear. I've had great luck with Composite Audio platforms (over and above my Adona racks) in that regard. Composite also makes full racks that my friends tell me are wonderful though I'm extremely happy with what the platforms added to my system...
Started planning for an analog rig addition recently. Have too much good old vinyl to ignore any longer. Wonder how they'll sound after being in storage for over 20 years? Will likely go with VPI and a Dynavector MC cartridge.
Thanks! The Rowland I have is one of his Class D amps. Not the quality of his monos, but....it pales compared to the MastersounD. The room is a disaster. I remeasured- it's 15x19, but it has built in bookcases at the far end, each flanking a window that's recessed about three feet. The door is also recessed about three feet. The walls otherwise are all sheet rock, except for the double wood doors to the closet. The ceiling is 10 feet at the apex, but the walls go up vertically six feet, and then angle to the ceiling at 45 degrees to the apex height. Then, there's the seven piece drumkit in the corner....just a disaster of a space. I used the Cardas "Golden Room" equation to set up the speakers, and it helps greatly with imaging, but results in even more wasted space. Pics are difficult because I don't have a wide angle camera, so you have to put it up piecimeal, if you know what I mean. I will put up pics of the Zu's when they arrive- they just finished the painting, and they're on final assembly now. The CD-5 arrived Thursday- it is an amazing piece of equipment. Even my wife- yes, my wife- now thinks that it's a "waste" to have the rig upstairs instead of our living room. Who'd a thunk that?
After scanning over your equipement list, which is top shelf. You may, someday, want to consider auditioning (in your space) a quality class A amplifier or possibly a Mosfet transistor class A/B amp. Although, I have heard a pair of Rowland class D mono blocks and they were outstanding. So disreguard my ramblings if you have already done this.
Congrats on the Essence. The gloss black finish has got to be a sight to behold. You have got to post pics of your set-up once they arrive.
I have posted a response to your questions concerning room tuning on my page. I am, by no means, an authority on this topic and only responded to what I have done. But if you post pics of your room here, I am sure you will get all kinds of advice on what YOU NEED to do :}
