Hi jazzonthehudson...yes room correction is next on my list of things to try.  I just need to upgrade my PC to something more powerful.  I am hopeful I can find an used CPU on ebay since my motherboard is does not support current generation Intel processors.  Once I do that I want to try room correction as well as some powerful music players like HQPlayer.

tboooe May 17, 2016 15:44

Thank you zephyr!  And thank you for the great feedback on the clock.  As soon as I collect enough lunch money I'll pull the trigger on one.  

tboooe May 03, 2016 20:24

Thank you hcalland.  I appreciate the kind comments.

tboooe April 25, 2016 23:57

Its been a pretty busy last couple of months.  The biggest changes were:

tboooe April 21, 2016 14:02

My system has been stable for a while now, hence my lack of posts.  However, this weekend I finally got around to installing some broadband absorption panels on the ceiling of my listening room. Man, wish I had not been so lazy and installed these a long time ago! I immediately noticed more clarity and notes have a more defined "edge" to them. The improvement is greater than any of the tweaks I've tried in my system like cables or linear power supplies. As others have said, room treatments are a critical part of getting the most out of your audio. 

I installed the Vicoustic Cinema Round Premium panels with a 2" air gap. I like how the panels look like they are floating with the air gap. The rest of my room already has bass traps, absorption at the first reflection point on the side walls, diffusion panels on the front wall, and a large rug. I plan to add some absorption to the back wall since it is directly behind my listening position. My listening room is very small.

tboooe February 22, 2016 14:40

After an extended listening session last night the main improvements I hear with the new room treatments are much more clarity and immediacy. Everything sounds much less "fuzzy" and more open and airy which of course allows me to hear more detail and nuance. Another major improvement is in the immediacy of notes. By immediacy I mean that the music sounds more crisp. For example drums and guitar notes have a snappiness and tightness. Before it sounded like the leading edge of notes was rounded off so to speak, making things sound too polite. Now the music is more immediate and lively. Overall, I would say this last addition to my room treatments helped make the music sound more realistic to me. Needless to say I am happy.

tboooe October 17, 2014 17:15

System edited: I added 2 GIK 244 Extended Range panels to my small room. They are placed along the midpoint of the sidewalls to deal with some bass buildup issues I have as well as treat the first reflection points. I moved my Vicoustic Cinema Round panels to the short wall directly behind my listening position to deal with sound reflections. The results are subtle but impressive nonetheless: -improved tightness of mid and upper bass note -more detail and nuance -decay is much better, with notes "lingering" longer -improved clarity Overall, even with the increased clarity and detail, there is an ease to the music. The sound is very organic and relaxed. I have been very impressed with my room treatment additions.

tboooe October 16, 2014 22:43

Zephyr24069, HI!!!! Great to hear from you again! I responded to your post but will reply here as well. Just based on the data, Vicoustic seems to be just fine for treating higher freq sounds (>400hz). You can get better bass trapping performance from GIK or RealTraps. I personally use a combination of all three. I agree that most room treatments are ugly which is why I avoided it all these years. One thing I did do with my RealTraps Mondo Bass Traps is cover it with nice acoustic fabric. See what I did to the RealTraps in my system description. What Vicoustic products are you interested in?

tboooe August 27, 2014 13:47

System edited: Covered my Mondo Corner bass traps in acoustically transparent Guilford fabric which I think looks better than the stock wheat color from RealTraps. A little iron-on hem tape and an iron did the trick!

tboooe August 22, 2014 15:53

Thank you Alph...I appreciate the kind words. I absolutely love my Evos. I bet the Evos and Mementos sound more alike than different. As I mentioned things have been really taken to a new level once I added some room treatments. Absolutely no complaints other than I wish I had a bigger room but with the room treatments the soundstage has widened as far as it can go and the speakers simply disappear. The depth is not very good because my room is so small.

Right now, I am beginning to think about upgrading my integrating but I am not sure if I will get massive improvement (versus different) over my Accustic Arts Power 1 even if I get something double the price. Not sure...I need to start auditioning. The merry go round never stops but these speakers will be staying!

tboooe August 22, 2014 15:20

System edited: For the 3rd phase of my room treatment plan I added RealTraps Mondo Corner Bass Traps. I cannot believe the difference these made to my system. The sense of realism and weight to the music amazes me. The biggest changes are in the decay of notes and the soundstage. Music now lingers in the air and highs seem to "shimmer". The soundstage now extends wider than my speakers and seems to envelope my entire (small) room. My speakers have literally disappeared. Bass has also gotten tighter, more energetic and fuller sounding. I was considering adding a sub but may hold off for a while. I now know why people say room treatments are a must for any system to sound their best! For phase 4, I am going to try absorption panels on my ceiling. I'm excited!

tboooe August 15, 2014 20:36

System edited: I replaced by Synergistic Research Active USB SE cable with the Light Harmonic Split USB. This cable separates the data and power signals. To my ears the Light Speed just sounds more natural. It has a the ability to reveal so much more nuance and small details that make the music sound even more intimate and lifelike to me. Given my preference for acoustic music and small venues, the Light Speed really suits my tastes. By comparison the Synergistic Research cable seems to accentuate the lower freqs more resulting in a darker sound. The Light Speed is a great cable, very lifelike and natural sounding with the ability to retrieve a lot of detail while also sounding very organic. Highly recommended.

tboooe August 12, 2014 13:48

Daveyf, thank you. I just looked at the T Zero and T5. Looks like the T5 may be a good fit with it 8" woofer versus the 10" of the 218. The T Zero's -6bd point of 38 hz is pretty similar to that of my Evolutions (43 hz)so I am not sure what benefit I would get with that. I will look into the T5 more. Not sure what the differences between the T and S series are.

tboooe August 07, 2014 17:36

daveyf, good point about the 218 being too much for my room. That said, what are my other options? The 218 is the smallest sub REL makes.

tboooe August 07, 2014 15:13

Thanks Daveyf! This is all in preparation for when I add a sub, most likely a REL 218. If you don't mind I am going to hit you up for advice since you also integrated a sub with your SFs. I'm excited.

tboooe August 06, 2014 14:56

Seikosha, your room is very nice! I wish I had a slightly larger room. I think because the wall behind me opens up to the family room and kitchen the overall sound is not too bad given that the dimension of the room itself is almost a perfect square. I am looking forward to receiving the bass traps.

tboooe August 05, 2014 22:30

After listening all last night I am absolutely stunned at the improvement treating the 1st reflection points in my small room. The sound is so smooth and the soundstage...wow! The soundstage absolutely fills the entire width of my small room. Needless to say I am very very happy! I wonder what the bass traps will do?

tboooe August 05, 2014 13:51

I just added my next phase of room treatments, the Vicoustic Cinema Round panels to deal with my 1st reflection points. All I can say is Wow! I cannot believe the impact these panels have! Clarity greatly increased as well as the level of detail and nuance I can hear. The improvements are on par with a major component upgrade! But it gets better. Soundstage widened, bass got tighter and fuller, notes linger longer. Now I know what people mean when they say the speakers seem to disappear. Music actually sounds more organic, dare I say analog like. The most interesting thing is that music seems to also sound a bit slower in tempo.

Later this week I will get some RealTraps Mondo Corner Bass Traps. More to follow.

tboooe August 05, 2014 00:32

I recently got the Light Harmonic Lightspeed USB cable from the Cable Co. To my ears the LS just sounds more natural. It has the ability to reveal so much more nuance and small details that make the music sound even more intimate and lifelike to me. Given my preference for acoustic music and small venues, the LS really suits my tastes.The only question is whether I should get the split or standard design. At the moment I am going through a USB to SPDIF converter so I need to supply power but looking ahead when I get my next Dac, I want to take advantage of the split design. Anyway, the LS is a great cable, very lifelike and natural sounding with the ability to retrieve a lot of detail while also sounding very organic. In comparison the SR cable seems to accentuate the lower freqs more resulting in a darker, less airy sound. I will be purchasing the LS as soon the funds become available.

tboooe June 23, 2014 05:08

Highend64, sorry for missing this post! I love my Evolutions but I am a big fan of the Sonus Faber sound. To me the Evolutions do what SF has always done well...capture the soul and emotion of music. What this speaker does better than previous SF monitors is also sound dynamic and quick. It still does not have the resolution or dynamics of some other speakers but for my musical tastes, I would rather have a speaker that draws me into the emotion and nuance of the music rather than the details.

tboooe April 22, 2014 22:36

System edited: Added the Tara Labs The 2 + HFX Ground Station XLR interconnect.

tboooe March 26, 2014 02:25

John, you rule! Thank you so much for the input and substantiating my suspicion. I will look for The One with outboard grounding station.

tboooe March 05, 2014 20:38

Thank you guys...one of these days I will get around to trying out some tube gear, preferably SET with my Evolutions.

So far after the changes to the speaker position I am thoroughly enjoying the music! Vocals are much more holographic and I am hearing more nuance than I have ever before. The music is much more engaging and organic. I have a few favorite albums that I have avoided listening to because I just thought the recording was poor. The music sounded flat, compressed and a bit bright. Since repositioning the speakers these same albums sound completely transformed. Incredible! I will be adding some bass traps and absorption panels for 1st reflection points on the sidewall and ceiling in the near future. Things are good!

tboooe March 05, 2014 16:00

John, please tell me more...I am on the lookout for SET amps to try since I am getting no where with the Line Magnetic dealer.

tboooe March 04, 2014 21:39

Daveyf, ok i will give it a shot this weekend once my hernia recovers. Though when I had a lot less toe in (and with the speakers closer to the front wall), the sound was not nearly as dynamic and detailed as it now.

tboooe March 04, 2014 06:49

Hi Charles. I absolutely would love to audition the LM 518 but so far no luck and I am definitely not going to bring my speakers to the dealer over an hour way. Right now I am looking into other SET options.

tboooe March 04, 2014 05:15

Ok I have definitely jumped the shark. Even now I must admit I have gone too far. I have always been a bit OCD and anal but tonight I went over the edge. I just spent the last two hours with an auto leveling laser line aligning my speakers, audio rack, and listening position to the room. What I found out was my room is skewed by about 1/4" along the short wall. This meant one speaker was closer the front wall by 1/4". I was also using the edges of my wood flooring to align the position and toe of my speakers so this resulted in one of my speakers actually being toed in too far as well. My listening chair was also off center by 1/8" and my audio rack was off by 1/4". I even perfectly centered my area rug. The best part....I noticed absolutely no difference in sound. However, my feel better!

tboooe March 04, 2014 03:55

Thank you Newbee! Any advice is greatly appreciated. Right now the speakers are toed-in pointing at my ears. I will try crossing them in front of me and see how it goes.

tboooe March 03, 2014 20:49

At the advice of some nice members including Daveyf, I pulled my speakers further from the front wall. They are now 36" from the wall as measured from the front wall. What a difference! The speakers have now totally disappeared. The soundstage extends to behind the speakers and further! I never thought I could achieve such a wide soundstage in my small room. Just as importantly, the music is more clear. I didn't realize how much I was not hearing! It's about midnight and I can't stop listening to music. Very happy indeed!

tboooe March 02, 2014 07:55

Well being a typical audiophile I could not leave well enough alone so I messed around with speaker toe in and listening position this morning. My small room is a challenge so there is not much I can adjust. I have also shied away from messing around with speaker posit ok because frankly the Evolutions are so damn heavy and awkward to move around especially on wood floors. I am afraid of either getting a hernia or dropping the speakers. I first moved my listening position closer to the speakers so that I was closer to an equilateral triangle configuration. The music sounded fuller to me and the soundstage enveloped around me more. So far so good. Then I put my big boy pants on and adjusted the toe in to point more directly at my ears. This yielded more dynamics and details. My speakers are now about 5.5" apart with the listening position a little over 6" away as measured along the axis of the triangle. Nice improvement which cost me nothing aside from a wrecked back!

tboooe March 01, 2014 17:01

Dude don't ruin my last bit of optimism for the future!!!!

I have this fantasy that I can convert each of the rooms in my house to highlight a different audio technology. One room could be high efficiency SET, another could be 'stats, and another could be horns, etc. Ahhhh... a man can dream....

tboooe February 14, 2014 14:55

Isochornism, you are too kind. I wish I had a bigger room but alas my kids have commandeered every room in the house, leaving my basically my toilet room and my music room. One day I will take back my loft! Just 10 more years!! Yikes!

tboooe February 14, 2014 00:50

Believe me guys I thought about it. While transporting the speakers is easy enough the stands are absolute hernia busters!

tboooe February 12, 2014 21:28

Yup, thank you guys for shedding so much light on this topic for a total tube newbie. I am learning a lot and definitely plan to audition as much as I can with my speakers in my home.

tboooe February 12, 2014 17:37

Charles, the power consumption that Steve Huff mentioned was precisely what got me thinking that SET may work with the Evolutions. Before I read his review I was certain that there was no way I could use SET but his review gave me hope. That being said, I am highly skeptical still and really want to listen to the Line Magnetic in my system in my home. Unfortunately the local dealer won't allow am in home demo so I need to find another option.

On a related topic, assuming SET does not work for me, can I still get the same magic from a conventional tube integrated that produces more power?

tboooe February 12, 2014 05:17

Thanks guys...it wasnt that I could not find the Stereophile review myself..it has more to do with interpreting the data. I must admit that at times when I read Stereophile reviews, all the measurements and data goes right over my head. Its nice the get the interpretation in layman's terms. :)

tboooe February 11, 2014 20:29

Charles, thats some very good info and insight that a tube newbie like me would never have known. Thank you...

Local Line Magnetic dealer not allowing in home demo at this time. Total bummer but I will continue trying to get a demo.

tboooe February 11, 2014 18:32

Charles, not disrupting at all. This is precisely what this forum is for...intelligent debate. I for one am learning a lot.

tboooe February 11, 2014 05:33

Yup, saw that review myself. That's what got me thinking that SET may work with my Evolutions.

Daveyf, I will definitely audition before buying. Though hopeful I am not yet convinced 22w is going to work for my speakers.

tboooe February 09, 2014 06:37

Thank you Charles. I would be getting the 518 which uses the 845.

tboooe February 09, 2014 04:49

Charles, seems I should be ok since I rarely listen at levels louder than 75dbs and my listening room is rather small (< 200sq ft). I am looking forward to this!

tboooe February 09, 2014 04:22

I was reading a review by someone using the Line Magnetic 218 with their Evolutions and they noticed the amps didn't output more than 1w at his normal listening levels. That gives me hope that the Line Magnetic 518 may work for me. I am going to try and find a local dealer I can audition from.

tboooe February 09, 2014 02:51

Charles I am sincerely honored you stopped by to comment. I regularly follow your virtual system thread as I trying to learn as much about tubes as possible before I make my move to a tube integrated for my system. I really want to try SET but the Evolutions seem too ineffecient though I have read someone achieved very nice results using a 22w Line Magnetic 518 SET integrated. I don't listen at very high volumes so I wonder what the lowest power I would need for the Evolutions.

You are totally right about knowing what you are after or trying to improve before upgrading. As for the Auditors I did enjoy them immensely. However, I always knew I wanted a bit more bass to anchor the sound. My original thought was to upgrade to the Cremona or similar floorstanders but then came along a very good deal on the Evolutions which I couldn't pass up. Whatever my upgrade I knew that I wanted to get off the merry go round for a long time with whatever my next speaker was going to be. Thankfully for me I stayed with the sonic signature I enjoy and got a beautiful speaker I could enjoy listening to and looking at for years to come!

tboooe February 09, 2014 00:02

Thank you Daveyf! I hope I didn't send the wrong message that I was dissatisfied with the Evolutions. I am indeed very happy. With audio I tend to avoid superlatives and high praise because 1) it keeps me from getting flamed and 2) to me after certain price points the difference is more subtle and incremental. Perhaps I just have wooden ears or do not place a high enough value in the incremental improvements so say something is drastically or majorly better. I think what I am hearing is more of a testament to the performance of the Auditors and less an indictment of the Evolutions. That being said, I will be looking into getting a tube integrated soon and adding some Vicoustic bass traps.

tboooe February 08, 2014 22:13

Thanks John. You know, when you can just stop analyzing the music and chasing the next new technology, this hobby is really enjoyable. I am very guilty of tweaking and buying lots of gear, being an engineer at heart I find the technical side of audio really interesting. That being said, I am at a point now that I know I can enjoy a simple system costing fractions of what I used to own. If the right deal had not come by unexpectedly I would still be happy with my Auditors.

I know better than to say I will never upgrade these speakers but what I love about the Sonus Fabers is that their sound is timeless. For whatever reason they are just easy to listen to. I don't feel like I need to sit and analyze for every last bit of detail or air or (insert audiophile lingo here). They may not be the most sexy or dynamic or transparent sounding speaker but for me that's the appeal. I know I will always enjoy their sound.

tboooe February 08, 2014 19:41

Ok after having lived with the Evolutions for a week I can say that I am pleased. I already knew I really liked the Sonus Faber house sound so resisting the urge to get another speaker brand that may have given me the "new girlfriend" excitement was definitely the right decision.

I didn't realize how warm my Cremona Auditors were until I listened to the Evolutions. Truth be told I prefer a bit of warmth. The Evolutions are definitely have more clarity and a cooler sound but still a touch of warmth. They still capture the organic nature of voices and stringed instruments very well. I am able to hear more nuance that helps to bring me closer to the human aspect of music. However, I wouldn't say these speakers are very resolving or detailed. They just seem to capture the true natural aspect of music without sounding overly detailed or clinical. For my listening preferences, the Evolutions are a very good match.

I am also enjoying the added bass. In my small room and at my low listening levels there is plenty of bass. In fact, on some songs the bass seems to be overwhelm the room, clearly I have some resonance issues I need to address. That being said, the added bass helps to bring the wholeness to the music I was missing with the Auditors.

Overall, I am pleased! Are they worth the price over the Auditors? For me, absolutely not! Luckily I got a very good deal otherwise I wouldn't have pulled the trigger. Don't get me wrong, the improvements are clear and evident but at the same time, also incremental. In a way, Evolution is an appropriate name for these speakers. The law of diminishing returns in this hobby really applies here for me. The fact that I got a good deal and that I knew I really liked the Sonus Faber house sound made this a good decision for me. But for others, I really wonder if a $22k speaker is really worth it over a very good $5k speaker. Perhaps my ears are not sensitive enough to truly appreciate the improvements or I simply don't place the same value on the incremental improvements as others. Like everything else in this whacky hobby, value is relative and subjective. Just have fun!

tboooe February 08, 2014 17:17

Hi Daveyf, I am getting in some Nordost cables to try. Any particular model you like? Heimdal? Frey?

As for tubes, I am beginning to look into a tube integrated. I would to try the Line Magnetic SET integrated but unfortunately it just doesn't have enough power for the inefficient Evolutions. Any recommendations based on your experience?

tboooe February 03, 2014 17:18

Harris4crna- I would have loved to really give a listen to the Accordos but as you know they are not carried by a lot of dealers. I have always loved the SF sound so I decided to play it safe and not mess with what works. Besides, I got what I think is a great deal on the Evolutions so I had to do it!

B_limo, thank you for the very kind words. I am very happy with how things are sounding and looking with my system. Once my wallet recovers a bit I want to continue adding room treatments. Bass traps are definitely next. These speakers have very good bass which is probably helped a bit by my small room.

tboooe February 03, 2014 07:06

Thank you John. If you are ever in SoCal, look me up. I would love to have you over.

And yes, I am failing miserably. But I knew I would...that title was definitely tongue in cheek.

tboooe February 02, 2014 02:09

Thanks Paul. I still very much like the Atrias but just think the Evolutions fit better into my small space and my music preferences. Maybe I am just a Sonus Faber fanboy but there is something about the way they present music that is so organic and natural. But as with everything in this whacky hobby things change rapidly and my audiophile love affair has been known to be quite fickle so who knows..for now I am happy until I am seduced again.

tboooe February 01, 2014 15:43

Nickfas, sorry for not replying sooner. I did not see your post. The Marantz puts out 100W into 4 ohms right? From a pure power point of view I believe that is enough. The real question is whether the Marantz can deliver the current and quality of power. That is up to your own ears.

tboooe January 31, 2014 18:50

System edited: Replaced by beloved Sonus Faber Cremona Auditor monitors with the Guaneri Evolutions! Just based on looks and quality I love these speakers. The immediate differences I hear are more bass, more clarity, and more nuance (I don't say detail or resolution because the Evolutions seem to bring out the human and organic aspect of voices and instruments). These are definitely not as warm as the Auditors, offering more air and overall clearer picture. The added bass helps to add back in the natural warmth of music. The Evolutions are not the most dynamic or detailed or fast speakers I have heard but for my listening preferences of vocals and acoustic music, they are well suited. There is such a naturalness to the delivery of music that suits my ears. Needless to say I am happy!

tboooe January 31, 2014 18:47

Thanks Harris4crna...I was planning on heading down to Stereo Unlimited after the holidays. Oh well, the hunt continues. To be honest though, with the recent addition of room treatments and optimizing my PC front end, my system has never sounded better. It makes me wonder how it could conceivably get better by upgrading speakers. I think I may just upgrade to the SF Mementos and call it a day. I love the SF sound.

tboooe December 06, 2013 15:48

This weekend I upgraded the OS on my music server PC from Windows 7 to Server 2012 and added a nice package of tweaks from Highend-Audio PC. Just the switch from Win7 to Server made a nice difference. The sound became more enveloping, encompassing my little listening room. It felt like I was actually listening at the venue. This alone made the $600 price tag for Server worth it but when I implemented the tweaks from Hignend-Audio PC I was blown away. Vocals had more texture and weight. I prefer acoustic music so for me this change made everything sound more lifelike to me. I could not be happier with this upgrade.

tboooe November 25, 2013 17:13

Thanks Harris4crna. The treatments definitely made a difference. Now that I have been living it for a week or so I am very happy with how much more realistic vocals sound and my speakers have completely disappeared! Soundstage width has also dramatically increased though I am still not very happy with the soundstage depth. It does not seem to extend beyond the wall itself. Not sure how I am going to address this? My next step is to add the Vicoustic Super Bass Traps. Man they are pricey but I really like the looks.

I dont necessarily think separates will give you the big change you are looking for. From my experience, I would focus on your PC front end. I got good results by improving the power supply and tweaking the OS. I also got big improvements by adding my ac regenerator and upgrading power cords. Perhaps I am deaf but I think once you get a good integrated, I dont think separates will give you huge improvements, perhaps a different sound but not necessarily better.

tboooe November 21, 2013 01:23

Thank you Tjkurita, I have been avoiding room treatments for a long time because frankly I never found anything that looked good. A big part of enjoying this hobby for me is also enjoying the aesthetics of my room and gear.

I am moving on to bass traps next. Again, I am looking for something that looks as good as it works. Not sure about adding subs though. I am more than satisfied with the sound I am getting from my monitors. I listen to mainly acoustic music so bass isnt really that necessary.

tboooe November 14, 2013 22:23

System edited: Just added the Vicoustic Flexiwood 75 absorption panels for the front wall behind my speakers. The cost was higher than average but I really like the look of these panels. Right away I noticed the following improvements: Focus - placement of instruments and vocals became much more consistent. I could easily "see" where each musician was on the soundstage. Clarity - the music is definitely more clear, I can now hear more details and nuance to the music. On some tracks its like hearing a whole new mix. Sharpness - notes became more defined. It was as if before the treatments there was smearing of the music. Guitar strings have more bite for example. Soundstage height - prior to treatments, the music was pretty much confined to the space between my speakers. Now the music is floating about 1.5-2ft above my speakers which gives it a more realistic presentation as if the musicians are on a stage. Soundstage width also improved a bit as well. Bass - this is the one I dont get but I "think" I sense more bass. I have monitors after all so I am not talking about deep, gut rattling bass but it seems I am hearing fuller bass. Volume - I normally listen at fairly low levels (<70db) so I am sensitive to when the volume increases. After the room treatments, I find that I have to turn the volume down a bit to match what I was hearing previously. Overall, I am very happy with this upgrade. It has allowed to me hear more accurately what the speakers are producing and thus get closer to the music. I will continue to slowly add room treatments in the near future.

tboooe November 14, 2013 18:24

System edited: Added the Synergistic Research Tungsten AC cord to my Luxman D-06 CDP/DAC. Again, as with all my cable and power upgrades the changes are subtle yet gratifying. I feel I am getting more accurate reproduction of whatever it is I am listening to. I am hearing more detail with better separation of instruments. I cant wait to do the Spallone mod on the MPC.

tboooe October 17, 2013 23:04

The Stillpoints added more clarity and definition to everything, essentially "tightening" everything up. The strange thing is that I tried the Ultras underneath my cdp and integrated amp but didn't hear any improvement. Are you going to audition through The Cable Co.?

tboooe October 11, 2013 04:18

Thank you Needfreestuff (I think). I agree about the rug. I plan to get one soon. There is only a 1/3 height wall behind me that only reaches up to ear level. Above that opens up to our large family room and kitchen. Do you still think I need bass traps here? What about the front wall? Btw, it's finally a good time to be a Bruin fan. I wish SC kept Kiffin.

tboooe October 10, 2013 21:01

Thank you Ghosthouse. Hit me up anytime if you have questions about PC audio. And yes, the Acer is great. You really don't need a very powerful PC at all to handle audio. This modest Atom based server can handle high res and DSD no problem.

tboooe September 28, 2013 02:23

System edited: Added the Keces DC-116 linear power supply for the music server pc. The change was immediately noticeable. It felt like the sound became more clear allowing me to hear more nuance and detail. Highs seems to linger a bit more in the air with a more defined leading edge. Midbass became more defined and tight. As most audiophiles know, the importance of clean, consistent power cannot be understated.

tboooe September 27, 2013 17:03

I have heard that too about post Franco products. I understand the newer models favor a more detailed sound though the reviews on the new Olympicas says they are more like the original Guarneris. So perhaps SF understand they may have lost some of the magic that made them famous in the first place.

tboooe September 17, 2013 14:01

Thank you Harris4crna for the generous offer! I definitely intend to listen to those bad boys. Just right now I am trying to optimize my setup and room before I sink some serious cash into new speakers. Actually, with what I have done so far I am rally liking the Auditors! Right now, my choices are SF Memento, Evolutions or Francos. I will let you know when I get around to listening to them and give you my impressions.

Funny I have considered getting into vinyl, more as an intellectual exercise and to satisfy my audiophile nerd side. I think it would be fun to learn more about this format and optimizing the playback, though my wallet is scared that I may just be opening up another new expensive can of worms!

tboooe September 16, 2013 17:52

Thanks TJKURITA for the very generous offer. When I was originally going to build a music server from scratch one of the things I wanted to do was compare SPDIF out via soundcard vs USB out to converter. Unfortunately, I am retasking one of my HTPCs which does not have any available pcie slots for me to use a soundcard with SPDIF out. All I have is Toslink out which sounded pretty good actually though going out via USB to a converter then SPDIF RCA to my DAC sounds better. I dont intend to upgrade my DAC anytime soon just to get USB because the DAC I would get is the Luxman DA-06 which as I understand it has the same internals as my D-06 CDP. I am fine with USB out. I will focus on maximizing this setup by getting a linear power supply for the music server then looking into the iUSB device from IFI to further clean up the power. Finally, I will see what a higher end USB converter like the Bel Canto ulink or Berkeley Alpha can do for my system. So far so good though.

Have fun with that dog!

tboooe September 10, 2013 21:14

System edited: Finally got around to replacing my beloved Sonos with a dedicated music server PC. I ended up using a low powered dual core ATOM D525 processor running JRiver Media Center. I also tweaked Windows 7 for best sound quality. This system has no issues playing even high res music files from memory. I also use Wireless N and files up to 24/192 has no issues. As for sound quality I am kicking myself for waiting so long (mainly due to laziness) to make the switch over to a PC based system and ditching my Sonos. The sound I am getting is so much better. The most obvious improvement I hear is much better separation of instruments. I can hear each instrument distinctly and in their own space. Songs that I originally thought were simply arranged have so much nuance and complexity because I can hear more into the music. The other big difference I heard was decay of notes. They seem to linger a longer and have more weight. Needless to say I am very pleased! In the near future I am going to fiddle with getting a linear power supply for my PC and comparing other USB converters.

tboooe September 09, 2013 20:16

Lapierre, the Raidhos were good. Very clear and cohesive. I think perhaps a little lean for my tastes. I tend to favor a bit more weight in the midrange. Definitely check out the Franco Serblins. As you know Franco was the original speaker designer at Sonus Faber.

I hear ya about spending so much money on a monitor but in my small room I don't have the space or air volume for a floor stander. If I get used then I can these monitors at a price I am more comfortable with.

tboooe August 28, 2013 01:58

Lapierre, the only speakers I have auditioned has been the Raidho C-1s. I plan on checking out the Magico and then the Franco Serblin in the near future with the Focals also in the plans. There is no big rush on my part until I finish with room treatments. I imagine I will be ready to make a decision by start of 2014.

tboooe August 27, 2013 21:21

System edited: Got my upgraded Synergistic Research MPD mod back from Michael Spallone. This is one of the best mods I have done regardless of price! Thought subtle, the improvements are no less impressive. Immediately I heard blacker backgrounds, better distinction between instruments, and highs which seem to linger in the air just a bit longer. Vocals sound just a bit more organic to me. I feel like I am hearing more into the music.

tboooe August 27, 2013 14:42

@Tjkurita, thank you for the kind words. Yes my girls' artwork makes it always a joy to sit in my listening room. And yes I am planning room treatments. The thing that has kept me from doing room treatments in the past as just how ugly most of them look. A big part of this listening experience is also how the room looks and feels. Recently I came across a European company, Vicoustic that makes decently priced products that also look good. I have a company doing an analysis of room right now. Afterwards they will be recommending some things. I am pretty excited but the amount of treatments I can put in the room is limited. I cant treat first reflection points because there is a window and closet door at those locations. I dont have a wall directly behind my head either so it looks like I can only treat the front wall, corners, and ceiling. I see you have recently moved into a dedicated room that is fairly small too. What are your plans for treatment?

@Schubert...I indeed have failed but I am not sure if that is a bad thing! As long as I keep this rig well below the cost of my out of control previous one I should be doing alright!

tboooe August 26, 2013 13:48

Claud1e, thank you for the kind words though my room pales
in comparison to your awesome loft but this is pretty
standard for us normal folks living in Orange County. For
my listening preferences, smaller is indeed better. I go to
a lot of live shows in small venues so I prefer more of a
small scale, intimate setting. I prefer acoustic music with
a preference for female vocals, guitar, piano, and sax.
Hearing the emotion and depth of the vocals, the pluck of
the guitar string, the vibration of the reed is very
important to me. I am willing to give up some dynamics and
absolute clarity for some midrange warmth and weight. Also,
I want to able to see see and place each of the musicians on
the stage. I am getting there with my current setup. I am
hoping once I get some room treatments in I can get better
soundstage depth and separation. Then one last speaker
upgrade and I should be set for a while (famous last
audiophile words).

My other system was nice in the sense that it did many of
the audiophile things well...dynamics, big soundstage,
clarity, speed, etc but in the end it didnt speak to me. It
felt too impersonal like listening to music in an arena or
stadium. It took me a while but I understand much better
now what I prefer. I still miss that system only because I
spent some serious money on technically impressive gear! I
wish I kept the Esoteric P3 transport and the Ayre MX-R
monoblocks but I understand now that it is totally possible
to build a very involving system for a reasonable (by
audiophile standards) price.

Happy listening!

tboooe August 20, 2013 14:54

System edited: Added Stillpoints Ultra Mini footers under my PS Audio P3. Two things I noticed right away was more focus and high notes had more definition. A bit more subtle was the additional low level details I was hearing that helped to impart a bit more sense of realism. For example, being able to hear the imperfections in the singer's voice reminds me that I am listening to a human being, not a perfect digital recording. I also tried the more expensive Ultras and luckily for me, I don't believe the improvement is worth double the price. To my less than perfect ears and in my modest setup, I heard perhaps a 10% improvement. Next up, room treatments. I am excited.

tboooe August 16, 2013 21:07

System edited: Added to Synergistic Research Element Tungsten AC cord for the PS Audio P3. I noticed an immediate improvement in clarity and reduction of noise. I will adding another Tungsten for my integrated once the funds recover a bit.

tboooe July 28, 2013 02:03

I just got the Ultra SSs to audition and they are a big improvement over the
Minis. The best way to describe it is that everything is more precise. Notes
are more definitive with very defined and distinct attack and decay. Bass is
more defined as well. When I put another set under my integrated amp, I
got more clarity and what seemed like a natural smoothness and warmth.
Its hard to describe because the attack and dynamics are still there. The
soundstage also got wider and the differing depths of instruments in the
soundstage got a bit easier to discern. Overall, i feel like I am hearing more
precisely what is on the recording, making music sound more real.

Next I decided to experiment with the Ultra SSs under my speakers. The
improvements are more subtle and dependent on the recording than when I
placed them under my components. However, the impact can be startling.
Immediately I noticed notes lingering just a bit longer and low level details
became more readily apparent. The perceived size of voices also got a bit
larger and moved forward in the soundstage giving more sense of depth.
There is a particular section of a song I am very familiar with that has some
backing vocals. Previously, these backing vocals sounded like they
emanated mostly to the left of center behind the leader singer. With the
Ultra SSs, these vocals soared and enveloped the room with a haunting
sound. It literally surprised me enough to make me look up from my laptop.
Unlike the SSs under my components, the improvements are not apparent
with every song.

People have said there are more significant improvements when used with
speakers but my experiences do not reflect this. I don't know if its because
the Sonus Faber stands and spikes are very well designed or because I
didn't actually screw the Ultra SSs into the base. I need to audition these
again but with the necessary adapters.

That being said, I will be saving my pennies to get these for my PS Audio
P3 and Accustic Arts Power 1 for sure.

tboooe July 27, 2013 01:40

Thanks Bryans. I now realize great sound can be had at a reasonable price, especially if you buy used. This entire system cost less than the monoblock amps I had before. I am very pleased with my sound right now so I am only playing around with modestly priced tweaks. My last upgrade maybe next year will be speakers.

tboooe July 20, 2013 23:11

Thank you LaPierre. I will compare the Tungsten to the Copper with my cdp. I am also going to try the MPC mod that is supposed to really improve the performance. After that I need to see if I can find an SR IC that can beat out my Acoustic Zen Silver Ref IIs. I have tried many other high priced ICs but none have provided me the organic sound like the Silver Refs. Any suggestions?

Another tweak I am trying are the Stillpoint isolation devices. So far I am extremely impressed. They add yet another level of detail, clarity, and realism to the music. I have only tried them under my components but will be auditioning more under my speakers next week.

tboooe July 20, 2013 13:50

System edited: Added some HiFi Tuning Supreme fuses to my Accustic Arts Power 1 int amp and PS Audio P3 AC Regenerator. I heard some minor improvements to clarity and dynamics with the fuse in the int amp. On the other hand, I heard no change from the P3. Oh well, small investment. I have spent much more to get far less. What's the next tweak??? :)

tboooe July 08, 2013 22:11

@Harris4crna...thank you. I definitely intend to give them a listen. I will let you know what I think.

tboooe July 03, 2013 13:49

Lapierre, in a nutshell everything now sounds more realistic. Notes have lifelike authority, weight, and decay which produces a very holographic effect. The sound is more effortless yet at the same time powerful and delicate. I am getting more and tighter bass than I ever thought was possible with my little monitors. It's like my system before the P3 was somehow being held back. I am also hearing so much detail which is adding to the sense of realism and "being there". For example, I can now hear the reverb of the singer, the moisture of the singer's lips, the rigidness of the guitar pick against the strings. My soundstage has become more consistent in height. Before the P3, I had trouble with the vertical placement of instruments being all over the place. All of this has made the music so much more engaging. I've been listening nonstop since I got the P3 last week and I am still astounded. It's strange, even with more detail and dynamics, the sound is still so smooth and liquid. I get absolutely no listener fatigue after many hour sessions. I can't guarantee everyone will get the same results as me but given the huge impact I experienced I would advise at least auditioning the PS Audio Powerplants.

tboooe July 02, 2013 05:10

Artist of the Week:

Artist: Kristina Train
Album: Dark Black (import)
Release date: 2012

Some people may not know the name but may recognize her voice from the Lexus commercial where she says a cover of Aretha Franklin's "I'm Wandering".

tboooe June 29, 2013 18:57

System edited: Lots of changes this month. I wasnt planning
on adding anything for the rest of this year but the
opportunity arose to get some pieces I have had my eyes for
a very good price.

First I added the Luxman D-06 cdp. I use it mainly as a DAC
but the having CDP capability is nice for the times when I
am too impatient to rip a new cd before listening to it.
Overall, the sound is classic Luxman...smooth, liquid, and
easy. Compared to the Musical Fidelity M1 DAC it replaced,
the Luxman presents a much larger overall soundstage. Sound
now seems to envelope the room more.

Second, I added the PS Audio P3 Powerplant AC regenerator.
All I can say is WOW! I dont know why I waited so long to
add this. Its like I upgraded my entire system. The first
things I noticed with the P3 is more detail and dynamics.
But after listening for a while I also noticed a larger
soundstage and deeper bass. Music I am very familiar with
sounds like totally new recordings. There is better
separation and layering of the instruments. Each one is
more distinct now. I always knew power was an important
part of any system but I just didnt realize how big an
impact good, consistent, clean power can have. Of course
YMMV but since I was coming from having no AC tweaks, the P3
has had a bigger impact aside from my
speakers and amps. Highly recommended!!!!

tboooe June 28, 2013 16:16

Erndog, as I told Jaxwired, I would be very happy to trade musical recommendations with you. I am always looking for great new music. BTW, just played some Amos Lee, Last Days at the Lodge...love it!

tboooe June 27, 2013 23:09

ahhh...Beth Orton. Love her. I really like her Central Reservation and Day Breaker albums.

Some similar artists you may want to check out are Boy, Daughter, Julia Stone, Bic Runga, and Vienna Teng.

tboooe June 27, 2013 16:01

Thank you Jaxwired. I appreciate your kind words especially from someone with such a nicely decorated room. You are right, about the small room. At first I was a little bothered that I would have to move from my large room but this small room is a bit easier to manage. I go to a lot of live shows in small venues so this room allows me to recreate the same intimacy.

All kidding aside, I have actually stopped really being concerned about chasing gear and am enjoying the music. This is why I am buying what I consider to be modest gear and being happy with that.

Regarding music, I would love to hear about any recommendations you have. I am always looking to discover new music.

tboooe June 27, 2013 13:56

Thanks Daveyf! I appreciate the feedback. I am looking forward to auditioning these soon. I may end up getting these or some used Guarneri's. It will depend on which one has more of the old school SF sound versus their new direction towards resolution and detail.

Also thank you for tip. I actually do move my seating position forward a bit. I actually do not like that position too much. I feel like I lose some coherence and get too much high freq energy. Right now, my speakers are about 5' apart and I sit 7' away. I need to add some room treatments but its hard since next to the speakers is a window on one side and a closet door on the other. At least the area behind my head is completely open.

tboooe June 26, 2013 16:33

Marakanetz, I truly appreciate your concern for my audio well being. Once I am happy with the sound I will enjoy the music. Almost there...just one more piece to the puzzle coming hopefully this weekend. Then I am done (i.e. out of money!)

tboooe June 26, 2013 15:47

B_limo, I said I was "trying" not be an audiophile. I never said I was successful! Perhaps what I should have said is that I want to be an audiophile on a budget. After spending crazy amounts of money on my last system I am trying to keep this one within reasonable limits. Again, I will probably fail there too!

You are right though, once you hear a great sounding system we are all
doomed to a lifetime of chasing that elusive musical memory.

tboooe June 26, 2013 04:13

Zstokes, I have not upgraded my Sonos. I was going to do that but instead
have opted to go with the Empirical Audio Synchro-Mesh reclocker. I like
the idea of an external unit so I can use it with other future music
streamers. Also, if my Sonos ever dies I will still have the Synchro-Mesh. I
plan to purchase it in the next month and will report back.

tboooe June 16, 2013 03:37

UPDATE: added the Hifi Tuning Supreme fuse to my Accustic Arts Power 1 integrated amp. As expected the changes were subtle. The biggest change was an overall smoothing out of the sound. It's as if all of the "grunginess" that resulted in the music having a little artificial edge to it has been removed. The music became so smooth and easy to listen to that at first I thought perhaps the fuse was causing a rolling off of the highs and blunting the initial attack of notes. After careful listening using my reference cds I realized that nothing was at all missing other than a hint of harshness. Another minor improvement was additional resolution of micro details. I could hear a few more details in songs that I have heard before. Overall, this is a good upgrade especially given price. I have paid much more to get much less improvement.

tboooe June 15, 2013 01:59

Artist of the Week:

Artist: Yuna
Album: Decorate (ep)
Release date: 2010

Yuna, is a Malaysian singer with a crystal clear voice. Her music is what I would refer to a folk pop. Her earlier albums prior to her major self titled release was more stripped down, acoustic collections. I highly suggest getting her Live on KCRW if you can. These songs were available for free download. The set of simple acoustic versions of her songs sound great and let's her voice take center stage.

tboooe June 10, 2013 01:26

System edited: Just replaced my Musical Fidelity M6i
integrated with the Accustic Arts Power 1 Mk2. I must admit
it was hard letting the M6i go. It was just so musical,
easy to listen to, and provided great bass! Music had a
nice weight to it, giving it a bit of an analogue sound.
That being said, I just felt that I was missing out on some
detail and dynamics. The AA Power 1 is in contrast so much
more transparent than the MF. The general energy level was
also much higher. Where the MF sounded relaxed the AA felt
alive and electric. The AA also throws a wider soundstage
and the images are more well defined. I do miss the bass
that the MF gave but I get so much more micro-detail and
extension with the AA. Overall I cant say this was an
improvement, just a different sound. I find myself missing
the MF though. I may look to get another one used and
switch between the MF and AA depending on my mood. Gotta
love this whacky hobby.

tboooe June 07, 2013 23:41

[quuote]06-05-13: Erndog
I liked the Sophie Barker recommendation and downloaded the Flac version. I was surprised that you get to name your price for the purchase. I wish more audio did that. Thanks Tboooe!
Erndog (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)
[/quote]

You are welcome Erndog! Her full album is good too and can be had on Amazon used for super cheap as well. Check out Zero 7 or Bliss if you like this downbeat/chill stuff. Keep an eye on this thread for weekly recommendations.

tboooe June 05, 2013 21:27

Artist of the Week:

Artist: Neil Halstead
Album: Palindrome Hunches
Release date: 2013

Following along my previous week's recommendation of Sophie Barker, I thought Neil Halstead would be a good follow up. Neil was/is part of Mojave 3, another downbeat/chill band like Zero 7. His solo albums are still in the chill style but also more folksy. His voice is calming and a little reedy. Songs are all simplistic and really highlight his easy singing style. This artist and album is recommended for people who like mellow, acoustic type music.

tboooe June 03, 2013 16:12

Spent some time messing around with speaker placement last night just for kicks. Even though I am happy with the overall sound of my system the soundstaging is not where I want it to be. The width seems constrained by the speaker position and height is barely above the top of the speaker.

Room limitations do not allow me to pull my speaker away from the front wall more than where they are now, 24" measured from front of speaker.

First thing I did was adjust the rake. I found that tilting the speakers back another 1/4" helped to raise the soundstage a bit and helped to make the speakers disappear a bit more. However, any more tilt resulted in very poor focus and the sound became off center.

Next I moved my speakers away from the sidewalls. I followed the isosceles triangle formula of 2:3 speaker width in relation to listening position. I sit about 7' away measured along the side the triangle. Therefore my speaker width should be 4.6'. After experimenting a bit, a settled on 5' apart and 2' from the sidewalls which gave me decent width. This position really helped to clean up the sound. It was like a veil was lifted. Another benefit was the soundstage width also improved.

Finally I adjusted the toe in. At least with these speakers and my listening preferences I did not like toe in at all. Soundstage width disappeared and I felt like I was listening to headphones. I prefer a more open, expansive sound.

At the end of the night I am pleased with the soundstage width and the how my speakers seem to disappear more. What I am still not happy with is the soundstage height. I have heard systems in real world homes (i.e. no room treatments or crazy expensive gear) where the sound seems to float a few feet above the speakers. I am going to keep working on this.

The best moment of the night was my daughter seeing me on my knees with my tape measure trying to get the rake adjusted to within 1/16". She thinks I am nuts!

tboooe June 02, 2013 15:43

I spend a lot of time discovering new music. I tend to favor female,
acoustic, singer/songwriters. I try not to limit myself to any one genre.
Anyway, I figure I will post my weekly favorite new musical discovery here.

Artist: Sophie Barker
Album: A Rare Collection of Songs (available on Bandcamp, name your
price)
Release date: 2013

Some of you may know Sophie's haunting voice from her work with chill
and downbeat bands such as Zero7 and Bliss. This collection of stripped
down live acoustic and unreleased demos totally blew me away with its
simplicity. Sophie's voice is front and center. Its weight and clarity sounded
absolutely stunning.

tboooe May 26, 2013 15:16

05-23-13: Marakanetz
D- is the highest grade you can get for not being an audiophile

LOL!!! Come on! Old habits die hard! I am trying man...wish me luck as I try to avoid purchasing the new Olympica I monitors.

tboooe May 23, 2013 13:57

Thanks b limo. I am trying hard to keep this rig as simple as possible. So far I am just enjoying music. I must admit I am tempted sometimes to purchase more gear and go down the rabbit hole of being an audiophile again.

tboooe May 23, 2013 04:11

05-14-13: Daveyf
Tboooe, the new Olympica 1's do look good. I wonder if they are going to be at the Newport Show; if so, I will definitely give them a listen.

I live in San Clemente so I am really close to Newport. I was thinking about going too. I will hit up Sumiko to see if they will be displaying the Olympicas there. BTW, my dealer friend said they will retail for about $6K. Good price compared to the Guarneris just wish they were available in Red, not feeling the walnut finish though I am sure it will look spectacular in person.

tboooe May 15, 2013 14:06

@daveyf, thank you! I love the art work too! Really makes listening to music more enjoyable since I am an "eyes open" kind of guy.

I am looking forward to hopefully auditioning the new Olympica 1 speakers. If they can get kind of close to the Guarneri's at a fraction of the cost I will be all over it.

tboooe May 14, 2013 13:40